Milvionne Chery Copeland, Writer
@milvionne_copeland
The best zero-based budget apps are WalletHub, YNAB, and EveryDollar. These apps have good user ratings and easily allow you to create a zero-based budget where every dollar has a purpose, whether that’s paying your monthly bills, paying down debt, or saving for your financial future. With a zero-based budget, you should get zero when you subtract your expenses from your income every month.
Best Zero-Based Budget Apps
WalletHub
Average App Rating: 4.8 / 5
Cost: Free for basic or $7.99 per month, billed annually (SAVE 50.0%) for premium
Budget Methods: 50/30/20 rule, pay-yourself-first, envelope, micro-envelope, and simple budgeting (zero-based budgeting can be used with all budget methods)
WalletHub’s budget tools will automatically subtract your expenses from your income as your expenses are added so you can keep track of how much of your income you have left to spend. You can see this by going to the “Budget” tab on your WalletHub account and reviewing the “Remaining” field in your budget summary. This way, you can make sure you are fully allocating your income – using every dollar for an item in your budget.
WalletHub lets you combine zero-based budgeting with other strategies, too – such as the 50/30/20 rule, pay-yourself-first, and envelope budgeting – so you do not have to stick with a zero-based budget if that strategy is not working for you. In addition, WalletHub offers non-budgeting features such as the ability to access your credit score/report, learn from personalized credit analysis, and get recommendations for financial products like credit cards and loans.
YNAB
Average App Rating: 4.8 / 5
Cost: $14.99 per month or $109 per year
Budget Methods: Zero-based budgeting
YNAB uses the zero-based budgeting system by default, so users can build a budget that gives every dollar a purpose. YNAB is the only app on this list that does not offer a free plan, so users must pay to create a zero-based budget.
EveryDollar
Average App Rating: 4.6 / 5
Cost: Free basic account or $79.99 per year for premium
Budget Methods: Zero-based budgeting
EveryDollar is based on the zero-based budgeting strategy, so users can allocate every dollar to a specific expense. This allows you to plan out exactly how your income will be used and prevents you from overspending.
PocketGuard
Average App Rating: 4.7 / 5
Cost: Free basic account or $12.99 per month / $74.99 per year for PocketGuard Plus
Budget Methods: Envelope (can be adapted for zero-based budgeting)
PocketGuard does not specialize in zero-based budgeting, but you can set up your budget on the PocketGuard app to align with this strategy. In the app, you can set up multiple budget categories and divide all your income among these categories, so that you have nothing remaining.
Goodbudget
Average App Rating: 4.1 / 5
Cost: Free for basic or $10 per month / $80 per year for premium
Budget Methods: Envelope (can be adapted for zero-based budgeting)
Goodbudget actually uses the envelope budgeting method, which allows you to create envelopes for each budget category, such as housing, transportation, and entertainment. However, you can set up your envelopes to use the zero-based budget strategy by making sure every dollar of your income is being assigned to a specific envelope.
With a free Goodbudget account, you can create up to 20 envelopes. You get unlimited envelopes with a premium account.
A zero-based budget is just one method you can use to build a budget. For more information, check out WalletHub’s guide on budget strategies.
People also ask
What is the best free budgeting app that you can use without linking your bank account?
The best free budgeting apps that you can use without linking your bank account are Goodbudget, EveryDollar, WalletHub, PocketGuard and Honeydue. These apps allow you to manually enter your expenses to track them, and they offer you budgeting tips you can use to manage your finances.
Best Free Budget Apps to Use Without Linking Your Bank Account
Goodbudget
Goodbudget uses the envelope budgeting method, which allows you to create envelopes for each budget category,...
read full answer by Milvionne Chery Copeland, WriterAre budgeting apps worth it?
Yes, budgeting apps are worth it since you can use them to organize your finances and save money. A good budgeting app, like the WalletHub app, lets you create a personalized budget and sync your financial accounts to automatically track your expenses, allowing you to save time and easily identify areas to cut spending.
Some apps offer completely free accounts, while others charge a fee ranging from $6 to $18 per month for premium features....
read full answer by Milvionne Chery Copeland, WriterWhat are the advantages and disadvantages of zero-based budgeting?
The biggest advantage of zero-based budgeting is that it allows you to give every dollar of your income a purpose, forcing you to be more intentional with your spending so you can avoid unnecessary purchases. One of the biggest disadvantages is that it can be more time-consuming to manage than some other budgeting methods.
While you may not have to track every expense with some other budgeting methods, you will with the zero-based budgeting method...
read full answer by Milvionne Chery Copeland, WriterDid we answer your question?
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