MMoneyBrilliant

As of September 2026, if I were choosing a budgeting app in Australia, I’d shortlist these first:

My actual recommendation

Start with Frollo if you want the best free, Australia-specific option that automatically pulls in transactions.

Choose WeMoney if you’re also focused on debt payoff, credit score tracking and financial wellness.

Choose PocketSmith if you want something more serious — forecasting, reports, desktop access, partner/household use, multiple banks, super/investments and long-term planning — and you’re willing to pay.

If you bank mainly with Up, CommBank or ANZ Plus, try your bank’s built-in budgeting tools first. For a lot of Australians, that’s “good enough” and easier to stick with.

Quick safety note for Australia

For apps that connect to your bank, prefer ones using Consumer Data Right / Open Banking rather than asking for your internet banking password. Under Australia’s CDR framework, accredited recipients can access your banking data only with consent, and the system is overseen by Australian regulators including the ACCC. (accc.gov.au)

Apps I’d avoid recommending as “current”

Don’t waste time looking for Pocketbook or MoneyBrilliant as current mainstream options. Pocketbook shut down on 5 August 2022, and MoneyBrilliant is no longer a live mainstream budgeting app business. (pocketsmith.com)

Here's a rundown of the budgeting apps most commonly used and recommended by Australians right now:

Free, bank-linked (Open Banking/CDR) apps

Frollo – Widely considered one of the top Australian-made options. It's the leading Australian-built personal finance app, purpose-built for the CDR framework, connecting to over 150 Australian financial institutions including all major banks, credit unions, and super funds. There's a free tier, with premium features for around $9.99/month, and features include spending categorisation, budget setting, net worth tracking, and financial health scoring.

WeMoney – One of the most downloaded budgeting apps in the country. It's the feature-complete free app, with more than 1.3 million Australian downloads, connecting your accounts through Open Banking and data partners, then showing balances, budgets, bills and net worth in one place. A nice bonus: its standout extras are free monthly Equifax and Experian credit scores, a debt-paydown toolkit, and an active community forum. A paid Pro tier exists too, at $9.99 AUD/month or $98.99 AUD/year, adding daily credit-file monitoring, unlimited custom categories, ad-free use and a desktop version.

MoneyBrilliant – Good if you want your super and investments alongside everyday spending. It's an Australian app supporting Open Banking with bank connectivity, budgeting, bill management, and super tracking, offering a free tier and a paid premium tier, plus financial health reporting and goal tracking — best for Australians who want to see their super and investments alongside everyday banking.

Neobank with built-in budgeting

Up Bank – Not a standalone app, but a genuine bank that a lot of Australians use as their budgeting tool. Up is a neobank (not a standalone budgeting app), but its built-in features make it one of the best tools for casual budgeters — think automatic savings "Saver" accounts and round-ups baked right into everyday banking.

Forecasting & cash-flow planning

PocketSmith – The pick if you want to see further ahead than just this month. If you want long-range forecasting and will pay for it, PocketSmith is the pick.

Structured, zero-based budgeting

YNAB (You Need A Budget) – A cult favourite among people who want a hands-on system. YNAB is the cult favourite for zero-based budgeting, where every dollar gets a job, and its bank connectivity for Australian institutions has improved, working with the major banks. The main downside is cost: it bills in US dollars at about $109 per year USD, which lands around $170 AUD per year at current exchange rates, making it the most expensive option by a wide margin. Goodbudget is often mentioned as a cheaper, envelope-style alternative for the same "assign every dollar" mindset.

Bill-splitting / pay-a-mate style

Beem – Popular for splitting shared costs rather than full budgeting. Beem (owned by Eftpos) is a free-to-download mobile payment app for sending and requesting money instantly via Osko, with a tracking and splitting feature for shared bills or group expenses, plus occasional Beembucks rewards.