Free vs Paid

Free Budget App

Discover what you can do with a free budget app and when it's worth upgrading to paid.

Free budget app: what you need to know

Most budget management apps offer a free version with basic features: manual expense entry, categorization, and basic visualization.

To unlock advanced features (automatic bank connection, AI, budget envelopes), a subscription or payment is generally required.

What you can do for free

βœ…

Manual entry

Enter your expenses and income manually in the app.

βœ…

Basic categorization

Organize your expenses by categories (groceries, leisure, etc.).

βœ…

Simple charts

Visualize your expenses with basic charts.

βœ…

Savings goals

Set savings goals and track your progress.

What typically requires a subscription

πŸ’³

Automatic bank connection

Automatic synchronization with your bank accounts.

Trya price: €5.99/month or €99 lifetime

πŸ€–

AI and automatic budgeting

Artificial intelligence that creates your budget automatically.

Only on Trya Premium

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Budget envelopes

Envelope-based management with overspending alerts.

Only on Trya Premium

πŸ””

Smart alerts

Real-time notifications about your budget overruns.

Premium feature

Our recommendation: Trya

Trya offers the best free/paid strategy on the market:

πŸ†“ Free version

  • β€’ Manual expense entry
  • β€’ Automatic categorization
  • β€’ Charts and statistics
  • β€’ Savings goals
  • β€’ Data export

⭐ Premium version

  • β€’ Connection to 350+ banks
  • β€’ AI automatic budgeting
  • β€’ Budget envelopes
  • β€’ Real-time alerts
  • β€’ €99 ONE-TIME PAYMENT

πŸ’‘ Why Trya's one-time payment is great

Instead of paying €5/month indefinitely (= €180 over 3 years), you pay €99 once for lifetime access.

Traditional subscription
€5/month Γ— 36 months = €180
Trya
One-time payment = €99

100% free alternatives (and their limitations)

πŸ“Š Excel / Google Sheets

βœ“ Pros
  • β€’ 100% free
  • β€’ Infinitely customizable
  • β€’ Your data stays with you
βœ— Cons
  • β€’ 100% manual (time-consuming)
  • β€’ No bank connection
  • β€’ No AI or automation
  • β€’ Risk of data entry errors

πŸ“± Native banking apps

βœ“ Pros
  • β€’ Free with your bank
  • β€’ Automatic synchronization
  • β€’ Basic categorization
βœ— Cons
  • β€’ Limited to your bank
  • β€’ No multi-account overview
  • β€’ Limited features
  • β€’ No budget envelopes

Frequently asked questions

Are there fully free and complete budget apps?

No, truly complete apps (with bank connection, AI, envelopes) always require a subscription. Free versions are limited to manual entry.

Is it better to pay a monthly subscription or a one-time payment?

The one-time payment is much more advantageous. Over 3 years: Trya (€99 lifetime) vs traditional subscription (β‰ˆβ‚¬180).

Can I start for free and then upgrade to paid?

Yes! With Trya, you can start for free and upgrade to Premium whenever you want to unlock AI and bank connection.

Get started for free with Trya

Download Trya for free and upgrade to Premium whenever you want AI and bank connection.

Free Budget App 2025: Which One to Choose? | Trya | Trya