Popular Finance Apps
Written by
Cara Bradley
10 min read
Updated: 09/04/2024
Whether you’re hoping to improve your credit score or save a bit of money, you can be sure that there will be an app to help you work towards your financial goals.
From budgeting to making savings, we looked into some popular personal finance apps on the market to get the low-down on their individual features.
Popular Finance Applications for:
Budgeting
1. Emma - Budget Planner Tracker
| App name | Emma – Budget Planner Tracker |
|---|---|
| What is it? | An app using open banking technology to combine your financial accounts in one place for easier budgeting and money management. The number of accounts you’re able to link will depend on the Emma plan you have in place. |
| Key features |
Free
Link up to two accounts. Set monthly budgets. Tool to track your spending from payday throughout the month. PlusLink up to four accounts Set budgets for certain merchants Access Cashback Rewards ProUnlimited account links. Set savings goals. Rolling budgets. UnlimitedUnlimited account links, plus the option to add business accounts. |
| Will using the app affect my credit score? | Rent reporting is a feature offered in the Emma Plus, Pro, and Ultimate packages. It feeds your rent payments back to the credit reference agencies each month, which, when used alongside other credit-building methods, could help to improve your credit score. |
| Available to download from | |
| Cost/ associated fees* |
Free to download. Emma basic: free to use. Emma Plus: £4.99 per month. Emma Pro: £9.99 per month. Emma Ultimate: £14.99 per month. |
| Financial Conduct Authority regulated? | Yes |
2. Snoop
| App name | Snoop |
|---|---|
| What is it? | An app designed to help users set and stick to a budget, while revealing personalised ways to save money. |
| Key features |
Snoop Basic
Create your own monthly budget or allow Snoop to set one for you based on your spending activity. Put category budgets in place to limit certain types of spending. All your accounts in one place. Access to your weekly spending report, offering insights into your habits to help you better manage your budget. Snoop PlusPayday-to-payday spend tracking. Unlimited spending alerts. Add unlimited spending categories. |
| Will using the app affect my credit score? | No. |
| Available to download from | |
| Cost/ associated fees* |
Free to download. Free to use, unless you opt for the Snoop Plus package, which is priced at £4.99 per month, or £39.99 for the year. |
| Financial Conduct Authority regulated? | Yes |
Saving Money
1. Plum: Smart Saving & Investment
| App name | Plum: Smart Saving & Investing |
|---|---|
| What is it? | Winner of the Best Personal Finance App 2023, Plum uses an array of smart features to put users in control of saving, budgeting, and investing. |
| Key features |
Link your bank accounts to conveniently view all your finances in one place. Using open banking technology, Plum analyses your transactions and uses this information to identify potential areas where you could save money. Option to allow Plum to automatically take portions of your money and deposit them into savings. Earn interest on Plum savings. Make investments. |
| Will using the app affect my credit score? | No. |
| Available to download from | |
| Cost/ associated fees* |
Free to download. Plum basic: free. Plum Pro: £2.99 per month. Plum Ultra: £4.99 per month. Plum Premium: £9.99 per month. |
| Financial Conduct Authority regulated? | Yes. |
2. Chip - Investments & Savings
| App name | Chip – Investments & Savings |
|---|---|
| What is it? | An app that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and open banking to scope out how much money users can comfortably afford to save. |
| Key features |
Chip Basic:
Personalised spending analysis and hints on where you can cut back and make savings. You can opt to have any money that can be saved automatically moved to your Chip savings account. Autosaves cost 45p each and take place every 4 days. Instant access savings account. Chip X Plan:Unlimited use of autosaves at no extra cost. |
| Will using the app affect my credit score? | When you sign up, you will be required to undergo a soft credit check; however, this will not be visible on your credit file to any other company and will not affect your credit score. |
| Available to download from | |
| Cost/ associated fees* |
Free to download. Chip Basic plan: free. ChipX Plan: £5.99 per month. |
| Financial Conduct Authority regulated? | Yes |
3. Olio
| App name | Olio |
|---|---|
| What is it? | An app designed to reduce waste – particularly food - in your local area. |
| Key features |
Use Olio to search for free and discounted items in your neighbourhood, advertised by people and businesses in your local area. This could be anything from clothes to food. Food staples may be items from participating supermarkets (such as Tesco) that are close to their sell-by date, or a fridge-full of goods from a neighbour due to go on holiday that would otherwise be thrown away. Let’s say you’re in need of a jetwash, but don’t want to buy one for the sake of one-off task. Olio can also be handily used to borrow items locally, potentially saving you money in the long run. Simply select the ‘borrow’ feature to begin browsing. |
| Will using the app affect my credit score? | N/A |
| Available to download from | |
| Cost/ associated fees* |
Free to download. Free to use. |
| Financial Conduct Authority regulated? | N/A |
Making Money
1. Vinted
| App name | Vinted |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A second-hand buying and selling site/app allowing users to make money by selling unwanted possessions as well as purchase items at a usually discounted rate. |
| Key features | Users are able to list items for sale, including clothes, shoes, homeware, toys, and unopened beauty products. |
| Will using the app affect my credit score? | N/A |
| Available to download from | |
| Cost/ associated fees* |
Free to download. Free to use. When you make a purchase, you will be expected to pay for the item(s) in full upfront, including postage fees. There are no seller fees. |
| Financial Conduct Authority regulated? | N/A |
2. Swagbucks: Surveys for Money
| App name | Swagbucks: Surveys for Money |
|---|---|
| What is it? | An app/site offering users the chance to earn money by taking surveys. |
| Key features |
Earn points by taking surveys and giving your opinion. Points can be redeemed for cash or gift cards. Surveys are matched to you based on your profile and interests. Whether it’s half-time at the football or on the train to work, surveys can be completed anytime, anywhere, allowing you the chance to earn on the go. |
| Will using the app affect my credit score? | No. |
| Available to download from | |
| Cost/ associated fees* |
Free to download. Free to use. |
| Financial Conduct Authority regulated? | N/A |
3. Storewards
| App name | Storewards |
|---|---|
| What is it? |
One of a number of ‘receipt snapping’ apps that allows users to add photos of their shopping receipts for money or gift cards. We’ve chosen just one receipt sharing app at random, but it’s worth noting that you can download and use multiple apps at the same time, earning money from each. |
| Key features |
Take photos of your shopping receipts from participating stores and upload up to 20 a week to the app. Receipts must be added within 14 days of the transaction and can be from both in-store and online purchases. ‘Coins’ are earned from each added receipt, and can be exchanged for PayPal cash or Amazon gift cards. |
| Will using the app affect my credit score? | No |
| Available to download from | |
| Cost/ associated fees* |
Free to download. Free to use. |
| Financial Conduct Authority regulated? | N/A |
Monitoring your Credit Score
1. Experian
| App name | Experian |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A site/app by one of the UK’s leading credit reference agencies, Experian. |
| Key features |
Basic features
Check your credit score. Access money-saving tips, articles and videos. Compare credit cards and loans. Additional features available on the paid upgrade, CreditExpertAlerts showing changes in your credit report. Use of Score History, which reveals how your score has changed over the past 6 months. An insight into factors that could be positively and negatively affecting your score. |
| Will using the app affect my credit score? | Using the app will not affect your credit score. The Experian app offers a range of articles and tips which may share ways in which you can work towards boosting your credit score. |
| Available to download from | |
| Cost/ associated fees* |
Free to download. The Basic programme is free to use; however, the CreditExpert upgrade is priced at £14.99 per month. |
| Financial Conduct Authority regulated? | Yes |
2. Intuit Credit Karma
| App name | Intuit Credit Karma |
|---|---|
| What is it? | Intuit Credit Karma works with credit reference agency TransUnion and offers an in-depth view into your credit score and how to improve it. |
| Key features |
Get insights into your credit score. Access personalised tips on how to achieve a healthier credit position. Receive alerts about changes in your score. Check your likelihood of being approved for loans and credit cards before you apply. Use an up-to-date graph to check your score progress. |
| Will using the app affect my credit score? | While your credit score will not be affected by the app, Intuit Credit Karma provides an array of services and hints that could help you improve your score. |
| Available to download from | |
| Cost/ associated fees* |
Free to download. Free to use. |
| Financial Conduct Authority regulated? | Yes. |
Final Thoughts: 'Appy Downloading!'
The features offered by various apps could provide an extra hand to help you get to where you want to be, financially. That may be by providing a platform to make money by selling unwanted clothes or giving you access to tools to set and keep track of your budget. Whatever app you decide to use, make sure you always read the terms and conditions before downloading.
*Prices correct as of April 3, 2024.
