finance

Most recommended budgeting apps for college students

Explore the top budgeting apps designed specifically for college students, helping them effectively manage their finances, track expenses, and save money during their academic journey. These apps offer easy-to-use interfaces and student-friendly features.

5 Apps
4.5 ★ Avg Rating
Finance Category
Last updated December 2024
You Need A Budget (YNAB)

You Need A Budget (YNAB)

4.8 ★ Free

YNAB is a comprehensive budgeting app that helps college students manage their finances by fostering a proactive approach to budgeting. It operates on four key principles: give every dollar a job, embrace your true expenses, roll with the punches, and age your money. With its intuitive interface and educational resources, YNAB is ideal for students looking to gain total control over their cash flow and build healthy financial habits.

Best for: Students serious about gaining full financial control

Pros:

  • Proactive budgeting
  • Educational tools
  • User-friendly interface

Cons:

  • Monthly subscription
  • Learning curve for beginners
Available on
iOS Android
Visit Website
Mint

Mint

4.6 ★ Free

Mint is a widely-used free budgeting app that consolidates all your financial accounts in one place, allowing college students to easily monitor their spending and create budgets. It offers features such as bill tracking, free credit score checks, and personalized tips to improve financial health. With its straightforward design, Mint is perfect for students who want an easy and free tool to start managing their money.

Best for: Students new to budgeting

Pros:

  • Free to use
  • Bill tracking
  • Credit score monitoring

Cons:

  • Advertisements
  • Sync issues occasionally
Available on
iOS Android
Visit Website
Splitwise

Splitwise

4.5 ★ Free

Ideal for college students who often share expenses with roommates, Splitwise makes splitting bills and tracking shared expenses easy. It allows users to create groups, add expenses, and settle up with friends, ensuring transparency and accountability. The app also supports multiple currencies and provides detailed summary reports. Splitwise is perfect for students living in shared apartments who need hassle-free expense sharing.

Best for: Students living with roommates

Pros:

  • Effortless bill splitting
  • Supports multiple currencies
  • Group expense tracking

Cons:

  • Premium features locked
  • Needs active participation from all involved
Available on
iOS Android
Visit Website
PocketGuard

PocketGuard

4.4 ★ Free

PocketGuard is a user-friendly budgeting app that helps college students quickly see how much spendable money they have at any given time. It connects to bank accounts and tracks expenses automatically, giving insights into spending habits. PocketGuard also helps identify savings opportunities by analyzing recurring expenses and subscriptions. It's an excellent choice for students seeking to avoid overspending effortlessly.

Best for: Students wanting to prevent overspending

Pros:

  • Simple interface
  • Spendable money feature
  • Tracks recurring expenses

Cons:

  • Limited free features
  • Bank sync issues sometimes
Available on
iOS Android
Visit Website
Goodbudget

Goodbudget

4.3 ★ Free

Goodbudget is an envelope-budgeting based app that helps college students plan their finances by creating virtual 'envelopes' for different spending categories. Unlike automated apps, Goodbudget requires users to manually input expenses, promoting mindfulness. It allows syncing across devices, making it great for students wanting proactive control over their budget. With its clear focus on envelope budgeting, it's effective for managing limited student budgets.

Best for: Students favoring envelope-budgeting method

Pros:

  • Envelope system
  • Manual entry promotes mindfulness
  • Cross-device sync

Cons:

  • Manual entry requirement
  • Limited free features
Available on
iOS Android
Visit Website

Comparison Overview

App Rating Price Best For
You Need A Budget (YNAB) 4.8 ★ Subscription YNAB is a comprehensive budgeting app that helps college students manage their finances by fostering a proactive approach to budgeting.
Mint 4.6 ★ Free Mint is a widely-used free budgeting app that consolidates all your financial accounts in one place, allowing college students to easily monitor their spending and create budgets.
Splitwise 4.5 ★ Free with premium version Ideal for college students who often share expenses with roommates, Splitwise makes splitting bills and tracking shared expenses easy.
PocketGuard 4.4 ★ Free with in-app purchases PocketGuard is a user-friendly budgeting app that helps college students quickly see how much spendable money they have at any given time.
Goodbudget 4.3 ★ Free with in-app purchases Goodbudget is an envelope-budgeting based app that helps college students plan their finances by creating virtual 'envelopes' for different spending categories.

Quick Tips

  • Track your daily expenses to avoid overspending.
  • Set savings goals and stick to them.
  • Use alerts to never miss a bill payment.
  • Take advantage of student discounts and offers.
  • Review your budget weekly to adjust as needed.

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