Best Budgeting Apps for Couples

Have a 2025 goal of saving more money as a couple? Need to keep track of spending? Merging your finances for the first time as newlyweds? A budget app could help with all of that and more. Financial literacy, mental budgeting and self-control exert a favorable influence on an individual’s financial well-being, as found in a 2023 study by the National Library of Medicine.⁽¹⁾

Compare the best budgeting apps allowing two or more people to help organize your shared finances and keep track of a family budget.

7 best budget apps for couples

• Best overall budget app for couples: YNAB
• Best for all-in-one financial planning: Origin
• Best for shared savings goals: Monarch
• Best for budgeting investments: Empower Personal Cash
• Best for couples with kids: FamZoo
• Best free app: Honeydue Joint Banking
• Best for envelope budgeting: Goodbudget

Fee	Budgeting Methodology	Linked bank account	Features	Rebate
Best overall budget app for couples
YNAB	$109. per year	The YNAB Method		100+ free weekly online workshops Breakdown of your income and spending Share your subscription with up to six people	Offers a free 34-day trial. T&Cs apply.		Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it You Need A Budget, or YNAB, easily claims the top spot. With no in-app ads, it lets couples share a single YNAB subscription at no additional cost. Craft your own unique budget or let YNAB do it for you, link bank and investment accounts, view transactions, make custom bill categories and sync with various smart devices. YNAB uses the zero-based budgeting method, meaning every dollar gets assigned a job. The app comes highly recommended, with customers saying the expense is well worth it. It costs $14.99 per month ($179.88 for one year), or you can pay annually for $109. There's also a free 34-day trial. Pros & cons Pros No additional cost to add partner Automatic budget or craft your own Link bank and investment accounts Workshops, planning and guides on couple budgeting No ads Cons Unavoidable subscription fee
Best for all-in-one financial planning
Origin	$12.99. per month	Category budgeting		Invite your partner for free and get two separate logins Stay on top of spending, savings, and investments Meet a certified financial planner from $99. Annual subscribers save 30%	Try free for 7 days. T&Cs apply.		Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Like other apps on this list, Origin lets you add a partner at no additional cost. You can sync bank accounts, track spending and investments, view your net worth, view current investments and invest together, personalize a portfolio, do estate planning, file taxes and talk with financial planners. Each partner gets their own login, and the app doesn't have ads. However, you can't avoid the subscription fee. Origin offers a free 7-day trial, then costs $12.99 monthly, or a yearly plan for $99 for a little bit of savings. Pros & cons Pros No additional cost to add partner Tax filing and estate planning Track investments and create a portfolio No ads Cons Unavoidable membership fee
Best for shared savings goals
Monarch	$14.99. per month	zero-based budgeting, envelope budgeting		Invite a partner or advisor for free Sync all investments in one view Track spending with clear charts	For a limited time get 50% off your first year with code MONARCHVIP. T&Cs apply.		Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Monarch Money lets you add a spouse or anyone else in your household to a single subscription, making it great for couples and families. Connect your bank accounts, view everything on a dashboard, track subscriptions and sync your credit cards. Couples can create shared savings goals to contribute to and track together on the dashboard. For budgeting, the app offers two options: Flex Budgeting, which focuses on buckets and allows for flexible spending, or Category Budgeting, which sorts your spending into groups. Priced the same as YNAB, Monarch Money costs $14.99 per month ($179.88 for one year) or $99 per year when billed annually. While you can't avoid the fee, Monarch is ad-free. Pros & cons Pros Sync accounts and credit cards No additional cost to add partner Two budgeting methods No ads Cons Unavoidable subscription fee
Best for budgeting investments
Empower Personal Cash	$0 per month	Activity-based budgeting		Built-in spend tracking and budgeting Unlimited number of monthly transfers Simplify your family finances with a joint account		Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Empower offers traditional budgeting and investing tools with no monthly fees or advertisements. Its free Personal Dashboard syncs various accounts like bank accounts, loans and investments, letting you track income, expenses and transactions. You can organize with labels, set savings goals and view data using a pie chart for budgeting. While it's great for an overview of your finances, it's less focused on detailed budget planning compared to apps like YNAB. Pros & cons Pros No monthly fees Add up to five people Sync multiple account types Granular tracking Cons Doesn't craft budgets
Best for couples with kids
FamZoo	$5.99 per month	Envelope method		Parent-paid interest No foreign fees Real-time cash requests	One month free trial. After your one-month trial, plans start at just /month for the whole family. First 4 prepaid cards free. T&Cs apply.		View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Famzoo is great for couples with kids and large families who want to budget together. Famzoo is a child-focused family budget app praised for its customizable chore chart and budget features. Parents can create mock loans, set up 'bill' pay for their kids, assign chores, set up IOUs between family members and budget together using the envelope method. There's no age limit for kids to sign up, no limit on how many kids you can add to your plan, and the first four kids' prepaid cards are free. But Famzoo itself isn't free and starts at $5.99 per month. Pros & cons Pros Family envelope budgeting Financial literacy education and tools Mock loans, chore charts and bill pay No overdraft fees Cons Unavoidable monthly fee
Best free app
Honeydue Joint Banking	$0 per month			No hidden fees Automatic bill pay Collaborative tools Digital wallet compatible		View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Honeydue is a free budgeting app for couples with no monthly fees, and it connects to over 20,000 financial institutions. It offers in-app chat, bill reminders, budgeting tools and the option to set household spending limits. You control what to share, balances, transactions or nothing at all. Honeydue receives decent feedback from users, though customers note that budgets are limited to monthly intervals and the app has ads. Pros & cons Pros No fees Budget app syncs with bank account In-app chat and bill reminders Budgeting and custom categories Cons Monthly budgeting only Ads in the app
Best for envelope budgeting
Goodbudget	$0. per month			Reports Syncs devices Forum support		View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Goodbudget is more of a hands-on approach to budgeting, and you can set up a household budget and share it with your partner. The free version lets you create up to 20 envelopes to sort your expenses and spending, while the paid version for $8 per month lets you create unlimited envelopes. You can also track debt payoffs with its Debt Accounts features and plan savings goals. The downsides are that you must manually enter all your purchases and income, and you need the paid membership for email support access. But we have to note that the paid membership is less expensive than top competitors like YNAB and Monarch Money. Pros & cons Pros Free and paid versions Share with household Envelope budgeting Track debt payoffs and savings goals Cons Requires manual entry

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Methodology: How we choose the best budgeting apps for couples

Finder’s banking experts compare over 70 budget apps to find the best apps for couples. The apps must be affordable and accessible across mobile devices and must allow for shared access. We also compare features, app store ratings and monthly fees, and we favor apps with the ability to craft custom budgets and account-linking features. We consider these criteria:

• Monthly fee under $15
• Can be shared by at least two people
• Must offer some budget or tracking tools
• Mobile app store ratings above 3.5 stars

How to choose a couples budgeting app

When choosing a budgeting app for two people, make sure you agree on these factors:

• Fees. Many budget apps have monthly fees, like the popular YNAB. If paying for a budget app throws a wrench in your budget, consider free options like Zeta or Honeydue.
• Budgeting method. Two of the most popular budget tactics these apps use are the envelope and zero-dollar methods. The envelope system sorts your expenses in digital envelopes to see where all your money is going, while the zero-dollar method gives every dollar a purpose.
• App reviews. You’ll see more ratings than written reviews, but the people who take the time to leave a written review are usually very happy or very upset. Take some time to read through reviews on both the App Store and Google Play Store to see what users are saying.
• Account syncing. Some apps, like YNAB, automatically import transactions from your bank accounts, while others, like Goodbudget, require you to enter all transactions manually.
• Account compatibility. Most budget apps use Plaid to sync bank accounts to the app. If your primary bank account isn’t compatible with Plaid, consider Simplifi by Quicken.

Can couples just use a joint bank account?

Joint bank accounts are extremely popular for couples. If you and your partner aren’t fans of budgeting apps or prefer a simpler way to manage finances together, a joint bank account could be a good solution.

Joint bank accounts function much like regular bank accounts, but they’re shared between two or more people. With a joint checking account, each person gets their own debit card and equal access to the funds. However, both account holders are equally responsible for any fees, such as overdraft charges.

Some accounts and banks that allow for joint owners include SoFi Checking and Savings, Chase Bank and Ally Bank.

How to budget as a couple

Creating a shared budget can be tricky. Consider these five tips to craft a shared budget:

Communication

Open communication is extremely important in creating a shared budget. Be honest about your spending habits, talk openly about savings goals and disclose any debts that need to be paid.

Who’s paying for what?

Splitting bills 50/50 sounds fair at a glance, but that would only make sense if you and your partner make the exact same wage. Consider splitting shared expenses in a way that matches your salaries: If you make 60% of all the income, pay 60% of the bills. And make sure you’re on the same page about personal expenses, such as student loans or gym memberships.

Check credit scores

Credit scores don’t merge once you enter a relationship — they don’t even merge once you’re married. Be sure to check your credit reports and scores to locate negative marks and mistakes, and be strategic with who takes out loans for the best APRs.

Merge subscriptions

Once you merge your finances, see if there are any bills or subscriptions that you can share, like Netflix, Spotify or Duolingo. Don’t pay double for services that only require one subscription.

Savings and retirement

If you’re in it for the long haul, talk about retirement plans and long-term savings goals. Do either of you have a Roth IRA or 401(k)? Do you have an emergency fund that can pay for both of your expenses for at least three months?

Bottom line

At the end of the day, a budget app is meant to help you save money, track your spending or just keep track of your expenses. If the app is more of a burden on your budget, opting for a joint bank account and a classic spreadsheet might be the way to go.

For tips on creating a budget, check our comprehensive budget guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can the Mint app be used by couples?

To the dismay of many, Mint is no longer available as of March 2024. Mint transitioned to Credit Karma, allowing Credit Karma users to import their Mint history and transactions there. But Credit Karma isn’t a good option for couples as it doesn’t allow joint accounts. If you’re looking for an alternative, check out more Mint alternatives.

Is a joint bank account a good idea for budgeting?

A joint bank account can help streamline the budgeting process if you both already have access to all your funds. And with the right joint account, you may not even need a separate budgeting app. Some accounts have built-in budgeting features, like Ally Bank with its envelope budgeting “buckets” and SoFi® with its savings Vault feature. Also SoFi and Ally don’t charge monthly maintenance fees.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Bethany Hickey

Banking editor

Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto. Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt. Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others. Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio

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