• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Good Financial Cents®
Content is based on in-depth research & analysis. Opinions are our own. We may earn a commission when you click or make a purchase from links on our site. Learn more.
  • Make Money
    • Get Money Now
      • Ultimate Guide to Making Money
      • Need Money Now
      • Get Free Money Fast
      • Make Money Fast
      • Make $1K Per Month
      • Make $100 Per Day
    • Control Your Destiny
      • Self Employed Jobs
      • Make Money from Home
      • Hobbies That Make Money
      • How to Become a Freelance Writer
      • Small Business Ideas to Start
      • How to Become an Independent Contractor
      • Best Online Jobs
    • Passive Income
      • Passive Income Ideas
      • Multiple Streams of Income
      • Extra Income
      • Residual Income Ideas
      • Learn to Sell e-Books
      • Make Money on Facebook
      • Make Money on Tiktok
      • Best Online Survey Sites to Make Money
    • Explore More
      • Best Side Hustle Ideas
      • Make Money for Teens
      • Best Online Colleges
      • Best Jobs No College Degree
      • Become a Millionaire
      • Careers for the Future
  • Manage Money
    • Best Of
      • Budgeting Tools
      • Personal Finance Software
      • Best Cashback Cards
    • Company Reviews
      • Personal Capital vs Mint
      • Personal Capital Review
      • SmartAsset Review
    • Guides
      • Buy or Lease a Car
      • What is Liquid Net Worth?
      • Setting Financial Goals
      • How to Budget
      • Ways to Save Money
    • Explore More
      • How Much Car Can I Afford?
      • Best Auto Refinance Companies
  • Invest
    • Best Of
      • Best Short and Long-Term Investments
      • Best Low Risk Investments
      • Best Online Stock Brokers
      • Best Crypto Exchanges
      • Best Short Term Investments
      • Best Long Term Investments
      • Best Trading Platforms
      • Best Investment Apps
    • Company Reviews
      • Lending Club
      • Robinhood
      • M1 Finance
      • Ally
      • TD Ameritrade
      • Fundrise
      • Betterment
      • Etrade
      • Wealthfront
    • Guides
      • Investing for Beginners
      • Investing Small Amounts of Money
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • No Money Down Real Estate
      • Bonds vs Stocks
      • Peer to Peer Lending
      • Best Hedges Against Inflation
      • Safe Bitcoin Investing in 2023
    • Explore More
      • Bitcoin vs. Real Estate
      • Betterment vs Wealthfront
      • Investing for College Students
      • Stock Market Alternatives
    • By Investment Amount
      • How to Invest $100
      • How to Invest $1K
      • How to Invest $2k-$3k
      • How to Invest $5K
      • How to Invest $10K
      • How to Invest $15k
      • How to Invest $20K
      • How to Invest $30k
      • How to Invest $50K
      • How to Invest $100K
      • How to Invest $200K
      • How to Invest $500K
      • How to Invest $1M
  • Taxes
    • Best Of
      • Best Tax Relief Companies
      • Best Tax Software
    • Guides
      • Federal Income Tax Guide 2023
      • Taxes and Cryptocurrency
      • How to Do Your Own Taxes
      • How to Invest Your Tax Refund
      • Hiring a Professional Tax Preparer
      • Tax Tips for Freelancers
    • Company Reviews
      • TurboTax Review
      • H&R Block Review
      • Taxslayer
      • Tax Act
  • Insurance
    • Best Of
      • Best Life Insurance
      • Best Home Insurance
      • Best Auto Insurance
      • Cheap Term Life Insurance
      • Car Insurance For Young Adults
    • Guides
      • Term vs Whole Life
      • Different Types of Car Insurance
      • Average Cost of Car Insurance
    • Explore More
      • Life Insurance Over 50
      • Life Insurance Over 80
      • $1 Million Life Insurance
      • $2 Million Life Insurance
      • $3 Million Life Insurance
    • Company Reviews
      • Banner Life Insurance
      • Ladder Life Insurance
      • Health IQ
      • Haven Life
      • Policygenius
      • State Farm Auto Insurance Review
  • Retirement
    • Roth IRA
      • Best Places to Open a Roth IRA
      • Best Investments for Roth IRA
      • 7 Roth IRA Secrets
      • Roth IRA Conversion Guide
      • Roth IRA Rules
      • Roth IRA vs Roth 401k
      • Are Roth IRA Contributions Tax Deductible?
    • 401(k)
      • 401(k) Limits
      • 401(k) to Roth Rollover
      • Is 401(k) Enough for Retirement?
      • Maxed Out 401(k): What's next?
    • Traditional IRA
      • Traditional IRA Rules and Limits
      • Traditional IRA vs. 401(k)
      • Simple IRA Rules
      • SEP IRA Rules
      • How Much Do You Need to Start an IRA?
    • Explore More
      • SEP IRA vs. Roth IRA
      • 457 Plan for Successful Retirement
      • 401a Rollover Rules
      • How to Retire at 50
      • How to Retire at 55
  • Banking
    • Best Of
      • Best National Banks
      • Best High-Yield Savings Accounts
      • Best Checking Accounts
      • Best Savings Accounts
      • Best CD Rates
      • Best Money Market Accounts
    • Company Reviews
      • BBVA
      • Synchrony
      • Wells Fargo
    • Explore More
      • 9 Banking Alternatives for 2023
      • What is a Credit Union?
  • Home
    • Best Of
      • Best Mortgage Lenders
      • Best Mortgage Refinance Companies
      • Best Home Warranties
      • Best Homeowners Insurance
      • Best VA Loans
      • Best Mortgage Rates
      • Best Moving Companies
      • Best Home Security
    • Guides
      • Home Buying Checklist
      • Online Home Appraisal
      • How Much House Can I Afford?
      • First-time Homebuyer Programs
      • How to Get Approved for a Home Loan
      • Save Money When Building a House
      • How to Save for a Downpayment
      • When to Refinance Your Mortgage
    • Explore More
      • 15 vs. 30-year Mortgage
      • Home Warranty vs. Home Insurance
      • Veterans United Home Loan Review
      • Quicken Loans Review
      • HELOC vs Second Mortgage
      • DCU Mortgage Review
      • Costco Mortgage Program Review
      • USAA Mortgage Loan Review
  • Credit
    • Best Of
      • Best Credit Repair Companies
      • Best ID Theft Protection Services
      • Best Credit Report Options
      • Best Bad Credit Loans
    • Guides
      • How to Build Your Credit Score
      • How to Raise Your Credit Score in 5 Months
      • How to Dispute Your Credit Report
      • Hot to Remove Collections from Your Credit Reports
      • How Identity Theft Destroys Your Credit Score
    • Explore More
      • What is a Good Credit Score?
      • What is a Bad Credit Score?
  • Debt
    • Best Of
      • Best Debt Consolidation Loans
      • Best Personal Loans
      • Best Student Loans
      • Best Student Loan Refinance
    • Guides
      • What is Debt Consolidation?
      • How to Get Out of Debt
      • How to Get a Personal Loan Approved
      • How to Pay Off Student Loans Faster
      • Should I Consolidate My Debts?
      • Should I File for Bankruptcy?
    • Company Reviews
      • Credible
      • Sofi

The Best Apps to Save You Real Money

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b0d295f9857bcc5e3800911570a7fa20?s=100&d=mm&r=g
  • Written By:
    Holly Johnson

    Holly Johnson

    Holly Johnson is the founder of Club Thrifty, a personal finance and travel resource geared to families who want to...

    Read More
  • Edited By:
    Jeff Rose, CFP®
    Jeff Rose, CFP®

    Jeff Rose, CFP®

    Jeff Rose, CFP® is a Certified Financial Planner™, founder of Good Financial Cents, and author of the personal finance...

    Read More
  • Updated: March 9, 2023
  • 8 Min Read
  • Advertising Disclosure

    Advertising Disclosure

    GoodFinancialCents® has an advertising relationship with the companies included on this page. All of our content is based on objective analysis, and the opinions are our own. For more information, please check out our full disclaimer and complete list of partners.

Quality Verified THE GFC® PROMISE
shield check icon
Quality Verified

GoodFinancialCents® partners with outside experts to ensure we are providing accurate financial content.

These reviewers are industry leaders and professional writers who regularly contribute to reputable publications such as the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

Our expert reviewers review our articles and recommend changes to ensure we are upholding our high standards for accuracy and professionalism.

Our expert reviewers hold advanced degrees and certifications and have years of experience with personal finances, retirement planning and investments.

shield check icon
Why You Can Trust GoodFinancialCents®

GoodFinancialCents® partners with outside experts to ensure we are providing accurate financial content.

These reviewers are industry leaders and professional writers who regularly contribute to reputable publications such as the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

Our expert reviewers review our articles and recommend changes to ensure we are upholding our high standards for accuracy and professionalism.

Our expert reviewers hold advanced degrees and certifications and have years of experience with personal finances, retirement planning and investments.

Saving money has never been easy, and some would say modern technology has made it even harder. Where consumers once had to go out of their way to buy clothing and household supplies, or even splurge for something fun, technology has made it so you can shop on your phone and have anything you want delivered to your doorstep. And then you have subscription services, which get you to pay a monthly fee in exchange for a box of “stuff” you may not even need.  

But technology can also be used for good, and that’s especially true when it comes to our finances. With money saving apps, for example, you can set up your finances in a way that helps you save small sums of money that are set aside and even invested on your behalf.

Don’t get money saving apps confused with budgeting apps. Where budgeting apps like You Need a Budget (YNAB.com) and Qube Money help you manage your finances and create a spending plan, money saving apps actually help you save more money each month, although often in different ways.

We profiled the top money saving apps to find the best options that are made to work for the broadest range of consumers. Acorns came out on top in our ranking due to its ease of use and the fact it makes saving and investing money seamless. However, the additional apps that made our ranking are worth considering if you want to boost your savings goals this year. 

Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.AdAds by Money disclaimer
Robo-Advisors move with the market to ensure your investments.
Robo-advisors offer easy account setup, robust goal planning, account services, and portfolio management all at a reasonable price - start investing today by clicking on your state.
HawaiiAlaskaFloridaSouth CarolinaGeorgiaAlabamaNorth CarolinaTennesseeRIRhode IslandCTConnecticutMAMassachusettsMaineNHNew HampshireVTVermontNew YorkNJNew JerseyDEDelawareMDMarylandWest VirginiaOhioMichiganArizonaNevadaUtahColoradoNew MexicoSouth DakotaIowaIndianaIllinoisMinnesotaWisconsinMissouriLouisianaVirginiaDCWashington DCIdahoCaliforniaNorth DakotaWashingtonOregonMontanaWyomingNebraskaKansasOklahomaPennsylvaniaKentuckyMississippiArkansasTexas
Start Investing Today

The Most Important Factors for Money Saving Apps

  • Cost: You should never pay an arm and a leg for an app that is supposed to help you save money. For the purpose of this ranking, we looked for money saving apps that charge small, manageable monthly fees.
  • Growth Potential: When you’re saving money each month, you want that money to grow. Consider money saving apps that make it possible to invest your savings or grow it over time with a generous promised return.
  • Flexibility: Consumers should look for apps that can be tailored to their needs, or at least ones that let them set up their preferences. Mobile apps that aim to help you save should make it easy to set specific savings goals or even separate savings “buckets.”
  • Safety: Before you sign up for a money saving app, check for security features like encryption and multi-factor authentication. 

The Best Money Saving Apps

The top money saving apps have something for everyone without charging exorbitant fees. We compared more than 10 mobile apps that were created to help consumers save money to come up with our list of favorites. If you’re hoping to boost your savings this year and think technology might help, this is the perfect place to start your search:

  • Best for Investing
Learn More
  • Best for High-Yield Savings
Learn More
  • Best for Setting Goals
Learn More
  • Best Savings Bonus
Learn More
  • Best for Automation
Learn More

Before you choose a mobile app that is geared to help you boost your savings, you should understand how it will work as well as the long-term costs. Our app reviews can help you decide which money saving app makes the most sense for your goals and your budget. 

Acorns: Best for Investing

What We Love About Acorns: Acorns earned the top spot in our ranking for a few reasons. First, this app lets you invest using your spare change, which makes it easy to save small sums of money you may not even notice. Second, all three plans you can sign up for — Lite, Personal, and Family — include an investing component that makes it easy to grow the money you set aside, and even save for retirement.

The “Personal” version of Acorns is the most robust version for individuals. This plan includes all-in-one investment assistance, help with retirement, a checking component, a metal debit card and more. You can also save money with no account fees and reimbursed ATM fees, and you can earn more with up to 10% in bonus investments. 

Further, this app gives you the chance to invest automatically with built-in retirement options, and you can tailor your plan to your retirement and investing goals. Generally speaking, an Acorns portfolio is typically made up of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) ranging from conservative to aggressive. 

What Holds it Back: The stock market doesn’t guarantee positive returns — especially in the short-term. In other words, you could wind up losing money if you only invest for a short amount of time. 

Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Play

Cost: $1 per month for a Lite plan, $3 per month for a Personal plan, and $5 per month for a Family plan

Get Started With Acorns

Simple: Best for High-Yield Savings

What We Love About Simple: Simple is a mobile app that offers savings tools that work in conjunction with a free checking account and a special debit card. This app lets you set up notifications that inform you each time a transaction is made, and you can use it to set financial goals, manage your expenses, and set aside “Safe to Spend” funds for whatever you want.

Simple also lets you round up your debit transactions to the nearest dollar then transfer the difference into a high-yield Protected Goals subaccount with a 1.00% APY. 

One major benefit of Simple is the fact that it’s normally free to use. Fees you may have to pay include $5 for paper checks, out-of-network ATM fees, and foreign transaction fees if you use your debit card abroad. 

What Holds it Back: Simple doesn’t offer the same robust investing options as Acorns and some other apps that made our ranking.

Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars on Google Play

Cost: Using the app to manage your money is free

Get Started With Simple

Qapital: Best for Setting Goals

What We Love About Qapital: Qapital is another money saving app you can use to reach your savings goals and invest for the future. This app lets you automate your savings and round your purchases up to the next dollar. You’ll receive a debit card that is free to use for purchases and transfers, but you’ll have to pay a fee to use an ATM. You can use the app to create separate savings buckets for various goals, and you can even set up your own spending rules. 

Qapital also has its own pre-built portfolios that can make investing easy. All you need to do is choose an investing timeline (such as how many years you have until retirement) and the app will automatically choose a portfolio that is diverse and tailored to the amount of time you have to keep your money invested. 

What Holds it Back: Qapital is considerably more expensive than many other apps that are geared to helping you save money. The savings account component also comes with an unimpressive APY. 

Reviews: 4.1 out of 5 stars on Google Play

Cost: A Basic plan is $3 per month, a Complete plan is $6 per month, and a Master Plan is $12 per month

Get Started With Qapital

Digit: Best Savings Bonus

What We Love About Digit: Digit is another app that was created to help you save money automatically. According to the app creators, Digit “analyzes your spending and automatically saves the perfect amount every day, so you don’t have to think about it.” The money you save is then transferred to a Digit savings account. You can also set up separate savings buckets, which can be geared to specific goals you have like a vacation fund, a debt payoff fund, college savings, or something else. 

We also like the fact that Digit offers a .5% annual savings bonus that is paid out every three months. This bonus helps incentivize users to save even more over time. Finally, don’t forget that Digit offers a 30-day free trial, which makes it easy to try it out before you make a commitment. 

What Holds it Back: Digit is not really geared to consumers who want to invest for the long-term. This is a true money saving app that is focused on helping you save money instead.

Reviews: 4.6 out of 5 stars on Google Play

Cost: Digit is free for 30 days, then $5 per month

Get Started With Digit

Stash: Best for Automation

What We Love About Stash: Stash is an investing app that also comes with a savings component. This makes it a good option for people who want to start setting aside small sums of money that they invest to reach their long-term financial goals. 

Stash lets you invest your savings in your choice of thousands of stocks and funds. You can also invest using fractional shares, which let you get started with a relatively low balance in your account. 

The savings component of the app, called Auto-Stash, also makes it easy to automate your savings. You can set up automatic transfers from your bank account to your Stash account, and you can also round up purchases to the nearest dollar and automatically invest that money as well. 

What Holds it Back: At $9 per month, Stash can be expensive if you pay for their most generous plan. 

Reviews: 4.0 out of 5 stars on Google Play

Cost: Stash is only $1 per month for a Beginner plan, $3 per month for a Growth plan, and $9 per month for a Stash+ plan

Get Started With Stash

How We Found the Best Money Saving Apps

The best money saving apps are geared to helping you save more money than you might otherwise, usually through automation. To find the apps for our ranking, we considered the following criteria:

  • Monthly Cost: We looked for money apps that offer low monthly fees ($5 or less per month), with the exception of comprehensive plans that offer a major investing component. Ongoing cost is important since apps that aim to help you save money shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg over the long-term. 
  • Automation Features: Saving money automatically is the best way to grow long-term wealth. With that in mind, we looked for apps that have an automation component, either by allowing automatic transfers to your account, a feature that rounds up all of your purchases, or both. 
  • Safety Features: We looked for money saving apps that offer 256-bit encryption or better. We also looked for secondary safety features like multi-factor authentication and notifications. 
  • Reviews: Finally, we compared all the apps on this list in terms of their user reviews. Each app that made our ranking has a minimum ranking of 4 out of 5 stars on Google Play.

How to Make the Most of Your Money Saving App

Downloading a money saving app is an excellent first step toward building a better financial future, but you’ll need to do more than that if you want to boost your savings rate and stay safe in the process. Before you commit to any of the apps we’ve profiled in our ranking, consider these tips that could help you get the most out of the experience.

  • Take advantage of special security features. All of the apps that made our ranking offer industry standard encryption protection. However, if your app offers additional safety features like multi-factor authentication, you should take the time to set this up. With Stash, for example, you have the option to add biometric recognition using a fingerprint to access your account. 
  • Utilize automation to its fullest potential. Make sure you’re making the most of automation features, whether they include the option to round up all of your purchases or the chance to set up automatic transfers to your account. Remember that automating your savings is the best way to have your money grow automatically, and that you should strive to “set it and forget it” as much as you can.
  • Get your spouse or partner involved. Saving money on your own can be fruitful, but you have the chance to double the impact if you get your spouse or partner on board. Some money saving apps like Acorns offer a Family plan, which makes it easy for you and a partner to get on the same page when it comes to your goals. 
  • Invest your money for the long haul. Some of the apps we profiled focus mostly on helping build a savings account, but others like Acorns and Stash help you invest for the long run. If your goal is saving for retirement or other long-term financial goals, you’ll want to focus on options that let you invest your money into stocks, ETFs, or portfolios that are tailored to your investment timeline and appetite for risk. 
  • Leave your savings alone: While there’s nothing wrong with setting up savings buckets for vacations, a kitchen remodel, or another short-term goal, money saving apps can also help you save for retirement and other long-term financial needs. You should really commit to leaving some of the money you save alone to grow over time. That way, your savings will be there when you need it. 

Summary: Best Money Saving Apps

Money Saving AppWhat It’s Best For
AcornsInvesting
SimpleHigh-Yield Savings
QapitalSetting Goals
DigitSavings Bonus  Potential
StashAutomation
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

About the Author

Holly Johnson is the founder of Club Thrifty, a personal finance and travel resource geared to families who want to make the most of their incomes while seeing the world.

She is also the co-author of budgeting book Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You'll Love. The book explains the step-by-step process behind zero-sum budgeting, which is the type of budget Johnson and her husband used to pay off debt in their 20's so they could begin building their investment portfolio in their 30's and 40's.

Before beginning a career in personal finance, Johnson worked in the funeral industry alongside her husband Greg. She attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and she was given the Best Contributor/Freelancer for Personal Finance at the 6th annual Plutus Awards Ceremony in 2015.

Johnson is an investment expert who built and manages her own seven-figure portfolio, and she frequently writes about various investment strategies as a result. She also covers credit cards, loans, insurance and other banking topics for publications like Forbes, CNN Underscored, U.S. News and World Report, Bankrate, and more.

Highlights:

*Award-winning personal finance writer
*Author of budgeting book, Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You'll Love
*Owner of finance and travel site ClubThrifty.com
*Owner of freelance writing course, EarnMoreWriting.com
*Regular contributor to CNN, Forbes, Bankrate, and more

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn


You Might Also Enjoy

High-Income Skills to Upgrade Your Career

High-Income Skills to Upgrade Your Career

How Much is Six Figures?

How Much is Six Figures?

<strong>$20 an Hour Is How Much a Year?</strong>

<strong>$20 an Hour Is How Much a Year?</strong>

Rich vs. Wealthy: What's the Difference?

Rich vs. Wealthy: What's the Difference?

Is It Better to Lease or Buy a Car?

Is It Better to Lease or Buy a Car?

Best Time To Buy A Car + Tips To Saving BIG When You Buy Your New Ride

Best Time To Buy A Car + Tips To Saving BIG When You Buy Your New Ride

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

  • Make Money
  • Manage Money
  • Invest
  • Taxes
  • Insurance
  • Retirement
  • Banking
  • Home
  • Credit
  • Debt
  • About
  • Contact
  • Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

© 2023 Good Financial Cents®. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer

All written content on this site is for information purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of AWM, unless otherwise specifically cited. Material presented is believed to be from reliable sources and no representations are made by our firm as to another parties’ informational accuracy or completeness. All information or ideas provided should be discussed in detail with an advisor, accountant or legal counsel prior to implementation.

All third party trademarks, including logos and icons, referenced in this website, are the property of their respective owners. Unless otherwise indicated, the use of third party trademarks herein does not imply or indicate any relationship, sponsorship, or endorsement between Good Financial Cents® and the owners of those trademarks. Any reference in this website to third party trademarks is to identify the corresponding third party goods and/or services.

x
x