7 best budgeting and savings apps Australians need in 2024

Collage of Australians using budget apps on their smartphones.

Imagine a budgeting tool so good it fits snuggly in your pocket. That’s a budgeting app.

Every Aussie needs a money-saver, and with the rollout of new banking apps (plus a high cost of living), more Australians use smartphones every day to manage their finances. 

What can a budgeting app do? Depends on the app, but truly, loads.

  • Tracking expenses? Check.
  • Budget planning made easy? Check!
  • Smash savings goals? Big ol’ checkity-check!

To help you get started, here’s a list of seven Australian apps to help you budget, save, and manage your money in 2024, all from the comfort of your smartphone.

1. Frollo

Frollo budgeting app.
  • Sync accounts from 100+ banks, super funds and financial providers
  • Budgeting, savings goals, and automatic bill tracking
  • Ongoing insights, including cashflow and net worth

The Frollo app is one of the more advanced, free money management tools available to Australians today. 

Users can link everything from bank accounts and home loans to superannuation from 100+ financial institutions in-app to get a comprehensive financial overview – all in one place.

Frollo is also one of the first fintech adopters of open banking, which means they can provide near real-time data to customers from participating banks.

Useful features include automatic budgeting and spending tracking, savings goals, and customised insights into where you money goes. Plus, spending is automatically categorised so you don’t have to organise everything, and Frollo will remind you with its bill tracking feature of upcoming, regular charges. 

Even better, Frollo was named best Money Management App at the 2023, 2022, and 2021 Mozo Experts Choice Awards for Banking Apps & Tech. Now that’s a mean streak!

Where can you get it? The Frollo app is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.

2. Up

Up money app
  • Powerful banking app and budgeting app
  • Pay Day automatically splits your salary into bills, saving, and spending
  • Save up for purchases with Maybuy

Bank and budget in one!

Up is a powerful player in the online banking space. Boasting slick savings tools like Round Ups, automatic tracking, and customisable savings accounts at a solid interest rate of 4.35% (T&Cs) with no monthly service fees, Up could be a great place to start. 

Not only can you set savings goals, you can pay mates and bills, split your salary automatically using the Pay Day function (so you know your spendable balance), and save up for those dream purchases with Maybuy. New iPad, anyone?

Couples can join with 2Up, a collaborative alternative to the traditional Up banking experience. Plus you can use your card overseas with no international purchase fees – useful if you’re travelling in 2024.

First home buyers, take note. If you want to start saving for that crucial first home loan deposit, UpHome can lay out a savings plan and estimate your borrowing power. 

As another bonus, Up won an award for best everyday bank account at the 2023 Mozo Experts Choice Bank Accounts Awards. Expert approved!

Where can you get it? The Up app is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.

3. Beem

Beem money sharing app
  • Split bills and send instant payments
  • Track shared expenses
  • Shopping rewards

Sick of chasing down your friends for money?

Rebranded in 2022, this flagship payment app bills itself as the solution to the awkwardness of IOUs. Send and request payments to anyone with a Beem account and let the app do the rest with lightning-quick efficiency.

It’ll even nudge slowpokes with friendly reminders (and funky fun gifs) so you don’t have to. 

Backed by EFTPOS and top-notch security, Beem can be a great and secure way to track life’s shared expenses, whether it’s travel, food, house sharing, or more. You can even browse online or in-store shopping deals and accumulate cashback with every purchase (just watch out for T&Cs).

Where can you get it? Beem is available to download free via the Apple App Store or Google

4. Spriggy

Spriggy family money sharing app
  • Secure money management app for families
  • Set savings goals and track spending
  • Flexible payment options

Looking to give your kids pocket money, but in the 21st century? Spriggy could be the ticket.

Designed for caregivers and families, Spriggy helps you track your kids’ spending, teach them money management skills, and even loads cash onto a debit card so they spend if they need to.

Better still, there’s a ton of security features and safety nets (like spending restrictions and a pause/lock function) so your kiddly-winks can’t accidentally – or purposefully – get into mischief. Good way to teach kids smartphone responsibility and money habits all in one go!

You can even set tasks or jobs so your kid can earn their allowance, or watch as they meet fun, visual savings goals. Financial literacy FTW!

Where can you get it? Spriggy is available to download for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play, but be aware that account and other fees will apply. For example, an annual family plan for 1 child costs $60/year, while 2 or more kids costs $78/year. New members can get the first month of an annual membership free (terms, conditions, and other fees may apply).

5. WeMoney

WeMoney budgeting app
  • Pay off debt
  • Join accounts from 400+ financial institutions
  • Set and track savings goals

Drowning in debt? WeMoney could throw you a rope. 

Marketed as a free “social financial wellness” app for tracking and crushing debt, WeMoney empowers users with community tips and modern technology so they can take charge of their finances.

Armed with a suite of features, users can keep track of bills, cancel any sneaky subscriptions eating into your budget, and compare personalised deals on debt consolidation loans

WeMoney claims the average member can improve their credit score by 63 points just 9 months after signing up to their service. Pretty impressive!

You can also connect accounts from over 400 banks, credit cards, supers, Buy Now Pay Later services, and more so you can get a bird’s eye view of all your money. Set savings goals and glean finance tips from other WeMoney community members for the extra debt-crushing motivation.

Where can you get it? The WeMoney app is available for download for free through the Apple App Store or Google Play.

WeMoney is a commercial partner of Mozo, using the Mozo Marketview platform and associated market data.

6. simplsaver

simplsaver budget app
  • Straightforward, traditional budget calculator
  • Track your monthly costs and avoid a budget spiral
  • Data stored locally on your phone – not sold to advertisers

Sometimes you just need to know how much you have to spend. That’s simplsaver. 

Traditional, straightforward, and hella useful, simplsaver is a no-frills budgeting tool designed to let users knowly exactly how much they have left over at the end of every month. 

Your privacy is paramount. All your data is stored locally on your phone and never sold to advertisers. To use it, simply input all your monthly expenses into your budget (categorised automatically from subscriptions to mortgage repayments), and voila – your take home pay!

It also lets you know if you’re overspending, facing a “budget spiral”, or at risk of recession. If you are, don’t worry: simplsaver has some general tips about climbing out of debt, too.

As a heartfelt bonus, a portion of simplsaver’s yearly profits go to the Royal Hospital for Women in Australia, a specialist in providing healthcare for new parents and newborns.

Where can you get it? The simplsaver app is available for download for free through the Apple App Store. It’s not available for Android yet, but a version is in the works for 2024. The first five budget items are free: the premium subscription costs $6.99/year.

7. ATO

ATO MyDeductions app
  • Record and track eligible tax deductions
  • Access ATO tools and calculators, like pre-filled tax returns
  • Send data right to your tax agent

Tax-time is easier when you’re prepared – and what’s easier than using an excellent app, straight from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) itself?

The ATO app has a tonne of useful tools and features to get you tax ready. Not only can you check pre-filled employment information, watch the progress of your tax return, and track your super fund, but you can use the income tax calculator to see how much you should withhold from your salary.

Arguably its best feature for tax time is the MyDeductions tool. This function lets you collect receipts and tax records throughout the year. At tax time, simply email or upload the claim evidence to yourself or your tax agent. Easy! 

All data is stored locally on your phone, so you’ll need to keep backups handy in case you lose it. You’ll also need to have a linked MyGov account to activate it.

Where can you get it? The ATO app is available for download for free through the Apple App Store or Google Play.


For more handy money app options, head on over to the Mozo fintech hub to read our reviews on a range of Australian banking apps.

Up and Spriggy are commercial partners of Mozo. 


FAQs about budgeting apps

Are smart money apps the same as mobile banking apps?

Money management, budgeting, and payment apps are not the same thing as a mobile banking app. A mobile banking app is just an app version of your bank, while the rest act as budget trackers or ways to pay.

This isn't to say that your mobile banking app can't have budgeting or payment tools: the difference is just whether the app stores your money or just sees it.

Are mobile banking apps popular?

Mobile apps have rapidly become the most popular banking method for the majority of Aussies, followed by online banking. Convenience, accessibility, and the hands-on nature of it make it an empowering and preferable way to watch your finances.

Are budgeting apps safe to use? Do they steal my data?

The most reputable budget apps use bank-grade end-to-end encryption to protect your data when linking your financial accounts to the app. They may also ask you to set up multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorised users logging in and stealing your information. 

If you are concerned about the app itself harvesting and selling your data, however, it's important to read through its terms of service and privacy statement first. If the product and its services are free, then it's safe to assume you are the product. 

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