Budget without linking your bank account
Tavala never asks for a bank login. You type what you paid in one line, or catch up a few days with one rough figure, and everything else (budgets, bills, debts, net worth, reports) works from those entries. A bank connection exists as an optional add-on for banks in the United States and Canada; nothing in the app requires it.
Typing is the main way in, not the fallback
The capture bar reads one line in six languages and any currency, so an entry takes a couple of seconds. It was built for people who track by hand, not as an apology for a missing bank feed.
When the balance does not match
Update balance on a wallet shows the difference, and for a spending wallet offers It's spending I didn't log, which opens the form with the difference filled in. No guessing, no hidden adjustment.
The feed is one line a purchase
What a bank would have sent, you type in a couple of seconds, in any currency. Each entry lands in the right wallet, budget and report the moment you save it.
Missed a few days
about 150 last 3 days saves one estimated entry dated today, tagged so you can see later what it covers. A week without entries becomes one honest line, not a reason to stop.
A bank, only if you want one
For banks in the United States and Canada, a read-only connection through Plaid can bring transactions in. It is an add-on to Tavala Plus, charged per bank, and switching it off keeps every entry it brought.
Why people refuse to link a bank
Linking a bank means giving a third party a live view of every transaction, and for many banks it still means typing your bank login into the aggregator's window rather than your bank's. Some people refuse on principle, some because their bank is not covered, some because the connection breaks every few weeks and the budget breaks with it. They end up in spreadsheets, or in self-hosted tools that need a server.
Tavala is built for exactly them: a polished app with no account and no bank to start, data on the device, and a capture bar fast enough that typing is not a chore. It does not treat manual entry as the poor relation of a bank feed.
What you give up, honestly
Transactions do not arrive on their own. You type them, or catch up with one rough line, and a balance can drift until you correct it. There is no import of bank statements from CSV yet; Tavala imports debt lists and loan schedules from CSV, not transactions. For some people that is the whole point: typing an expense is the moment you notice it.
If you later want a feed, a read-only connection through Plaid is an add-on to Tavala Plus for banks in the United States and Canada, charged per bank. It never becomes required, and switching it off keeps every entry it brought.
Is Plaid safe?
Plaid is the connection most US apps use; Tavala uses it too, for the add-on. With Plaid you sign in through Plaid's window, on your bank's own page where the bank supports it, Tavala never sees the password, the connection is read-only, and you can remove it from the app at any time. It is still a third party with access to your transactions while connected, which is the trade every bank-linked budget makes. Tavala's position is that you should be able to budget well without making it.
What Tavala has, with and without a bank
Three ways to use Tavala, and what each one puts in Tavala's hands.
| Guest, no bank | Account, no bank | Account with a bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your bank password | Never | Never | NeverYou sign in through Plaid's window |
| Your entries | NoOn your device only | YesSynced through Ireland | YesSynced through Ireland |
| Transactions from your bank | No | No | YesRead-only, up to 730 days back |
| Ability to move money | No | No | NoThe connection is read-only |
Budget apps that work without a bank
Whether each app works with no bank connection, and what it costs.
| What | Tavala | Goodbudget | Actual Budget | YNAB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank connections | Optional add-onBanks in the United States and Canada, through Plaid, $3.99 a month per bank | Premium onlyUS banks only, through Plaid | Optional, set up yourselfNeeds your server; SimpleFIN ($15 a year) or Enable Banking | IncludedSelect banks in the US, Canada and 18 European countries, UK included |
| Start without an account | YesAn account adds backup and sync | NoA household sign-up | YesThe desktop app needs no server | NoSign up for the trial |
| Works offline | Every screenChanges sync when you are back online | Not documented"available wherever you have internet access" | Yes"works regardless of your network connection" | Advertised"even offline!" on its features page |
| Price | Free; Plus $39.99 a yearor $6.99 a month on the web | $80 a yearor $10 a month on the web (Premium) | Free softwareHosting from $2 a month (PikaPods) | $109 a yearor $14.99 a month; 34-day trial |
Questions about budgeting without a bank
- Can I import a CSV bank statement instead?
- Not yet. Tavala imports debt lists and loan schedules from CSV, but not bank statements. Entries are typed, or come from a connected bank in the United States or Canada.
- What do I give up without a bank connection?
- Transactions do not arrive on their own, so you type them, and a balance can drift until you update it. Everything else, budgets, bills, safe to spend, debt payoff, net worth and reports, works the same.
- Is Tavala safe if I never connect a bank?
- Without a bank connection Tavala has no bank credentials, no account numbers and no access to your bank of any kind. Without an account it does not have your records either: they stay on your device.
- Will Tavala ever require a bank connection?
- No. Manual capture is the main way Tavala is used, everywhere, and the bank connection is an optional add-on.
Go further
- Expense trackerEverything the capture bar reads, in one place.
- Offline-firstNo account, no connection, every screen.
- Bank syncThe optional add-on, for banks in the US and Canada.
- Tracking cash spendingMoney no bank feed will ever see.
- Update a balance that does not matchOpen the wallet, tap Update balance and type the amount you can see. Tavala adds one dated correction for the difference, and you can undo it.
- Log a rough amount or catch up after a few daysPut ~ before an amount to mark it as an estimate, or type "~150 last 3 days" to log a stretch you forgot as one rough entry dated today.
Also in Tavala
- Ask Tavala AI AgentQuestions answered from your ledger, and changes you confirm.
- Multi-currencyThe rate from the day you paid, kept on every entry.
- Offline-first and privateEvery screen works with no connection and no account.
- Shared spacesOne ledger for up to six people, each on their own phone.
- Budgets, bills and forecastWhat is left, and what is safe to spend before pay day.
- Debt payoffSnowball or avalanche, and the month you are debt-free.
- Bank sync (US and Canada)Read-only import from US and Canadian banks, through Plaid.
- Trips and projectsA trip or a project kept apart from everyday spending.
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.