What people ask us most
Short, straight answers — including when the answer is not in our favour.
Is it really free?
Yes. The full budget, income, expenses, loans, money left, the 50/30/20 benchmark and the converter, is free with no time limit. An optional subscription adds syncing across devices, the Coach with tips adapted to your profile, projects and shared budgets. No advertising, ever.
Do I need an account?
Not for the budget, loans and converter: you can use them without ever giving an email address. An account is for finding your data on another device, sharing a budget as a couple or a family, and opening the projects and the Coach of 2.0. With an account, your data leaves end-to-end encrypted.
Where is my financial data stored?
Without an account, only in your phone's storage: nothing is sent. With an account, whatever you choose to save is synchronised, and end-to-end encrypted by default: the key stays on your phone, so we cannot read your data. Twelve words, viewable from your profile, let you recover that access on another device.
Does it work without internet?
Entirely, apart from two things: the converter's exchange rates, which need fetching once and are then cached, and syncing if you have an account. Your budget calculation itself depends on no server.
Does it work in my country?
The budget and converter work everywhere, in eight languages and with the major currencies. The advice depends on local law: France is covered in depth, while Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and several African countries are covered in part.
Why not connect my bank account?
Because it would be self-defeating. Connecting a bank means routing your transaction history through an intermediary, giving up the very thing that makes the app worth using. Importing a statement as a CSV file is planned: the same time saved, without granting permanent access.
Can two people manage one budget?
Yes, through a shared space: each member sees the shared budget, goals and events, while their personal space stays invisible to the others. Invitations use a single-use code, so you never have to hand over someone else's email address.
Where does the advice come from?
From official sources only — government bodies, legislation, public agencies — and every piece of advice shows its references and the date it was checked. No figure is guessed. When something cannot be confirmed, it is flagged as such rather than presented as certain.
What about Android?
The app is available on the App Store and on Google Play, with the same features and the same versions on both sides.
How do I cancel the subscription?
From your phone's settings, under subscription management — we have no control over it, and that is better: nobody can hold you back. Cancelling takes effect at the end of the period you already paid for, and your data stays accessible on the free tier.
Ready to take back control of your money?
Download NETbudget and count your disposable income in under 5 minutes.