Simplifi by Quicken

Simplifi by Quicken is the best budgeting app for people who find YNAB overwhelming and want smart automation with less manual effort. The Spending Plan feature differs from traditional category budgeting: it starts with income, subtracts bills (automatically identified recurring charges), allocates to savings goals, and shows you what remains for flexible spending — without requiring you to set category limits for every grocery trip. This approach handles irregular income better than most apps because it responds to actual transactions rather than predefined budgets. Cost: $47.99/year — the lowest of any premium budgeting app. Quicken has been in personal finance software since 1983, which means the underlying transaction infrastructure is battle-tested. The limitation: the mobile app is less polished than Copilot or Monarch, and the desktop experience is stronger than mobile.