Budgeting without bank sync
A budget app that never asks for your bank login
Most budgeting apps start by asking you to link your bank. Wally doesn't. It keeps your budget on your phone: tell it when you get paid, add your bills, and your balance updates itself. It is free to start on iPhone and Android.
Why people don't want to link a bank account
Linking a bank usually means signing in through a data aggregator such as Plaid, which then passes your transactions to the app. The established apps do this securely, but you are still giving a third party ongoing access to your account history.
Connections also break. Banks change their sign-in flows, security prompts expire, and transactions stop arriving until you reconnect, which is exactly when a budget quietly drifts out of date.
And some money never shows up in a bank feed at all: cash, a shared household pot, or a card from a bank the app does not support.
How Wally works without your bank
- Payday balance
- Tell Wally when you get paid and how much. Your balance moves on payday without you touching it.
- Bills
- Add your monthly bills with their due dates and Wally reminds you before they land.
- Tap to Pay
- Pay with your phone and Wally can pick the purchase up on its own, ready for you to check or already filed.
- Your own categories
- Spending goes into categories you make yourself, each with its own budget.
- Household budgets
- If you share money with someone, a household budget puts the same categories in front of both of you.
- An assistant that reads your numbers
- Ask “Where am I overspending?” or “How much can I save this month?” and get an answer from your own budget.
Moving from another app or a spreadsheet? Import your history with the CSV template.
Budget apps that work without linking a bank
| App | Works without a bank login? | How transactions get in | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wally | Yes, always | Manual entry + CSV import | Free to start; All Access $2.99/mo or $29.99/yr |
| Goodbudget | Yes, on the free plan | Manual entry; bank sync on Premium (US banks) | Free tier, or Premium $10/mo or $80/yr |
| EveryDollar | Yes, on the free plan | Manual on free; automatic sync on Premium | Free tier, or Premium $17.99/mo or $79.99/yr |
| Actual Budget | Yes, bank sync is optional | Optional, via third-party bridges | Free (open source; paid hosting optional) |
| Rocket Money | No, bank sync on every plan | Automatic bank sync on all tiers | Free tier; Premium ~$7–$14/mo (you choose); Premium+ $15/mo |
Looking for a Rocket Money alternative that doesn't need your bank?
Rocket Money connects to your bank on every plan, because that is how it finds your subscriptions. Its free plan allows only a couple of custom budgets and no manual transactions. Premium is about $7 to $14 a month, and Premium+ is $15.
If what you want is a budget you plan yourself, without handing over a bank login, Wally does that. It will not find or cancel subscriptions for you, so keep Rocket Money's free plan if that is the job you need done.
Best Rocket Money alternatives · Wally vs Rocket Money · Rocket Money review
Frequently asked questions
Is there a budget app that does not link to your bank account?
Yes. Wally never asks for your bank login: you tell it about your income, bills and spending, purchases you pay for with your phone can log themselves, and you can import history from a CSV file. Goodbudget and EveryDollar on their free plans, and the open-source Actual Budget, also work without a bank connection.
Is it safer to budget without linking your bank?
It removes one risk entirely: no budgeting app or data aggregator holds ongoing access to your bank account. Wally keeps your budget on your phone, and you can lock the app behind Face ID.
How do transactions get into Wally without bank sync?
You log them, which takes a few seconds per purchase. Purchases you pay for with your phone can be picked up automatically, and you can bring in past transactions from a spreadsheet with the CSV import template.
Is Wally free?
Wally is free to start on iPhone and Android, and core budgeting is free. All Access is an optional upgrade at $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.
What is a good Rocket Money alternative that does not need my bank?
Wally, if what you want is a budget you plan yourself. It does not connect to your bank and will not cancel subscriptions for you, but it gives you category budgets, bill reminders and a payday balance on iPhone and Android.