Softwr

Personal Finance · head to head

Banktivity vs PocketGuard

Banktivity logo

Banktivity

Personal Finance

Personal finance for Mac and iOS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PocketGuard logo

PocketGuard

Personal Finance

In Your Pocket personal finance

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only PocketGuard 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; PocketGuard every budgeting feature requires a paid subscription, with only a 7 day trial rather than a free tier
  • They diverge on capability: Banktivity covers Account tracking, PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Banktivity and PocketGuard actually diverge.

Attributes where Banktivity and PocketGuard differ
AttributeBanktivityPocketGuard
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 PocketGuard

  • Real-time spending alerts
  • Budget tracking
  • Goal setting
  • Spending insights
  • Credit cards
  • 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 PocketGuard
  • Investment and net worth trackingnot PocketGuard
  • Retirement planning projectionsnot PocketGuard
  • Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot PocketGuard

PocketGuard

  • Tracking spending and bills against a personal budgetnot Banktivity
  • Finding and cancelling recurring subscriptionsnot 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

PocketGuard

  • Every budgeting feature requires a paid subscription, with only a 7 day trial rather than a free tier
  • Paying monthly is $12.99 against an effective $6.25 on the annual plan, so the flexible option costs roughly double
  • The lifetime option is not offered to everyone and is described as available only inside the app

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

PocketGuard

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Expense tracking
    • Budget creation
  • Premium$9.99/month
    • Advanced insights
    • Goal tracking
    • Bill negotiation

Which should you pick?

Choose Banktivity if

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

Choose PocketGuard if

  • You need real-time spending alerts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want budget tracking.
PocketGuard review

Questions people ask

Is Banktivity or PocketGuard better?
Neither clearly leads. Banktivity starts at On request and PocketGuard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Banktivity or PocketGuard?
PocketGuard has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Banktivity and Free for PocketGuard.
Does Banktivity or PocketGuard run on more platforms?
Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS. PocketGuard runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use PocketGuard for free?
Yes. PocketGuard 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 PocketGuard is typically brought in for.
What can Banktivity do that PocketGuard cannot?
Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Investment tracking, Budget forecasting. PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts, Budget tracking, Goal setting, Spending insights. Both handle Bank accounts, IOS support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Banktivity

More on PocketGuard

Keep looking

Other head to heads