# Dollar Wise review > Bank-synced 50/30/20 budget with a weekly swipe review and a safe-to-spend figure Source: https://budgetingapps.org/apps/dollar-wise (researched 2026-10-12). Research-based review, not hands-on testing. ## Summary Dollarwise is a subscription budgeting app from Hammer Media, the company of YouTuber Caleb Hammer. It syncs US bank accounts, sorts spending into needs, wants and savings/debt through a weekly swipe review, builds a plan on the 50/30/20 split, and shows how much is safe to spend. Version 7.1.0 (Oct 2026) added split transactions, notes and tags. It runs on web, iOS and Android. **Best for:** US users who want a simple bank-synced view of spending and a safe-to-spend number rather than detailed envelope control ## Key facts - Website: https://dollarwise.com/ - Price: $14.99/month; Website currently shows $179.88/year ($8.33/mo equivalent), then says renewal at $99.99/year—internally inconsistent. Play lists $9.99/mo for 3 months, then $14.99/mo. Verify checkout price. - Rating: 2.6/5 - Free plan: no - Free trial: 3-day free trial per the Google Play listing; the App Store text says free trial without a length - Platforms: Android, iOS, Web - Budgeting method: Expense tracking, Financial management - Founded: 2025 - Bank sync: Yes, via Plaid and Quiltt (US institutions; Canada may be unreliable) - Mobile apps: iOS and Android (iPad app also runs on Apple silicon Macs) - Import: Not confirmed - Multiple budgets: Not confirmed - Team: Hammer Media LLC (Austin, TX) - Privacy: FAQ says no data sale and no ads; policy mentions optional 2-step verification and deletion on request; Play lists encryption in transit. At-rest encryption and independent audit not stated. ## Features - Envelope budgeting: not confirmed - Automatic bank sync: yes - Manual transaction entry: yes - Goal tracking: not confirmed - Debt payoff tools: not confirmed - Investment tracking: not confirmed - Bill reminders: not confirmed - Reports & charts: not confirmed - Multi-currency: not confirmed - Shared / household budgets: not confirmed - Separate logins for shared budgets: not confirmed ## Pros - Bank sync with a weekly swipe review that sorts transactions into needs, wants and savings/debt; an independent reviewer called the swipe flow easy to use. - Safe-to-spend figure shows what is left after bills, debt and savings. - Custom categories, merchant-based recategorization and an adjustable 50/30/20 plan. - Version 7.1.0 (Oct 1, 2026) added split transactions, notes, tags with filters, and options for balance-only accounts. - Manual accounts are supported alongside linked accounts. - Insights are rule-based rather than model-generated, per the vendor, with dismiss/undo controls. - Vendor FAQ states it does not sell data and shows no ads; funded by subscriptions. - Frequent releases: several in 2026, latest on Oct 1; web, iOS and Android available. ## Cons - Pricey: $14.99/month after the intro period, or roughly $80-100 a year depending on channel. - Store reviews report weak auto-categorization and a missing rule feature for recurring items; goal tracking and sinking funds were not found. - Recurring items appear to be only a built-in tag; no scheduled bills or forecast were found in the docs. - Some reviewers complain about billing, account-connection drops and upsell emails. - US-only; Canadian bank connections may be unreliable and Europe, Asia and Australia are not supported. - Prices differ between the website and App Store, and old purchase tiers still appear in the store. - Store ratings are middling (about 3.8 on iOS, 3.6 on Android), and no open reports or audit of the security setup were found. ## Our review ### Short version Dollarwise is a subscription budgeting app from Hammer Media, the company of YouTuber Caleb Hammer. It syncs US bank accounts through Plaid and Quiltt, sorts spending into needs, wants and savings/debt through a weekly swipe review, builds a plan on the 50/30/20 split, and shows a safe-to-spend figure. It runs on web, iOS and Android. The App Store history shows it launched in January 2025 under an earlier name and was later renamed. **Research-based profile, not hands-on testing.** Built on 2026-10-06 from the vendor site, privacy policy, store listings and public reviews. I did not sign up, start a trial or connect a bank. ### How it works You connect accounts, set a monthly income, and the app proposes a plan across needs, wants and savings (debt payments above the minimum count as savings). Each week you swipe through new transactions to confirm their bucket, which the vendor pitches as about five minutes. Custom categories and merchant-based recategorization were added in 2026. Insights come from rules the vendor says it can explain, not a model. Version 7.1.0 (Oct 1, 2026) added split transactions, notes, built-in tags (Taxable, Business, Reimburse, Recurring) with filtering, and account settings for balance-only accounts. The Recurring item is a tag; I found no scheduled bills or forecast feature. ### Cost - Monthly: $9.99/month for the first 3 months, then $14.99/month. - Yearly: the website showed $99.99 with a $79.99 discounted price through 10/9; the App Store lists $89.99 yearly and $39.99 quarterly. These conflict, so check the checkout screen. - Trial: Google Play says 3 days; the App Store text gives no length. - No permanent free tier. The App Store also still lists older 'Central' purchases ($149.99 and $499/year); I could not tell whether they are sold today. ### Privacy and data The vendor FAQ says it does not sell data and has no ads, and that bank connections go through Plaid and Quiltt. The privacy policy (revised Feb 2025) says Dollarwise never sees bank logins, mentions optional 2-step verification, and says it will deactivate or delete an account on request. Google Play lists data encrypted in transit. Encryption at rest, independent audits and data export were not confirmed. The same policy also says targeted ads for the app itself may run on other platforms, and the App Store label lists advertising. ### Who it suits US users who want automatic transaction import, a light weekly check-in and a simple 50/30/20 frame rather than detailed category control. People who want envelope-style targets, scheduled bills, sinking funds or goal tracking will likely find it thin: an independent reviewer in June 2026 liked the swipe flow but wanted better saving tools, and store reviewers ask for rules and goals. ### What users say Store ratings are mixed: about 3.8 from 3.9K ratings on iOS and 3.6 from about 2.3K reviews on Google Play (100K+ installs). Recurring complaints are miscategorized transactions, accounts that stop syncing, and billing or upsell emails. The vendor also runs a paid referral program with a $1,500 earnings cap, so promotional coverage may be incentivized. Vendor-hosted testimonials were not counted. ### Not confirmed CSV import/export, multiple budgets, shared budgets, goal tracking, debt payoff tools, report types, reconciliation workflow, the status of the old 'Central' purchases, and encryption at rest. Ratings are set separately against a shared rubric. ## Sources - [Vendor home page and pricing](https://dollarwise.com/home) (retrieved 2026-10-12) - [Apple App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dollarwise-budget-tracking/id6739215932) (retrieved 2026-10-12) - [Google Play listing](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hammer.simplebudget&hl=en_US) (retrieved 2026-10-12) - [Vendor terms](https://dollarwise.com/terms-of-use) (retrieved 2026-10-12)