Rocket Money features: Price: $3-$12/month | Bill negotiation: Yes | Manage subscriptions: Yes | Syncing available: Yes

Rocket Money is the ultimate budget app since it really highlights ways you can save money in your monthly budget. The app manages all your subscriptions so you can easily see what subscriptions you can cancel. It notifies you when upcoming bills are due so you can plan ahead, and you can use the helpful spending tracker to see what areas of your life you can trim your spending accordingly.  

One of the coolest features of Rocket Money is bill negotiation. For a fee, the app can negotiate bills for you by finding hidden discounts or promo rates so you can get a lower monthly rate for whatever it is. 

While the app is free if you simply want to create a budget, Rocket Money’s Premium suite does come at a cost. Members can choose from a sliding scale between $3-$12 per month for premium features that include credit reports, custom categories, smart savings account, and more. Users can cancel premium memberships at any time. 

Mint features: Price: Free | Bill negotiation: Yes | Manage subscriptions: Yes | Syncing available: Yes

Mint is one of the most popular budgeting apps and for good reason. It is free to use, something (ironically) rare among the best budgeting apps, and you get financial budgeting shared by 24 million users. 

The app allows you to create a personalized budget and will then monitor your spending. It studies your spending habits and advises how to increase your savings. It will also check your subscriptions to ensure that you are not paying for services you do not need. With MintSights, you can set goals to reach financial milestones and build a stronger financial foundation. 

Once you connect your accounts, you can easily navigate between outstanding account balances, your monthly expenses versus spending, and even access your free credit score. Mint is compatible with not just banking accounts, but also your credit cards, loans, and investments. You can even file your IRS taxes and receive your refund through the app’s integrated TurboTax services.

Like Rocket Money, Mint also provides bill negotiation service called Billshark. If the feature is successful in saving you money, you’ll give the app a cut of your savings for up to 24 months.

Goodbudget features: Price: Free with ads or $8/month | Bill negotiation: No | Manage subscriptions: No | Syncing available: Yes

Goodbudget is a budgeting app that helps you create a budget you can stick to, even providing available debt tracking for extra motivation. It also helps with money management so you know exactly where your funds are and how they’re performing. It’s almost like a game. 

You will have to subscribe to Goodbudget, but once you do, you will have wide access to the app through both the web and multiple phones — making it easy to share your account with others in your financial network. This sharing capability can help in staying financially connected even when physically apart, possibly aiding in any miscommunications or budgeting mishaps.All transactions are synced to the cloud so you never have to worry about certain financial transactions going missing. 

Additionally, virtual tools like pie charts coupled with generated reports aid in spending tracking and show your finances in greater detail. Digital envelopes, each assigned to specific expenses, can also help you categorize your finances into available funds. 

Pocketguard features: Price: Free or $7.99/month or $34.99/year | Bill negotiation: Yes | Manage subscriptions: No | Syncing available: Yes

Utilizing smart algorithms to manage and track spending, PocketGuard takes a very modern approach to budgeting. The app also monitors your bills, helping to remind you ahead of missing payments before falling into (possibly even further) debt. True to its name, Pocketguard’s built-in anti-fraud feature helps to keep track, and alert, you to suspicious spending trends. 

With the “In my Pocket” feature, the app automatically calculates monthly expenses and then notifies you of any leftover funds. Working with BillShark, Pocketguard, can also help you negotiate better interest rates on your existing accounts, helping you save even further.

While you don’t have to pay to use PocketGuard, although you will need to subscribe if you want to access all of the best features. 

Also: How to save money when traveling abroad 

You Need a Budget features: Price: $14.99/month or $99/year | Bill negotiation: No | Manage subscriptions: No | Syncing available: Yes

You Need a Budget (YNAB) shares some pretty impressive results, advertising that new users saving an average of $600 in their first two months and $6,000 in their first year of using the app. It is equal parts personal finance resource, expense tracker, and budgeting tool. You can clearly see your debt versus your credit, so you can identify what accounts need attention and which ones are doing well. 

The app automatically syncs with your bank accounts, providing an overall financial portrait that compares all of your accounts. In addition to expense tracking, there is a loan calculator tool that helps you compare different loan options and interest rates. With Spending & Net Worth reports, you can set goals and track your progress, serving as an extra motivation to save money and reduce overall debt. 

Currently, you can try YNAB for free for 34 days, so you can give the service a test drive before you opt for a paid subscription.