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Payday Buckets

iPhone and iPad planner that shows what to move into each bucket every payday.

Visit Payday Buckets

Research-based review, not hands-on testing. Last researched .

Overview

Payday Buckets is an iOS/iPadOS app that turns bills, savings goals, subscriptions and sinking funds into a payday transfer plan. Users define buckets, choose how each is funded and set a pay schedule; the app calculates what to set aside. It has no bank connection and keeps data on the device with iCloud sync. Version 1.1.0 (July 2026) added a cross-bucket transaction list, skipping scheduled items and a remainder bucket.

Best for: People who keep separate accounts or savings spaces for bills and want a per-payday transfer plan without linking a bank.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Calculates what to set aside each payday from bills, savings goals and irregular costs.
  • Supports weekly, fortnightly, monthly, twice-monthly and custom pay schedules.
  • Buckets can be funded by due date, fixed amount, top-up to target, manually, or with a remainder bucket that catches leftover pay.
  • No bank login; data is stored locally with private iCloud sync between iPhone and iPad.
  • Free version allows up to 5 active buckets; CSV export and JSON backup are listed.
  • Local reminders for payday, bills, transfers and underfunded buckets.
  • Scheduled bills can be skipped without touching the bucket balance or processed up to three days early (added in 1.1.0).

Cons

  • Only 2 App Store ratings in Australia (1 in the US), so there is very little user feedback; no independent reviews found.
  • iPhone and iPad only (iOS 18.6 or later); no web, Android or Mac app was listed.
  • No bank sync or transaction import; built for planning, not detailed transaction tracking.
  • Free version is capped at 5 active buckets; unlimited buckets and scheduled transactions need Premium.
  • Premium costs 19.99 AUD on the Australian store, but one-time versus recurring is not stated anywhere I could find.
  • Single-developer product launched in July 2026 with one update (1.1.0) since; long-term track record is unproven.
  • Vendor support page still describes the app as in TestFlight, so its own pages are slightly out of date.

Features

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

Payday plans, sinking funds, scheduled bills and transactions (can skip or process up to 3 days early), cross-bucket transaction list, remainder funding, upcoming bills view, forecasts and budget balancing, reminders, CSV export, JSON backup, iCloud sync, Simple Mode

Our review

Short version

Payday Buckets is an iOS/iPadOS app that turns bills, savings goals, subscriptions and sinking funds into a payday transfer plan. Users define buckets, choose how each is funded and set a pay schedule; the app calculates what to set aside. It has no bank connection and keeps data on the device with iCloud sync.

Research-based profile, not hands-on testing. Updated 2026-10-06 from the vendor site, release notes, privacy policy and App Store listings. I did not sign up, start a trial or connect a bank.

Origin and recency

A solo developer (Nathan Booth on the App Store) released it on 2 July 2026 after a TestFlight phase that began 1 May 2026. Version 1.1.0 followed on 15 July 2026 and added a transaction list across all buckets, the ability to skip a scheduled transaction, processing scheduled items up to three days early, a 'remainder' funding type for leftover pay, and a sidebar on iPad. No later release was found, so it is young and has a short track record.

How it works

You create buckets for bills, subscriptions, savings goals and irregular costs, pick a pay schedule (weekly, fortnightly, monthly, twice-monthly or custom), and choose how each bucket is funded: by due date, fixed amount, top-up to target, manual, or remainder. On payday the app produces a plan of what to move into each bucket. It also has scheduled transactions, an upcoming-bills view, forecasts and a budget balancer. It is a planning tool for people who already keep separate accounts or savings spaces, not a daily transaction tracker.

Cost

  • Free to try, limited to 5 active buckets.
  • Premium ('Payday Buckets Pro') unlocks unlimited buckets and scheduled transactions. The Australian App Store lists it at 19.99 AUD as an in-app purchase. Whether that is a one-time unlock or recurring is not stated, and I could not see a US price.

Privacy and data

No bank login. Data lives on the device; iCloud sync runs through Apple CloudKit in your own account. The vendor's policy (updated 19 Aug 2026) says budget data is not used for ads, tracking or analytics, and the App Store label reads 'Data Not Collected'. That label is self-reported and not verified by Apple. Export is CSV plus a JSON backup; import is not confirmed.

Who it suits

iPhone and iPad users who want a payday-by-payday set-aside plan and are happy to enter things by hand. Anyone needing bank sync, Android or web access, or detailed spending reports will struggle.

Not confirmed

  • Whether Premium is a one-time purchase or recurring, and its price outside Australia.
  • Import support and multiple budgets.
  • Shared budgets.
  • Independent reviews: only 2 ratings on the Australian store (1 on the US store); very little independent feedback found.
  • The vendor support page still says the app is in TestFlight, which the App Store listing contradicts; I treated the store listing as newer.

Ratings are set separately against a shared rubric.

Sources

Payday Buckets alternatives

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