In an era where financial management is more critical than ever, finance apps have become indispensable tools for many people in the USA. From budgeting and saving to investing and expense tracking, these apps offer a variety of features to help users manage their money more effectively. Here’s a look at the top 15 finance apps that are making waves in 2024.
Key Takeaways
- Empower offers robust budgeting tools and financial insights.
- Tiller Money integrates with spreadsheets for personalized financial management.
- MoneyPatrol provides comprehensive expense tracking and alerts.
- PocketSmith helps users forecast their financial future with detailed projections.
- Monarch Money combines budgeting, tracking, and planning in one app.
1.) Empower
Empower is one of the best personal finance apps on the market. The service’s free budgeting tool allows you to track income, spending, and saving over time. It then breaks down your spending habits into categories, allowing you to view transactions by date, merchant, or vendor so you can analyze each purchase. Empower provides customers with a holistic view of their financial picture, from day-to-day spending to portfolio performance. It also offers desktop capabilities for those who prefer budgeting on a computer. However, you must have at least $100,000 in investment savings to use this platform’s robo-advisory services.
2.) Tiller Money
Tiller Money merges the granularity of old-fashioned spreadsheet-based budgeting with the convenience of a cloud-based app that syncs with nearly 20,000 external financial sources: bank accounts, brokerage accounts, employer-sponsored retirement accounts, and credit products like credit cards and personal loans. No matter where you bank, borrow, and invest, your U.S.-based financial institution should sync with Tiller.
Tiller offers an optional email alert feature that serves up a daily digest of your transaction activity to your inbox. Tiller updates custom-created Google or Excel spreadsheets daily with auto-categorized transactions pulled from your synced accounts, theoretically enabling expense tracking for every dollar you earn. For example, a $50 grocery store purchase today appears as a “Groceries” or “Food” transaction (depending on your preference) tomorrow.
Tiller Money offers a risk-free trial for 30 days from sign-up. You can cancel at any time without penalty during this period. Once the trial ends, Tiller costs $79 per year.
3.) MoneyPatrol
MoneyPatrol is a dashboard-based budgeting app that syncs with thousands of financial accounts, including nontraditional spending reserves like gift cards and prepaid debit cards. If you’re spreadsheet-averse and prefer not to make rule-laden budgets, MoneyPatrol is for you — the heart and soul of its budgeting operation is the Alerts & Insights feature, which provides bite-size bits of information by text or email. If and when you want to drill down into the meat of your budget, MoneyPatrol has plenty of charts, tables, and panels that illuminate how you’re spending your money and where you could do better. MoneyPatrol costs $59.99 per year after a 15-day free trial.
4.) PocketSmith
PocketSmith is a deluxe personal finance app with three plans, one of which is free. One feature that sets PocketSmith apart is the ability to create a budget at any time, for any amount of time. You have complete flexibility with your budget creation; there’s no need to wait for the beginning of the month. They also have a “Plan Ahead” feature that walks you through budgeting, financial forecasting, and creating what-if scenarios.
Budget Calendar
PocketSmith’s budget calendar helps you schedule monthly bills in an intuitive calendar view. This feature is particularly useful for visual planners who prefer to see their financial obligations laid out over the month.
Bank Feed
PocketSmith supports accounts in 36 countries and multiple non-U.S. currencies, making it an excellent choice for American emigrants and those attending university abroad. The app also integrates seamlessly with Xero, a small-business accounting software product.
Plans
PocketSmith offers three plans:
| Plan | Cost | Features |
| Basic | Free | Manual transaction importing, six months of cash flow projections, 12 budget scenarios, two accounts |
| Premium | $9.95/month | Automatic bank feeds, 10 years of projections, unlimited budgets and accounts |
| Super | $19.95/month | All Premium features plus priority support and advanced forecasting |
Synchronization Issues
Some users have reported synchronization issues with their bank accounts, which can be a drawback if you rely heavily on real-time updates.
Customer Service
Customer service has been noted as poor by some users, which could be a concern if you encounter issues that need prompt resolution.
5.) Monarch Money
Monarch Money is an all-in-one money management platform with powerful budgeting, financial planning, and net worth tracking tools. It has real potential to replace your human financial advisor. Monarch Money uses the zero-based budgeting method where every dollar has a job. You can categorize different spending transactions into various budgets, allowing you to see where your money goes at a glance. Additionally, you can invite a friend or partner to budget with you, making it ideal for teamwork.
Fees
Monarch Money costs $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year after a 7-day trial.
Net Worth Tracking
Monarch Money’s single-view dashboard makes it easy to track your net worth over time. It pulls balance data and other information from your external deposit and investment accounts, owned real estate, and any other trackable assets you link.
Spending Insights
Use Monarch’s top merchants list to spot potential overspending while tracking your spending across custom categories.
6.) Douugh
Douugh is an automated money management app that keeps your finances in order without asking too much (or anything, really) from you. It’s compatible with Android and iOS and integrates seamlessly with the Cash App, PayPal, Venmo, and Apple Pay.
Salary Sweeper
Douugh’s engine is an automated financial organization tool called Salary Sweeper. Using what it knows about your cash flow, Salary Sweeper sends income to one of three sub-accounts (Jars): Bills, earmarked for near-term expenses you’re likely to incur in the next 30 days; Savings, which you can further segment for specific goals; Grow, an automated investment sub-account.
Financial Security
If Douugh does its job — and it usually does — you should never be surprised by an unpaid bill or overdraft, and you should remain on track to achieve your longer-term financial goals. In the meantime, you can rest assured that the full balance of your Mastercard debit card (free with your Douugh account) is safe to spend.
FDIC Insurance
Unless otherwise noted, all deposit accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to the legal maximum per account type (currently $250,000).
7.) Chime
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank, that offers a range of financial services including banking, payment, and planning. Chime has no physical branches and does not charge monthly or overdraft fees, nor does it require an opening deposit or minimum balance to open a free checking account. Banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
Chime Mobile Banking App
The Chime Mobile Banking App provides comprehensive data safety information. Data may be shared with third parties, including personal info, financial information, app activity, and device or other IDs. Data collected includes location, personal information, financial information, photos and videos, files and docs, app activity, app info and performance, and device or other IDs. Data is encrypted in transit, and users have the ability to request that data be deleted.
Early Payday
Chime is renowned for its early payday promise, allowing some direct deposit customers to get paid two days earlier than usual. This feature is particularly beneficial for those who rely on timely paychecks.
No Hidden Fees
Chime never charges hidden fees, a significant advantage over traditional banks. Its spending account, essentially a checking account, comes with a fee-free Visa debit card accepted at millions of locations worldwide. An optional savings account is also available, although withdrawals are limited to six per statement cycle.
8.) Stash
Stash offers two plans, each including base features such as investing, banking, and budgeting tools. Stash Growth, a $3 monthly plan, also offers access to Stash Smart Portfolios and retirement IRA accounts. The $9-per-month Stash+ account includes $10,000 in life insurance coverage, investing for children within a custodial account, and premium investing research and advice. The Stash app is available for both iOS (4.7 stars) and Android (3.7 stars).
Cost
| Plan | Cost |
| Stash Growth | $3/month |
| Stash+ | $9/month |
Android Rating
3.7/5 based on 104K+ reviews
iOS Rating
4.7/5 based on 303K+ reviews
9.) Varo
Varo is an easy-to-use financial platform with two offerings: Varo Bank Account and Varo Savings Account. The Varo Bank Account is a checking account that features an early payday option and no-fee overdraft up to $50, provided you complete at least five Varo Visa® debit card purchases and receive at least $1,000 in total direct deposits each calendar month. The Varo Savings Account is a high-yield savings account with one of the best annual percentage yields (APYs) around. To maximize your savings account yield, Varo recommends meeting three easy requirements to earn 5.00% APY on balances up to $50,000. Otherwise, you can earn 3.00% APY. Neither account comes with minimums or hidden fees, but Varo does ask customers seeking high savings yields to make an effort.
10.) Qapital
Qapital is a personal finance mobile application available for both iOS and Android operating systems. Its purpose is to bring happiness by saving, spending, and investing with goals in mind. The app offers a variety of features, including the option to round up the change on every debit card transaction and a payday savings feature that automatically transfers a portion of your paycheck into your savings account.
For $3 per month, Qapital combines these features with a checking and savings account. For $6 per month, it adds a low-cost investing solution with prebuilt portfolios that align with users’ investing goals and time horizons. For $12 per month, it adds a Money Missions feature that coaches you toward financial optimization, helping users save an average of $5,000 per year.
11.) Robinhood
Robinhood is the original commission-free online trading platform and another excellent choice for novice and intermediate investors. Although many other online stock brokers now follow its commission-free lead, Robinhood continues to innovate with new features like a cash management account with competitive yields and access to alternative investments like precious metals and cryptocurrencies. Soon enough, Robinhood plans to roll out fractional share investing too.
Key Features
Robinhood offers a variety of features that make it stand out in the crowded field of online trading platforms. These include commission-free trades, a user-friendly mobile app, and the ability to trade cryptocurrencies and precious metals.
Promotions
For a limited time, apply for a new Robinhood brokerage account and get approved to get a free stock worth $2.50 to $200 per share.
12.) Acorns
Acorns is a low-cost micro-investing and money management app that makes it easy to boost your portfolio’s balance through automatic roundups and recurring deposits. Its prebuilt portfolios span a range of risk tolerances and investing objectives, from conservative (mostly bonds) to aggressive (all stocks).
Pricing
For $3 per month, the Personal plan includes Acorns Invest, Acorns’ basic taxable investing account; Acorns Later, a tax-advantaged retirement investing option; and Acorns Checking, a checking account with no additional fees and opportunities to earn bonus cash. For $5 per month, the Family plan adds Acorns Early, a kid-friendly investment account that allows multiple minor accounts at no additional cost and provides family-friendly financial advice.
Special Offers
New Acorns Checking customers can earn up to $100 on the first $1,000 spent.
13.) Digit
Digit is a finance app that uses a powerful algorithm to analyze your historical cash flow data. This allows it to determine how much money can be safely added to your FDIC-insured savings balance at any given time. For $5 per month after a 30-day free trial, Digit offers several features including unlimited savings goals, a 0.1% bonus on all savings balances every three months, and automatic credit card payoffs. Read our full Digit review for more information about this app.
14.) Titan
Titan is a unique finance app that offers a hedge-fund-like experience for everyday investors. It provides access to actively managed portfolios, which are typically reserved for high-net-worth individuals. Titan’s team of experts manages your investments, aiming to outperform the market by selecting high-quality stocks. The app also offers educational content to help users understand their investments better. Titan charges a flat fee, making it a transparent and straightforward option for those looking to grow their wealth.
15.) Twine
Twine is a fun, low-cost app that helps you organize and reach your saving and investing objectives, helping you achieve your near- and long-term financial goals. Twine uses the appropriately named Twine Save and Twine Invest accounts to manage set goals and work its magic. Simply open one or both accounts and begin creating customized savings goals — whether that’s a vacation, credit card debt, or a security deposit. If you manage your finances jointly with someone else, such as a spouse, partner, roommate, or co-parent, invite them to the app and sync your accounts to work together toward your shared savings goals.
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You’re not obligated to invest with Twine. If you do, it charges $0.25 per month per $500 invested, which works out to an annualized management fee of 0.6% — higher than most robo-advisors but lower than most full-service financial advisors. It also comes with SIPC insurance on balances up to $500,000.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the landscape of personal finance apps available to USA users in 2024 is both diverse and robust. From budgeting and financial education to banking and investing, the top 15 apps we’ve reviewed offer a wide array of features designed to meet various financial needs. Whether you’re looking to save more, invest wisely, or simply manage your daily expenses, there’s an app tailored to help you achieve your financial goals. As technology continues to evolve, these apps are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it easier than ever to take control of your finances. Choose the one that best fits your lifestyle and financial objectives, and start your journey towards better financial health today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top finance apps for USA users in 2024?
The top finance apps for USA users in 2024 include Empower, Tiller Money, MoneyPatrol, PocketSmith, Monarch Money, Douugh, Chime, Stash, Varo, Qapital, Robinhood, Acorns, Digit, Titan, and Twine.
How were these finance apps selected?
These finance apps were selected based on their features, user reviews, and overall popularity among U.S. consumers as of May 1, 2024.
Are these apps free to use?
Many of these apps offer free versions with basic features, but some may require a subscription or one-time purchase for premium features.
Can these apps help with budgeting and financial education?
Yes, apps like Empower, Tiller Money, MoneyPatrol, and PocketSmith are specifically designed for budgeting and financial education.
Which apps are best for banking and investing?
Apps like Douugh, Chime, Stash, Varo, Robinhood, and Acorns are excellent for banking and investing needs.
Are these apps available on both Android and iOS?
Yes, all the mentioned apps are available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
