Keeping track of your expenses is just as important for consumers as it is for businesses. The problem with paper receipts is that they're easy to lose or you may put off logging them. By uploading these immediately into an expense tracker app, you save time and space instead of having to dig through a shoebox full of receipts at tax time. You may also sync your account to an expense tracker app to make your life easier. We reviewed 30 different options to determine the best expense tracker apps, based on price, features, reviews, and accessibility. The apps we picked can sync and categorize account transactions, are reasonably priced, and offer reporting tools to track your personal and business financial health. QuickBooks Accounting is our top choice for expense tracking apps because of its ability to send and track invoices and mileage tracker. Best Expense Tracker Apps for September 2024 Best Expense Tracker Apps for September 2024 The Bottom Line Compare Expense Tracker Apps How to Choose Pros and Cons Alternatives Why You Should Trust Us FAQ Guide Why We Chose It We chose QuickBooks Accounting as the best expense tracking app for small businesses because users can send and track invoices and automatically track mileage. It also has a built-in photo tool to snap pictures of receipts—all on-the-go. Pros and Cons Pros Automatically track mileage and snap pictures of receipts Send and track invoices in multiple currencies Link bank and credit card accounts Cons One of the more expensive expense tracker apps E-signature is available only on the app No chat support Overview Owned by Intuit, QuickBooks is a leader in business accounting and bookkeeping. Its app helps small businesses track expenses, send invoices, and manage most financial aspects of a business. QuickBooks Accounting offers a free 30-day trial with no credit card or commitment required. And, if you have QuickBooks online, the Accounting app is free. Otherwise, choose from a variety of plans starting at $30 per month and get 50% off of each plan for the first three months. Some popular features for small business owners include: Why We Chose It The best expense tracker app for investors is Empower because you can view all of your investment and bank accounts in one app. It gives investment tools, advice, expense categorization, and helps you stay on top of upcoming bills. Pros and Cons Pros Reporting tools make it easy to see the asset allocation and performance of your investments Offers strategies to lower your tax burden Recession simulator shows how your investments would’ve performed in historical recessions Cons No account reconciliation Some financial institutions won’t sync with the app Must have over $100,000 in investable assets for advisory services Overview Empower is a personal finance and wealth management company founded in 2009. This app is free and gives you a clear snapshot of your financial health. If you have over $100,000 in investable assets, you’re eligible for advisory services with Empower. After linking your accounts, receive a free initial consultation with one of their financial advisors. Compared to similar companies, its annual fee for investment management is high. You pay an annual fee is 0.89% for the first $1 million in assets, 0.79% for the next $3 million in assets, 0.69% for the next $2 million, 0.59% for the next $5 million, and 0.49% for assets over $10 million. You can take advantage of this app even if you don't have $100,000 in investable assets. Use the investment management tools to link accounts, plan your retirement, set a budget, and see your cash flow. Each of these services is free with the app or its web interface. Why We Chose It When looking for an app for receipt saving, go with Expensify because its app automatically scans, reads, and imports receipt details for you. It also works great for travel—get trip reminders, flight delay notifications, and change notifications sent right to your phone. Pros and Cons Pros Automatically reads and imports receipt details for you—even if it’s foreign currency Categorize, tag, and group expenses into a report Automatic mileage tracking using GPS Cons Uploading PDF receipts can be difficult to do Automatic receipt reading sometimes takes longer than it would to manually type in the info Overview Expensify was launched in 2008 to manage receipts and expenses. It allows 25 scans per month for free—beyond that, you’ll need a paid account. Expensify offers two plans at $5 for smaller companies and $9 per month for larger companies with greater tracking needs. This app is targeted toward business users because it has tools to submit receipts directly to a manager or accountant. From there, they can approve or reject expenses right from the app. Expensify even offers a corporate Visa card and a corporate travel assistant. Integrate accounting apps like QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and Sage Intacct. Next-day reimbursem*nt is a favorite feature of Expensify because employees get their money back quickly. One of the best features for international travelers is how Expensify works with global currencies and taxes. An app that’s globally compatible makes month-end closing seamless. Why We Chose It With Everlance, create an IRS-compliant mileage log and sync your bank accounts and credit cards for expense and receipt tracking. This app is particularly popular with those who are self-employed. Pros and Cons Pros GPS used to create an IRS-compliant mileage log Syncs to bank or credit card for expenses and receipts Export mileage and expense reports in PDF, CSV, or Excel formats Cons The app creates a new trip if you’ve stopped for 10 minutes Premium features cost far more than other expense tracker apps Notifications are cumbersome if manually tracking trips Overview Founded in 2015, Everlance is an app designed to track mileage, expenses, and receipts. When you download the app, you automatically start a seven-day Premium trial. At the end of the trial, you’ll revert to a free account unless you choose to upgrade. To track expenses, sync your credit cards and bank accounts. With one swipe, you can categorize business and personal expenses. For recurring expenses and transactions, users can set custom expense rules. With Everlance, tracking revenue is easy, too—even if you have income from multiple sources. Everlance uses GPS technology to automatically chart your trips. However, you can also turn that feature off and manually track trips. While the app does advertise you can set it and forget it, user reviews suggest it’s best to double-check that your trip is recorded, as GPS errors have caused the app to miss some trips. There are three packages available with Everlance: Why We Chose It If you want to get a handle on your personal finances for free, download the NerdWallet app. With it, you can see all of your accounts and their transactions in one place, keep tabs on your credit and net worth, and get helpful reports on your cash flow. Pros and Cons Pros Track income and expenses Monitor your credit and net worth It’s completely free Cons Limited transaction management Credit score is only provided by one bureau—TransUnion Must link your account to reconcile transactions, rather than it pulling from your credit report Overview NerdWallet is a personal finance company founded in 2009. Its app gives a complete look at your personal finances and tools to help manage your money. It’s completely free and doesn’t offer in-app purchases. Link your accounts and categorize your transactions to get a picture of how you spend your money every month. From there, set goals to help pay down debt, invest in your future, and save money. When you link a debit or credit card, you can receive offers from retailers to get points and other rewards. NerdWallet also offers calculators and editorial content to help you make smart financial decisions. The app offers tips based on your personal situation. For example, if you're using a high amount of credit on a credit card, the app tells you to make multiple payments per month on that specific card to keep your balance low. The best expense tracker app will depend on your needs. If you're looking for small business expense tracking, go with QuickBooks. If you're an investor, Empower may work well for you with its ability to house your investment and bank account info in one place. If you need receipt scanning capability, Expensify will work well for you. The Federal Reserve has aggressively increased the federal funds rate since February 2022. These rate increases have caused business and consumer loan rates to increase significantly, making it harder to find affordable financing. For those focused on managing their money in the wake of rising rates, expense tracker apps can help simplify the process of tracking spending and saving for specific goals. Expense tracker apps are tools designed to help you manage your money and track your spending. They allow you to sync bank accounts and credit cards to record your expenses so you can see how much you spend each month and where. After you've inputted all the data, you can review your financial details and decide where to make any changes and adjustments so you can save money. Choosing the right expense tracker app depends entirely on you. But, you should take a look at the features to determine which one makes sense. The following is a list of common features that may be offered by expense tracker apps that may come in handy: While you review some of these features, it's also important to ask yourself the following questions: Many apps use artificial intelligence (AI) to make expense tracking easier. Integrating AI can take the guesswork out of invoice and receipt management by extracting data through automation. It can also be a valuable fraud detection tool, identifying and alerting you to suspicious activity and preventing fraudulent transactions from going through if you sync your account with your app. There are different types of apps on the market that can help you with your finances. These include expense tracker apps and budgeting apps. Though they may sound the same, there is a slight difference between the two. Expense tracker apps tap into how your monthly spending habits. These apps record your monthly expenses, such as your rent, bills, groceries, and nights out among other things. Once everything is added up, you get a clear picture of where your money goes each month. You can use this information to make adjustments to save you money. Budgeting apps, on the other hand, help you actively manage your money, giving you a solid idea of your monthly income and expenses. By budgeting, you set aside a certain amount of money for every expense, including groceries and entertainment, so you stay within your limits. Using a budgeting app means you establish clear spending (and saving) goals. Pros Can simplify financial management: Easier to manage money, separate finances, and track spending Free options: No added monthly costs Helps your financial situation: Establishes budget and can help improve your credit May help you meet money goals: Can help you save for a down payment or vacation Cons Certain apps cost money: Apps with advanced features may come at a cost Features vary: Not all apps are built the same Not all financial institutions connect: You may have to put in more work if the app you choose doesn't work with your bank Requires some upfront and ongoing work: Time commitment required to make the app work Expense tracking apps and other financial management tools require upfront work and ongoing upkeep. They won’t automatically help you achieve your financial goals; instead, you need to commit to using them over time to meet your money goals and improve your situation. We looked at 30 of the best expense tracker apps available and narrowed it down to the best options based on several features and considerations. We considered pricing, features, reviews, and accessibility. In each case, we evaluated how robust the features were for day-to-day and power users and whether the app was easy to use. Investopedia launched in 1999 and has been helping readers find the best expense tracker apps since 2021. You may think tracking your expenses is a cumbersome experience. Or that you have a good handle on your finances. But, an expense tracker can be a very useful tool for anyone—even people who are well aware of where their money goes. Tracking your expenses can help you determine where your money goes and where you can make cuts. It may even help you identify things you didn't even know you're spending your money on, such as forgotten subscriptions that you may not use (like streaming video and monthly deliveries), and areas where you may find excessive spending, such as that daily coffee run. Yes, expense trackers work as long as you put in the work and are honest about your spending. If you're determined to make changes and improve your financial situation, an expense tracker can be a valuable tool. For trackers to work, you have to be honest about your spending. This means logging every dollar you spend (some trackers will do this automatically if you sync up your bank account), whether the money goes through your account or you pay for something in cash. It may seem daunting at first, but it will get easier once you get into a routine. You can track daily personal expenses on your mobile device using an expense tracking app for iPhone or Android, or you could opt for paper tracking while reviewing and reconciling your online credit card or bank statements regularly. Your personal preferences will dictate which option is best for you. Some expense tracker apps are tailored for personal use, while others are designed for small business use. If you need to track business expenses, opt for an app like QuickBooks Accounting or Expensify. An expense tracking app could help simplify the process of tracking your monthly payments. If you’re interested in doing so for your small business, an app like Quickbooks Accounting may be a good choice. Expense tracker apps vary in cost, although many are free. Paid apps are typically less than $10 per month, although if you want business features like invoice creation and management, you’re more likely to pay well above that. Before paying for an expense tracker app, check to see if there’s a free trial. A lot of apps offer 30 days to test drive all of their features. Many expense tracker apps are free or low cost, so explore your options and decide if you need a paid app. These apps can help you gain control of your finances, pay down debt, and grow your net worth. Some even allow you to upload receipts, track mileage, and send invoices, which are all helpful if you run a business. The best app for tracking personal expenses is one that lets you track and categorize your spending while also seeing your overall financial picture. It should be affordable, with the features you need to stay in control of your budget. Although they may seem the same, there are subtle differences between expense tracking and budgeting apps. Expense tracking apps tend to be for people who don't have any savings goals and don't know how much money they spend each month. These apps allow you to track all of your bill payments and expenses to give you a clear picture of where your money goes each month. You can then make adjustments and make spending cuts. Budgeting apps, on the other hand, are meant for people who plan their spending and savings and have clear goals in mind. Every dollar is accounted for and budgeted with care, including expenses like groceries and dining. There are no surprises with no extra or sudden costs. Open a New Account × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which we receive compensation. For more details, see our full advertiser disclosure. Institution Apy Min. To Earn Apy Highlights Open a New Account × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Dotdash receives compensation. Article Sources Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in oureditorial policy. Quickbooks. "Try Advanced Free for 30 days." Quickbooks. "Enjoy Exclusive Savings." QuickBooks. "Integrations." QuickBooks. "Manage Cash Flow." Empower. "Take control of your finances with our free Budget Planner." Empower. "Wealth Management." Expensify. "Pricing." Expensify. "How We Got Here." Everlance. "Pricing." PR News Wire. "Everlance Reaches 500,000 User Milestone and Launches New Partnerships With Xero and FreshBooks." Everlance. "Automatically track mileage & expenses." Nerdwallet. "Financial clarity all in one place." Crunchbase. "Nerdwallet." Related Terms What Is Quality of Life? Definition and Best Countries Quality of life is a highly subjective measure of happiness that is an important component of many financial decisions. more Financial Health: Definition and How to Measure and Improve It The state and stability of an individual's personal finances is called financial health. Here are ways to improve it. more Household Expenses: Types, Examples, and How to Compute For tax purposes, household expenses are a per-person breakdown of general living expenses. more What Is Discretionary Income? Vs. Disposable Income and Example Discretionary income is the amount of an individual's income that is left for spending, investing, or saving after taxes and necessities are paid. more Average propensity to consume measures the percentage of income that a person or an entire nation spends rather than saving or investing. more Discretionary Expense Definition, Examples, and Budgeting A discretionary expense is a cost that is not essential for the operation of a home or a business. moreBest Expense Tracker Apps for September 2024
Best for Small Businesses : QuickBooks Accounting
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Best for Investors : Empower (Formerly Personal Capital)
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Best for Receipt Saving : Expensify
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Best for Reimbursem*nt and Mileage : Everlance
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Free CPM Program: $12 billed monthly or $10 per month billed annually FAVR Program: $33 per month billed annually 30 automatic trips per month Unlimited automatic detection Unlimited automatic trip detection Unlimited manual start and stop trip tracking Automatic expense tracking with bank and credit card sync Automatic expense tracking with bank and credit card sync IRS-compliant reports Deduction finder Deduction finder Expense tracking with unlimited receipt uploads Trip auto-classification with work hours and commute Trip auto-classification with work hours and commute Advanced PDF and Excel reports Custom Excel & PDF data exports Customized 1x1 training and VIP customer support Best Free Option : NerdWallet
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The Bottom Line
Compare Expense Tracker Apps
Expense Tracker Apps Why We Picked It Key Benefit QuickBooks Accounting Best for Small Businesses Send and track invoices Empower Best for Investors Investment tools, advice, and management Expensify Best for Receipt Saving Automatically reads and imports receipt details for you Everlance Best for Reimbursem*nt and Mileage Automatically create an IRS-compliant mileage log and sync accounts to track expenses NerdWallet Best Free Option It’s completely free and helps you monitor your credit and expenses In the News
Guide to Choosing Expense Tracker Apps
What Is an Expense Tracker App?
Factors to Consider for Expense Tracker Apps
Expense Tracker Apps vs. Budgeting Apps
Pros and Cons of Expense Tracker Apps
Alternatives to Expense Tracker Apps
Why You Should Trust Us
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need an Expense Tracker?
Do Expense Tracker Apps Work?
How Do I Track Daily Personal Expenses?
How Do I Keep Track of My Monthly Payments?
How Much Does an Expense Tracker App Cost?
Is an Expense Tracker App Worth the Cost?
What Is the Best App to Track Personal Expenses?
What's the Difference Between an Expense Tracking App and a Budgeting App?
Guide to Expense Tracker Apps
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