Welcome to our deep-dive exploration into the world of online weekly budget planners. In today’s digital age, the right tools can make managing personal finances easier. This article will review the top 10 apps/software/tools that promise to revolutionize how you plan your budget and achieve your goals.

1. YNAB (You Need A Budget)

YNAB stands for “You Need A Budget.” It is a web-based tool designed to transform the way you approach budgeting. Unlike many other budgeting tools, YNAB’s philosophy isn’t just about tracking your income and expenses and changing your spending habits.

Top 3 Features

Bank Connections

YNAB lets you connect directly to your bank accounts. This feature enables the automatic importing of transactions and balancing of your books. By linking your bank accounts to your budgeting planner apps, you can be sure that none of your transactions and spendings go under the radar and that every penny is accounted for.

Real-time Sync

YNAB offers real-time sync to ensure your budget is always up-to-date across all devices, such as laptops, phones, or tablets. Not only this, you can access your budget and spending on Apple Watch and Alexa, too, so you’re constantly connected with your finances and goal tracking.

Spending and Net Worth Reports

Graphs and charts are an easy and instant way of seeing and understanding your budgets and spending. With YNAB, you get in-depth spending and net worth reports to understand your financial progress and make informed decisions. The convenient view options let you select categories for which you would like to see insights or select dates.

Pros

• Provide detailed reports for a better understanding of spending habits
• Offers education materials to improve financial literacy
• Encourages you to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle

Cons

• It has a steeper learning curve compared to other apps
• There’s no free version available
• Limited support for currencies outside the US and Canada

Available Platforms

• Windows
• MAcOS
• Android
• iOs
• Apple Watch
• Alexa

Pricing

• Free trial for 34 days
• Monthly Plan at $14.99
• Annual Plan at $8.25 per month

Final Verdict

YNAB is a powerful budget planner for those committed to rethinking their approach to budgeting. It includes some very useful features that make budgeting a breeze and make sticking to budgeting goals easier.

Despite its higher price and learning curve, its philosophy and suite of tools offer a comprehensive system for managing personal finances.

2. PocketGuard

PocketGuard is an all-in-one budgeting system designed to keep your monthly budget tracking in check. It simplifies the sometimes overwhelming task of understanding your financial life and aims to enable you to track their spending and adopt better spending habits. The app claims to be the perfect solution for overspenders to budget and invest in only important things.

Top 3 Features

Bill Payment Tracker

PocketGuard can track your bill payments, so you never miss a payment date. The app keeps a list of all pending bills and notifies you when the due date is near to avoid any late payments or fines. What makes it a highly useful app is that it also keeps track of all your subscribed apps and reminds you of their upcoming payments too.

Additionally, it maintains a record of paid bills and their amount to help in assessing expenses.

Insights

Budgeting is just one part of the whole picture. PocketGuard helps you improve your spending habits by providing insights about your spending and helping you understand where your money goes.

An updated and accurate view of all your expenses helps you differentiate between necessary and unnecessary expenses and make informed decisions in the future. These analyses are crucial in adopting smarter spending habits.

Budget Categorization

PocketGuard allows you to categorize your budget, making it easier to see where you’re spending and where you might need to cut back. Categorizing expenses makes it a lot easier to identify areas of over or underspending and make necessary changes.

Even better, you can customize your categories or add hashtags to organize and compile relevant spending in respective categories for quicker analysis. 

Pros

• Easy to use interface
• Offers a good balance of simplicity and functionality
• Automatic categorization of transactions

Cons

• Not as customizable as some other apps
• Bank syncing issues can occasionally occur
• There’s no way to input cash transactions manually

Available Platforms

• Windows
• MacOS
• Android
• iOS

Pricing

• Free plan for basic budgeting
• Monthly Plan at $7.99 per month
• Annual Plan at $34.99 per year
• Lifetime Plan at $79.99

Final Verdict

PocketGuard is an excellent budget planner for individuals seeking simplicity. Its automatic categorization and bill-tracking features make it easy to keep on top of your financial situation. PocketGuard does not only help you budget but also assists in adopting healthy spending habits.

3. Honeydue

Budgeting is not only an individual thing. It becomes more important when you have a family. Honeydue is a personal finance app for couples. It aims to help partners manage their finances together, offering tools like joint cash, chat, and account tracking.

Top 3 Features

Joint Cash

Honeydue allows couples to share a budget, making joint financial goals easier to manage. This online weekly budget planner lets you split bills, stay updated with upcoming bills, and see your expenses in real-time. The feature also lets you chat with your significant other and discuss money matters on the app.

Chat

The app has a built-in chat for real-time communication between partners regarding their financial decisions. You can share expenses in the chat to discuss more on spending and make informed decisions for the future.

Account Tracking

Honeydue allows you to track your bank accounts, credit card debts, and loans all in one place. With the support of over 20,000 financial institutes, Honeydue makes account tracking a breeze.

Pros

• Unique approach to couples’ finances
• Real-time communication options
• Option to view all accounts in one place

Cons

• Some users report sync issues with bank accounts
• Lack of in-depth budgeting tools compared to other apps
• No web version available

Available Platforms

• Android
• iOS

Pricing

Honeydue is a free app.

Final Verdict

For couples looking to handle their financial life together, Honeydue offers a unique approach. While it may lack some advanced budgeting tools, its couple-centered features set it apart. With collaborative features such as chat and Joint Cash, it presents itself as the perfect solution for those who wish to stay together in everything, even budgeting.

4. EveryDollar

EveryDollar is a budgeting app built on the principles of renowned personal finance guru Dave Ramsey. It emphasizes zero-based budgeting, where your income minus your outgo equals zero.

Top 3 Features

Budget creation

EveryDollar offers a straightforward way to create a budget, ensuring every dollar has a purpose. You can customize your budgeting options and stay on track with your expenses.

Sync across devices

EveryDollar allows you to sync your budget across multiple devices, ensuring you always have access to your budget. You can add as many accounts as you want without worrying about syncing data. With EveryDollar, you can check your account balance across all your accounts and drag and drop transactions.

Goal Planning

If you have any short-term or long-term financial goals, especially about your budget, EveryDollar helps you plan and spend better. The Goal planning and tracking feature lets you create budgets keeping in mind your aspirations and targets. It tracks all your expenses and alerts you whether you are on track with your goals.

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Encourages zero-based budgeting
• Useful for followers of Dave Ramsey’s method

Cons

• Some features are only available in the paid version
• No investment-tracking feature
• Some users report difficulties with bank synchronization

Available Platforms

• Android
• iOS

Pricing

• Free trial for 14 days
• Monthly Plan at $12.99 per month.
• Annual Plan for $79.99 per year.

Final Verdict

EveryDollar is an effective budget planner for individuals and families who adhere to Dave Ramsey’s financial principles. The interface is simple, and the app’s focus on zero-based budgeting can be a game-changer.

5. Fudget

Fudget is a budget planner that stands out for its simplicity. Its minimalist interface allows for quick and easy budget creation, making it perfect for those who want a simple, no-fuss approach to budgeting.

Top 3 Features

Budget creation

With Fudget, you can create simple lists of income and expenses, keeping your budgeting process uncomplicated. With its simple and hassle-free layout, there are no confusions in efficient budgeting.

Budget on multiple devices

Fudget lets you manage your budget on various devices, ensuring you always have access to your budget. The data seamlessly syncs across devices so no entries are missed out.

Account sharing

The app allows you to share your account with others, making it suitable for families or roommates. You can share your budgets and spending with your loved ones and discuss your progress periodically.

Pros

• Intuitive user interface
• No unnecessary frills or complicated features
• Ability to create and manage multiple budgets

Cons

• Lack of automated tracking features
• Not suitable for intricate budgeting needs
• No report or chart generation feature

Available Platforms

• Windows
• MacOS
• Android
• iOS

Pricing

• Fudget offers a free plan for basic budgeting
• Paid plans offe a 7-day trial
• Fudget Plus Yearly for $19.99 per year
• Fudget Plus Bi-yearly for $14.99 for six months.

Final Verdict

Fudget is perfect for those who want a straightforward, hassle-free budgeting experience. While it lacks some of the advanced features found in other apps, its simplicity and ease of use make it an attractive choice.

6. Empower

Empower is an excellent budget planner that facilitates the detailed monitoring of spending habits and sets you on the right track to reach your savings goals. The online weekly budget planner offers elaborate budgeting features that help you stay aligned with your monetary goals and achieve them successfully.

Top 3 Features

Savings Goals

Having clear monetary goals is the first step towards achieving your targets. Empower’s savings goal feature enables you to identify and track your savings goals. It helps to monitor progress and make necessary adjustments to ensure the set goals are met.

Detailed Budgeting

The Detailed Budgeting feature allows you to keep track of daily expenses, including extra expenses. It aids you in understanding their spending habits and developing better budgeting habits.

View of Spendings

The View of Spendings feature presents a comprehensive expense tracker that can monitor all your spending. This includes both cash spending and credit card transactions, providing an overview of your financial life.

Pros

• Simplified financial planning by providing a clear view of monthly income and expenses.
• Debt tracking for managing debts and planning debt repayment.
• Enables users to set and track both short-term and long-term financial goals.

Cons

• Limited customization
• No credit score monitoring

Available Platforms

• Windows
• MacOS
• Android
• iOS

Pricing

Empower is a free-to-use budgeting tool.

Final Verdict

Empower serves as a comprehensive digital budget planner that caters to users seeking detailed budgeting. It helps users track their spending habits and set financial goals effectively, making it an excellent choice for those wanting to manage their personal finances meticulously.

7. Mint

Mint is an online budgeting tool that provides you with an overview of their finances in one platform. It offers real-time updates about financial accounts, making it a great tool to track spending habits and set budgets.

Top 3 Features

Spending Limits

The Spending Limits feature in Mint allows you to set a spending limit for each expense category. This feature helps manage daily expenses and cash flow, giving control over spending habits.

Budget Categories

Mint helps you divide your monthly income into various budget categories. This feature aids in identifying monthly expenses and can be instrumental in achieving monthly financial goals. By categorizing expenses, you have a better understanding of where they are spending most or areas that are underspent.

These realizations are key to better spending habits and intelligent resource allocation.

Budgeting Recommendations

Mint provides budgeting recommendations based on the user’s spending patterns. These insights can assist in making informed financial decisions and changing bad spending habits.

Pros

• Efficient Budget Tracking
• Free Service
• Provides credit score monitoring, making it a comprehensive financial tool.

Cons

• Mint provides fewer customization options than some other budgeting apps.
• Users may encounter occasional advertisements while using the service.
• Some users report issues when syncing multiple financial accounts with Mint.

Available Platforms

• Windows
• MacOS
• Android
• iOS

Pricing

Mint is free, offering a cost-effective solution for individuals seeking a comprehensive budgeting tool.

Final Verdict

Mint provides an all-in-one budgeting system that enables users to monitor their financial life efficiently. Its ability to provide real-time updates, budgeting recommendations, and credit score monitoring make it a comprehensive tool for managing personal finances. Mint is an excellent choice for those who need a thorough budgeting planner at their fingertips.

8. Goodbudget

GoodBudget is a modern take on the envelope method of budgeting. It helps you track your monthly or weekly expenses and maintain a healthy cash flow.

Top 3 Features

Envelope Method Budgeting

The app uses the Envelope Method of budgeting, which allocates money to different envelopes or budget categories at the beginning of the month. This method can help in managing monthly expenses and maintaining positive spending habits.

Sync and Share

GoodBudget’s Sync and Share feature lets you share and synchronize their budget with other family members. It’s a great way to maintain collective financial goals. Everyone can discuss their expenses and adopt better spending habits for money saving and achieving their goals.

Saving for Future

The Saving for Future feature allows you to allocate funds for future use, aiding in setting and achieving long-term financial goals.

Pros

• User-friendly interface and cool graphics
• Shared Budgeting
• Debt Tracking

Cons

• Limited Envelopes in Free Version
• No Investment Tracking
• No Credit Score Monitoring

Available Platforms

• Windows
• MacOS
• Android
• iOS

Pricing

• Free Version
• Goodbudget Plus version for $8 per month or $70 per year

Final Verdict

GoodBudget is an innovative budgeting tool that adopts the envelope method for effective budgeting. Its easy-to-use interface, shared budgeting feature, and debt tracking capabilities make it a standout option for managing personal finances. GoodBudget’s Saving for Future feature also assists users in setting and achieving long-term financial goals, proving it to be a versatile budgeting tool.

9. Rocket Money

Rocket Money is a mobile-first financial management tool that gives you control over your daily expenses and monthly budgets. With a focus on convenience and user-friendly features, it simplifies personal finance.

Top 3 Features

Spending Allowance

Rocket Money’s Spending Allowance feature allows you to set a daily, weekly, or monthly spending limit. This feature helps regulate your daily expenses and encourages healthy spending habits.

Goal Tracker

The Goal Tracker in Rocket Money is a great tool for setting and tracking your savings goals. It provides a clear picture of your financial progress, which can motivate you to stay on track and successfully meet your goals.

Cancellation of Unwanted Subscriptions

Unwanted subscriptions consume a considerable amount of your money. Often, your account is deducted for subscriptions from apps and programs you no longer use. This feature identifies and helps you cancel unwanted subscriptions, saving you from extra expenses that often go unnoticed.

Pros

• User-friendly Interface
• Excellent Budget Tracking
• Goals and Subscription Management

Cons

• Rocket Money’s main focus is on its mobile platforms, providing limited web access.
• Fewer Customization Options
• No Investment Tracking

Available Platforms

• Web (with limited access)
• Android
• iOS

Pricing

Rocket Money is a free application.

Final Verdict

Rocket Money is a fantastic budgeting tool for managing personal finances, especially for those who prefer to manage their budgets on their smartphones. With its strong focus on goals, daily spending limits, and subscription management, it serves as an effective budgeting planner.

Its easy-to-use interface and excellent budget tracking capabilities further enhance its appeal. Despite some limitations, Rocket Money is a strong contender in the field of budgeting apps.

10. Simplifi

Simplifi is a budgeting tool designed to offer a personalized approach to budgeting. By tracking and managing bills and offering a customizable spending plan, Simplifi aims to make budgeting straightforward and effective.

Top 3 Features

Personalized Budgeting

Simplifi offers Personalized Budgeting that takes into account your income, expenses, and financial goals. It’s a great feature for those who want a budgeting tool that adapts to their unique financial situation.

Bills Tracking and Management

The Bills Tracking and Management feature allows you to keep an eye on your upcoming bills and ensure timely payments, aiding in effective budget management.

Spending Plan

Simplifi’s Spending Plan feature offers a clear picture of your income, bills, and goals, allowing you to make more informed decisions regarding your spending habits.

Pros

• Comprehensive Expense Tracker
• Personalized Budgeting
• Upcoming Bills Tracker

Cons

• Limited Free Trial
• No Desktop Version
• No Credit Score Monitoring

Available Platforms

• Android
• iOS

Pricing

• Free 30-day trial
• Monthly Plan at $5.99/month
• Yearly plan of $2.99/month when billed annually.

Final Verdict

Simplifi stands out for its personalized budgeting approach, catering to individual financial circumstances. Its ability to track and manage bills, along with a customizable spending plan, helps users understand their spending habits better.

While the absence of a desktop version and credit score monitoring may be seen as drawbacks, the app’s comprehensive budgeting features and user-friendly design make it a solid choice for budget management.

Best of the Best

1. Mint

Mint ranks first due to its comprehensive budgeting features, including investment tracking and debt payoff planning, and its bank account syncing capability. Also, it provides an insightful report and analysis feature and is available for free.

2. Simplifi

Simplifi comes in a close second due to its well-rounded feature set, including budget creation, bill tracking, savings goals, investment tracking, debt payoff planning, bank account syncing, and reports. It also offers a free version, which is a significant advantage.

3. Rocket Money

Rocket Money is placed third because of its balanced features that include budget creation, bill tracking, savings goals, debt payoff planning, bank account syncing, and reporting features. Plus, it offers a free version, providing good value.

Conclusion

Online weekly budget planners play a pivotal role in personal finance management. They offer transparency over income, expenses, and savings goals, thereby empowering users to take control of their financial health. Among the ones reviewed, Mint stands out with its extensive set of features and free availability, making it a top choice for many.

However, budgeting is only one aspect of a well-rounded life plan. For a comprehensive planning tool that includes budgeting and much more, Week Plan stands out. Week Plan provides a holistic approach to planning your week, allowing you to effectively manage your budget alongside other activities. Don’t just take our word for it. Sign up for Week Plan today and discover how it can streamline your budget planning and improve your overall productivity.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How secure are these budgeting apps when handling my financial data?

These apps typically use bank-level encryption and security practices to protect your data. However, it’s always important to review their specific security measures and policies before use.

2. Which budgeting app provides the best investment tracking?

Among the listed apps, Mint offers investment tracking, providing users with an overview of their portfolio.

3. Are there budgeting apps that provide specific features for couples?

Yes, Honeydue is designed for couples to manage their finances together. It allows shared budgeting and expense tracking.

4. Can these budgeting apps connect directly to my bank account?

Yes, most of these apps, including Mint, YNAB, Empower, Rocket Money, PocketGuard, and Every Dollar, can sync with your bank accounts for real-time tracking of transactions.

5. Are there any budgeting apps that offer advanced reporting and analysis?

Yes, Mint, YNAB, Empower, Rocket Money, and Every Dollar offer advanced reporting and analysis features, helping users understand their spending patterns and make informed financial decisions.

6. Are there budgeting apps that cater specifically to helping me achieve my savings goals?

Yes, Mint, YNAB, Empower, Rocket Money, PocketGuard, and GoodBudget allow you to set and track savings goals.

7. Do all these budgeting apps offer a free version?

Most of them do, except for YNAB and Every Dollar. They may offer trial periods, but for full access, a subscription is required.

8. Can these budgeting apps help me track my bills and remind me when they are due?

Yes, Mint, YNAB, Honeydue, Rocket Money, and PocketGuard provide bill tracking features and reminders for upcoming due dates

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