The Best Personal Financial Planning Software

The best personal financial planning software depends on what operating system you use and what features you value. Software packages are available for both Mac and Windows. Each software package features different strengths and specialties to allow discerning customers to choose the best software for their needs.

Windows

AceMoney is a desktop financial planning software package for Windows. It allows you to download your transactions from your bank, track your investments, generate reports and budget your money. It is designed for home users. The free version allows a maximum of two accounts, while the paid version allows unlimited account tracking.

Mac

A great Mac option for financial planning software is Moneywell, a paid program made by NoThirst software. Moneywell uses the envelope budgeting system, which in Moneywell nomenclature is known as a “bucket." Each expenditure category is given a bucket, and every bucket must be funded by one of your accounts. This makes it simple to budget because the program alerts you when an existing expenditure bucket is over budget. Moneywell makes it easy to generate charts, including graphs of your running balance and your daily net worth.

Windows and Mac

Quicken is the most popular financial planning software available. Part of that popularity comes from its being available on both the Windows and Mac platforms. An online version of the software is available. Quicken can automatically download transactions from your bank account and can walk you through generating graphs and charts of your finances. This page software package requires upgrading almost annually, a financial burden for some households.