EveryDollar Review: How Does Dave Ramsey’s Budgeting App Stack Up?

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Quick Take: Dave Ramsey's EveryDollar is a zero-based budgeting app designed to help people take control of their finances. It claims to help users find an extra $332 hiding in plain sight and cut expenses by 9% -- all within the first month. However, to avail yourself of the most helpful features, you'll have to sign up for a paid subscription.
  • Cost
    4.0
  • Customer Service
    4.5
  • Ease of Use
    4.5
  • Tools and Resources
    4.3
How did we calculate this?

Pros

  • Free account option
  • 14-day free trial for Premium
  • Option to save close to 50% on Premium if you pay annually

Cons

  • Free account option requires you to manually track spending
  • No investment tracking feature in free or Premium options
  • App does not support American Express account tracking

EveryDollar Overview

Dave Ramsey’s EveryDollar budgeting app is one of many such apps, including Mint, You Need a Budget and Empower. It offers a free version with limited features and a more robust paid version, which is called Premium. Here’s how Dave Ramsey’s budgeting app stacks up to the competition.

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Key Features 

When determining whether a product or service is right for you, it can help to examine the key features. Here’s what you need to know about the EveryDollar app. 

Cost 

The app is available in a free and upgraded version. You can opt to pay monthly or annually — $12.99 per month or $79.99 per year. You can save close to 50% off the month-to-month price by paying annually. And if you’re not sure if the app is for you, you can get a 14-day free trial of the Premium version to check out its budgeting features.

Customer Service

If you have questions about the EveryDollar app, you can contact the Ramsey Concierge team, Monday and Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST. You can also email help@everydollar.com with questions.

Ease of Use 

According to customer reviews, EveryDollar is straightforward and easy to use. 

The upgraded version is more user-friendly than the free version, however, because it’s more feature-rich. For example, it connects to your bank and expenses will stream to your budget automatically. If you choose the free version of the app, you have to manually add your expenses.

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Tools and Resources

The free version of the EveryDollar app offers users the following features:

  • Ability to create monthly budgets
  • Track transactions
  • Customize items and categories
  • Sync budget data across devices
  • Set up sinking funds
  • Set due dates for expenses
  • Get budgeting tips from the newsletter

However, the Premium version of the app has all of the features of the free version plus many more, including:

  • Bank connectivity
  • Financial roadmap
  • Paycheck planning
  • Goal setting
  • Group financial coaching
  • Custom budget reports
  • Smart tracking recommendations
  • One-click tracking

How Dave Ramsey’s Budgeting App Stands Out 

The EveryDollar budgeting app stands out because it’s based on the budgeting principles and knowledge of Dave Ramsey. If you’re a fan of the financial guru, you’ll likely find the app to be peppered with familiar tenets. You will also appreciate the more robust features of the Premium version of the app, which can help you sink your teeth into all aspects of your budgeting. 

Comparable Budgeting App Options 

If you’re planning to subscribe to the paid version of EveryDollar, you’ll want to make sure it’s the right choice — and get your money’s worth. Here’s some information about a couple of comparable budgeting app options to help you decide if EveryDollar is worth a try. 

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You Need a Budget

Like EveryDollar, YNAB is also a zero-based budgeting app, but it’s more expensive than EveryDollar. EveryDollar is $12.99 monthly or $79.99 annually, whereas YNAB is $14.99 monthly or $99 annually. However, YNAB offers a longer free trial period — 34 days versus EveryDollar’s 14-day free trial. Additionally, YNAB gives college students a 365-day free trial.

Goodbudget

Goodbudget uses a digital form of the envelope method. This is similar to zero-based budgeting in that it requires you to assign your money to categories. Like EveryDollar, Goodbudget has a free plan and a paid plan to access upgraded features. It costs less than EveryDollar at $8 per month or $70 per year. Goodbudget does not have a free trial like EveryDollar, but you can request a full refund up to 30 days after signing up.

How To Get Dave Ramsey’s EveryDollar App

The EveryDollar app is available from both Google Play and the App Store. It has a 4.7 out of 5-star rating on the App Store and a 3.3-star rating on Google Play.

Who the EveryDollar App Is Best For 

The EveryDollar app is available in a bare-bones free version and a Premium version that has quite a few additional features. If you are a fan of Dave Ramsey, are interested in zero-based budgeting and are looking for a basic budgeting app or a Premium paid version, the EveryDollar app is a good option. If you’re not a fan of Dave Ramsey or you want to be able to track your American Express credit card accounts, there are other free budgeting apps, such as Mint, that have more features and also some paid ones that you might find to be better. 

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Final Take 

If you’re a fan of Dave Ramsey and you’re looking for a free zero-based budgeting app that provides the basics, you’ll likely be satisfied. If you’re wanting to be more hands-on with your budgeting, the Premium version of the app is more suitable. However, after the two-week free trial, you’ll either have to pay $12.99 a month or $79.99 annually if you want to have access to the upgraded features in the app.

FAQ

Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the EveryDollar budgeting app.
  • Is the EveryDollar app worth it?
    • If you're a fan of zero-based budgeting, the EveryDollar app might be worth it to you. While the free version has limited features, the Premium version is more feature-rich and will also connect to your bank accounts to allow expenses to transfer seamlessly. If you're not sure if the app is worth it, you can take advantage of a 14-day free trial when you opt for the upgraded version.
  • What are the disadvantages of EveryDollar?
    • The disadvantages of EveryDollar are that the free version of the app is pretty basic. And if you opt for the Premium version, which has many more features, it can be pricey if you don't pay $79.99 upfront for one year. Paying $12.99 per month adds up to $155.88 over a year.
  • Is EveryDollar or Mint better?
    • Mint has a more robust free version of its budgeting app than EveryDollar, but EveryDollar is for those interested in zero-based budgeting and is a product of Dave Ramsey. Whether one or the other is better depends on your personal preferences.
  • Is the EveryDollar budgeting app free?
    • Yes, there is a free version of Dave Ramsey's EveryDollar budget app. However, to gain access to more features, an upgraded paid version is also available.
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Information is accurate as of June 22, 2023. 

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

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