Tracking spending is the first step to getting your finances in order. An expense tracker app can make it a lot easier to account for every dollar as you spend it, rather than sitting down with a fistful of receipts.
While they overlap with budgeting tools, expense tracker apps put more of an emphasis on spending than on your incoming cash deposits. They categorize your expenditures and present a good idea of your purchasing habits.
We've named the best expense tracker apps for a variety of users. (See our methodology for more on how we made our picks.)
Costs may vary depending on the plan selected but take advantage of a limited time offer - 70% off for 3 months*
Save over 30 hours in business accounting per month with the AI-Powered Intuit Assist. Users can use app to do invoicing, accept payments, manage their cash flow, maximize tax deductions, track travel miles, run reports, send estimates, manage bills and 1099 contractors, plus pay employees
Best for planners: Quicken Simplifi
Quicken Simplifi
Cost
50% off limited-time offer: $2.99 per month for the first year, then $5.99 per month (billed annually).
Standout features
Users can run customizable reports based on their spending, income and savings. Personalized spending plan adjusts in real-time.
Categorizes expenses
Yes, but users can customize
Links to accounts
Yes, bank, credit cards, loans, investment accounts
Availability
Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Security features
Financial data from bank servers is transmitted using 256-bit encryption
Terms apply.
Pros
- Syncs with bank, credit card and investment accounts
- Customizable reports based on income, spending and savings
- Robust investments dashboard
- Refund tracker
- Includes subscription tracker
- Credit monitoring
Cons
- No free tier
- No bill-pay feature
- Quicken data can't be imported
- Can't roll over unused funds to the next month
Who's this for? Quicken Simplifi provides users with a personalized spending plan based on their income and costs, then adjusts it as they spend in real time. Its simple user interface also makes it easy for users to add planned spending like vacations.
Best for serious budgeters: YNAB
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
Cost
$14.99 per month or $109 per year ($9.08 per month). Users get 34-day free trial (College students get 12 months free)
Standout features
Employs a zero-based budgeting system, with users assigning every dollar a "job" (bills, savings, investments)
Categorizes your expenses
No
Links to accounts
Yes, bank and credit cards
Availability
Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Security features
Encrypted data, accredited data centers, third-party audits and more
Terms apply.
Pros
- Offers a 34-day free trial (college students get 12 months free)
- Designed to help users pay off debts and break paycheck-to-paycheck cycle
- Syncs to bank accounts and credit cards
Cons
- One of the more expensive options, with no free version
- Set-up can be laborious
- No bill tracking or bill pay feature,
Who's this for? YNAB offers a zero-based budgeting system in which every dollar is assigned a "job," whether that's paying for groceries, rent, entertainment or credit card bills. This method allows you to clearly see the areas where you're overspending.
Best for beginners: Goodbudget
Goodbudget
Cost
Free for 20 total envelopes, $10/month (or $80/year) for unlimited envelopes
Standout features
Allows couples to track debt and use a digital "envelope" system to budget funds
Categorizes your expenses
Yes, but free users must manually input transactions
Links to accounts
No, users must manually input purchases and transactions
Availability
Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android) and for desktop
Security features
Information is protected using bank-grade 256-bit SSL
Terms apply.
Pros
- Free tier available
- Can share budget and spending with a partner in real time across multiple devices
- Digital envelopes help couples and households stay aligned on spending goals
- Offers money management courses and educational resources
- Available on iOS, Android and desktop
Cons
- Free tier doesn't sync with bank accounts (all transactions must be entered manually)
- No bill-paying or investment-tracking features
Who's this for? If you're just starting to get your finances in check, Goodbudget is a solid option. Users track expenses with a digitalized version of the envelope budgeting method. This allows you to see your different expense types, how much each type takes up of your income and hopefully help you save money.
Best for overspenders: PocketGuard
PocketGuard
Cost
Basic PocketGuard plan is free. PocketGuard Premium is $12.99 per month or $74.99 ($6.99/month) annually. Lifetime membership available at a reduced rate.
Standout features
"In My Pocket" uses your income, recurring expenses and savings goals to determine how much you have for everyday spending.
Categorizes your expenses
Yes, but users can customize
Links to accounts
Yes, users can connect accounts through Plaid and Finicity or manually add cash accounts
Availability
Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Security features
PocketGuard utilizes bank-level encryption, PINs and biometrics like Touch ID and Face ID.
Terms apply.
Pros
- Includes payment tracker and bill-negotiation service
- Lifetime membership option for additional savings
- A+ from Better Business Bureau
Cons
- Limited free tier, with users encouraged to upgrade to Premium for full functionality.
- Transactions may be categorized incorrectly
Who's this for? If you're bad at staying within your budget, PocketGuard sends alerts whenever one of your spending categories is almost over its limit. This gives you some advance notice of when it's time to cut back, rather than just notifying you when you've gone too far.
Best for business owners
QuickBooks
Cost
Costs may vary depending on the plan selected but take advantage of a limited time offer - 50% off for 3 months
Standout features
Tracks your business expenses as they happen, as well as your income. Users can use app to do invoicing, accept payments, manage their cash flow, maximize tax deductions, track travel miles, run reports, send estimates, manage bills and 1099 contractors, plus pay employees
Categorizes your expenses
Yes
Links to accounts
Yes, bank and credit cards, plus third-party apps like PayPal and Square
Availability
Accessible from any web browser and also offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Security features
Verisign scanning, password-protected login, firewall protected servers and the same encryption technology (128 bit SSL) used by the world's top banks. QuickBooks also offers multiple permission levels that you can set for additional users' access
Terms apply.
Pros
- Offers a 30-day free trial
- Syncs to your bank accounts, credit cards and third-party apps like PayPal and Square
- Offers real-time dashboards so you can stay updated on all financial transactions related to your business
- The most basic "Simple Start" plan tracks income, sales and expenses, organizes receipts, creates invoices, helps you prepare your taxes, categorizes your business and personal trips, offers a QuickBooks Cash account, runs reports like P&Ls and balance sheets and includes 1 user
- "Essentials" plan, in addition to the above, helps you pay your bills, clock employee time and billable hours and includes up to 3 users
- "Plus" plan, in addition to the above, lets you oversees projects, track inventory and includes up to 5 users
- "Advanced" plan, in addition to the above, provides business analytics and insights, speeds up transactions, gives users access to VIP service QuickBooks Priority Circle that includes a dedicated account team and free online QuickBooks training includes up to 25 users. QuickBooks offers a fourth "Self-Employed" plan for freelancers
- Security features include Verisign scanning, encryption technology (128 bit SSL) used by the world's top banks and customized access for other users
Cons
- Some user reviews complain of glitches in app and a not so user-friendly interface
Who's this for? QuickBooks Online is ideal for small- to medium-sized business owners because it allows them to connect to their bank accounts, credit cards and other third-party apps like PayPal and Square.
Best for employees' business expenses
Expensify
Cost
Free for up to 25 SmartScans of receipts per month. For unlimited SmartScans, pricing is as follows: six-week free trial then for employees, individual pricing is $5 per month. For companies, group pricing starts at $9 per user, per month
Standout features
Individuals can track receipts and submit expenses to their employer. Users scan their receipts and the app will automatically read the receipt then translate it into a logged expense. Also offers mileage and GPS tracking and automatic credit card importing
Categorizes your expenses
Yes, but users can customize
Links to accounts
Yes, bank and personal/company credit cards
Availability
Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Security features
Two-factor authentication so users input a generated code when logging in; banking data is protected by world-class security standards and compliant with Privacy Shield and GDPR requirements
Terms apply.
Pros
- Free to use for up to 25 SmartScans per month
- Offers a six-week free trial for unlimited SmartScans
- Designed to help you get your expenses done quickly while on the go and in real time
- Expensify website claims expense reports with Expensify take 83% less time
- One-click receipt scanning and SmartScan automatically transcribes receipt details with the date, merchant and amount
- Receipts are automatically coded and categorized once user takes photo and assigns to a report or emails their receipts to receipts@expensify.com
- Users can split their expenses by using the ExpensePoint feature to split the cost
- Allows users to track their mileage by manual entry, odometer readings or by using the GPS
- Web dashboard shows spending by different categories and uses time references
- Automatically generates and submits expense reports for automatic next-day reimbursement
- Users can share or print documents/expense reports from the app for review
- Syncs to your bank accounts and credit cards
- Lets users send and receive money via Venmo
- Connects to apps like Uber, Lyft and HotelTonight for automatic receipt import and transcription
- Security features include two-factor authentication, world-class security standards and Privacy Shield / GDPR compliance
- With a group plan, employers can integrate with their accounting software, including QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite and others
- Two plans offered for individuals: "Track" is $5 per month, with unlimited SmartScans, automatic mileage tracking and categorizing expenses; "Submit" is $4.99 per month and, in addition to the above, automatically submits reports for reimbursement, submits receipts
- Two plans offered for groups: "Collect" is $5 per user, per month and, in addition to the above, automates receipt collection and reimbursement, auto-syncs to accounting software and offers free Expensify card with auto-reconciliation; "Control" is $9 per user, per month and, in addition to the above, manages approval workflows
Cons
- Costs $4.99 per month for individuals and starts at $5 per user, per month for groups
- Some user reviews report that the interface isn't intuitive
Who's this for? Expensify is a solid choice for workers filling out expense reports, which can be a painfully time-consuming task. Users snap photos of their receipts and the SmartScan technology generates an expense report.
How do expense trackers work?
Expense trackers vary, but their main purpose is to help you track and categorize your expenses from different accounts. They offer an overview of where your money is going, whereas budgeting apps are designed to help you manage your spending.
While they're technically different from budgeting apps, there's a fair amount of overlap: Budgeting apps track both your income and your spending, and expense tracker apps technically only focus on your spending. In reality, though, many expense trackers have budgeting features.
How do you create a budget?
Making a budget can be done in as few as five steps:
- Calculate your net income: First, find out how much money you make each month. Your net income is the amount of money you earn after taxes and can be found on the pay stub you receive through your employer.
- List your monthly expenses: Next, look at your monthly costs. Common monthly expenses include rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, loan payments, insurance costs, transportation, child care, groceries, dining, household goods, travel, streaming subscriptions and memberships. Also included in this category are your savings contributions, such as in a 401(k) or high-yield savings account.
- Label the monthly expenses as fixed or variable: Go through your list of monthly expenses and label each as a fixed or variable cost. Fixed expenses are the same each month, such as rent, insurance or loan payments. Variable expenses change from month to month such as dining, travel and clothing.
- Determine the average monthly costs for each expense: List how much you spend on each expense per month and add them all up. It's easiest to do this step while looking at your bank account and credit card statements from the past month.
- Make adjustments depending on what your budget reveals: Compare your net income to your monthly expenses to see where you stand. If your expenses exceed your income, this means you should focus on finding items in your budget that you can cut back on (or eliminate altogether). On the other hand, if your income is higher than your expenses, make sure you put those excess funds to good use. They'll earn more interest in a high-yield savings account than your checking account. But you might also want to consider increasing your contribution to your 401(k), making bigger payments on your debt or investing for a future expense.
More on the best expense tracker apps
Quicken Simplifi
Cost: $5.99 per month. No free trial but users can request a full refund within 30 days
Links to accounts: Yes, bank, credit cards, investments and loans
Categorizes your expenses: Yes, but users can modify
YNAB
Cost: 34-day free trial and then $109 per year or $14.99 per month. College students with proof of enrollment get 12 months free
Links to accounts: Yes, bank and credit cards
Categorizes your expenses: No
Goodbudget
Cost: Free for 20 envelopes or $10 per month ($80 annually) for unlimited envelopes
Links to accounts: No, users must manually input purchases and transactions
Categorizes your expenses: Yes, but users must manually input transactions
PocketGuard
Cost: Free but users can upgrade to Pocketguard Plus subscription for $12.99 per month or $74.99 a year.
Links to accounts: Yes, bank and credit cards
Categorizes your expenses: Yes, but users can modify
QuickBooks Online
Cost: 30-day free trial and then plan options include Simple Start for $17.50 per month, Plus for $49.50 per month and Advanced for $117.50 per month
Links to accounts: Yes, bank and credit cards, plus third-party apps like PayPal and Square
Categorizes your expenses: Yes
Expensify
Cost: Free for up to 25 receipt SmartScans per month. For unlimited SmartScans, pricing starts at $5 a month after a six-week free trial
Links to accounts: Yes, bank and personal/company credit cards
Categorizes your expenses: Yes, but users can customize
Expense tracking FAQs
What is the best way to track your expenses?
There's no perfect expense tracking plan that fits everyone. Each person has their own method — unless, of course, you have no method at all.
While some people may find looking at their monthly credit or debit card statements enough to keep their spending in check, others need something more hands-on. You can opt to track your transactions daily in a spreadsheet or to use technology like an expense tracker app. If you're not sure which is the best program for you, try out a few different methods to see what sticks.
What does an expense tracker app do?
Expense tracker apps connect to your bank account and/or credit cards to track and categorize your expenses, giving you a good idea of your purchasing behavior. This can help identify spending areas where you could make cuts.
Should I use an expense tracker app?
Keeping track of your expenses is important in managing your overall finances. While you don't need an app to help you record your purchases, it can certainly come in handy.
Some expense tracker apps automatically sync to your bank accounts and credit cards, which can save you time instead of having to manually gather all your different credit card statements and such. Other apps help you categorize your spending so you can better understand your purchasing habits. Plus, some of the best expense tracker apps offer educational tools like blogs and courses to help you learn more about budgeting and your money.
Are expense tracker apps worth the cost?
Expense tracker apps are often either free, offer a free version, have a free trial or offer a refund for users to test out. This way, you can decide for yourself if the app is right for you. If you're a serious budgeter or are tracking expenses for a small business, it generally will be worth splurging on a paid app.
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Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every expense tracker app review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best expense tracker apps.
Our methodology
To determine which expense tracker apps offer the best user experience, CNBC Select analyzed over a dozen apps and looked at pricing, features, user reviews and ratings.
We narrowed down our ranking by only considering apps that specialize in tracking expenses and have a free trial or refund to test the app out.
We looked for apps that are easy to use and accessible on multiple devices, as well as considering apps' syncing with bank accounts, their security features, user customization and educational tools offered. We favored those with a considerable number of user reviews and high ratings.
All of the apps in our round-up have a sizable number of user reviews and high ratings. Each app on this list has at least 3,500 reviews in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android) combined, as well as a rating of over 4 stars (out of 5) on either platform.
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