Goodbudget
Virtual envelope budgeting app with a free plan and budgets shared across a household's phones.
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 6
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 3
About Goodbudget
Goodbudget is a budgeting app based on the envelope system, the old method of splitting cash into paper envelopes for rent, groceries and so on. You create virtual envelopes for each category, fill them when you're paid, and spend from them, so decisions are based on what's left in an envelope rather than your account balance. A budget syncs across phones and the web, so partners or family members see the same envelopes and every deduction. There are also tools for saving ahead for large expenses, debt accounts that track payoff progress, and an archive of guides, courses and a podcast on budgeting. The free plan is permanent, not a trial, but limited: 10 regular and 10 "more" envelopes, one account, two devices and one year of history. Premium costs $10 a month or $80 a year and adds unlimited envelopes and accounts, five devices, seven years of history, email support and automatic bank sync, which works with US banks only. It runs on the web, iPhone and Android, and has been around since 2009 (it began as EEBA, the Easy Envelope Budget Aid). It suits couples and families who like the envelope method and don't mind manual entry. The trade-off is that the free plan is manual only and fairly tight, bank sync is limited to the US, and the interface is plainer than newer apps.
Best for: Households who like envelope budgeting and want a shared budget on everyone's phone.
Pros and cons
What works
- Permanent free plan, not a time-limited trial
- Shared budget syncs across a household's devices
- Envelope method makes spending limits concrete
- Debt tracking and saving ahead for big expenses
Why people leave
- Free plan limits envelopes, accounts, devices and history
- Bank sync is Premium only and US banks only
- Mostly manual entry, which takes regular effort
Top Goodbudget alternatives
See all 6- 1
YNAB83.8Also envelope-style, with bank import included and a stronger method, but no free plan after the trial.
- 2
EveryDollar75.6A free zero-based budget with unlimited categories, plus bank connect on premium.
- 3
Actual Budget75.5Free, open-source envelope budgeting with optional bank sync in the US, Canada, UK and EU.
- 4
Hunter Vault71.8Manual, offline budgeting on your phone with quests and ranks to encourage logging.
- 5
Wallet by BudgetBakers68.2Shared household budgets with manual entry or bank sync, plus spending charts Goodbudget lacks.
Why people left Goodbudget
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Goodbudget, review the app you switched to and tell us why.
Reviews
No approved reviews yet. How we verify reviewers
Write a review of Goodbudget
Goodbudget: common questions
Is Goodbudget free?
Goodbudget has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: 10 regular + 10 more envelopes, 1 account (checked on Goodbudget's own site).
Is Goodbudget open source?
No, Goodbudget is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Actual Budget.
What platforms does Goodbudget run on?
Goodbudget is available for Web, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Goodbudget?
The highest-ranked Goodbudget alternatives right now are YNAB, EveryDollar and Actual Budget. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.