Free means different things in every budgeting app: 20 envelopes on two phones, two accounts, one wallet, four expenses a day, or everything but syncing. These are the apps with a free plan that does not end, what each plan includes and where the limit sits, checked on each app's own site on 24 October 2026. A free trial is not a free plan, and those apps are listed separately.
| App | Free plan | What you pay for | Currencies | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodbudget | Free forever20 envelopes, 1 account, 2 devices, 1 year of history | $80 a yearor $10 a month on the web (Premium) | OneIts own comparison table: multiple currencies "N" | iPhone, Android, webiPhone only in the App Store; no Mac or Windows app |
| EveryDollar | Free versionManual entry, unlimited categories, shared household budget | $79.99 a yearor $17.99 a month (Premium); 14-day trial | US dollars only"currently only supports U.S. dollars" | Web, iPhone, iPad, AndroidMobile apps and Premium in the US only |
| Actual Budget | FreeOpen source (MIT); you run it | Free softwareHosting from $2 a month (PikaPods) | One"does not support multi-currency" | Mac, Windows, Linux, webDesktop app; mobile is an installed web page |
| Cashew | Free appOpen source (GPL-3.0) | Free; Pro $11.99 a yearOr $1.49 a month, $19.99 once (US App Store) | Multi-currencyOne currency per account; totals in the primary one | iPhone, iPad, Android, webThe web app has no Pro; no Mac app listed |
| Tavala | Free forever1 synced device, 2 currencies per space, 2 private spaces | Free; Plus $39.99 a yearor $6.99 a month on the web | Every currency in one space155 currencies and 96 cryptocurrencies; 2 per space on the free plan | iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, webA native Mac app; the web at app.tavala.io |
| Honeydue | Free | FreeOptional tips in the App Store | Not stated | iPhone, AndroidNo iPad, Mac or web stated |
| Splitwise | FreeUp to 4 expenses a day | Free; Pro paidPro prices are not on its site | 100+ currenciesKept apart; converting is Pro | iPhone, iPad, Android, web |
Free covers 10 regular and 10 more envelopes, one account, two devices and a year of history, shared by a household. Premium ($80 a year) removes the limits and adds US bank sync.
Where it falls short: One account and a year of history on the free plan; one currency.
The free version keeps a zero-based budget with unlimited categories, shared with a household, as long as you enter spending yourself. Bank connections are Premium ($79.99 a year).
Where it falls short: Premium is pushed hard, and currency support is not stated.
The software is free and open source with no limits. The desktop app and the browser-only version need no server; syncing between devices needs one you run, or rent from about $2 a month.
Where it falls short: Free is free of money, not of setup; one currency.
The app is free and open source, with data on your device, multi-currency with daily rates and sync through your own Google Drive. Pro ($11.99 a year) adds extras.
Where it falls short: No bank connections; sharing goes through Google.
Free covers unlimited wallets, entries, budgets, bills, debts, trips and the calculators, two currencies at a time in each space you own, two private spaces, all history, offline on every screen, and the full data export. As a guest it runs on any device with nothing sent; a free account syncs one device. Tavala Plus ($39.99 a year on the web) adds every device, every currency and sharing.
Where it falls short: Two currencies per space and one synced device on the free plan; sharing a space needs Plus or a Group pass.
Honeydue is free for couples who link their accounts and choose what to share, with bank connections in five countries, and asks only for optional tips.
Where it falls short: Built on bank links; no iPad, Mac or web stated.
Free covers groups of any size and 100 or more currencies, up to four expenses a day. It settles who owes whom; it is not a budget.
Where it falls short: Four expenses a day on the free plan.
Every free plan here limits one thing, and it is a different thing each time: Goodbudget limits envelopes and accounts, Tavala limits currencies per space and synced devices, Splitwise limits expenses a day, Actual limits nothing but asks you to run a server. Pick the app whose limit you will not hit: a single person in one currency rarely needs more than two currencies or one device; a household on two phones needs sharing; someone paid in two currencies needs two currencies from day one.
Several popular apps have no free plan, only a trial, and then a subscription: YNAB (34 days, then $109 a year), Monarch (7 days, then $99.99 a year), Copilot (one month, then $95 a year) and Lunch Money (30 days, then from $60 a year). Tavala has no trial: its free plan does not end, and it is the way to try Plus's features before paying.
We listed apps whose free plan does not expire and checked each plan's limits on the app's own pricing or sign-up page on 24 October 2026, in US prices. Apps whose only free option is a trial are named separately. Tavala publishes this page and is on it, with its own free plan's limits stated the same way.
There is no account to create and no card to enter. Pick your currency, add what you paid, and Home shows what is left.
