Key takeaways
- Ask how it connects (Plaid, MX, screen scrape) and what happens if the link breaks.
- Read whether they sell insights to advertisers. “Free” is often the product.
- CSV export and local backups beat a pretty dashboard you cannot leave.
App-store screenshots all show the same calm pie chart. The differences that matter are plumbing and lock-in. Connection method affects whether a bank login is stored, how often balances refresh, and how often you will re-authenticate. Privacy policies differ on whether aggregated spending is sold.
A five-minute test
Connect one low-risk account. Export transactions. Revoke access at the bank. See if the app still has a copy and whether that is disclosed. If you cannot export, you are renting your own history.
We are not ranking apps here. Paid “best of” lists are often affiliate pages. Read the disclosure.
