A private, offline budget app for Android
Tavala on Android is the same app as on an iPhone, released on Google Play, with nothing held back: one-line capture in any currency, every screen working offline, no account to start and no ads. Your fingerprint, face or screen lock keeps it shut, and with an account it syncs with an iPhone, a Mac or a browser.
Phones and tablets
On a phone you get the tab bar with the round + in the middle; on a tablet, a navigation rail, and with a keyboard attached, the same shortcuts as a Mac with Ctrl (Ctrl-N for a new entry, Ctrl-1 to Ctrl-6 for the tabs, Ctrl-J for Ask Tavala). It needs Android 8.0 or later.
What Android has, and the one thing it does not yet
The app lock uses your fingerprint, face or screen lock, and passkeys work for sign-in. Bill reminders are local notifications scheduled by the phone. What Android does not have yet is a Home Screen widget: the iPhone, iPad and Mac have one, Android does not. The + in the bottom bar is the quick way in until it does.
For people moving from Copilot or another Apple-only app
Copilot Money runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web, and not on Android. If your household has one Android phone and one iPhone, a shared space in Tavala works on both, and the person you invite pays nothing.
| What | Tavala |
|---|---|
| Requirement | Android 8.0 or later |
| Layout | Tab bar on phones, rail on tabletsKeyboard shortcuts with Ctrl |
| Lock | Fingerprint, face or screen lock |
| Sign-in | Password, passkey, authenticator app |
| Widget | Not yetThe + in the bottom bar opens capture |
| Store | Google Play |
Android budget apps compared
Which apps run on Android at all, and how they handle currencies and banks.
| What | Tavala | Copilot | YNAB | Monarch | Goodbudget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, webA native Mac app; the web at app.tavala.io | iPhone, iPad, Mac, webA native Mac app; no Android | iPhone, iPad, Android, webApple Watch; its app list shows no desktop app | iPhone, iPad, Android, webNo Mac or Windows app | iPhone, Android, webiPhone only in the App Store; no Mac or Windows app |
| Currencies | Every currency in one space155 currencies and 96 cryptocurrencies; 2 per space on the free plan | USD only"does not convert foreign currency transactions" | One per planIts advice for several: a separate plan for each | No conversionShows every amount as $; USD or CAD accounts advised | OneIts own comparison table: multiple currencies "N" |
| Bank connections | Optional add-onBanks in the United States and Canada, through Plaid, $3.99 a month per bank | Included, at the coreUS-based accounts only, through Plaid and Finicity | IncludedSelect banks in the US, Canada and 18 European countries, UK included | Included, at the coreUS and Canada only, 13,000+ institutions | Premium onlyUS banks only, through Plaid |
| Price | Free; Plus $39.99 a yearor $6.99 a month on the web | $95 a year$13 a month in the App Store; 1-month trial | $109 a yearor $14.99 a month; 34-day trial | $99.99 a yearor $14.99 a month (Core); Plus $199.99 a year | $80 a yearor $10 a month on the web (Premium) |
Questions about Tavala for Android
- Is Tavala on Android the same as on iPhone?
- Yes, the same app and the same account. The one difference today is the widget: iPhone, iPad and Mac have one, Android does not yet.
- Does Google have a budget app?
- Google does not make a budgeting app, and Google Wallet's help shows transactions without budgets or categories.
Go further
- Tavala for iPhoneThe same ledger on the other phone in the house.
- Offline-firstNo account, no connection, every screen.
- Shared spacesOne budget across an Android phone and an iPhone.
- Lock Tavala with Face ID, a fingerprint or a passcodeTurn on the app lock so Tavala asks for Face ID, Touch ID, your fingerprint or your device passcode every time it opens. Not available in a browser.
- Add an expense in one lineTap +, type a line such as "coffee 4.80" in one of six languages and tap the arrow. Tavala reads the amount, currency, category, wallet and date.
- How sync and offline workTavala keeps a full copy of your data on every device, so it works offline. With an account, changes upload when you are online and reach your other devices.
Start with what you spent today.
There is no account to create and no card to enter. Pick your currency, add what you paid, and Home shows what is left.