PocketGuard App Review for 2025

PocketGuard is a budget app that offers a user-friendly alternative to traditional spreadsheets. It allows you to connect your financial accounts, set spending categories, and manage recurring bills with ease.

We recently tested both the iOS app and web-based version of PocketGuard to explore its features and determine its value for users.

PocketGuard is a popular money-management platform with over a million users. The free version offers basic budgeting features such as:

• Linking and syncing two financial accounts.

• Creating a manual cash account to track income and bank balances.

• Adding and monitoring recurring bills.

• Setting up a limited number of spending categories.

PocketGuard Plus is the premium version that unlocks unlimited bank connections, cash accounts, and spending categories. It also includes advanced features like goal setting, debt payoff planning, and subscription tracking.

One of PocketGuard’s standout features is the “Leftover” balance, which shows the remaining money after accounting for all monthly expenses. This figure is prominently displayed on the dashboard of the app and web version.

Free version: The basic version of PocketGuard is free to use but has limited access to premium features. It also restricts users to only two budget categories.

Paid version: PocketGuard Plus can be purchased for $74.99 per year or $12.99 per month, removing all restrictions and providing full access to features.

Free trial: Users can start with a 7-day free trial to test the app before committing to a subscription.

Lifetime membership: During our evaluation, we discovered a lifetime membership option for $149.99, providing long-term access to PocketGuard Plus at a discounted rate.

To maximize the benefits of PocketGuard, users need to actively track recurring bills, set up spending categories, and monitor transactions regularly.

Users can streamline the process by connecting their checking, savings, and credit card accounts within PocketGuard. The app utilizes partnerships with Finicity, Plaid, and Apple Wallet to securely retrieve financial data. This automated process ensures that account balances and transactions are updated regularly, simplifying the detection of income and recurring expenses.

Alternatively, users can manually create a cash account to input bank balances and transactions. PocketGuard Plus is required to link multiple bank accounts or set up multiple cash accounts.

Add bills: PocketGuard automatically recognizes recurring bills when external accounts are linked. Users can also manually input bills in the “plan” section of the app or desktop site.

Set budgets: The “plan” section allows users to establish spending categories and limits for variable expenses, known as “budgets” in the app. The app tracks spending against each budget category as transactions are made.

Review what’s leftover: After accounting for all planned expenses, PocketGuard displays the projected leftover balance (estimated income minus bills and spending) for users to assess their financial standing and make adjustments accordingly.

The premium features in PocketGuard Plus allow users to establish personalized savings goals and create strategies for paying off debt.

Financial goals can be useful for users saving towards specific objectives like a new car. In the “goals” section, users can input target amounts, monthly contributions, and track progress over time.

Debt payoff features help users prioritize and visualize loan repayment using strategies like the debt avalanche or debt snowball. By inputting loan details, APR, and monthly targets, users can create a personalized payoff schedule integrated into their budget.

Subscription tracking is another premium feature that analyzes bank and credit card transactions to identify and provide instructions for canceling unwanted subscriptions.

• The free version of PocketGuard is a great starting point for beginners.

• Basic features like recurring bills and budget categories promote good financial habits.

• Plus users can automate budgeting by linking multiple accounts.

• The lifetime membership option offers long-term affordability for dedicated users.

• The basic version of PocketGuard lacks advanced features.

• Limitations on budget categories in the free version may lead some users to prefer traditional spreadsheets.

Reddit serves as a platform for users to share their opinions on various topics, including budgeting apps like PocketGuard. Our research into Reddit discussions revealed mixed feedback on the app. While some users appreciate the free and lifetime access options, others express frustration over slow development and feature delays.