# EnvelopeBudget vs Lunch Money

> EnvelopeBudget ($4/mo) vs Lunch Money ($10/mo). EnvelopeBudget costs less per year. Pick EnvelopeBudget for people who want hosted envelope budgeting with optional manual entry or bank sync through SimpleFIN or Plaid, plus debt-payoff planning and shared budgets; pick Lunch Money for people who want flexible category budgeting, multi-currency support, transaction rules and separate collaborator logins, and are comfortable doing most budgeting in a browser.

Source: https://budgetingapps.org/compare/envelopebudget-vs-lunch-money

EnvelopeBudget, our Editor’s Pick, has a financial interest in BudgetingApps.org.

## Key differences

- **Price:** EnvelopeBudget is cheaper: about $40 a year versus $100 a year for Lunch Money, a difference of $60. EnvelopeBudget also offers a lifetime option ($60 ($60 lifetime (first 500 members; remaining spots not stated))).
- **Trying it first:** Free trials: EnvelopeBudget (34-day free trial, no credit card required) and Lunch Money (30-day trial; no credit card required to start).
- **Budgeting method:** EnvelopeBudget is built for envelope, zero-based and expense tracking budgeting; Lunch Money for envelope, zero-based, expense tracking and financial management. They overlap on envelope, zero-based and expense tracking.
- **Platforms:** Both run on Android, iOS and Web.
- **Feature differences:** EnvelopeBudget lists debt payoff tools, which Lunch Money’s listing does not confirm. Lunch Money lists investment tracking, which EnvelopeBudget’s listing does not confirm.
- **Separate logins for shared budgets:** Invite family or teammates to the same budget with their own logins. Sharing one password or sign-in link does not count. Separate logins do not necessarily mean private accounts or transactions. EnvelopeBudget: Yes. Invite family and team members to shared budgets with their own logins. Manage member access and transfer budget ownership; eligible family members can share the family owner's subscription access. Lunch Money: Yes. Unlimited collaborators can share a budget with their own logins at no extra per-person charge; only the budget owner needs a subscription, per the vendor.
- **Bank sync:** EnvelopeBudget: Optional SimpleFIN ($1.50/mo or $15/yr paid to SimpleFIN) or Plaid ($3/mo or $30/yr add-on). Plaid is enabled in the web, iOS and Android apps, per current owner confirmation; the vendor changelog documents Plaid connections and mobile bank-sync updates. Lunch Money: Bank connections via Plaid; automatic imports use bank webhooks when new transactions are available. Region support varies; CSV/PDF import, manual entry and the developer API are alternatives. Bank access is read-only, per the vendor.
- **Track record:** EnvelopeBudget has been around since 2009; Lunch Money since 2019.

## Which should you choose?

- **EnvelopeBudget is best for:** people who want hosted envelope budgeting with optional manual entry or bank sync through SimpleFIN or Plaid, plus debt-payoff planning and shared budgets.
- **Lunch Money is best for:** people who want flexible category budgeting, multi-currency support, transaction rules and separate collaborator logins, and are comfortable doing most budgeting in a browser.

Full reviews: [EnvelopeBudget](https://budgetingapps.org/apps/envelopebudget.md), [Lunch Money](https://budgetingapps.org/apps/lunch-money.md)