Free to Budget. Thrive to Go Deeper.

Is BetterBudgets free?

Yes, and budgeting always will be. Building a budget, tracking it paycheck by paycheck, reviewing your recent budgets, and every calculator cost nothing, and there is no clock on any of it. The Free plan unlocks the Minimum Effort plan and keeps the Builder to one income source, five housing bills, two expenses and two debts, repeating monthly. Thrive buys the reading of it — every plan the Builder generates, the deeper analytics, multiple budgets, and Canvas — not the doing of it.

What's the difference between BetterBudgets and other apps?

Most budgeting apps track where your money went. BetterBudgets helps you decide where it's going. Our future-based algorithm generates personalized multi-year budget plans in seconds — no bank connection needed. No other app does this.

Do I need to connect my bank account?

No. There is no bank integration in the product — fill in a few simple fields and get a real, personalized plan immediately. If enough people ask for a bank connection we may add one, but it would always be optional and never required. What will not change: your data is never sold, never used for advertising, and there are no ads in the app.

Is BetterBudgets financial advice?

No. BetterBudgets is a planning tool, not a financial advisor. Think of it as one giant calculator: its plans, projections, and calculator results are estimates built only from the figures you enter — they are not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. For decisions specific to your situation, talk to a qualified professional.

Why is it cheaper on the web?

Because the app stores take roughly 30% of anything bought inside an app, and a browser checkout does not. We pass that straight through rather than charging everyone the higher price. Subscribing here is $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, and there is a $149.99 lifetime option on the web that never renews; the subscription screen in the app shows the in-app price where you are. It is identical either way — same account, same features, and it works on your phone the moment you sign in.

I subscribed in the app — how do I move to web billing?

Cancel in the App Store or Google Play, let the period you have already paid for run out, then subscribe again here on the web. There is no way to transfer a live store subscription across, so the wait is unavoidable — but it is the same account either way, and nothing in your budgets is affected.

What currency are the prices in?

US dollars on the web. Inside the app, prices show in the currency of the store account you use — BetterBudgets is sold in 36 countries, and the subscription screen shows what is offered where you are.

What happens to my budgets on the free plan?

Nothing — they are still yours and nothing is deleted. Everything you built is kept; the paid plan just controls how much of it you can open. Resubscribe and it is all available again exactly as you left it.

How fast does BetterBudgets generate a budget plan?

Fast. You can expect up to 5 budget scenarios — each up to 10 years long — in under 10 seconds total. That's not 10 seconds per plan; the average is around 3 seconds a plan. The exact time depends on the complexity of your financial situation, but it's designed to be near-instant.

Can BetterBudgets help me pay off debt faster?

That’s exactly what it was built for. The algorithm lays out the fastest mathematical path to debt freedom, then shows you the gentler paths beside it so you can pick the one you can actually hold. Depending on your situation, it can save you up to 9 years — 3.3 years on average.

Which platforms does BetterBudgets run on?

iPhone, iPad, Android, and the web at app.betterbudgets.io. Canvas is at its best on a tablet with a stylus, but everything works everywhere, and it is one account across all of them.

Does it renew automatically?

Yes. A subscription renews at the end of each period unless you cancel at least 24 hours before it ends — the same rule the app stores apply. A lifetime purchase never renews.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes, and there is no contract. If you subscribed on the web, cancel from your account page here. If you subscribed inside the app, cancel through App Store or Google Play settings. Either way you keep Thrive until the end of the period you already paid for.

Can I get a refund?

Fees are non-refundable except where the law requires otherwise, or under the refund policy of whoever took the payment. If you bought inside the app, refunds are handled by Apple or Google rather than by us — we cannot issue them for a store purchase. Cancelling stops the next charge; it does not refund the current period.

Is there a free trial?

Not in the usual sense, and deliberately — the free plan is not a trial. It does not expire, it is not a cut-down demo, and budgeting stays free on it forever. There is one way to get Thrive for nothing: refer someone. When they use your code to subscribe you earn a free month, and if you are not already subscribed that month is Thrive access outright.