By Cilar 
7 Best Budgeting Apps for College Students in 2025
Managing money as a college student can be tough. Between tuition, rent, food, and social life, expenses add up quickly. Luckily, budgeting apps make it easier to track your spending, save money, and stay in control of your finances. In this article, we’ll explore the 7 best budgeting apps for college students in 2025.
1. PocketGuard – Simple Budget Tracking
PocketGuard is perfect for students who want a straightforward way to see how much money they can spend after covering bills and savings goals.
- Easy “In My Pocket” feature shows what’s left to spend.
- Connects to bank accounts and cards.
- Helps prevent overspending.
2. YNAB (You Need A Budget) – Learn to Budget Like a Pro
YNAB is great for students who want to learn budgeting skills that last a lifetime. It follows the “give every dollar a job” method, helping you assign money to specific categories.
- Great for long-term money management.
- Teaches financial discipline.
- 34-day free trial for new users.
3. Goodbudget – Envelope Budgeting Made Digital
If you’ve heard of the envelope system, Goodbudget turns it into a digital tool. It’s excellent for students who want to control spending by category.
- Manual expense tracking for better awareness.
- Free version available.
- Works across multiple devices.
4. Fudget – Quick and Simple Budgeting
Fudget is the best choice if you don’t want complicated features. It lets you quickly create lists of income and expenses without syncing bank accounts.
- Minimalist design.
- No ads in the paid version.
- Best for simple expense lists.
5. Empower (formerly Personal Capital) – Best for Tracking Savings & Investments
For students starting to invest or save seriously, Empower offers excellent tracking tools for both budgeting and investments.
- Tracks net worth and cash flow.
- Investment insights included.
- Free to use basic version.
6. EveryDollar – Zero-Based Budgeting
Created by Dave Ramsey’s team, EveryDollar helps students use zero-based budgeting, where every dollar is assigned a purpose.
- Easy to set up and use.
- Paid version allows account syncing.
- Popular among beginners.
7. Monarch Money – Modern Budgeting for Students
Monarch Money is a newer budgeting app with a clean interface and strong collaboration features, perfect for students who share expenses with roommates or partners.
- All-in-one budgeting and goal tracking.
- Customizable dashboards.
- Free trial available.
Final Thoughts
Budgeting apps are powerful tools for college students who want to take control of their finances. Whether you prefer something simple like Fudget or an advanced tool like YNAB, there’s a perfect app out there for your needs.
Pro Tip: Start with a free trial to see which app matches your style before committing!