Disclosure: VaultFlow is ours. Goodbudget is not, and we have no deal with its makers. Both get the same four fields below, including their drawbacks.
Short answer
If you want envelope budgeting shared with a partner across phones and the web, Goodbudget does that — and its free plan is generous. If you want free budgets plus bills and your whole net worth, on one device, pick VaultFlow.
Goodbudget uses the envelope method with virtual envelopes. The free, ad-free version includes 10 regular and 10 annual envelopes, and backs your budget up so it can be shared across phones and the web. A subscription adds unlimited envelopes and accounts, automatic bank sync, five devices and seven years of history.
VaultFlow isn’t an envelope app: each category gets a budget, and bills, credit cards, investments and your home sit alongside it. It is free, with no sync between devices yet.
Pick VaultFlow if
- You want bills and net worth, not just a budget
- You want no limits in the free app
- You don’t want your budget on anyone’s server
Pick Goodbudget if
- You like the envelope method
- You share a budget with a partner on two phones
- You want a web app too
Side by side
| VaultFlow (ours) | Goodbudget | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — no subscription | Free (10 regular + 10 annual envelopes); subscription for unlimited |
| Account needed | None | A Goodbudget account |
| Getting transactions in | Import your bank’s statement file (CSV, OFX or QFX — duplicates skipped), describe your money in plain words, or add it yourself | Add on the go; bank sync with a subscription |
| Budgets | A budget and a colour on each category; refunds lower spending instead of counting as income | Envelope budgeting with scheduled fills |
| Net worth | Accounts, any number of credit cards, investments with live prices, your home, loans and goals | Bank balances and debt payoff tracking |
| Sharing and devices | Not synced between devices yet — move by exporting and importing a file | Shared across phones and the web; five devices on the paid plan |
The two apps in detail
VaultFlow
Ours
- Best for
- People who want their whole net worth in one place without giving an app their bank login
- Highlights
- Assets, debts, property and investments in one net worth, with live prices for holdings
- Import the CSV, OFX or QFX statement your bank already gives you — duplicates skipped
- Or let ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini do the typing with ready-made prompts
- No bank login and no account; your data stays on your device and exports any time as a spreadsheet
- Pricing
- Free
- Watch out
- There is no automatic bank sync — to update, you import the statement file your bank lets you download (CSV, OFX or QFX) or add numbers yourself. It doesn’t sync between devices yet, needs iOS 26.2 or later, and runs on iPhone and iPad only.
Goodbudget
- Best for
- Couples who want envelope budgeting on two phones and the web
- Highlights
- Virtual envelope budgeting
- Shared across phones and the web
- Debt progress and income vs spending reports
- Pricing
- Free with 10 regular and 10 annual envelopes; subscription for unlimited
- Watch out
- Bank sync, unlimited envelopes and full history are paid, and your budget lives on Goodbudget’s servers.
The real difference: envelopes to share, or the whole picture on your phone
Goodbudget is built for two people spending from the same plan. The envelope method and cloud backup make that work, and the free plan is enough for many households.
VaultFlow is built for one person who wants the whole picture — budget, bills, cards, investments, home and loans — free, private, and on one device.
Other options
Every app of this kind we have compared is in the best net worth tracker apps for iPhone.
Common questions
Is Goodbudget free?
Yes. The free, ad-free version includes 10 regular and 10 annual envelopes.
Goodbudget free vs paid: what’s the difference?
The subscription adds unlimited envelopes and accounts, automatic bank sync, five devices and seven years of history.
Is VaultFlow an envelope budgeting app?
No. Each category gets a budget and a monthly limit, next to your bills and net worth.
Can I share VaultFlow with my partner?
Not yet. It keeps your data on one iPhone or iPad; you can export and import a file to move it.
App Store listings checked on 29 September 2026. Prices change — each entry describes how an app is paid for rather than a number that goes stale.
Published · No affiliate links
MMA.socialUFC fan ratings
TrendingPunjabiPunjabi music charts
BoldOpinionAnonymous hot takes
brolic.ioGym leaderboards