By Monthmate Editorial
Budget Apps With a Free Plan or a One-Time Price (2026)
Monthmate's core budget is free. Premium is $3.99/month, $24.99/year, or $79.99 once. Compared with Goodbudget, BudgetVault, Actual Budget, and YNAB on 13 October 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Monthmate core budgeting is free: safe-to-spend, bills, a savings target, and offline use. Premium reports are $3.99/month, $24.99/year, or $79.99 once. A monthly plan exists. Core planning does not require it.
- YNAB is $14.99/month or $109/year. Goodbudget has a free envelope tier, Plus at $8/month or $70/year, and Premium at $10/month or $80/year.
- BudgetVault is free. Actual Budget software is free; sync needs a server you host.
- Prices below were checked on 13 October 2026. Storefronts can show a different local price.
Monthmate's core budget is free. If you want full reports, history, CSV import, and month-in-review, Premium is $3.99/month, $24.99/year, or $79.99 once. Cloud sync is not included. A 30-day preview starts after setup and does not charge automatically.
Prices checked 13 October 2026
| App | Price | Bank login | Daily decision | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthmate | Free core. Premium $3.99/mo, $24.99/yr, or $79.99 once | Not required | One safe-to-spend number | pricing.md |
| BudgetVault | Free | None | Category budget left this month | budgetvault.app |
| Goodbudget | Free tier. Plus $8/mo or $70/yr. Premium $10/mo or $80/yr | Not required on Free and Plus. Premium adds US bank sync | Envelope balances | Subscribe for more |
| Actual Budget | Software is free. Sync needs a server you host | Optional, with a server | Envelope available | actualbudget.org |
| Penno | Free download. Optional one-time unlock; the US App Store lists several lifetime prices | None | Category budget left | getpenno.com · App Store |
| YNAB | $14.99/mo or $109/yr, plus tax | Optional | Category available | ynab.com/pricing |
Monthmate: free core, optional Premium
For a short product overview, see the lifetime option hub. Monthmate is free to download. Safe-to-spend, unlimited bills, a savings target, core reports, and CSV export stay free. The same Premium features — full reports, month-in-review, CSV import, and history — cost $3.99/month, $24.99/year, or $79.99 once.
- Safe to spend daily number
- Bill tracker with due dates
- Monthly savings target reserved in safe-to-spend
- Offline — works without account or internet Choose Monthmate if: you want a daily number, and you want full reports only if you choose monthly, yearly, or lifetime Premium.
Goodbudget: free envelopes, paid plans above that
Goodbudget lists a free plan with 10 regular envelopes, 10 more envelopes, 1 account, 2 devices, and 1 year of history. Plus is $8/month or $70/year. Premium is $10/month or $80/year and adds US bank sync. Checked 13 October 2026. See also Monthmate vs Goodbudget.
Choose Goodbudget free if: envelopes work for you and those limits are enough.
What About "Free" Bank-Linked Apps?
Credit Karma (Mint's successor), bank apps, and credit card dashboards are free — but they show balances, not safe-to-spend. Free does not mean useful for daily decisions.
Subscription apps, with the price we could verify
| App | Price checked 13 Oct 2026 | Why people pay |
|---|---|---|
| YNAB | $14.99/mo or $109/yr | Zero-based method and education |
See comparisons: vs YNAB · vs Monarch · vs Copilot
How to pick
- One-time vs free tier — Will you outgrow free limits?
- Offline support — Manual apps avoid sync fees entirely
- Safe to spend — Does it show daily spending allowance?
- Bill due dates — Unpaid bills should reduce today's number
- Export — Can you leave with your data?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a completely free budget app?
Yes. BudgetVault is free. Goodbudget's free tier and Monthmate's core budget are free. Monthmate Premium, if you want full reports, is $3.99/month, $24.99/year, or $79.99 once.
Do I need a subscription for Monthmate?
Not for core budgeting. Safe-to-spend, bills, a savings target, core reports, and CSV export stay free. Full reports are optional at $3.99/month, $24.99/year, or $79.99 once. Cloud sync is not included.
What happened to free Mint?
Intuit shut down Mint in 2024. Most replacements moved to paid subscriptions. See best Mint alternatives.
Conclusion
A budget app you can keep using without a required fee is a free core plan, a free product, or a one-time unlock. Monthmate is the first of those: core budgeting is free, and Premium is $3.99/month, $24.99/year, or $79.99 once.
Get Monthmate · Premium pricing · Compare apps · Apps without bank login
Sources
- YNAB pricing, Goodbudget plans, BudgetVault, Actual Budget, Penno, checked 13 October 2026
- Monthmate: Pricing
Monthmate pricing update: core budgeting stays free. After setup, try all on-device Premium features for 30 days without payment details or automatic charges. Premium costs $3.99/month, $24.99/year, or $79.99 lifetime (USD list prices; local store prices vary). Your first completed cycle report remains available after the preview. Existing lifetime purchases keep their access.
Related guides
Best Budgeting Apps Without Bank Login (2026)
A budgeting app without bank login stores your plan on your device. Compared 13 October 2026: Monthmate, BudgetVault, Goodbudget, Actual Budget, Penno, YNAB, and PocketGuard.
Best Mint Alternatives in 2026 (After Mint Shut Down)
Mint shut down in 2024. Here are the best Mint alternatives for budgeting in 2026 — from bank-linked apps to offline safe-to-spend planners like Monthmate.
Monthmate vs Rocket Money: Best Rocket Money Alternative?
Rocket Money cancels subscriptions and tracks spending with bank sync. Compare Rocket Money and Monthmate — and when Monthmate is the better rocket money alternative.