The best budgeting apps, according to hackers
10 budgeting apps were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 3 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The three most recommended budgeting apps with the badge. Each figure is 2 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Praised as excellent, does everything needed
Free, open source envelope budgeting app that people recommend as a YNAB alternative, with bank import and local-first, self-hosted use.
Account syncing and aggregation
People recommend Monarch for smooth account syncing, aggregation and categorization, budget rollovers, and insights that can save money. Critics say it is too expensive and locks users into a rigid budgeting system.
Syncs bank transactions into spreadsheet
People recommend Tiller for syncing bank transactions into a spreadsheet you control, so you can run your own calculations. Critics mention only that it adds another third party to the process.
All 10 budgeting apps, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Actual Budget | 29 | 0 | 100% | 12 | 3 yrs4 owners | Approved |
| Tied 2 | Monarch Money | 17 | 4 | 81% | 9 | — | Approved |
| Tied 2 | YNAB | 17 | 13 | 57% | 4 | 10 yrs3 owners | — |
| Tied 4 | Quicken | 10 | 10 | 50% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 4 | Tiller Finance | 10 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | Approved |
| 6 | FinBodhi | 8 | 3 | 73% | 8 | — | — |
| 7 | Stoke Money | 6 | 2 | 75% | 1 | — | — |
| Tied 8 | Empower | 5 | 2 | 71% | 5 | — | — |
| Tied 8 | Fungible | 5 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Tied 8 | You Need a Budget | 5 | 1 | 83% | 2 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same budgeting app in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to budgeting apps that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.