MoneyPeas

Budget tracking without the bank connection

MoneyPeas is a free manual budget tracker built as a web app that works on any device without requiring you to connect your bank account. The core product is free and stays free. The site's tagline is direct: "The free manual budget tracker for people who hate budget apps. No bank connections. No ads. No clutter." You enter your income and expenses by typing them in, and MoneyPeas shows you where your money goes with a monthly dashboard and visual reports.

Unlike most modern budgeting apps, MoneyPeas is built on the premise that automated bank syncing is not always better. The site explains the philosophy: "Automated budgeting tools are often bloated, inaccurate, or too smart for their own good. MoneyPeas keeps you mindful by putting you in control. No confusing dashboards or surprise syncing issues. Just type in what you spend, and see exactly where your money's going."

The app runs in your web browser and works on your phone, tablet, or desktop. You can even add it to your home screen on mobile and use it like a native app, but there's no separate iOS or Android application to download from an app store. It's designed to be simple and distraction-free, emphasizing clarity over features.

Money in and out: completely manual

MoneyPeas has no bank connections whatsoever. The site states plainly: "Nope. MoneyPeas is fully manual, you enter your income and expenses by hand. It's simpler, safer, and more mindful." You type in your paycheck amount and the date you received it. You type in each expense: a grocery purchase, a utility bill, a restaurant meal. The app does not reach out to your bank, does not use Plaid, and does not auto-populate transactions.

This means nothing syncs across devices automatically unless you pay for Pro. On the free plan, if you log an expense on your phone and then check the app on your laptop, you're seeing a cached version or the data from your last update. The app stores your data locally in your browser by default. If you want your data to sync between your phone and your computer, you need the Pro plan.

The manual-entry approach is intentional. The site contrasts it with spreadsheets this way: "Spreadsheets are great if you know how to use them. MoneyPeas gives you the same manual control, but with a faster, cleaner interface you can use on any device." The trade-off is simplicity and focus in exchange for not having transaction automation. Most users log expenses as they go, or batch them up at the end of the day or week.

The monthly dashboard and custom categories

MoneyPeas shows you four numbers each month: how much money came in (income), how much went out (expenses), how much you have left (remaining), and your average spend per day. The app displays these at a glance, so you know where you stand without navigating to a detailed report.

You organize your spending into custom categories. The site lists examples: "Groceries, Bills, Entertainment" are the defaults, but you can add any category you want. This flexibility means you can track spending the way your household actually works, not the way a software company assumes it should. On the date you log an expense, you pick the category, the amount, and optionally add a description.

Savings goals are also tracked. You can set a monthly savings goal and MoneyPeas shows your progress toward it as a percentage. If you save $1,124 of your $1,400 monthly goal, the app displays that visually so you know how close you are.

The app includes visual reports with charts and percentages showing where your money goes across categories. You can see your spending history going back as far as you've been using the app. The site calls these "insight visualizations" that help you "quickly understand where your money goes with easy-to-read charts and percentages."

The pricing: free forever, or Pro for €29.99 one-time

MoneyPeas is free and that free tier is genuinely unlimited. The site says: "Yes. Tracking your money is free and stays free: unlimited income and expense entries, custom categories, your monthly dashboard, history and savings goals. No ads, and no card required to sign up."

The free plan includes everything except a few advanced features. There is no free trial that expires. There is no limited number of months you can track. The free version is not a lite version in disguise; it's a complete app.

There is an optional Pro tier for a one-time payment of €29.99. Pro adds budget limits (so you can set a ceiling for a category and be warned when you're approaching it), fixed expenses (recurring bills that auto-populate each month), advanced analytics, and CSV export so you can download your data as a spreadsheet file. The site emphasizes: "Pro is a single payment of €29.99 and it's yours permanently. MoneyPeas has never had a subscription and isn't going to have one."

If you are on the free plan and want your data, the site says "email us and we'll send it to you." Pro users get CSV export built in. The free plan has no ads. The site is clear that the company makes money only from Pro subscriptions, never from ads or data sales.

One thing the site does not specify is whether the price of €29.99 is the same for all users regardless of location, or whether it converts to local currency. It shows as euros in the FAQ, so European users see that number directly; users in other regions should verify what they'll actually be charged at checkout.

Who this is built for and who should look elsewhere

MoneyPeas is designed for anyone tired of subscription costs, bank-linking requirements, or apps that feel bloated. The site explicitly compares itself to YNAB (which costs $109 a year and requires Plaid) and Rocket Money (which costs $3 to $12 a month and also requires bank linking). If you're leaving those apps because of the price, the privacy concern of sharing bank credentials, or the complexity, MoneyPeas addresses all three.

The app appeals especially to people who want privacy. Your data stays on your device on the free plan. Even on Pro, where cloud sync is available, the site states: "Your data is stored securely, and you can enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for extra protection. We don't sell or share your information."

The manual-entry approach also attracts people who want to stay aware of their spending. One user review on the site says: "The interface is clean and user-friendly, making it easy to log income and expenses quickly." Another says: "This app is exactly what I needed to stay on top of my financial goals. The daily tracking feature helps me see exactly where my money is going."

MoneyPeas is not for anyone who wants automatic transaction import or real-time spending visibility. If your workflow depends on your app automatically pulling transactions from your bank and categorizing them, this is not the right tool. It's also not ideal for complex financial lives with many investment accounts; it's designed for household budgeting, not portfolio management.