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The best apps for budgeting and saving in Australia for 2023.

Best Apps for Budgeting and Saving in 2023 Frollo App Bills
20 October 2022 Read time: 6 min

Have you heard? Pocketbook is dead. About 5 minutes after we released our last article on Australia’s best apps for budgeting and saving, the market was on the move again; our number one pick, wound up and is no more.

So we’ve headed back to the drawing board and updated our list of the best apps for budgeting and saving in 2023. If you’re searching for a budgeting app that’s reliable, convenient, highly intuitive, easy-to-use, and specifically designed for Australians, then read on – we’ve got you covered!

 

The best apps for budgeting and saving in 2023.

Here’s our list of Australia’s best apps for budgeting and saving in 2023.

  1. Frollo
  2. MoneyBrilliant
  3. Goodbudget
  4. Mint
  5. ATO App
  6. The surprise contender…

With a shortlist of budgeting apps for you to consider, it’s time to put your pen down and step away from your labyrinth of spreadsheets. Take a look at what Australian fintech currently has to offer. One of these handy apps may be just what you need to save money and manage it better in 2023.

1. Frollo.

For the more sophisticated budgeter who’s looking for that next level of financial insight, Frollo is great. Frollo is a more advanced budgeting app and money management tool that provides you with a detailed summary of all your accounts – from credit cards to superannuation – in one central place.

In a nutshell, Frollo:

  • Provides a central ‘hub’ to keep track of your bank accounts, investment portfolios, super accounts, overseas accounts and even loyalty points.
  • Provides near real-time data to customers from over 100 participating banks.
  • Monitors and identifies your spending habits in ‘harder-to-monitor’ areas like your Buy Now Pay Later, credit card and payday loan liabilities. By highlighting all your spending habits, you can quickly identify where your overspend might be occurring or where you could cut back.
  • Provides automatic purchase categorisation.
  • Helps with invoice management via the bill tracking feature. Never forget to pay utilities and regular payments again.
  • Also provides a ‘Frollo score’ to incentivise good habits. You’ll get a financial health score between 1 and 1,000.
  • Encourages you to set your own budget, savings challenges and goals which are supported by prompts and notifications.
  • Is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.

2. MoneyBrilliant.

Looking for something a little more comprehensive and robust to handle the complexities that often come with money?

MoneyBrilliant is next-level money management, which not only allows you to track your spend, but also monitor debt (think mortgage, car loans, credit cards etc).

In a nutshell, MoneyBrilliant:

  • Lets you to track all your expenses, assets and liabilities – all in one place: bank accounts, superannuation, investments, properties, vehicles, cash, credit cards, loans, mortgages and more!
  • Connects to almost 500 different institutions and data sources.
  • The ‘Safe Spending’ feature allows you to work out how much you can spend without going beyond your set budget and recurring ‘must pays’. No more overspending and having nothing left for direct debits or bills!
  • Provides new users with a free 30-day trial of its MoneyBrilliant Plus plan. If you like it, you have the option to stay with the Plus plan or move to the free Basic plan. The paid-for-version also gives you access to tax-related options, including the ability to track tax-deductible expenses and highlight deductible purchases you might have overlooked. Great for those who work for themselves or predominantly from home.
  • The Basic plan is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.
  • For those wanting to up the ante, you can download the Plus plan for $9.90 a month ($99 / year).

3. Goodbudget.

Goodbudget is just what its name describes: a good old fashioned budgeting app!

Let’s be honest, not everyone wants (or needs) a whizzbang app. But if you’re looking for one that bridges the gap between ‘old fashioned’ and ‘modern day’, then Goodbudget might be what you’re looking for.

In a nutshell, Goodbudget:

  • Uses the traditional ‘envelope’ approach to saving: you set limits in your designated categories of spending, and the app tracks and limits what you have available to spend. Once you spend what’s in a particular envelope, you need to wait until the following month before you can access your next envelope. No more going over budget on coffees, takeaways, groceries etc!
  • Offers budgeting novices a budget bootcamp; a month-long course of 10-minute sessions on the basics of budgeting and saving. Tips and topics include how to save, financial ‘counselling’ for couples, creating good habits, etc.
  • Allows you to sync and share your ‘envelopes’ with family members to keep everyone on the same budgeting page.
  • Provides charts and reports to track your saving and spending.
  • Schedules regular transactions and automatic envelope fills.
  • Is available via the Apple App Store or Google Play. You can download the 20-envelope plan for free. For those wanting unlimited envelopes and personalised email support, you can download the Plus plan which costs $8 per month or $70 annually.

4. Mint.

Mint is a money manager and financial tracker budgeting app that integrates all your bank accounts, credit cards, investments, crypto accounts and bills in a single login.

Simply put, it’s a sophisticated yet simple way in which to track your monthly spending, create budgets, grow savings, and build stronger financial habits.

In a nutshell, Mint:

  • Offers several features to monitor and analyse your finances, including personalised insights, customisable budgets, cashflow tracking and subscription monitoring.
  • Allows you to create a budget that automatically categorises all your purchases. In addition, the app’s spending insights help you spend smarter, save more, and pay down debt.
  • Provides multi-factor authentication, multi-layered hardware, and software encryption to ensure your data is protected.
  • Is backed by fintech heavyweight, Intuit.
  • Is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.

5. ATO App.

No, the ATO App doesn’t allow you to budget or link to your bank accounts. But it does let you access and manage your tax, deductible expenses and super accounts on the go. It also has a range of tools and calculators that help you ensure your tax returns are correct before they’re lodged.

In a nutshell, the ATO app:

  • Lets you login securely with voice or facial recognition.
  • Allows you to record and manage your work-related expenses and upload them to your tax return via myDeductions.
  • Helps you work out how much tax to withhold, what tax you might get back or need to pay at financial year end.
  • Allows you to keep track of your super balance, find any lost super and consolidate your accounts.
  • Gives you access to your annual tax return, tax account, super account/s, lodgement and payment dates, ABN details etc.
  • Lets you set reminders for important dates.
  • Provides you with access to a number of other tax-related tools and information by linking your myGov account to the ATO.
  • Is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.

6. The surprise contender… your bank.

It’s easy to overlook the most obvious solution when it’s right in front of you… That said: have you checked your bank’s mobile app?

Beyond making basic payments and transfers, a quick scroll through your banking app may unearth a range of tools to help you with budgeting and forming better money management habits.

As fintechs scramble for market dominance, many banks have hopped on board – looking to offer their customers the latest and greatest in technology. Whilst their app mightn’t be ‘the best app’ or have all the bells and whistles, one thing’s certain: banks are cashed up and they’re spending lots on development right now to keep their place as market leaders.

So why no hop into your existing banking app? It’s a great place to see what’s available before purchasing a more sophisticated tool – especially if you’re not going to need or use all the functionality.

If your bank does have an app but you’re still not sure it’s what you’re after, there’s no harm in calling them to see what budgeting app they’d recommend for your needs.

Some of the best things in life are free.

Like fresh air and laughter, sometimes the best budgeting and saving apps are free.

Whilst there are times where cost implies quality, don’t be too quick to judge. Many free budgeting apps are going toe-to-toe with the paid versions. And whilst apps with all the bells and whistles might look attractive at first glance, ultimately you really only need the features you’re actually going to use.

If you suspect your financial requirements may grow, change or become more complex in the near future – you might consider an app with in-app purchases so you can bend and flex over time.

Just be mindful that the fintech market is on the move, and it’s moving fast. So don’t be too pedantic. You’ll want to find something that suits you now and will see you a bit into the future. But you’ll also need to be ready for new players come to market, and some apps to go under or fail to keep their tech with the times. It’s a dog-eat-dog world in the fintech space and some of the best apps (like Pocketbook) will occasionally get swallowed up by their competitors.

But that’s not something to worry about yet. Right now, just get your budgeting and money saving journey started.

 

Where to now?

Still wondering what’s the best budgeting app for you?

Have a hunt around and explore our suggestions as a starting place. At the end of the day, you’ll need to decide what’s right for you and your short-term and long-term financial goals. Everyone’s needs are different, and there’ll never be a one-size-fits-all solution. But what you will discover as you start your money management journey is that your needs and understanding will grow and evolve as your wealth and assets change.

The first step is the most important step: get started! Start budgeting and actively managing your money. It’s a positive challenge to set yourself. And – now you know there’s an app for that.

Where to next?

Looking for some help with budgeting, saving and cashflow management?

Our award-winning Private Wealth team beats any budgeting app out there.

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