OpenBudget

OpenBudget sits between your bank accounts and the AI you already use. Rather than moving money around or managing your finances itself, it pulls your transaction data through Plaid and feeds it to Claude, ChatGPT, or another AI tool, or syncs it into a Google Sheet or Excel workbook. The core idea is simple: your AI assistant has actual transaction data instead of guessing, and your spreadsheet stays current without manual copy-pasting. The service works exclusively with US banks and starts with a seven-day free trial.

How your money enters the system

OpenBudget connects your bank accounts through Plaid, the same bank-linking infrastructure that powers hundreds of consumer finance apps. The site states it works with 10,000+ banks and credit cards in the United States. Once you've connected an account, OpenBudget reads your transactions and balances but never stores your login credentials; Plaid holds those instead, and OpenBudget accesses only what you authorize. The connection is read-only, so the app cannot move money, transfer funds, or place trades on your behalf. Money moves only when you initiate it at your bank.

OpenBudget supports up to 10 institutions on the Base plan and up to 15 on the higher Investor tier. The site does not specify how often transactions sync or what happens if a connection temporarily breaks, so confirm these details if frequent real-time updates are critical for your workflow. The app can export your transactions automatically to Google Sheets or Excel as they come in, keeping your spreadsheet in sync without manual export or import steps.

What you can do with your data

Once your transactions are flowing into an AI tool, you can ask it questions in your own words. Ask Claude "How much did I spend on groceries last month?" or "What's my highest spending category?" and it answers based on your real data, not estimates. OpenBudget sets up automatic categorization rules so your transactions land in the right bucket on the first try. If you buy groceries and cat food together, the app can split that one charge into two categories. For tracking credit cards and loans, the app shows balances, interest rates, and payoff options, letting your AI understand your full debt picture.

The app supports recurring AI tasks, which several AI assistants like Claude can run on a schedule. You could set Claude to email you a spending summary every morning at 8am, or remind you of bills due in the next week each Friday. You could also ask for a mid-month review of categories running hot, or a weekly cleanup of miscategorized transactions. This bridges the gap between your live financial data and regular check-ins; your assistant has current numbers instead of stale snapshots. The recurring automation lives on the AI side, not in OpenBudget itself, so your AI tool's capabilities determine what is possible.

OpenBudget also includes investment tracking. Beyond your checking and savings accounts, you can connect brokerage and retirement accounts to see stocks, dividends, holdings, and trades alongside your everyday spending. The Investor tier ($8.25 a month) specifically adds this feature, letting you ask your AI about your portfolio balance or recent trades.

Pricing and plans

OpenBudget offers a Base plan and an Investor plan. The published prices are $5 a month if billed annually ($60 per year) or $9.95 month to month for Base. The Investor tier is $8.25 a month billed annually ($99 per year) or the implied month-to-month equivalent. Both plans include a seven-day free trial to explore before charging begins.

The Base plan covers everyday banking: connecting accounts, automatic categorization, splitting charges, tracking cards and loans, spreadsheet sync to Google Sheets or Excel, and AI access through your chosen tool. Everything is included in one subscription; there are no per-connection fees or hidden add-ons. The Investor plan adds investment account integration on top of the Base features.

The site does not charge per query or per AI interaction, and does not have tiered usage limits tied to how much you ask. Both plans promise unlimited access to the core features. The pricing page notes that this subscription model is the entire business; OpenBudget does not run ads, sell your financial data to third parties, or take referral fees to steer you toward credit products. The alignment is deliberate: if the subscription is the only revenue, your interests and the company's are the same.

Security and data handling

Your bank credentials never reach OpenBudget servers; they stay with Plaid. OpenBudget acts only on the transaction data Plaid delivers, without ever seeing your login information. All connections use industry-standard HTTPS encryption. The site emphasizes that it operates as a data connector, not a bank or financial adviser. You retain full control; money only moves when you initiate transfers at your bank, not through OpenBudget.

The company states it does not sell your data, run ads, or share financial information with third parties. Data handling follows the terms in the privacy policy, which is worth reading if data minimization is a deciding factor for you.

Audience and limitations

OpenBudget suits people who live in spreadsheets or who are comfortable asking an AI tool questions about their finances. It is especially useful if you already pay for Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus; connecting OpenBudget gives that AI real financial data to work with. It also works well for people who want their budget in their spreadsheet rather than learning a new app.

The main limitation is geography: OpenBudget works only with US banks. If you maintain accounts outside the United States or belong to a credit union that Plaid does not reach, the app cannot connect them. The site lists Plaid's standard coverage of 10,000+ US institutions, but not every bank or credit union is reachable through Plaid, so check whether yours connects before subscribing.

OpenBudget is not a budgeting app in the traditional sense; it is a bridge between your data and the AI you choose. If you want built-in budgeting features, category rules, and savings goals managed within the app itself, you may prefer a standalone budgeting app. OpenBudget pushes all of that logic to your AI or spreadsheet, which is powerful if you like that flexibility but requires you to build or maintain your own system. For people comfortable with that approach, OpenBudget removes the most tedious part: keeping your data current.