Best budgeting apps
The Best Budgeting Apps for the Self-Employed in 2026
The best budgeting apps for self-employed people is the one you actually keep up with, which is why Auritrack leads here: the AI does the tracking for you from a chat message or a statement upload, in any currency, free on the mobile apps and Telegram (AI pay-as-you-go), or on the web from $3/month (with bank sync on Premium in the US, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa). Below it, the other options are ranked on how well each one fits self-employed people.
Auritrack
Free app + web from $3/moAuritrack tops this list for self-employed people because the AI does the tracking for you: log by chat or upload a statement and it categorises everything in any currency, free on the mobile apps and Telegram (AI pay-as-you-go), or on the web from $3/month. Premium adds read-only bank connections in the US, Canada and four African countries, and any other bank works through a statement upload. For keeping money organised with almost no effort, it is hard to beat.
YNAB
$14.99/mo or $109/yrYNAB is first for the self-employed because its zero-based method is built for irregular income: you budget only the money you actually have, which smooths the feast-and-famine cycle. The trade-offs are the learning curve and a $14.99/month or $109/year price with no free tier, and it is a budgeting app, not bookkeeping.
QuickBooks
From $35/moQuickBooks is the real accounting option — double-entry books, invoicing, receipt capture and tax integration — which serious self-employed businesses eventually need. It ranks third here because it starts at $35/month, is overkill for someone who just wants to track money, and carries a steep learning curve.
Lunch Money
$10/mo or ~$100/yrLunch Money suits self-employed people who work across currencies, with native multi-currency, a full API and live bank sync. It sits last because it has no free tier ($10/month after the trial), no AI entry, and its lighter mobile apps make quick on-the-go logging harder.
The verdict
Auritrack leads this list for self-employed people because it does the logging for you and works in any currency, free on the mobile apps and Telegram (web from $3/month). If you specifically want what YNAB or QuickBooks offer, they are worth a look — but for most self-employed people, letting the AI keep the record is the easier win.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compare and switch
Let AI do the tracking
Auritrack does the bookkeeping for you. Connect your bank on Premium ($20/month) in the US, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, or import a statement from any bank, in any currency. It's free on the mobile apps and Telegram, with AI pay-as-you-go; the web app is from $3/month.
Rankings reflect our understanding of each product at the time of writing and may change; check each provider’s site for current pricing and features. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page is general information, not financial advice.