The 4 Best Budgeting Apps to Get Your Finances in Order

livemint.com:

If you’ve been wary of budgeting because you weren’t sure where to start or the prospect of doing math was daunting, there are plenty of apps to do the tedious work for you — no spreadsheets necessary. Using mobile programs for budgeting can also “help you visualize your expenses and start asking yourself valuable questions about how you’re spending your money," says Jordan Benold, a Frisco, Texas-based certified financial planner. There are a lot of popular budgeting methods —such as 50/30/30 and zero-based budgeting—but for most people, the apps make it easier to stick to a budget and automating your personal finances can have great benefits, as The Wall Street Journal newsroom has reported We based these picks on my average-person budget: I’m a married 30-something with no kids in New York City and saving to buy a house.

I spent a month with each app, testing capabilities and comparing features, and I consulted with financial planners to identify the most important app features. Here are the four that met our criteria for important features, ease of use, design, price and intuitiveness. If you’d like to read how we vetted and tested these budgeting apps and which experts we consulted, scroll down for more detail.

Best budgeting app overall Cost: Mint’s standard version is free, and the ad-free version costs 99 cents a month. The premium offering, which includes subscription management and deeper spending insights, is $4.99 a month. Best for: New budgeters who want an easy way to see where all their money is going.