Key takeaways
- Top pick: Cleo, best for: Budgeting and humorous financial coaching.
- Also near the top: Monarch Money and Empower.
- Free to start: Empower, Plum and Wισισ.
- How it was ranked: 10 AI tools compared. Each verdict is below.
Cleo is the top choice for budgeting and expense tracking, especially suited for younger users seeking a casual tone.
Monarch Money stands out as the best comprehensive dashboard for holistic wealth management, making it ideal for families and detailed long term financial planners.
Top 10 AI Financial-Planning Apps, compared| RANK | ENTRY | BEST FOR | SCORE | FROM |
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| 1 |  CleoCleo was founded in 2016 and communicates primarily via a chat interface with a notoriously cheeky AI persona. | Budgeting and humorous financial coaching | 95.0 | $5.99 per month |
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| 2 |  Monarch MoneyMonarch Money allows multiple partners to securely collaborate on a single financial account with distinct login credentials. | Holistic family wealth management | 92.7 | $14.99 per month |
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| 3 |  EmpowerFormerly known as Personal Capital, Empower manages billions of dollars in digital assets for clients globally. | Investment tracking and retirement forecasting | 90.3 | Free |
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| 4 |  PlumPlum originated in London and uses machine learning to automatically transfer small amounts of money into savings every few days. | Automated everyday micro-savings | 88.0 | Free |
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| 5 |  WισισWio is backed by major institutional investors in the Middle East to provide next generation banking. | Freelancer and small business cash flow | 85.7 | Free |
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| 6 |  PocketGuardPocketGuard connects directly to loan providers to help users find opportunities for debt consolidation. | Simplified daily spending limits | 83.3 | Free |
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| 7 |  CopilotCopilot relies heavily on machine learning algorithms to continuously improve its transaction categorisation accuracy. | Apple users seeking sleek UI design | 81.0 | $13.00 per month |
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| 8 |  YNABYNAB stands for You Need A Budget and was founded on the philosophy that every single dollar must be assigned a specific job. | Intentional zero-based budgeting | 78.7 | $99.00 per year |
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| 9 |  EveryDollarEveryDollar follows the traditional seven baby steps of financial peace taught by personal finance personality Dave Ramsey. | Dave Ramsey method followers | 76.3 | Free |
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| 10 |  FinaFina allows users to write custom AI prompts to categorise and query their own financial transactions. | Power users who want fully customisable financial dashboards | 74.0 | $10/month |
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How to choose
Start from what you need it for. Where each entry fits best:
- Cleo (#1): Budgeting and humorous financial coaching
- Monarch Money (#2): Holistic family wealth management
- Empower (#3): Investment tracking and retirement forecasting
- Plum (#4): Automated everyday micro-savings
- Wισισ (#5): Freelancer and small business cash flow
- PocketGuard (#6): Simplified daily spending limits
- Copilot (#7): Apple users seeking sleek UI design
- YNAB (#8): Intentional zero-based budgeting
- EveryDollar (#9): Dave Ramsey method followers
- Fina (#10): Power users who want fully customisable financial dashboards
Each entry's full verdict is below.
The ranking, in detail
01
The AI assistant that roasts your spending
An AI-powered financial assistant that uses a humorous and direct personality to help users budget, save money, and monitor spending habits.
From $5.99 per month
PROS- Engaging and entertaining chat interface
- Effective overdraft alerts and spending breakdowns
CONS- Key features require a paid subscription
- The casual tone may not appeal to traditional investors
- Best for
- Budgeting and humorous financial coaching
- Where it falls short
- Key features require a paid subscription.
- Pick something else if
- you need all features without paying extra.
95.0
02
Modern household finance and budgeting
A comprehensive collaborative financial management platform designed to track accounts, budgets, and investments in one customisable dashboard.
From $14.99 per month
PROS- Ad-free experience with robust multi-user collaboration
- Extensive customisation for categories and dashboards
CONS- Higher subscription price than basic budgeting apps
- No free tier available beyond the trial period
- Best for
- Holistic family wealth management
- Where it falls short
- It lacks a free tier beyond the trial period.
- Pick something else if
- you need a permanently free budgeting tool.
92.7
03
Wealth management and financial tools
A digital wealth management firm providing automated portfolio analysis, retirement planning tools, and optional human financial advisors.
Free
PROS- Advanced free investment analysis tools
- Clear retirement planner calculator
CONS- Aggressive sales calls for wealth management services
- Focuses heavily on high net worth individuals for advisory
- Best for
- Investment tracking and retirement forecasting
- Where it falls short
- It focuses heavily on high net worth individuals for advisory services.
- Pick something else if
- you are not a high net worth individual.
90.3
04
Grow your wealth automatically
An intelligent money app that automates saving, budgeting, and investing using smart algorithms to calculate what you can afford to put aside.
Free
PROS- Excellent automated savings rules
- Integrated investing options for stocks and funds
CONS- Advanced automation features require a paid tier
- Limited desktop functionality compared to the mobile app
- Best for
- Automated everyday micro-savings
- Where it falls short
- Advanced automation features require a paid tier.
- Pick something else if
- you need its advanced features on a tight budget.
88.0
05
Next generation digital banking
An integrated digital banking platform featuring AI-driven financial insights to help freelancers and SMEs manage cash flow.
Free
PROS- Tailored automated expense categorisation for business
- Clear real-time cash flow forecasting
CONS- Geographically restricted availability
- Primarily designed for business rather than personal use
- Best for
- Freelancer and small business cash flow
- Where it falls short
- Geographically restricted availability.
85.7
06
Take control of your personal finances
A personal finance app that calculates your 'In My Pocket' amount after bills, savings, and essentials are accounted for.
Free
PROS- Straightforward disposable income calculation
- Bill negotiation feature to lower recurring monthly costs
CONS- Some core features are locked behind the Plus subscription
- Occasional bank synchronisation delays
- Best for
- Simplified daily spending limits
- Where it falls short
- Some core features are locked behind the Plus subscription.
- Pick something else if
- you need all features without a paid upgrade.
83.3
07
Your smart financial companion
A beautifully designed, highly customisable personal finance tracker built specifically for Apple ecosystem users.
From $13.00 per month
PROS- Stunning user interface and native Mac app
- Smart categorisation that learns from user edits
CONS- Limited to Apple devices with no web version
- Requires a paid subscription after the trial
- Best for
- Apple users seeking sleek UI design
- Where it falls short
- It is limited to Apple devices with no web version.
- Pick something else if
- you need a web version or use non-Apple devices.
81.0
08
Gain total control of your money
A zero-based budgeting application based on four strict rules designed to help users break the paycheck to paycheck cycle.
From $99.00 per year
PROS- Transformative methodology for managing debt and saving
- Extensive educational resources and live workshops
CONS- Steep learning curve for new users
- Higher upfront annual cost than competitors
- Best for
- Intentional zero-based budgeting
- Where it falls short
- Steep learning curve for new users.
- Pick something else if
- you need lower upfront costs or simpler onboarding.
78.7
09
Create a budget that works
A straightforward budgeting tool created by Ramsey Solutions that guides users through building a monthly zero-based budget.
Free
PROS- Very easy and fast to set up a monthly budget
- Clean and uncluttered user interface
CONS- Automatic bank syncing requires the paid premium tier
- Limited investment tracking capabilities
- Best for
- Dave Ramsey method followers
- Where it falls short
- Automatic bank syncing requires the paid premium tier.
- Pick something else if
- you need automatic bank syncing without paying extra.
76.3
10
A flexible financial tracking and planning platform that uses AI to let users build custom workflows, dashboards, and categorisation rules.
From $10/month
PROS- Highly customisable interface and data views
- AI assistant helps build personalised financial queries
CONS- Steeper learning curve compared to traditional budgeting apps
- Best for
- Power users who want fully customisable financial dashboards
- Where it falls short
- Steeper learning curve compared to traditional budgeting apps.
74.0
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Frequently asked questions
Are AI financial planning apps safe to use?
Yes, reputable financial apps use bank-level encryption, read-only access tokens, and security measures like two-factor authentication to protect user data.
Do AI budgeting apps replace human financial advisors?
They are designed to automate day-to-day budgeting, tracking, and basic investing, but complex estate planning or high net worth management still benefits from human advisors.
How do AI finance apps make money if they offer free versions?
Most apps operate on a subscription model for premium features, while others earn revenue through referral fees when users sign up for recommended financial products.
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