Envelope budgeting is simple: every dollar of income goes into a category (an envelope), and you spend only what is in it. Bank sync is optional. Plenty of people prefer to enter or import transactions themselves, because they do not want to hand a bank login to a third party, because they like the awareness it gives them, or because bank connections break. This guide compares six apps that work without bank sync, plus two non-app options, using prices we checked on 29 September 2026.
Disclosure: we make Zeroed, one of the six. We list its weaknesses too, and where another app is the better fit we say so.
Envelope apps that work without bank sync
| App | Price | Bank sync | Without it | Where your data lives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodbudget | Free (limited), or Premium $80/year ($10/month) | Premium only, US banks | Manual entry is the default | Goodbudget’s cloud |
| Actual Budget | Free, open source | Optional (GoCardless, SimpleFIN) | Manual entry and file import | Your device; sync through a server you run or rent |
| Buckets | $64 once | Optional (file import, SimpleFIN Bridge) | Manual entry and file import | Your device |
| Zeroed | $19.99 once (founder price until 14 Feb 2027, then $39.99) | None, by design | Manual entry, plus CSV, PDF, OFX, QFX and QIF import | Your device, encrypted; optional sync through your own Google Drive |
| YNAB | $14.99/month or $109/year | Yes, select US, Canadian, UK and EU banks | Manual entry and file import | YNAB’s cloud |
| EveryDollar | Free, or Premium $79.99/year ($17.99/month) | Premium only | The free plan is manual entry | Ramsey’s cloud |
Sources: Goodbudget, Actual Budget, Buckets, YNAB, EveryDollar and Zeroed. Prices are before tax. For the full cost of each over five years, see seven YNAB alternatives with prices checked.
Do you actually need bank sync?
Bank sync saves typing and catches every transaction. That is a real benefit, and if entering transactions would make you quit budgeting, use an app that has it.
The costs are worth knowing before you choose:
- Your login goes to a third party. Apps that link to your bank do it through aggregation services, which hold the credentials or access tokens for your accounts.
- Connections break. Banks change their sign-in rules and connections need re-authorising. Anyone who has used a synced app knows the “reconnect your bank” banner.
- It can make budgeting passive. When transactions arrive on their own, some people find they review what already happened instead of deciding before they spend. That is a habit trade-off, not a fact about everyone, and plenty of people budget well with sync.
There is also a middle path that needs no bank login at all: import a statement file (CSV, OFX or QFX) once a week or once a month. Most banks let you download one from online banking, and apps such as Actual Budget, Buckets, Zeroed and YNAB can import them.
A weekly routine that works without sync
Twenty minutes a week is enough:
- Assign your income. Give every dollar a category, until the amount left to assign is zero.
- Log or import. Enter the week’s spending as you go, or import your bank statement file.
- Reconcile. Compare the app’s balance with your bank’s balance. If they differ, find the missing or duplicate transaction now, while you still remember it.
- Mid-week check. Look at the envelopes that are running low and move money from one you are not using. Envelope budgeting works because you decide where money is allowed to go before you spend it.
The six apps in a paragraph each
Goodbudget is built around envelopes and defaults to manual entry, on the web, iPhone and Android. The free plan gives you 10 regular and 10 extra envelopes, one account, two devices and a year of history. Premium removes those limits and adds bank sync for US banks. Trade-off: your budget lives in Goodbudget’s cloud, and the free plan’s one-account limit is tight.
Actual Budget is free, open source and local-first, with envelope budgeting and optional bank sync. It works offline and syncs in the background once you have set up a server. Trade-off: multi-device sync needs technical comfort, and support comes from the community.
Buckets is an independent envelope app sold as a one-time $64 purchase for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, with an untimed free trial. Trade-off: it is a small project, so polish and features arrive at indie pace.
Zeroed is ours: zero-based envelope budgeting with your data encrypted on your own device, no account, and a 34-day fully unlocked trial. Trade-offs: no bank sync at all, no web app, and no shared budgets yet. Its long guide to switching from YNAB shows what setup looks like.
YNAB popularised the method and offers bank sync, courses and a shared-budget option, but it is a cloud subscription. You can still work in it without linking a bank, using manual entry or file import. See what YNAB costs in 2026.
EveryDollar is a zero-based budgeting app from Ramsey Solutions. The free plan is manual entry; Premium adds bank connections. Trade-off: the monthly Premium price is higher than YNAB’s, and the annual plan is the good deal.
Paper and spreadsheets
Two options need no app and no account. Cash envelopes are the original: put the month’s cash for a category in a physical envelope and stop spending when it is empty. Our free cash envelope ledger sheets give you printable sheets to track each envelope by hand. Spreadsheets are free and flexible, and you build and maintain the system yourself. Neither gives you receipt scanning, bill reminders or mobile entry, which is what an app adds.
Which should you choose?
- You want it free and don’t mind tinkering: Actual Budget.
- You want it free and simple, with limits: Goodbudget’s free plan or EveryDollar’s free plan.
- You want to pay once: Buckets ($64) or Zeroed ($19.99 at the founder price).
- You want bank sync, and a subscription is fine: YNAB, or one of the cheaper options in our alternatives comparison.
- You want no software at all: cash envelopes and a ledger sheet.
If you are also weighing apps that work without a connection, see our guides to a budgeting app that works without internet and the best offline budget app for Windows.
Frequently asked questions
What is envelope budgeting? A method where every dollar of income is assigned to a category, called an envelope, and spending stops when an envelope is empty. Digital versions do this in an app instead of with cash. It is closely related to zero-based budgeting.
Can I do envelope budgeting without bank sync? Yes. Most envelope apps work with manual entry or by importing a statement file, and some (Zeroed among them) have no bank sync at all.
Which envelope budgeting app is free? Actual Budget is free and open source. Goodbudget and EveryDollar both have free plans, with limits on Goodbudget and manual entry only on EveryDollar.
Is there an envelope budgeting app with a one-time price? Buckets ($64 once) and Zeroed ($19.99 once at the founder price, then $39.99) are one-time purchases.
Do envelope budgeting apps work offline? Actual Budget, Buckets and Zeroed keep your data on your device and work without a connection. Cloud apps such as Goodbudget, YNAB and EveryDollar need an internet connection to sync.
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