If traditional budgeting has not worked for you, there are good alternatives in Australia. Full money managers like Frollo and WeMoney are free and feature-rich. Power tools like PocketSmith and YNAB give you deep control. The Budgeting App suits people who like logging spending by hand. Cleer Money is the simple budgeting option: your bank transactions come in automatically and you sort each one into a want or a need.
The alternatives at a glance
| App | Approach | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleer Money | Money awareness, wants vs needs | Free tier, Pro $7.99/mo AUD | People who want a simple budget that runs itself |
| The Budgeting App | Manual logging, optional bank sync | Free tier, bank sync $11.99/mo AUD | People who prefer logging by hand |
| YNAB | Zero-based budgeting | USD $14.99/mo, no free tier | Committed active budgeters |
| WeMoney | Tracking, debt, credit score | Free | Debt payoff and credit monitoring |
| Frollo | Broad PFM, budgets, goals | Free | A free, full money manager |
| PocketSmith | Forecasting and planning | Free tier, paid from about USD $9.99/mo | Long-range planners and power users |
| Spreadsheets | Manual budgeting | Free to low | People who enjoy planning |
Competitor details last checked: 7 July 2026. Prices and features change often, and some are listed in USD, so confirm current details before you rely on this.
The Budgeting App
A manual-first spend tracker from New Zealand with weekly, fortnightly or monthly budgets, offline mode and Android support. Its Pro Sync plan adds Australian bank feeds through the Consumer Data Right and needs and wants sorting. See Cleer Money vs The Budgeting App.
YNAB
The gold standard for hands-on zero-based budgeting, where you assign every dollar a job before you spend. Proven, cross-platform and backed by a huge community, but it has a real learning curve and is priced in USD. Read the full Cleer Money vs YNAB comparison.
WeMoney
A free Australian app built around debt payoff, free credit scores and a social community, funded by connecting you to lending and product offers. Great value if you want a broad dashboard and your credit score. See Cleer Money vs WeMoney.
Frollo
A free Australian personal finance app and a genuine Consumer Data Right pioneer, with budgets, goals, net worth and no ads. A strong all-rounder for people who want the full picture at no cost. See Cleer Money vs Frollo.
PocketSmith
A power-user tool for long-range cash flow forecasting, multi-currency support and deep customisation. Ideal if you want to model your finances years ahead, less so if you want something quick. See Cleer Money vs PocketSmith.
Spreadsheets and manual budgeting
Free, flexible, private and genuinely effective for people who maintain them. The catch is the upkeep, which is where most people fall off. See Cleer Money vs budgeting and spreadsheets.
The simple budgeting option
Cleer Money is deliberately the simplest tool on this list. You do not have to budget every category, and there is no forecasting, credit scores or net worth. You connect your Australian bank through Open Banking (or add transactions manually or by CSV for free), sort each transaction into a want or a need and set weekly, fortnightly or monthly budgets. It is budgeting that keeps up with you instead of the other way round.
Learn the thinking in the money awareness method, read the FAQ, or try the want or need swipe on the homepage.