Subscription budgeting web app with envelope-style planning, bank sync and multi-asset accounts
- Envelope
- Zero-based
- Expense tracking
Allocated
One-time-purchase Mac app for envelope-style budgeting with data kept in a local file
Research-based review, not hands-on testing. Last researched .
Overview
Allocated is a macOS-only budgeting app that uses envelope-style category budgeting, a guided start-of-month and end-of-month routine, and CSV bank import. Data is stored in a single JSON file on the user's Mac with rolling backups, with no account or cloud server. It is sold for a one-time fee after a 30-day trial, is distributed as a direct download through Gumroad, and is built by a single anonymous developer.
Best for: Mac users on a regular paycheck who want a subscription-free, offline envelope budget and are fine importing bank CSVs by hand
Pros and cons
Pros
- One-time $59 price with free updates stated on the vendor site; no subscription or tiers
- Data lives in a single local JSON file with automatic rolling backups; no account needed
- CSV import auto-detects formats from about 15 named US banks and learns categorization rules
- Guided monthly start and end-of-month workflows plus savings goal folders and net worth tracking
- Vendor states a 14-day no-questions refund window and a plain-language privacy note naming the only data sent to its servers
- Spending-by-category CSV export for any date range, per the vendor
Cons
- macOS only (macOS 11 or later); no Windows, web, iOS or Android version listed
- No bank sync mentioned; transactions come in via CSV import or manual entry
- Developer is anonymous and a solo effort, with no public changelog, release history or version number found
- Support and student discounts are handled by personal email only; no help center, FAQ or privacy page found as separate pages
- Direct download through a third-party storefront; no App Store listing, so no public ratings or version history to check
- No independent reviews found; every claim here comes from the vendor's own pages
- License checks send a key and a machine identifier to the vendor, so the app is not fully offline-only (financial data is not sent, per the vendor)
Features
- Envelope budgeting included
- Automatic bank sync not confirmed not confirmed
- Manual transaction entry not confirmed not confirmed
- Goal tracking included
- Debt payoff tools not confirmed not confirmed
- Investment tracking not confirmed not confirmed
- Bill reminders not confirmed not confirmed
- Reports & charts included
- Multi-currency not confirmed not confirmed
- Shared / household budgets not confirmed not confirmed
- Separate logins for shared budgets not confirmed not confirmed
Envelope budgeting, savings goal folders, CSV bank import with auto-categorization, guided monthly workflow, end-of-month report, net worth tracking, rolling backups
Our review
Short version
Allocated is a macOS-only budgeting app that uses envelope-style category budgeting, a guided start-of-month and end-of-month routine, and CSV bank import. Data is stored in a single JSON file on your Mac with rolling backups, with no account or cloud server. It is sold for a one-time fee after a 30-day trial and is built by a single anonymous developer.
Research-based profile, not hands-on testing. Refreshed on 2026-10-06 from the vendor's home page and its Gumroad product page. I did not sign up, start the trial or connect a bank.
Cost
- One-time $59, with free updates stated by the vendor and no tiers.
- $39 for current students and medical trainees, by emailing proof to the developer.
- 30-day free trial from first launch, no credit card; the Gumroad page also states a 14-day refund window.
- The BudgetingApps.org comparison table has shown a 3-day trial for this app. The vendor's own pages say 30 days, which is what this listing uses.
What it does
- Envelope-style budgeting: assign income to categories, move money between them, cover overspending at month end.
- Savings goal folders with progress bars, plus net worth tracking for cash, investments and liabilities.
- CSV import that auto-detects layouts from about 15 named US banks, with a generic detector and manual column mapping; categorization rules are learned after the first import.
- A guided workflow for starting and closing each month, a setup wizard and inline tips for beginners.
- CSV export of spending by category over a date range.
What is distinct
The angle is a keyboard-friendly, local-only Mac app with a guided monthly routine, aimed at people on a fixed paycheck, with one price and no subscription. The vendor's pitch leans on avoiding subscriptions rather than copying one specific product's design.
Privacy and data
The data file sits at a documented path in Application Support, and the vendor suggests backing it up with Time Machine or a synced folder. The vendor says the only things sent to its servers are the license key and a machine identifier for validation, plus any debug query you choose to send. There is no separate privacy policy page that I could find, and no independent audit.
Not confirmed
Founding year; version number or last release date (no changelog found); whether manual transaction entry, multi-currency, bill reminders, debt payoff or shared budgets are supported; whether multiple budgets are possible; independent reviews; any public roadmap.
Who it suits
Mac users on a regular paycheck who want a one-time purchase, an offline envelope budget and a guided monthly routine, and who are fine importing bank CSVs by hand. It will not suit anyone who needs bank sync, a phone app, other operating systems or a team behind the product.
Notes
Student/trainee price $39. Ratings are set separately against a shared rubric.
Sources
- Vendor home page (features, pricing, developer note)retrieved 2026-10-13
- Gumroad product page (system requirements, refunds, privacy, install)retrieved 2026-10-13
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