# Liquid Budget review

> Web and mobile envelope budgeting with Plaid or SimpleFIN bank sync at $5/month.
Source: https://budgetingapps.org/apps/liquid-budget (researched 2026-10-14). Research-based review, not hands-on testing.

## Summary

Liquid Budget is a subscription web app with iOS and Android companions for zero-sum envelope budgeting. It offers credit-card payment tracking, recurring transactions, projections, reports and a developer API. Bank sync uses Plaid or optional SimpleFIN; the vendor lists transaction-file imports and a budget migration path.

**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.

## Key facts

- Website: https://www.liquidbudget.com/
- Price: $5/month; $50/year
- Rating: 3.7/5
- Free plan: no
- Free trial: 45-day free trial, no credit card required
- Platforms: Android, iOS, Web
- Budgeting method: Envelope, Zero-based, Forecasting, Expense tracking
- Bank sync: Plaid (included) or SimpleFIN (optional, requires own account)
- Mobile apps: Yes: iOS and Android companion apps, subscription required
- Import: OFX/QFX/QIF files, GoCardless exports, and YNAB budget import
- Multiple budgets: Yes: budgets can be cloned or started fresh; per-budget backups
- Team: Individual developer listed on App Store (Anthony DePalma); size beyond that not confirmed
- Privacy: Vendor states data is encrypted, bank credentials are never seen, and data is not sold or shared; mobile store listing says no ads or trackers

## Features

- Envelope budgeting: yes
- Automatic bank sync: yes
- Manual transaction entry: yes
- Goal tracking: yes
- Debt payoff tools: not confirmed
- Investment tracking: not confirmed
- Bill reminders: not confirmed
- Reports & charts: yes
- Multi-currency: yes
- Shared / household budgets: not confirmed
- Separate logins for shared budgets: not confirmed

## 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.
- $5/month or $50/year, with a 45-day trial; the website says no card is needed, though app-store terms may vary.
- Reports cover net worth, debt overview, assignment history and income vs expense.
- Data export, daily per-budget backups and a developer API are listed.
- Imports include OFX/QFX/QIF and GoCardless files, plus a budget migration option.

## Cons

- No ongoing free tier; app use requires a subscription after the 45-day trial.
- The terms describe three months of read-only export access after cancellation, followed by data deletion.
- The vendor lists Plaid and SimpleFIN for bank sync; no other providers are documented.
- The web and mobile privacy descriptions should be read together: the policy describes account, transaction and usage data collection, while store disclosures are developer-provided.
- Debt payoff planning beyond card-payment tracking and investment tracking are not confirmed.

## 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 tracking, recurring transactions, projections, net-worth and spending reports, and a developer API. Bank imports use Plaid or an optional SimpleFIN connection; the site also offers a budget-import path.

**Quick profile, not a full review.** Built 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 or $50/year USD

- 45-day trial; the website says no card is required, while the terms note app-store trials may require a payment method

- Without a subscription after the trial, the account becomes read-only; the terms say account data is deleted after three months if no subscription begins. After cancellation, read-only export access lasts three months after paid access ends, then data is deleted.

### What stands out

The vendor's pages position it explicitly as a cheaper, fully featured envelope option and provide interactive demo/tutorial material. Distinctive listed tools include recurring items, projections, reports, a public API, and daily backups. The App Store release notes show ongoing feature updates, including reconciliation, reporting and card-summary changes in 2026.

### Bank sync, imports and privacy

The website says Plaid is included and SimpleFIN is optional; imported bank data can be delayed or incomplete, and the terms make users responsible for checking it. The site lists OFX/QFX/QIF and GoCardless transaction imports and a dedicated budget-import option. The privacy policy identifies the operator and describes account, budget, financial and usage data collection; bank credentials are entered through Plaid or SimpleFIN, not stored by the vendor. It also says data is not sold and describes service-provider sharing, analytics and retention. Store privacy disclosures are developer-provided.

### Mobile

Official iOS and Android companions are available; an active subscription is required to use the service. The Apple listing showed 5.0 from 30 ratings; Google Play showed 4.4 from 25 reviews. Ratings are small samples and may differ by storefront. Google Play listed an update on Oct. 2, 2026; Apple's version history includes several 2026 updates.

### Who it may suit

People who want category-by-category envelope budgeting across web and mobile, with projections, recurring transactions and reports. People wary of subscription access or post-cancellation data retention should read the terms carefully.

### Not confirmed

Launch year; shared household access and distinct member logins; debt-payoff planning beyond credit-card tracking; investment tracking beyond off-budget accounts; exact Google Play latest version number.

### Notes

Vendor says it ships weekly updates (not independently verified). The site markets a cheaper substitute directly; that is relevant context for its positioning, not an independent endorsement. Independent feedback found is limited; store ratings are small samples.

## Sources

- [Official website: features, pricing, bank sync, trial](https://www.liquidbudget.com/) (retrieved 2026-10-14)
- [Terms: trial, cancellation, account/data retention](https://www.liquidbudget.com/terms) (retrieved 2026-10-14)
- [Privacy policy](https://www.liquidbudget.com/privacy-policy) (retrieved 2026-10-14)
- [Official budgeting-method tutorial](https://www.liquidbudget.com/tutorial/overview/how-it-works) (retrieved 2026-10-14)
- [Apple App Store: ratings, version history, app features](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/liquid-budget/id6745098482) (retrieved 2026-10-14)
- [Google Play: ratings, update date, data safety](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.liquidbudget) (retrieved 2026-10-14)