Top Budgeting and Credit-Building Apps to Boost Your Financial Health in 2025
- Admin
- Jun 24
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 26
According to Google, 73% of smartphone users have used an app to manage their finances in the past
month. Budgeting apps can make saving automatic and help you track every expense. The CFPB emphasizes that “making and sticking to a budget is a key step” toward paying off debt and reaching your savings goals. Even Suze Orman reminds us that financial freedom means having “your heart and mind free from worry” — and knowing you’re saving smartly with an app can ease that worry. As Benjamin Franklin warned, “Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship”, so a good budgeting app can help you plug those little leaks in your spending. The right tools let you track spending, set savings goals, and even automate funds transfers, making everyday money management feel almost effortless.
Improving your credit score is another key financial goal. The CFPB notes that if you’re new to credit or need to build it, you should use “products designed to help you establish and build credit”. Today’s apps serve as convenient credit-builder tools: for example, Experian Boost (free) reports on-time utility and phone bill payments to the credit bureaus (rent, cell, utilities, etc.). Other services like Self (a credit-builder loan) or SeedFi let you take out small, secured loans that you repay to build payment history. Using these credit score improvement apps responsibly can steadily raise your score and give you more financial confidence — again helping you have a “mind free from worry” about the future. Whether your priority is cutting expenses, saving automatically, or boosting credit, there’s an app to help.
Top Budgeting Apps (Free & Paid)
• Mint (Free): A classic free app from Intuit (now on Credit Karma). Mint automatically links thousands of banks, credit cards and bills so you can “review your transactions, track your spending by category and receive monthly insights”. It categorizes expenses and shows all accounts in one dashboard.
Key features: free credit score monitoring, budgeting templates, bill reminders.
Pros: Totally free and easy to set up; covers investments and savings too.
Cons: Supported by ads/promotions, and the interface can feel busy.
• You Need a Budget – YNAB (Paid, with trial): YNAB is a hands-on, subscription-based app that uses a zero-based budgeting method. You give every dollar a job (spend, save, invest) as soon as you get paid. NerdWallet notes YNAB’s approach “encourages saving,” but it is “really involved” and costs $14.99/month.
Key features: robust goal tracking, partner accounts (“YNAB Together”), and lots of educational guides.
Pros: Extremely effective for disciplined savers; highly customizable.
Cons: Steeper learning curve and no free version (though there is a 34-day trial).
• Rocket Money (Free/Premium): Formerly Truebill, Rocket Money is one of the best budgeting apps for automating savings and cutting costs. It links to all your accounts and “identifies recurring subscriptions and helps you cancel services you no longer use”. The free plan tracks spending and budgets; the premium tier (around $6–12/month) adds features like bill negotiation and real-time spending alerts.
Key features: subscription management, spending alerts, custom budgets.
Pros: Comprehensive view of finances; helps trim unused subscriptions.
Cons: Premium fee for full features; requires account linking (users must trust the connection).
• PocketGuard (Free/Premium): A simpler app focused on telling you what’s left “In My Pocket.” You link your bank accounts and PocketGuard automatically calculates what you can spend after bills and savings. As NerdWallet describes, it lets you link accounts “to track net worth and monitor spending”.
Key features: “In My Pocket” balance, simple budgets, and expense categorization.
Pros: Very easy to use, great for beginners, and has a free tier.
Cons: Lacks advanced features (many users upgrade for more insights or investment tracking).
• EveryDollar (Free/Premium): From Dave Ramsey’s team, EveryDollar uses zero-based budgeting like YNAB. You allocate each month’s income to expenses and goals. The free version requires manual entry; the paid “Plus” version ($99/year) syncs with your bank.
Key features: clean interface, goal tracking.
Pros: Straightforward zero-based approach; good for Ramsey followers.
Cons: Free version is very manual, and Plus is extra cost.
• Goodbudget (Free/Premium): A digital take on the old “envelope” system. Goodbudget has you carve up your income into envelopes (for groceries, bills, etc.) that you fill each month. The free plan is basic: no account linking (you manually enter balances) and limited envelopes. Paid Premium ($10/month or $80/year) gives unlimited envelopes and sync across devices.
Key features: manual cash- allocation budgeting, goal tracking, debt tracking.
Pros: Great for teaching discipline; the free tier is useful for simple budgets.
Cons: Time-consuming (manual entry required unless you upgrade); best for people who really like envelope-style budgeting.
• Honeydue (Free): A free app built just for couples. Honeydue lets partners link accounts and share expenses, with chat features to talk about transactions. It’s designed for joint budgeting.
Key features: Shared budgets and bill reminders, customizable privacy (you can hide specific transactions), no fee.
Pros: Ideal for partners managing money together; easy interface.
Cons: Not much benefit for solo use; overall features are simpler than single-user apps like Mint.
• Monarch Money (Paid): A newer, premium app ($99.99/year or $14.99/mo) praised for its rich features. Monarch can sync bank accounts, credit cards, loans and investments. It offers two budgeting modes: a simple “Flex” three-bucket view, or a detailed category-by-category budget . Additional perks include net worth tracking and a shared household account (no extra fee for a partner).
Key features: Flexible budgeting, investment tracking, and a built-in net worth chart.
Pros: Extremely comprehensive and user-friendly design.
Cons: One of the most expensive apps; may be overkill if you just want a simple budget.
• Empower – Personal Dashboard (Free): Originally an investment tool, Empower’s free app is also handy for budgeting. It connects all your checking, savings, credit cards, and even retirement accounts to show net worth. For budgeting, it gives a spending snapshot by category.
Key features: Net worth tracking, spending reports, linked accounts.
Pros: Totally free and ad-free; gives a big-picture view.
Cons: Budgeting features are modest – it’s more about tracking wealth than enforcing budgets.
• Oportun (Digit) (Paid): Formerly called Digit, Oportun is an automated savings app. It runs quietly in the background, “tracking your checking account’s activity and periodically mov[ing] funds into savings”. Its algorithm transfers small amounts based on your spending so you won’t notice it. This is great for people who struggle to save: Oportun won’t overdraw your account.
Key features: auto-savings transfers, goal setting.
Pros: Hands-off saving; avoids overdraft.
Cons: $5/month after a 30-day trial; limited to just saving (no budgeting features).
• Chime (Free): A popular online banking app that includes budgeting-friendly features . When you open a Chime checking account, you can turn on Automatic Savings (a percentage of each paycheck moves into savings) and Round-Ups (every debit card purchase is rounded up to the next dollar, with the spare change saved). Chime also offers no-fee accounts and a high-yield savings option.
Key features: Auto-save on payday, round-up saving, mobile alerts.
Pros: Completely free to use; encourages saving on autopilot.
Cons: Not a traditional budget planner (more banking); requires direct deposit to unlock all features.
• Acorns (Paid): An app that blends saving with investing. Acorns “helps you save and invest your spare change by rounding up each transaction to the nearest dollar”. The extra pennies automatically go into an investment portfolio based on your goals. Acorns also offers a “Mighty Oak” debit card with 3% APY checking.
Key features: Round-up investing, recurring investments, retirement accounts.
Pros: Great for beginners who want to build an emergency fund or invest small amounts.
Cons: $3–$5 per month fee; primarily focused on investing rather than budgeting.
Top Credit-Building Apps and Tools
• Credit Karma (Free): A well-known free app for credit monitoring and scores. It lets you check your Equifax and TransUnion scores, get personalized tips, and find recommended credit cards or loans to help improve your score. It also sends alerts for significant changes or identity issues.
Key features: Free credit scores and reports, score simulators, personalized recommendations.
Pros: Completely free; easy way to watch credit.
Cons: Only two bureaus (Experian not included); you’ll see many product offers.
• Experian Boost (Free): A unique service that raises your Experian FICO score for free. Experian Boost “reports payments that typically aren’t included in your credit score, like your rent, cellphone bill and utilities”. You decide which on-time payments to link, and Boost adds them to your credit file.
Key features: Instant increase to Experian score; continues to add future payments.
Pros: No cost; you get credit for bills you already pay.
Cons: Only affects Experian; if you have late utilities, it could also hurt you.
• Self – Credit Builder Account (Paid): Self (formerly Self Lender) offers credit-builder loans. You choose a small loan (often $500–$1,500) which is held in a secured account. You make fixed monthly payments for 12–24 months, and once you’ve paid, you get access to the money plus any interest earned. During the loan term, all payments are reported to all three credit bureaus, helping build credit history.
Key features: Secured loan, reports to bureaus, no credit needed to apply.
Pros: Helps establish or repair credit; you eventually receive the loaned funds.
Cons: You don’t access the money until loan completion; effective APR can be high.
• SeedFi – Credit Builder Prime (Free): SeedFi’s Credit Builder Prime is an interest-free “credit seed” plan. You take out a tiny loan (as little as $10) and agree to pay it back on payday. SeedFi then reports your on-time payment to the bureaus. The service is free and easy to qualify for.
Key features: Micro-loans with paycheck repayment, all payments reported to credit.
Pros: No interest or fees; any credit profile can apply.
Cons: Loans are small and short-term (paycheck-to-paycheck).
• Kikoff (Paid): Kikoff offers a unique revolving credit account purely for building credit. You get a $750 line of credit to spend in the Kikoff store (e.g. buying small gift cards or goods). Instead of interest, you pay a flat $5 monthly fee (which is considered part of your credit balance) and then minimum monthly payments. On-time payments are reported to the bureaus, often boosting scores quickly.
Key features: Up to $750 credit line, $5 monthly fee, no interest.
Pros: No credit check to apply; ideal for low scores.
Cons: Purchases limited to Kikoff’s marketplace; must pay each $5 fee monthly.
• MoneyLion Credit Builder (Paid): Part of the MoneyLion financial app, this is a credit-builder loan of up to $1,000. You repay the loan via the app, and as you do, the payments are reported to the credit bureaus. You need a MoneyLion Credit Builder Plus membership ($19.99/mo) to use it.
Key features: No hard credit check to start; flexible loan amounts.
Pros: Builds payment history without new credit card.
Cons: High interest rates (up to 29.99% APR) and monthly membership fee.
• Chime – Credit Builder (Free): Chime offers a secured Visa credit card account designed to build credit. You move money from your Chime checking into the Credit Builder account, which becomes your spending limit. When you spend and pay on time, Chime reports to all three bureaus. Notably, Chime doesn’t charge interest or annual fees, and doesn’t report high utilization since your limit is equal to your deposit.
Key features: No-fee secured card, no credit check, automatic on-time payment option.
Pros: Safe way to build credit with money you control; massive user base and reviews.
Cons: Must have a Chime checking account; you need to deposit funds to use it.
• Credit Sesame (Free): (Not currently in our references) Another free credit score app. It provides your Experian credit score and 3-bureau report card, with identity theft monitoring. It also shows tools for credit building like credit cards or loans you could qualify for. Pros: Free and easy; offers an identity theft insurance policy with premium. Cons: Requires email and shares targeted offers. Each of these credit builder tools can help improve your score over time. As the CFPB emphasizes, choosing the right product for your situation is key. For example, if you already have credit but want to increase it slowly, apps like Experian Boost or Credit Karma’s suggestions can help. If you have thin credit, consider a product like Chime Credit Builder or Self that builds credit through on-time payments.
Making the Most of These Apps
To get real benefit, pick the apps that fit your goals and habits. Finance experts recommend trying out free plans or trials first. For instance, start with Mint or PocketGuard’s free version to see if you like the interface, or try YNAB’s trial if you want an intensive budgeting system. For credit, make sure any credit score improvement app you use reports your payments to the major bureaus and has reasonable fees. Remember to set clear goals in the app (like “save \$500 by year-end” or “raise credit score 30 points in 6 months”) and review progress regularly. Automating your savings (through round-ups or scheduled transfers) and checking your spending every week can reinforce good habits. Over time, diligent use of 4these tools can boost your savings and credit health, helping you build a stronger financial future in 2025 and beyond.
Sources
Authoritative financial sites and expert guides (Mint, NerdWallet, Bankrate, CFPB, etc.) were used to compile this list. Each app’s description is based on verified features and reviews.
Finance app usage statistics by month - Think with Google
Budgeting: How to create a budget and stick with it | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
14 Quotes From Our Favorite Money Saving Experts – Chime
How do I get and keep a good credit score? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Top iPhone And Android Apps That Will Help You Build Credit | Bankrate
Budget Tracker & Planner | Free Online Money Management | Mint
YNAB App Review for 2025 - NerdWallet
9 Best Money Saving Apps Of 2025 | Bankrate
Goodbudget Review: A Hands-On Digital Envelope System - NerdWallet
The Best Budget Apps for 2025: YNAB, PocketGuard and More - NerdWallet
Best Credit Building Apps June 2025 | Edvisors
Credit Builder Credit Card | Chime
Best Budgeting Apps of 2025