Best Personal Finance Software
Joy Wallet is advertiser-supported: we may earn compensation from the products and offers mentioned in this article. However, any expressed opinions are our own and aren't influenced by compensation. To read our full disclosure, click here.
There is a wide range of personal finance software on the market today, and you’ve probably heard of quite a few of them. Some are straightforward and require little input from you to manage your budget. Others might keep you informed with thorough graphs and charts of your full financial picture. Some of this software can save you time and money when it comes to necessities such as filing your taxes, paying your bills, and more. I can’t tell you definitively which software you should sign up for, but these options should help you get started.
In this article
Overview of best personal finance software
Software | Best for |
Betterment | Investing with a robo advisor |
Credit Sesame | Free credit monitoring |
Empower | Full-picture financial planning |
Intuit Quickbooks | Tools for freelancers and small businesses |
Credit Karma | Budget management |
Moneydance | Budget tracking with automatic currency conversions |
Quicken | All-on-one tool for personal and business finances |
Tiller Money | Customized spreadsheets for financial planning and tracking |
TurboTax | Tax preparation and filing services |
You Need a Budget (YNAB) | Hand-on personal finance management |
- See all of your accounts in one secure place.
- Monitor all of your investments in real time.
- Track your complete, true net worth.
Best personal finance software
Betterment
Betterment has an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it easy for anybody to manage their money effectively. The software allows users to track their expenses and set and track financial goals. Additionally, you can use it as a robo advisor to help you manage diversified and effective investment portfolios.
As a fiduciary, Betterment has to focus on the best interests of its clients. The company has a team of financial advisors to help you evaluate your goals and set up a customized plan. Depending on the level of support you want, you can choose between a one-time setup with no fee, or ongoing support at a low annual fee.
Betterment differentiates itself from other online brokerage accounts through its unique features and transparency. There are no hidden fees or transaction charges. Transactions are also made in exact dollar amounts, which allows more flexibility so users don’t have to buy whole shares.
The automated features offered by Betterment allow users to have more peace of mind when managing their investments. This includes automatic diversification, leading to higher returns with lower risk. Betterment can also automatically rebalance your portfolio and reinvest your dividends.
- Costs, fees or price: No fee for high-yield cash accounts and checking accounts; investment fees start at $4 per month or 0.25% annually
- Where to download/enroll/find: Betterment
Credit Sesame
offers robust credit monitoring and management tools that empower users to take control of their credit health. This software gives you free access to your credit scores and thorough credit reports. You can also browse Credit Sesame’s personalized recommendations to improve your credit.
Additionally, Credit Sesame offers financial planning tools that can help you set and achieve your financial goals. For example, you might set a financial goal of paying off student loan debt. Credit Sesame can provide recommendations based on your goals to help you get the most out of your money.
One of the unique features of Credit Sesame is that you can access your credit score daily, as opposed to other software that allows less frequent free credit scores. This can help you take full control of your finances and keep your goals top-of-mind. Credit Sesame also monitors your personal data and submits alerts immediately if any suspicious activities are tied to your information.
With Credit Sesame, you’ll have all the tools to monitor your finances right at your fingertips. The software’s platform is easy to navigate and provides clear recommendations and tools you can immediately take action on. Credit Sesame can be used alongside other financial software for total financial wellness.
- Costs, fees or price: Free
- Where to download: Credit Sesame
Empower
Empower (formerly known as Personal Capital) allows users to build a better financial future. It all starts with three easy steps. First, you create your free Empower dashboard. Then, you talk to a financial advisor about your current investment strategy. And finally, the financial advisor will provide personalized feedback to help you build a portfolio tailored to your goals.
The Empower Personal Dashboard allows you to link your bank accounts, mortgages, loans, credit cards, and investment plans. Once your accounts are linked, you can use Empower’s tools for budgeting, retirement planning, and more. You can access your account 24/7 by using the Empower app or website.
Empower’s investment methodology combines the company’s robust technology with the experience of financial professionals to create the most optimized strategies. The methodology is designed to maximize returns based on the level of risk that you want to take. It also maintains a dynamic portfolio allocation that can adapt over time.
Additionally, Empower offers a Personal Cash program. This account can be set up as a joint family account and used like any other checking account. You can set up direct deposits and use the account for automatic bill payments. The major perk of this program is that you’ll earn a high-yield interest rate of 4.70% APY. The program also offers up to $5,000,000 in FDIC insurance coverage, much higher than the standard bank offering of $250,000.
- Costs, fees or price: Free to use; fees for investment accounts may apply
- Where to download: Empower
- See all of your accounts in one secure place.
- Monitor all of your investments in real time.
- Track your complete, true net worth.
Intuit QuickBooks
QuickBooks, developed by Intuit, is a great tool for freelancers and small business owners. The software can be used for budgeting and invoicing. It also makes expense tracking and financial reporting easier.
To use these features, users can connect their bank accounts and credit cards to their QuickBooks accounts. The software can then automatically import transactions and categorize them appropriately. Not only does this help you stay on track, but it can also make tax preparation much easier.
QuickBooks has a few account options to choose from based on the features that you need. All of the accounts come with a free guided setup. The main features of invoicing and expense tracking are also included with all accounts. The higher-level accounts allow for more account users and more sales channels. It also offers time tracking, bill payment, profitability tracking, and more.
Beyond that, QuickBooks can offer even more support. You can use one of QuickBooks’ Live Bookkeepers to update your financials and manage your books. The software also offers expert support agents to help you manage your account.
- Costs, fees or price: $35, $65, $99 or $235 per month
- Where to download: QuickBooks
Credit Karma
is one of Intuit’s products, alongside QuickBooks and TurboTax, which recently incorporated Mint into its services. The purpose of a Credit Karma account is to make managing your personal finances easier. Opening an account is free and a great place to start if you’re new to personal finance software.
The best feature of Credit Karma is its budgeting tools. You can connect all your accounts to Credit Karma, including bank and credit card accounts. Then you can create a customized budget that is separated into categories. When you use these features, Mint can track your spending habits and notify you when you’re at your budget limit so you don’t overspend.
Another perk of using Credit Karma is that it can help you keep track of your bills and subscriptions. Credit Karma will help you keep track of your bills and their due dates so you don’t miss a payment. It also notifies you if your bills or subscriptions raise prices, so you’re always up-to-date with the latest information.
Additionally, Credit Karma offers free credit scores and investment tracking. The investment tracking tool can analyze the fees you’re paying to your broker, advisor, or 401(k) provider and let you know which ones you can eliminate. You can also use the tool to monitor your asset allocation and compare your investment portfolio to market benchmarks.
- Costs, fees or price: Free
- Where to download: Credit Karma
Moneydance
Moneydance can be a good option for people who prefer to manage their finances on their desktops. It can be used on most common operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. There is also a mobile app available for Android and iOS devices.
With Moneydance, you can connect your account to the financial institutions you use for your banking, credit card, and investment services. Your account information from each financial institution will be securely stored within your Moneydance account so the software can automatically download your transactions and send bill payments. As time goes on, the software learns how to automatically categorize your transactions so you can keep track of where your money goes.
Moneydance supports some investment services as well. You can view your investment accounts' total value and individual investments' performance using the software. The investment tracking tool can also automatically download daily security prices to simplify stock splits and cost basis computations.
One of the standout features of Moneydance is its ability to handle multiple currencies. Moneydance automatically converts your money to the appropriate currency using the daily exchange rate. This can be useful if you have a foreign bank account or make a foreign currency transaction.
- Costs, fees or price: $49.99 as a one-time purchase
- Where to download: Moneydance
- See all of your accounts in one secure place.
- Monitor all of your investments in real time.
- Track your complete, true net worth.
Quicken
Quicken might be considered a powerhouse in the personal finance industry, and it has much to offer. Whether you have a small business, own rental properties, or just want a software to help you with financial planning, Quicken can help you. The software isn’t free, but the plans are affordable, and you can pick the option that best fits your goals.
Anyone can benefit from the personalized budget planning tool that Quicken offers. When you connect your financial accounts to your Quicken account, you can categorize your spending and keep track of your regular expenses. If building your budget stresses you out, you can even let Quicken create one based on your normal recurring expenses.
Small business owners can also use Quicken software to manage parts of the business, including their cash flow. You can build custom-branded invoices to send to clients, allowing Quicken to automatically track your invoices and bills. There are also tools to help you store your business documents and simplify your business taxes.
In addition to all of this, Quicken offers robust investment tools. The investment management software can help you track investment opportunities, view market benchmarks, and run investment tracking reports. Quicken will also track all of your investment fees and allow you to predict the tax implications of your investments.
- Costs, fees or price: Ranges between $2.99/mo and $5.99/mo
- Where to download: Quicken
Tiller Money
Tiller Money takes a unique approach to personal finance software that may put some people at ease. Like other personal finance software, you can connect your financial accounts to your Tiller Money account. However, Tiller does not see or store your bank login details when you do this, providing a more secure experience.
This software is really for spreadsheet lovers. In addition to linking your accounts, you can link your Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel files. Using this information, Tiller Money can create a transactions sheet showing all your spending, income, and transfers.
Once you connect to Tiller Money, it can help simplify your financial tracking. Instead of inputting your data into your spreadsheets, Tiller will import your daily spending, income, and balances from your connected accounts. You can set categorization rules to ensure that all your data is automatically organized the way you want.
Free templates are a popular feature of Tiller. These pre-designed templates can help you review your spending, plan monthly budgets, and keep track of your account balances. Tiller Money also emails users a daily summary for easy financial monitoring without opening the app.
- Costs, fees or price: $79/yr with a 30-day free trial
- Where to download: Tiller
TurboTax
TurboTax is a popular online tax software that supports most tax situations. A few options are available from TurboTax, including full-service tax support and a DIY tax process that is easy to follow. You can start using all the options for free because you only pay when you file.
The DIY process is a popular option, especially if your tax situation is relatively straightforward. TurboTax has a step-by-step guide that walks you through filing your taxes yourself. It can also help you identify and maximize deductions and credits you might qualify for.
There are many layers of support to choose from. Even if you decide to do your taxes yourself, you can get advice from live tax experts through TurboTax. TurboTax can also connect you with a tax expert who can do your taxes, usually within a day.
TurboTax’s guarantees offer peace of mind, no matter how you file. A Maximum Refund Guarantee states that TurboTax will refund the applicable funds if you get a larger or smaller tax due from another tax preparation service. If you receive an audit letter, TurboTax might also be able to provide personalized support with one of its tax professionals.
- Costs, fees or price: Between $0 and $219, depending on the level of service you choose
- Where to download: TurboTax
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
YNAB is so popular that there are Facebook Groups dedicated to it where users can share their tips and successes. It’s often thought of as more than a piece of software, but more as a financial lifestyle. YNAB is designed to help you manage your finances instead of using a “set it and forget it” method.
The first “rule” of YNAB is to have a plan for every dollar you earn. You can assign every dollar you earn to one of your categories. Categories can be anything you want, but YNAB recommends categorizing categories into purchases you want to fund. For example, you might have a category for eating out that you allocate a certain amount of money each month. Then, you might have a category for your car insurance bill that only comes twice a year but you know you need to save each month.
YNAB might seem rigid and daunting to some people, but there is always room for flexibility. If you’re spending differently than expected, you can shift your funds between categories accordingly. The system simply makes it easier to see how your money is being broken down to ensure that you always have enough to cover your important expenses.
Like other personal finance software, you can connect your important financial accounts to your YNAB account. Then, your transactions will be imported automatically so your YNAB financial picture is always in real-time. The software also allows you to set and track your financial goals, plan to pay off debt and generate reports.
- Costs, fees or price: 34-day free trial, then $109/yr or $14.99/mo
- Where to download: YNAB
Summary of best personal finance software
Software | Price | Features |
Betterment | No fee for high-yield cash and checking accounts; investing fees start at $4/mo or 0.25% annually | Financial advisors; automatic investment tools; cash back rewards from checking account |
Credit Sesame | Free | Financial tools, free credit scores, credit improvement recommendations, credit monitoring alerts |
Empower | Free-to-use software; investment accounts may have fees | Investment accounts, retirement planning, budget planning, financial advisors, high-yield account |
Intuit Quickbooks | $35/mo, $65/mo, $99/mo or $235/mo | Expense tracking, invoicing, sales tracking, mileage tracking, financial reports |
Credit Karma | Free | Budget tracking; bill and subscription tracking and notifications; investment tracking; free credit score |
Moneydance | $49.99 as a one-time purchase | Budget tracking, investment tracking, automatic currency conversions |
Quicken | $2.99/mo - $5.99/mo | Budget tracking, investment tracking, small business financial tools |
Tiller Money | Free 30-day trial, then $79/yr | Spreadsheet templates; budget setting; transaction categorization; daily emails summarizing finances |
TurboTax | $0 - $219 | DIY guided tax preparation; full-service tax preparation; tax expert support |
You Need a Budget (YNAB) | 34-day free trial, then $109/yr or $14.99/mo | Budget tracking; goal planning; financial tools and reports |
- See all of your accounts in one secure place.
- Monitor all of your investments in real time.
- Track your complete, true net worth.
FAQs
What personal finance software should I use?
It depends on what you want to use it for. Some personal finance software offers online banking and budgeting software all in one place. Others offer a wider range of financial management options, which can be useful to track spending and your savings goals. Keep in mind that you can always make use of multiple software options. Several budgeting apps offer free trials, so you can always start a trial to test the functionality and features. Just don’t forget to cancel your trial before your subscription is renewed!
What’s the difference between free and paid versions?
Every money management tool has its own pricing structure. Some personal finance software only offers a free version. Others might have both free and paid versions or only paid versions. Generally, the free versions are a good place for beginners to test the software. Depending on your goals, the free version might be all you need. Paid versions tend to offer additional features and/or higher customer support.
How do I make sure my information is protected?
Any legitimate personal finance software will explain how it keeps your information secure on its website. It’s important to understand these security methods before entering your banking information. You should also make sure you’re using a secure WiFi network and a unique password to reduce your risk of identity theft.
Why should you use personal finance software?
Personal finance software — including accounting software and budgeting software — can be a useful tool in managing your overall financial picture. You can use them to help you monitor your spending habits, find savings opportunities, and manage business expenses. Some tools can even help you calculate and monitor your net worth.
Though these tools are useful, that doesn’t mean you should sign up for every single one. Consider what you want from your financial management tools and find the software that best fits your needs. You might also want to look for software that offers free trials and a money-back guarantee.
The bottom line
You don’t necessarily need personal finance software, but it can make managing your finances much easier. The key is finding the software you feel most comfortable with. Some people might not like the hands-on work that YNAB asks for. Others might thrive when empowered to give a purpose to every dollar they earn.
While each piece of software has something different to offer, they all share a common goal — to help you feel more confident about your finances. These tools can provide what you need to achieve your savings goals, eliminate unnecessary purchases, and make sure your bills are paid on time.
Joy Wallet is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor, financial advisor, loan broker, insurance producer, or insurance broker. Its articles, interactive tools and other content are provided to you for free, as self-help tools and for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide investment advice. Joy Wallet does not and cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information in regard to your individual circumstances. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific investment issues. Featured estimates are based on past market performance, and past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.
Our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market. We are compensated by our partners, which may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on our site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice. Our editorials are grounded on independent research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services.
We value your privacy. We work with trusted partners to provide relevant advertising based on information about your use of Joy Wallet’s and third-party websites and applications. This includes, but is not limited to, sharing information about your web browsing activities with Meta (Facebook) and Google. All of the web browsing information that is shared is anonymized. To learn more, click on our Privacy Policy link.
Images appearing across JoyWallet are courtesy of shutterstock.com.
Writer
Ashley Hart is a lead copywriter and digital marketing expert covering finance, law, real estate, music, entertainment, health and wellness.
Share this article
