The best apps to manage your budget like a pro

Budget management is an important task, but not very exciting. Essential for many people, such as students, it is often forgotten, even though it could save many from eating pasta on the 20th of each month. In short, here is our selection of applications to finally manage your budget.

Doing your accounts is a particularly long and tedious task. However, a well-controlled budget is the key to better distributing your expenses and avoiding difficult ends of the month. After budgets on large physical binders then on Excel spreadsheets, we move on to accounts 3.0 with mobile applications. Here is our selection of applications for doing the accounts, whether for yourself or with friends.

Bank applications

First of all, remember to install your bank’s application and, a priori, all banks (or almost) offer one. Here, your choice will mainly be determined by the various offers offered. So it’s up to you to see which one suits you best.

Don’t worry, we’ll give you a little help with our ultra-comprehensive bank comparator!

Bankin’, the essential

Bankin’ is undoubtedly the most famous application among budget management services, and at the same time, it also has the merit of being very pleasant to use. The interface is ultra simple to use while the platform offers all the essential features to keep an informed eye on your expenses, as long as you have an account in one of the approximately 350 compatible banks, many of which are in France.

The very clear graphs, the notifications alerting you to exceptional expenses or a risk of overdrafting, the categorization of expenses, the calculation of the savings made at the end of each month or the various advice are all tools which will help you to manage your budget. The application is free, but you have to pay for the Premium version which unlocks all Bankin’ options.

Linxo, Wallet and Spendee, interesting alternatives

When we think of an alternative to Bankin’, the name Linxo comes up regularly. Overall, this application offers the same budget management options as its rival while being compatible with more than 320 banks in total. Linxo wants to mark its difference on two important points. The first thing highlighted is the security of the application which prides itself on having such convincing technology that banks and insurance companies wanted to invest in it.

The other popular asset is the very effective search functionality which allows you to find an expense or a receipt of money via several search criteria (word, amount or category of the operation). Here too, you will have to pay for the Premium version which notably gives access to a forecast of your budget over 30 rolling days.

Let’s also not forget the Wallet application which finds its place in this selection thanks to its very beautiful interface. In terms of functionality, it maintains, overall, the same strengths as its competitors while also offering a Premium version to take advantage of all the options.

Spendee, another mobile financial management application, has the advantage of offering synchronization with more than 2,500 global financial institutions, making it easy to connect bank accounts, e-wallets and crypto wallets. This holistic view of finances helps prevent overspending with automated alerts and analytics. A smart budgeting system provides visibility into spending habits, promoting informed decisions for total control of your budget. For groups, Spendee allows the creation of shared wallets, ideal for transparent management of your group expenses. Download for free on Android and iOS, Spendee’s most advanced features require an in-app subscription.

Spendee

Budget management, to finely organize your expenses

If you are looking for an even simpler application to record your various expenses and easily manage your budget, the Budget Management – ​​Expenses mobile application could meet your needs. Compatible with Android and iOS, this application allows you to quickly add all your transactions as well as your cash receipts to monitor the balance of your budget.

You will also be able to sort your expenses by customizable category or by period in order to manage precise reports and thus determine the most important expense items and the dates when purchases were more significant. The application therefore provides relevant information to help you better control your budget. Other interesting features such as currency change or smart reminders (to do your accounts) are also offered.

Alternatively, you can find Monefy. More focused on individuals, this application facilitates the recording of expenses, allows you to quickly categorize transactions to better organize them and visualize the most important expense items, with customization of categories and currencies.

Monefy offers a built-in calculator for a clear view of transactions, identifying spending trends. Users also enjoy data synchronization between devices, analysis of spending habits, comparison of expenses with income, budget planning, savings tracking, and data protection via a built-in security code.

Goodbudget, control your budget with envelopes

Goodbudget stands out from other budget management applications with its envelope budget system, allowing the creation of digital envelopes for different expense categories. Users define maximum amounts for each envelope, ensuring strict control over spending.

Unlike other apps, Goodbudget requires manual transaction entry for full control and increased accuracy. Synchronization between devices (Android, iPhone, web) provides real-time access and facilitates sharing of budgets, ideal for couples or families. Detailed reporting and analysis features help users understand their spending, identify trends and achieve their financial goals.

Tricount for accounts between friends

Tricount is the essential application when traveling with friends. Imagine: so-and-so will pay for the restaurant, another for the museum, while a third member of the group has advanced the money for accommodation… It’s difficult to keep in mind who owes money to whom in the end. This is where Tricount comes in.

The concept is very simple: as soon as a member of the group incurs an expense, simply note it in the application, specifying the person who paid, for what and, above all, for whom. Tricount will thus display to you in a very simple way the amounts that each person must reimburse or recover from this or that person. To find out more, do not hesitate to read the article that we have dedicated a paper to Tricount.

In the same vein, you can also use the Splitwise alternative.

Lydia, to repay quickly

Knowing who you owe money to is good. Paying it off quickly is even better. Now, this is precisely Lydia’s interest. Enter the amount to pay, enter the recipient and validate the transaction. Hop! A few seconds later, the latter will receive a notification telling them that you have paid your dues and your friendship will be saved forever.

Some people prefer to use the PayPal application for this purpose, but the latter seems less used than Lydia in France.