14 Best Money-Saving Apps for 2025 (2026)
Saving money on money saving apps does not have to be complicated. We rounded up the essentials so you can spend less and skip the guesswork.
Key Takeaways
- 14 Best Money-Saving Apps for 2025 There's a dizzying array of apps that claim to help you save you money or earn cash back.
- Some are fee traps and others provide great services.
- Here's what to look for based on your needs.
There's a dizzying array of apps that claim to help you save you money or earn cash back. Some are fee traps and others provide excellent services. Here's what to look for based on your needs.
Written by Kim Porter Last Updated: April 25, 2024 Reviewed by Jana LynchSome of the links on DollarSprout point to products or services from partners we trust. If you choose to make a purchase through one, we may earn a commission, which supports the ongoing maintenance and improvement of our site at no additional cost to you. Learn more.
If you’re looking for easier ways to manage your money and improve your savings habits, there’s an app for that.
According to a Bankrate survey, nearly two-thirds of smartphone users have at least one financial app on their phone.[1] But because everyone has a different savings style, ranging from hands-on to set-it-and-forget-it, you’ll need to find a tool that’s the right fit for you.
There are three main types of money-saving apps: those that help you save money toward a goal, apps that help you save while shopping, and apps that help you cut back expenses. Depending on your goals and preferences, you might need some, one, or all.
To help you make the best decision, let’s discuss the best money-saving apps in each category.
Best Automatic Saving Apps
We all know saving money is key, but finding the motivation or even remembering to tuck your money away can be the hard part. We found several apps that help you save money a way that works for you. Apps that round up change, for instance, move your spare change into a savings account.
For most of these, you’ll need to download the app, set up a profile, and link your checking account or credit card.
1. Acorns: Best for new investors
Acorns is an investing app that rounds up your purchases on linked credit and debit cards and moves that spare change into an investment portfolio. Once you get into the habit of investing small change, you can boost those round-ups by 2x, 5x, or even 10x. You can also set daily, weekly, or monthly recurring deposits.
To get you into the right investment portfolio, Acorns will ask you about your financial situation, income, goals, and risk tolerance. It will then recommend one of its five ETF-based investment portfolios, but you can override its selections.
There’s even a rewards feature: When you spend with Acorns’ partners, including Airbnb and Nike, you get cash back.
It’s a good app for beginners, but you might consider upgrading to another service for larger investments down the road.
- Available on: iOS and Android
- Cost: $1-$5/month
Learn More: Acorns Review 2025
Try Acorns2. Qapital: Best for goal setting
Sometimes you need a little fun to make a chore feel worthwhile. With Qapital, you can set up multiple rules that trigger savings, like saving a preset amount every time you post on Instagram or as a reward when you spend less than expected. Or you can choose a more straightforward approach, such as saving a percentage of each paycheck.
You also choose whether the money goes into an interest-bearing FDIC-insured account or an investment portfolio. With so numerous ways to save and track progress, it’s a solid app for setting goals. According to the company, the average user saves $5,000 a year.
- Available on: iOS and Android
- Cost: 30-day free trial, then $3-$12/month
3. Simple: Best banking alternative
Simple is an all-in-one savings app that offers a free checking account, debit card, and budgeting tools. To help you avoid overspending, the app scans your available funds and shows you how much you can safely spend each week. It can also automate your savings by rounding up every debit transaction to the nearest dollar and automatically moving the money to an FDIC-insured savings account.
Simple banking accounts are mobile-first, so it’s a good tool for those who prefer banking on a smartphone. But because it doesn’t have brick-and-mortar branches, you might look elsewhere if you think you’ll need in-person help.
- Available on: iOS and Android
- Cost: Free
4. Digit: Best for simplicity
Oportun is a savings app that calculates what you can save based on your checking account balance, spending patterns, and the goals you’ve set up with the app. It then automatically moves money into an FDIC-insured savings account and distributes the money among your goals. You also get a 0.5% savings bonus every three months based on your average daily Oportun balance. So if your average daily balance is $1,000, then you would earn $5.
The nice thing about Oportun is that it simplifies a lot of the legwork. Your income, expenses, and spending might change from week to week, so Oportun’s number-crunching can go a long way in saving you money and time.
- Available on: iOS and Android
- Cost: 30-day free trial, then $5/month
5. SmartyPig: Best free money savings
SmartyPig allows you to create multiple money market accounts that act as virtual “piggy banks.” You attach goals with deadlines to each, such as “Europe trip 2021, $3,000″ and can either automate your savings from a linked checking account or manually move money into the FDIC-insured accounts. SmartyPig also tracks your progress on each goal, which you can adjust anytime.
It’s a money-saving app that’s simple to use, and because it takes a few days for any withdrawn funds to hit your checking account, the buffer can help if you’re tempted to drain your savings. But its best feature is that it’s free.
- Available on: iOS and Android
- Cost: Free
6. Chime: Best for spotty banking history
Chime® is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by, and debit card issued by, The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC.
Chime® is another mobile banking/financial app that includes additional banking services, including checking and savings accounts. Through the app or a browser, users can automatically save a percentage of every paycheck or ask Chime to round up purchases and transfer the difference into savings.
Chime is a helpful option for people with a spotty banking or credit history because the company does not run a credit check or review ChexSystems reports before users can open an account. That’s part of its “second chance banking” approach, which also includes no overdraft fees, no monthly maintenance fees, and no minimum balance requirements.
- Available on: iOS and Android
- CostFinal Thoughts
The bottom line: a little research on money saving apps goes a long way. Compare your options, watch for seasonal offers, and never pay full price when a better deal is one click away.
Originally published at dollarsprout.com.
Kim Porter
Our editorial team researches and verifies every money-saving guide before publishing. Editorial policy · About us
