A local database on your phone. Sync is optional and encrypted end to end.
No-bank budget app
Updated August 12, 2026 · Simply Finance
Budget without connecting your bank—or adding another required subscription.
Add transactions yourself or preview a supported CSV import. The working ledger stays on your device, where clear daily answers and budgets remain available offline. Core tracking is free; Full Version is an optional one-time $4.99 purchase for Sync and detailed Reports. Managed relay hosting is a separate choice.
- ✓No bank login or aggregator
- ✓Core app works offline
- ✓Clear daily answers
- ✓Free core; one-time Full Version
Available now on iPhone & iPad
Available now on Google PlayRelays move ciphertext and limited routing metadata. They do not receive readable balances, merchants, or amounts.
No hosted finance profile
No email or password is required. Optional Sync uses a recovery phrase instead of a Simply Finance account.
How budgeting works without bank sync
Start with the current balance of each account you want to track. Each expense, income entry, or transfer updates that local ledger. Recurring items keep expected activity visible, while budgets show what has been spent and what remains.
To bring history with you, import a supported export from YNAB, Monarch, Mint, Simplifi, Copilot, or a compatible CSV. Simply Finance previews the rows and duplicates before saving a copy; it never signs in to your bank or changes the source file.
The honest trade-off
Simply Finance does not download new bank transactions for you. If automatic bank feeds and reconciliation are essential, use a connected product. This app is for people who prefer a deliberate routine and no standing bank connection.
No app subscription is required
Core accounts, transaction tracking, and budgets are free to use. Full Version is a one-time $4.99 app purchase that unlocks encrypted Sync and detailed Reports. It does not renew as an app subscription.
Managed relay hosting from SimplySync Cloud is optional and billed separately. You can keep the built-in relay or host a compatible relay yourself, so the managed service is not required to keep using Full Version.
Why privacy matters in a budgeting app
Your transaction history is one of the most revealing datasets about you: where you go, what you buy, who you pay, and when. Many cloud-connected products offer useful automation by processing readable financial data outside the device.
Simply Finance chooses a different boundary. There is no bank connection or hosted finance profile, and optional sync relays receive encrypted records rather than a readable ledger.
How your data stays private
- On-device storage. Your records live in a local database on your phone, not in our cloud.
- End-to-end encryption. Everything is encrypted with keys only you hold before it leaves the device. Sync relays only ever see ciphertext.
- No account. No email, password, or profile. Optional sync is keyed off a private recovery phrase, not a login on our servers.
- No bank connection. No Plaid, no MX, no open-banking tokens. Your banking credentials never touch a third party.
- No tracking. No ads and no behavioral analytics inside the app.
Ask AI follows the same local-first preference where supported. If you configure a cloud AI provider, the context sent for that request is handled under that provider's terms.
Verifiable, not just promised
Simply Finance’s sync engine and protocol are open source, so its privacy model can be independently audited—you do not have to take our word for the claims above.
What "local-first" means for you
Local-first means the working copy of your data is on your device, rather than depending on a data center for every read or write. In practice that gives you three useful properties:
- It works offline. Add transactions on a plane or in a basement; everything is instant because nothing waits on a network.
- It is fast. No round-trips to a server to load your own budget.
- Your local data stays yours. Changing relays or turning sync off does not remove the working copy stored on your device.
Private by design vs a typical budgeting app
Swipe or use arrow keys to compare all apps.
| Feature | Simply Finance | Typical bank-sync app |
|---|---|---|
| Working ledger | On device | Often provider-hosted |
| Bank connection | Not supported | Optional or central |
| Hosted profile | Not required | Usually required |
| Offline use | Core app works offline | Varies by product |
| Automation | Manual + CSV import | Often includes bank feeds |
| App price | Free / $4.99 Full Version | Varies by product |
| Managed hosting | Optional; separate | Often included |
Cloud-connected products vary and may support manual accounts without a bank link. Check the current documentation for the product you are considering. Simply Finance app pricing excludes optional managed relay hosting.
FAQ
Can I use this budget app without connecting my bank?
Yes. Simply Finance does not support bank connections. Add transactions manually or preview a supported CSV import; budgets and reports are calculated from the local ledger on your device.
Is Simply Finance a budget app without a subscription?
Core tracking and budgets are free. Full Version is a one-time $4.99 app purchase for Sync and detailed Reports. Optional managed relay hosting is billed separately; the built-in relay and self-hosting remain available.
Do you sell my data?
No. Simply Finance has no in-app ads or behavioral analytics. The working ledger stays on your device, and optional sync relays receive encrypted records rather than readable balances, merchants, or amounts.
Is Simply Finance actually private?
The working ledger is stored on your device and encrypted before optional sync. There is no hosted profile. If you configure a cloud AI provider, only the context sent for that request leaves this privacy boundary and is governed by that provider.
Does it work without an internet connection?
Yes. Accounts, transaction entry, categories, budgets, recurring items, reports, and forward-looking calculations work offline. Optional sync and cloud AI require a connection only when you choose them.
Do you ever see my bank login or transactions?
Simply Finance never receives a bank login because it has no bank connection or aggregator. Transactions stay in the local ledger unless you choose encrypted Sync or send context to a cloud AI provider you configure.
Do I need to create an account?
No. There is no email, password, or account. You open the app and start tracking. Optional sync is keyed off a private recovery phrase that only you hold, not an account on our servers.
Where is my data stored?
In a local database on your device. If you turn on sync, an encrypted copy is relayed between your devices, but it is never stored in readable form on any server.
What does end-to-end encrypted mean here?
Your records are encrypted on your device before Sync sends them. The relay moves ciphertext it cannot turn into readable balances, merchants, or amounts.
Which sync relay can I use?
Simply Finance includes a built-in relay. You can also use optional, separately billed managed hosting from SimplySync Cloud or run a compatible relay yourself. Every relay path receives ciphertext, not readable finance records.
Keep your money private and your daily view clear
Work offline with clear daily answers and budgets, then enable end-to-end encrypted Sync only if you want it.
Available now on iPhone & iPadAvailable now on Google Play