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Goodbudget vs Personal Capital

Goodbudget logo

Goodbudget

Software

Digital envelope budgeting app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Personal Capital logo

Personal Capital

Software

Invest wisely, retire confidently

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Goodbudget free plan is capped at 10 regular envelopes, 10 more envelopes, 1 account, 2 devices and 1 year of history; Personal Capital wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
  • They diverge on capability: Goodbudget covers Envelope budgeting, Personal Capital covers Investment tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Goodbudget and Personal Capital actually diverge.

Attributes where Goodbudget and Personal Capital differ
AttributeGoodbudgetPersonal Capital
Founded20122010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, IOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Goodbudget

  • Envelope budgeting
  • Shared budgets
  • Receipt scanning
  • Expense tracking

Only in Personal Capital

  • Investment tracking
  • Retirement calculator
  • Fee analyzer
  • Net worth tracking
  • Investment accounts
  • Real estate

Both cover

  • Bank accounts
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Goodbudget

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

Personal Capital

  • Tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboardnot Goodbudget
  • Managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investorsnot Goodbudget
  • Retirement planning projections across linked accountsnot Goodbudget

Where each one falls short

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

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

Personal Capital

  • Wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
  • The annual advisory fee is charged as a percentage of assets under management on a tiered structure rather than a flat subscription
  • Assets are custodied at Pershing Advisor Solutions rather than by the provider itself

Pricing, plan by plan

Goodbudget

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

Personal Capital

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Account tracking
    • Net worth monitoring
    • Investment analysis
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Financial advisor access
    • Personalized advice

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Personal Capital if

  • You need investment tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement calculator.
Personal Capital review

Questions people ask

Is Goodbudget or Personal Capital better?
Neither clearly leads. Goodbudget starts at Free and Personal Capital at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Goodbudget or Personal Capital?
Goodbudget starts at Free and Personal Capital at Free.
Does Goodbudget or Personal Capital run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Goodbudget for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Goodbudget best used for?
Goodbudget is most often used for envelope method budgeting, sharing a household budget across a couple's devices, tracking debt payoff alongside envelopes. Of those, envelope method budgeting and sharing a household budget across a couple's devices are not what Personal Capital is typically brought in for.
What can Goodbudget do that Personal Capital cannot?
Goodbudget covers Envelope budgeting, Shared budgets, Receipt scanning, Expense tracking. Personal Capital covers Investment tracking, Retirement calculator, Fee analyzer, Net worth tracking. Both handle Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support, Android support.
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