How to choose a budget app that never connects to your bank

Many budget apps ask you to link your bank account so transactions flow in automatically. That is convenient, but it gives a third party ongoing access to your full financial history. An app where you enter spending yourself asks for nothing — and entering it yourself is also what makes you notice where the money goes.

The checks

1. Does it make you create an account?

An account means a copy of your identity — and usually your data — on someone else's server. Many apps ask for one only to sync or to market to you. If the app works fully without signing up, there is one less place your information can leak from.

2. Where are your entries stored?

Look for a plain statement that data stays on your device, and for what happens when it does not: which server, in which country, encrypted or not. "Stored securely in the cloud" still means stored by someone else.

3. Does it contain trackers or advertising code?

On Android you can look any app up on Exodus Privacy (reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org), which lists the analytics and advertising code inside it. Zero is the number to look for. Advertising code in an app that holds sensitive records is a red flag.

4. What does the privacy policy say about sharing?

Search it for "share", "partners", "advertising", "affiliates" and "sell". A trustworthy policy for a personal-records app is short, specific and has little to say under those words.

5. Can you get your data out — and does it disappear if you stop paying?

You should be able to export everything in a standard format such as CSV or PDF at any time. Some apps lock your history behind a subscription; a fair one never takes away what you already recorded.

6. Which permissions does it ask for?

A tracker for one kind of record has no reason to want your contacts, location or microphone. Every permission it does not need is a door that does not have to be open.

7. Is a bank connection really necessary?

No. Typing a purchase in takes seconds, and doing it is itself the habit that makes budgets work. A connection is a convenience you pay for with access to every transaction you make.

More guides

How to choose a period tracker that keeps your data private · How to choose a blood pressure app that keeps your readings private · How to choose a baby tracker that keeps your family's data private · What “local-first” means, and why it matters for your privacy