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Personal Finance · head to head

Banktivity vs Goodbudget

Banktivity logo

Banktivity

Personal Finance

Personal finance for Mac and iOS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Goodbudget logo

Goodbudget

Personal Finance

Digital envelope budgeting app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Goodbudget has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Banktivity runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version; Goodbudget free plan is capped at 10 regular envelopes, 10 more envelopes, 1 account, 2 devices and 1 year of history
  • They diverge on capability: Banktivity covers Account tracking, Goodbudget covers Envelope budgeting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Banktivity and Goodbudget actually diverge.

Attributes where Banktivity and Goodbudget differ
AttributeBanktivityGoodbudget
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsMac, IOSWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20072012

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Banktivity

  • Account tracking
  • Bill management
  • Investment tracking
  • Budget forecasting
  • Investment accounts
  • Mac support

Only in Goodbudget

  • Envelope budgeting
  • Shared budgets
  • Receipt scanning
  • Expense tracking
  • Web support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Bank accounts
  • IOS support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Banktivity

  • Personal budgeting and money management on a Macnot Goodbudget
  • Investment and net worth trackingnot Goodbudget
  • Retirement planning projectionsnot Goodbudget
  • Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot Goodbudget

Goodbudget

  • Envelope method budgetingnot Banktivity
  • Sharing a household budget across a couple's devicesnot Banktivity
  • Tracking debt payoff alongside envelopesnot Banktivity

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Banktivity

  • Runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version
  • Pricing is not shown on the product page and sits behind a separate plans page

Goodbudget

  • Free plan is capped at 10 regular envelopes, 10 more envelopes, 1 account, 2 devices and 1 year of history
  • Automatic bank sync is Premium only and works with US banks only
  • Premium is limited to 5 devices and 7 years of history
  • Free plan gets community support only; email support requires Premium
  • Premium costs $10 per month or $80 per year

Pricing, plan by plan

Banktivity

On request
  • Monthly$4.99/month
    • Full feature access
    • Cloud sync
  • Annual$39.99/month
    • All monthly features
    • Discounted rate

Goodbudget

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10 envelopes
    • Basic tracking
  • Plus$5.99/month
    • Unlimited envelopes
    • Advanced reports
    • Receipt capture

Which should you pick?

Choose Banktivity if

  • You need account tracking.
  • You work on Mac, IOS.
  • You also want bill management.
Banktivity review

Choose Goodbudget if

  • You need envelope budgeting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want shared budgets.
Goodbudget review

Questions people ask

Is Banktivity or Goodbudget better?
Neither clearly leads. Banktivity starts at On request and Goodbudget at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Banktivity or Goodbudget?
Goodbudget has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Banktivity and Free for Goodbudget.
Does Banktivity or Goodbudget run on more platforms?
Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS. Goodbudget runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Goodbudget for free?
Yes. Goodbudget has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Banktivity starts at On request.
What is Banktivity best used for?
Banktivity is most often used for personal budgeting and money management on a mac, investment and net worth tracking, retirement planning projections, connecting to over 14,000 financial institutions. Of those, personal budgeting and money management on a mac and investment and net worth tracking are not what Goodbudget is typically brought in for.
What can Banktivity do that Goodbudget cannot?
Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Investment tracking, Budget forecasting. Goodbudget covers Envelope budgeting, Shared budgets, Receipt scanning, Expense tracking. Both handle Bank accounts, IOS support.
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