What I actually use

The most effective budgeting system I've used. It changed how I think about money — every dollar gets a job. The learning curve is real, but once it clicks, nothing else compares.

Best for: People who want an active budgeting system, not just a spending tracker.

Beautiful iOS app with the smartest AI categorization I've seen. Gets transactions right about 90% of the time and learns quickly from corrections. Great for tracking without the intensity of zero-based budgeting.

Best for: iPhone users who want automated, premium tracking.

AI chatbot that connects to your bank and talks to you about your money. Sounds gimmicky, but it's surprisingly good at surfacing spending patterns. The 'roast me' feature is both funny and oddly motivating.

Best for: People in their 20s and 30s who want something lightweight and engaging.

Found three subscriptions I'd forgotten about in my first month — $47/month I was wasting. The bill negotiation feature saved me another $30/month on internet. Premium costs $4–12/month (you pick your price).

Best for: Anyone who suspects they're leaking money on forgotten subscriptions.

Where I started investing. No account minimum, solid interface, automatic rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting. The easiest on-ramp I found for hands-off investing.

Best for: Beginners who want to start investing without picking stocks. 0.25% annual fee.

Similar to Betterment with a few extra features, including a free financial planning tool. $500 minimum to start, which is higher but not unreasonable.

Best for: People with a bit more to invest who want extra planning features.

Rounds up your purchases and invests the spare change. It's completely passive — you don't even think about it. The fee percentage is high on small balances ($3–5/month), so it makes more sense as your balance grows.

Best for: People who want to invest without noticing. Great as a starter alongside a primary strategy.

Free credit monitoring and score tracking. I check mine monthly — not obsessively, but enough to catch anything weird. Also useful for understanding what factors affect your score.

Best for: Everyone, honestly. Free and takes two minutes to set up.

More detailed credit reporting than Credit Karma. The free tier gives you your FICO score (Credit Karma uses VantageScore, which is different). Worth having both for a complete picture.

Best for: People who want their actual FICO score and more detailed credit insights.

Listed above for budgeting, but Cleo's AI capabilities go beyond tracking. It can help you set savings goals, build credit (Cleo Builder), and get cash advances. The AI chat is genuinely useful for quick money questions.

Best for: People who want an AI financial assistant in their pocket.