Subscription budgeting web app with envelope-style planning, bank sync and multi-asset accounts
- Envelope
- Zero-based
- Expense tracking
Liquid Budget
Web and mobile envelope budgeting with Plaid or SimpleFIN bank sync at $5/month.
Research-based review, not hands-on testing. Last researched .
Overview
Liquid Budget is a subscription web app with iOS and Android companions for zero-sum envelope budgeting: money is assigned to categories until nothing is left unassigned. It includes credit card payment handling, recurring transactions, projections, net-worth and spending reports, and a developer API. Bank imports run through Plaid or an optional SimpleFIN connection, and a YNAB import is offered.
Best for: People who want a low-cost, web-first envelope budget with mobile apps and optional bank sync, including those moving an existing envelope budget over.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Envelope-style assignment with per-card credit card payment tracking
- Bank sync through Plaid is included in the subscription; SimpleFIN is an optional alternative
- Single flat price, $5/month or $50/year, with a 45-day trial that needs no card
- Reports cover net worth, debt overview, assignment history and income vs expense
- Data export, daily per-budget backups and a developer API are listed
- Import from OFX/QFX/QIF files and from another envelope app's export
Cons
- No free tier; the mobile apps only work with an active subscription
- Run by what appears to be a single developer, so continuity depends on one person
- Small user community; store rating counts are in the dozens
- Bank sync is limited to Plaid and SimpleFIN; other providers are not offered
- Debt payoff planning and investment tracking are not confirmed (investments only appear as off-budget accounts)
Features
- Envelope budgeting included
- Automatic bank sync included
- Manual transaction entry included
- 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 included
- Shared / household budgets not confirmed not confirmed
- Separate logins for shared budgets not confirmed not confirmed
Account groups, quick-assign goals, recurring transactions, projections, tags, reports, bulk import, export, backups, API
Our review
Short version
Liquid Budget is a subscription web app with iOS and Android companions for zero-sum envelope budgeting: money is assigned to categories until nothing is left unassigned. It includes credit card payment handling, recurring transactions, projections, net-worth and spending reports, and a developer API. Bank imports run through Plaid or an optional SimpleFIN connection, and a YNAB import is offered.
Quick profile, not a full review. Built on 2026-09-29 from the vendor site, store listings and public sources. No hands-on testing: I did not sign up, start a trial or connect a bank.
Cost
- $5/month USD
- $50/year USD
- Trial: 45-day free trial, no credit card required
Not confirmed
Launch year (existing 2017 not verified); Exact date of last app release; Debt payoff feature; Bill reminders; Shared/household budgets; Import formats beyond those listed; Google Play rating 4.4 (24 reviews) differs slightly from App Store 5.0 (30 ratings).
Notes
Vendor says it ships weekly updates (not independently verified).
Ratings are set separately against a shared rubric.
Liquid Budget alternatives
Envelope budgeting with Plaid bank sync on web and iPhone
- Envelope
- Zero-based
- Expense tracking
Bank-linked budget app that shows how much is left to spend after bills and goals
- Envelope
- Zero-based
- Expense tracking