Select two software applications that can help you keep track of your family\s personal finances, then click done.

Mint

Information about Mint has been collected independently by CNBC and has not been reviewed or provided by Mint prior to publication.

• Cost

  Free

• Standout features

  Shows income, expenses, savings goals, credit score, investments, net worth

• Categorizes your expenses

  Yes, but users can modify

• Links to accounts

  Yes, bank and credit cards

• Availability

  Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)

• Security features

  Verisign scanning, multi-factor authentication and Touch ID mobile access

Pros

• Free to use
• Syncs to your bank accounts and credit cards
• Users can create savings goals, track investments
• Customized alerts when over budget, for large transactions, ATM fees, etc.
• Bill payment reminders
• Credit monitoring service
• Offers blog and education tools, such as a loan repayment calculator
• Security features include Verisign scanning, multi-factor authentication and Touch ID mobile access

Cons

• Some user reviews complain of ads, glitches in app, expenses assigned to wrong category

Goodbudget

Information about Goodbudget has been collected independently by CNBC and has not been reviewed or provided by Goodbudget prior to publication.

• Cost

  Get 20 envelopes for free; for unlimited envelopes, you need to upgrade to Goodbudget Plus, which is $7 per month or $60 per year

• Standout features

  Allows users to plan their household's spending using the "envelope method," where they allocate a certain amount of their income into categories like groceries, rent and debt payoff. Users are only supposed spend what's in their envelopes and if they go beyond their budget the envelope will show red to indicate that they overspent

• Categorizes your expenses

  Yes, but users can customize

• Links to accounts

  No, users manually create "envelopes" and input their transactions

• Availability

  Has a web-based version, and also offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)

• Security features

  256-bit bank grade encryption in a secure data center

Pros

• Free to use for creating 20 envelopes, one account user on up to two devices, one year of transaction history, debt tracking and community support
• Envelope feature allows user to visualize their spending and prioritize meeting different goals
• Users can customize the envelope categories according to their needs, such as saving for an emergency fund or a vacation
• Requiring manual entry of data helps users to really analyze their spending habits versus it being automated (users can also download their recent activity from their bank’s website and import that into Goodbudget)
• App provides real-time updates of how your transactions impact your budget and personalized reports
• App offers educational resources like a blog, a podcast and online courses people can take
• App plans to launch a pandemic-inspired feature allowing people to prioritize “envelopes” based on their most urgent expenses, such as housing, utility bills, etc.
• Security features include 256-bit bank grade encryption in a secure data center

Cons

• Costs $7 per month or $60 per year for unlimited envelopes with Goodbudget Plus, unlimited account users on up to five devices, seven years of transaction history, debt tracking and email support
• Doesn't sync to your bank accounts or credit cards, which can be a downside for people who want automation
• Requires that users use the “envelope method” to track their spending
• Some user reviews report experiencing technical issues with the app

You Need a Budget (YNAB)

Information about You Need a Budget (YNAB) has been collected independently by CNBC and has not been reviewed or provided by YNAB prior to publication.

• Cost

  34-day free trial then $84 per year or $11.99 per month (students who provide proof of enrollment get 12 months free)

• Standout features

  Instead of using traditional budgeting buckets, users allocate every dollar they earn to something (known as the "zero-based budgeting system" where no dollar is unaccounted for). Every dollar is assigned a "job," whether it's to go toward bills, savings, investments, etc.

• Categorizes your expenses

  No

• Links to accounts

  Yes, bank and credit cards

• Availability

  Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)

• Security features

  Encrypted data, accredited data centers, third-party audits and more

Pros

• Offers a 34-day free trial, and students get 12 months free
• Designed to help you get out of debt
• YNAB website claims average user saves $600 in their first two months and more than $6,000 in their first year
• Syncs to your bank accounts and credit cards
• Users can set goals, customize spending categories
• Offers educational resources, such as budgeting advice and 100+ free workshops offered every week
• Personal customer support
• Security features include encrypted data, accredited data centers, third-party audits and more

Cons

• Costs $84 per year or $11.99 per month
• Customer reviews note that it takes longer to set up than other apps

QuickBooks Online

• Cost

  30-day free trial then plan options include: Simple Start for $12.50 per month, Essentials for $20 per month, Plus for $35 per month and Advanced for $75 per month

• Standout features

  Tracks your business expenses as they happen, as well as your income. Users can use app to do invoicing, accept payments, manage their cash flow, maximize tax deductions, track travel miles, run reports, send estimates, manage bills and 1099 contractors, plus pay employees

• Categorizes your expenses

  Yes

• Links to accounts

  Yes, bank and credit cards, plus third-party apps like PayPal and Square

• Availability

  Accessible from any web browser and also offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)

• Security features

  Verisign scanning, password-protected login, firewall protected servers and the same encryption technology (128 bit SSL) used by the world's top banks. QuickBooks also offers multiple permission levels that you can set for additional users' access

Pros

• Offers a 30-day free trial
• Syncs to your bank accounts, credit cards and third-party apps like PayPal and Square
• Offers real-time dashboards so you can stay updated on all financial transactions related to your business
• The most basic "Simple Start" plan tracks income, sales and expenses, organizes receipts, creates invoices, helps you prepare your taxes, categorizes your business and personal trips, offers a QuickBooks Cash account, runs reports like P&Ls and balance sheets and includes 1 user
• "Essentials" plan, in addition to the above, helps you pay your bills, clock employee time and billable hours and includes up to 3 users
• "Plus" plan, in addition to the above, lets you oversees projects, track inventory and includes up to 5 users
• "Advanced" plan, in addition to the above, provides business analytics and insights, speeds up transactions, gives users access to VIP service QuickBooks Priority Circle that includes a dedicated account team and free online QuickBooks training, includes up to 25 users
• QuickBooks offers a fourth "Self-Employed" plan for freelancers at a low $7.50 per month
• All QuickBooks users get fast, customized setup of their QuickBooks with a certified bookkeeper for an additional $50 one-time live virtual session
• Full-service payroll plans start at $22.50 per month
• Security features include Verisign scanning, encryption technology (128 bit SSL) used by the world's top banks and customized access for other users

Cons

• Costs range from $12.50 per month to $75 per month, depending on the plan
• Some user reviews complain of glitches in app and a not so user-friendly interface

Expensify

On Expensify's secure site

• Cost

  Free for up to 25 SmartScans of receipts per month. For unlimited SmartScans, pricing is as follows: six-week free trial then for employees, individual pricing is $4.99 per month. For companies, group pricing starts at $5 per user, per month

• Standout features

  Individuals can track receipts and submit expenses to their employer. Users scan their receipts and the app will automatically read the receipt then translate it into a logged expense. Also offers mileage and GPS tracking and automatic credit card importing

• Categorizes your expenses

  Yes, but users can customize

• Links to accounts

  Yes, bank and personal/company credit cards

• Availability

  Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)

• Security features

  Two-factor authentication so users input a generated code when logging in; banking data is protected by world-class security standards and compliant with Privacy Shield and GDPR requirements

Pros

• Free to use for up to 25 SmartScans per month
• Offers a six-week free trial for unlimited SmartScans
• Designed to help you get your expenses done quickly while on the go and in real time
• Expensify website claims expense reports with Expensify take 83% less time
• One-click receipt scanning and SmartScan automatically transcribes receipt details with the date, merchant and amount
• Receipts are automatically coded and categorized once user takes photo and assigns to a report or emails their receipts to 
• Users can split their expenses by using the ExpensePoint feature to split the cost
• Allows users to track their mileage by manual entry, odometer readings or by using the GPS
• Web dashboard shows spending by different categories and uses time references
• Automatically generates and submits expense reports for automatic next-day reimbursement
• Users can share or print documents/expense reports from the app for review
• Syncs to your bank accounts and credit cards
• Lets users send and receive money via Venmo
• Connects to apps like Uber, Lyft and HotelTonight for automatic receipt import and transcription
• Security features include two-factor authentication, world-class security standards and Privacy Shield / GDPR compliance
• With a group plan, employers can integrate with their accounting software, including QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite and others
• Two plans offered for individuals: "Track" is $4.99 per month, with unlimited SmartScans, automatic mileage tracking and categorizing expenses; "Submit" is $4.99 per month and, in addition to the above, automatically submits reports for reimbursement, submits receipts
• Two plans offered for groups: "Collect" is $5 per user, per month and, in addition to the above, automates receipt collection and reimbursement, auto-syncs to accounting software and offers free Expensify card with auto-reconciliation; "Control" is $9 per user, per month and, in addition to the above, manages approval workflows

Cons

• Costs $4.99 per month for individuals and starts at $5 per user, per month for groups
• Some user reviews report that the interface isn't intuitive