The best budgeting apps for singles and couples
Are you saving for a new mobile phone e.g. the iPhone 16 or dreaming of a holiday in Hawaii? Then budget planner apps can help you reach your savings goals faster. Check out our list of the best budget apps for Android and iPhone here.
How do budget apps work?
If you want to save effectively in the long term, the first step is to get an overview of your expenses and income. What used to be done laboriously with pen and paper in a budget book, we can now conveniently record on our smartphone. This is where the budget planner apps come into play.
Functions of a budget app
With a budget app, you always have an overview of your costs. This way you can see where your money is going and where you can make savings in the future. They work like a budget book, simply digitally. However, the apps take over the tedious calculation work and automatically compile a comprehensive overview of your finances. Budgeting apps, for example, help you to:
- Track daily expenses.
- Create a meaningful budget
- Drawing up a savings and investment plan
What makes a good budget app
Depending on what you need the budget app for, the app must also have other features. It certainly makes sense if the app allows you to easily record your income and expenses in daily life. The free versions of the apps are usually sufficient for this. However, many of them only allow additional functions in the premium version. Then, for example, you can also connect your own bank account to the app. In this way, income and expenditure are automatically recorded. Furthermore, diagrams can be created for a better overview and budget limits for certain expenses. Here, everyone must weigh up for themselves whether it is worth spending money or whether the free apps and their functions are sufficient for you and fulfil their purpose.
However, when choosing the right budgeting app, you should make sure that it:
- displays your income and expenses clearly and comprehensively.
- has an intuitive interface.
- From a trustworthy source.
- No advertising displayed even in the free version.
- The paid version does not have an exorbitant price.
Budget apps – what about data protection?
“Money is not something you talk about” is a well-known saying. Whether you talk about money or not is up to you. But what should not be: Budget apps should not collect data about you, e.g. share usage data with marketing partners. You should place higher demands on the protection of your data, especially when it comes to finance apps. Here are a few tips:
- Make sure you have good encryption.
- Read the privacy policy and terms and conditions carefully – they list what data is collected from you, where it is processed and for what purposes it is used.
- Prefer apps from German-, English- and French-speaking countries and only download apps from the official app stores.
- Always keep apps up to date and read through all the tips on data protection on your mobile phone again.
The following apps on this list are all privacy compliant and advertise strong encryption. However, we cannot guarantee that this will remain the case in the future. Apps may be bought by other companies who are only interested in collecting your data.
Who is a budget app suitable for?
Everyone should actually keep a budget book. If you’re tech-savvy anyway and prefer to do everything on your smartphone, a digital budget book makes sense. This way you always have it in your pocket and can also quickly enter your expenses at the Migros checkout before they are forgotten again.
Tips for budget apps
- Many apps allow you to connect directly to your bank account so you don’t have to enter anything manually. However, it can be worthwhile to enter your expenses manually as you will be aware of what you are spending the money on.
- Make sure that the app offers at least a free period. Paying for a good budgeting app can be worthwhile, but you should have the opportunity to test all the features beforehand.
- Offline features allow you to track your spending on the go.
Financial apps for couples: What you should consider
Many of the apps on this list also allow you to manage an account jointly with a partner. It is highly recommended to combine finances at the latest when moving in together – this creates trust and transparency, because everyone has different values with regard to money: Some tend to be thrifty, while others can’t keep a single franc with them.
To avoid disputes (and so that financial apps for couples can do their job), all joint income and expenses should end up in one account. Pay attention to the unforeseeable, such as necessary repairs, tax demands or additional payments for utilities, or the foreseeable, such as a Hawaiian holiday. It is up to you whether the leftover money stays in individual accounts or is deposited in the joint account. The important thing is that you talk about it!
With a financial app, both parties are aware of their joint finances and keep a joint budget book, so to speak. With the exception of “Our Budget Book”, all apps are available for both iPhones and Android. If you decide to use an app other than the ones on this list, you should make sure that the app is available for the operating systems used in the relationship.
Reading tip: If you want more apps for couples, you can find them here.
MoneyControl household book: For singles, couples and families
The Moneycontrol budget book app is one of the most popular budgeting apps in the German-speaking world. It focuses on the central functions of a budget book and offers a particularly simple recording of income and expenditure and thus control of one’s own finances. In addition, categories as well as further accounts for persons or groups can optionally be created. The design is also kept very simple. With the help of synchronisation, a joint budget book can be kept on several devices. MoneyControl is therefore perfect for families, shared flats, clubs and other groups.
| iOS | Android | |
| Moneycontrol Budget Book | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
BudgetCH: The app for your finances: For singles, couples and family
The BudgetCH app is provided by the umbrella organisation Budget Advice Switzerland. Here, too, the operation is simple and straightforward. In a first step, you have to create your budget by entering your income and fixed expenses such as rent and health insurance. The app then provides you with a budget proposal, which you can of course adjust. Your data is also compared with reference values and you are thus shown in which area you should possibly make changes. You can also enter and update your data on several devices. The app is therefore well suited for people who want to manage the budget with a partner or the whole family. In addition to budget entry, the app also offers users reading material on the topic of budgeting.
| iOS | Android | |
| BudgetCH | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
Wallet: For singles
The Wallet app offers a lot of functions. For example, you can set a custom budget for your spending and plan it per week, month or year. The app also offers budget forecasts based on your spending habits and provides you with detailed charts. Furthermore, you can define savings goals in the Wallet app: You want to save for your summer holidays in Australia? Specify how much and by when you need to have the money together and the app tells you how much you need to save regularly to reach the goal in time.
The Wallet app also allows you to share the account with friends and families, but there is a limit of 10 members per account. The Wallet app also offers the Bank Sync option. Here, the app connects directly to your bank account and keeps track of it. This saves you time because you don’t have to manually enter every transaction.
| iOS | Android | |
| Wallet – Personal Finance | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
My Budget Book: For Singles
The My Budget Book app is already 10 years old and is still one of the most popular financial apps. It has a reduced but intuitive design and is therefore easy to use. Income and expenses can be recorded very quickly and divided into different main categories and subcategories. The app thus provides a good overview of your financial situation. It also provides tables and graphics on your expenses and shows you potential savings.
| iOS | Android | |
| My Budget Book | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
SayMoney: For singles
The SayMoney app has the usual functions of a budgeting app, but also offers the option of voice control. This allows you to record your income and expenses particularly quickly. The application is particularly attractive for those who like to personalise their budgeting tools. You have the choice between five different designs and can also create the categories of your expenses yourself. SayMoney then provides statistics that are easy to evaluate and help you to better understand your spending habits and thus your savings opportunities.
| iOS | Android | |
| SayMoney – Budget Book | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
Our Budget Book: For Singles and Couples
Our budget book also comes with all the standard functions. The income and expenditure categories are freely configurable; monthly recurring entries can also be created. The whole thing can be synchronised in the app or, if desired, via Google Drive – but you should make sure that your Google Drive account is well protected. Unfortunately, the app is only available for Android.
| iOS | Android | |
| Our budget book | Download for Android |
Tricount: For couples
Tricount is one of the few apps that focuses exclusively on shared budgeting. If you expect a comprehensive budget book here, you should rather choose another app on this page. Tricount tracks joint expenses such as rent, insurance or contract costs – and also takes into account that one partner earns less than the other, and divides the expense burden accordingly. This eliminates the need for manual calculations.
| iOS | Android | |
| Tricount – Parts Issues | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
Summary Budget Apps
| iOS | Android | |
| Moneycontrol Budget Book | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
| BudgetCH | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
| Wallet – Personal Finance | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
| My Budget Book | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
| SayMoney – Budget Book | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
| Our budget book | Download for Android | |
| Tricount – Parts Issues | Download for iOS | Download for Android |
Possible cause for increased data consumption: budget apps
Are you surprised that your mobile data volume is being used up so quickly? One possible reason could be apps that keep an eye on your financial situation. Budget apps could also play a role here. Take a look at the settings for “Mobile data” to find out which application is causing the increased data consumption.
By being more aware of your data volume, you can use your mobile plan more efficiently and prevent unexpected costs.
At alao, we understand how important it is to stay connected without straining your wallet. That’s why we always strive to find the best deals on mobile data in Switzerland.
Our extensive selection of options includes:
With these diverse options, you can choose the tariff that best suits your needs. So you can enjoy seamless mobile data usage without breaking a sweat financially.
Conclusion: Test the apps and find the right design for you
There are many budget apps on the market. Some have a simple design, others a more complex one. They also differ in terms of additional functions and price. Some are completely free, others require a one-time or monthly payment. But they do not differ fundamentally in their functions. They all fulfil their main task: they allow you to record your income and expenses and give you an overview of your financial situation. Therefore, there is no ‘best’ budgeting app in this sense. It’s best to try out the apps and choose the one with the most user-friendly interface for you. Check out our app page for more apps for your smartphone!
Quick and easy to get your perfect mobile phone subscription
alao is your happy place for mobile phone subscriptions. We show you the most popular providers at a glance – and all subscriptions guaranteed at the best price on the market. Find your perfect subscription on our comparison page and sign up online in less than 5 minutes. We activate your subscription with your new provider, cancel your old contract and take your old phone number with you – all automatically and free of charge.
If you have any questions, our support team will help you 7 days a week via live chat, email and phone.
This article was first published on 12 February 2024 and updated on 11 November 2024.
