Software · head to head
MoneyWiz vs PocketGuard
The short version
- Each has a real cost: MoneyWiz there is no free tier; every plan requires a subscription; PocketGuard every budgeting feature requires a paid subscription, with only a 7 day trial rather than a free tier
- They diverge on capability: MoneyWiz covers Expense tracking, PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which MoneyWiz and PocketGuard actually diverge.
| Attribute | MoneyWiz | PocketGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 | 2012 |
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 MoneyWiz
- Expense tracking
- Budget management
- Multi-currency support
- Financial analytics
Only in PocketGuard
- Real-time spending alerts
- Budget tracking
- Goal setting
- Spending insights
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
- Web support
- IOS support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
MoneyWiz
- Tracking personal accounts, budgets and bills across iOS, macOS, Windows and Androidnot PocketGuard
- Syncing one finance database across multiple devices through MoneyWiz Cloudnot PocketGuard
- Automatically importing transactions through bank syncnot PocketGuard
PocketGuard
- Tracking spending and bills against a personal budgetnot MoneyWiz
- Finding and cancelling recurring subscriptionsnot MoneyWiz
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
MoneyWiz
- There is no free tier; every plan requires a subscription
- Bank sync with over 40,000 banks is Premium only, at 59.99 USD a year or 5.99 USD a month
- The Standard plan at 29.99 USD a year provides only cloud sync between devices, with no bank sync
- Subscriptions cap usage at 15 devices and two MoneyWiz Cloud accounts
- Priority support is restricted to the Premium tier
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
MoneyWiz
Free- FreeFree
- Basic expense tracking
- Multiple accounts
- Premium$4.99/month
- Advanced analytics
- Budget forecasting
- Custom categories
PocketGuard
Free- FreeFree
- Expense tracking
- Budget creation
- Premium$9.99/month
- Advanced insights
- Goal tracking
- Bill negotiation
Which should you pick?
Choose MoneyWiz if
- You need expense tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want budget management.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is MoneyWiz or PocketGuard better?
- Neither clearly leads. MoneyWiz starts at Free and PocketGuard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, MoneyWiz or PocketGuard?
- MoneyWiz starts at Free and PocketGuard at Free.
- Does MoneyWiz or PocketGuard run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use MoneyWiz for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is MoneyWiz best used for?
- MoneyWiz is most often used for tracking personal accounts, budgets and bills across ios, macos, windows and android, syncing one finance database across multiple devices through moneywiz cloud, automatically importing transactions through bank sync. Of those, tracking personal accounts, budgets and bills across ios, macos, windows and android and syncing one finance database across multiple devices through moneywiz cloud are not what PocketGuard is typically brought in for.
- What can MoneyWiz do that PocketGuard cannot?
- MoneyWiz covers Expense tracking, Budget management, Multi-currency support, Financial analytics. PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts, Budget tracking, Goal setting, Spending insights. Both handle Bank accounts, Credit cards, Web support, IOS support.