Essential vs Premium

Choose the plan that fits your budgeting style. Both tiers offer powerful envelope budgeting—Premium adds automation with bank sync and smart bill detection.

At a Glance

See the key differences between Essential and Premium at a glance

FeatureEssentialPremium
Core Budgeting
Envelope budgeting system
Smart Credit Card Protection
Unlimited accounts & categories
Category targets & Auto-Assign
Multiple spaces (separate budgets)
Transaction Management
Manual transaction entry
CSV import & export
Automatic bank sync (Plaid)
Transaction rules (auto-categorize)
Recurring Bills
Manual bill templates
Calendar view
Credit card bill tracking
Auto-bill detection (Plaid)
Smart match suggestions
Reporting & Analytics
Reports & analytics
Spending trends & insights
Net worth tracking
Dashboard widgets (all 7 types)
Support & Access
Multi-user access (up to 2 users)
Mobile-responsive web app
Email support
Priority support
Early access to new features

What Makes Premium Different?

Premium builds on Essential's powerful foundation with automation, intelligence, and insights

Automatic Bank Sync

Premium Only

Connect your bank accounts via Plaid and transactions import automatically. No more manual entry or CSV uploads.

  • Daily automatic sync from 10,000+ banks
  • Bank-level security with read-only access
  • Save 15-20 minutes per week on data entry

Auto-Bill Detection

Premium Only

Plaid's AI automatically discovers recurring bills from your transaction history. Never manually track bills again.

  • Detects fixed and variable bills automatically
  • Finds subscriptions you may have forgotten
  • Predicts next occurrence dates

Smart Match Suggestions

Premium Only

Intelligent fuzzy matching links transactions to expected bills with confidence scoring. Bulk approve in seconds.

  • Fuzzy merchant name matching (90%+ accuracy)
  • Confidence scores (High/Medium/Low)
  • Bulk approve multiple matches at once

Which Plan Is Right For You?

Choose based on your budgeting style and automation needs

Essential

Essential is perfect if you:

  • Prefer manual transaction entry and full control
  • Use cash or banks without online access
  • Want powerful budgeting without bank connections
  • Are starting your budgeting journey
  • Use CSV import from your bank instead of sync
Most Popular
Premium Only

Premium is perfect if you:

  • Want automatic transaction import from banks
  • Have recurring bills to track (subscriptions, utilities)
  • Value time-saving automation over manual entry
  • Want detailed analytics and spending insights
  • Need bill detection to find forgotten subscriptions

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch between tiers?

Yes! You can upgrade from Essential to Premium anytime. Downgrading is also possible, though you'll lose access to Premium features like bank sync and auto-detection.

Do both tiers have free trials?

Yes! Both Essential and Premium offer 60-day free trials with no credit card required. Try all features risk-free before committing.

What happens to my data if I downgrade?

All your data remains intact. Manual templates, categories, and budgets work in both tiers. You'll lose access to detected bills and advanced analytics, but your core budget stays the same.

Is bank sync secure?

Absolutely. We use Plaid, the industry standard for bank connections (used by Venmo, Robinhood, and more). It's read-only access with bank-level 256-bit encryption. We never store your banking credentials.

Can I use CSV import with Premium?

Yes! Premium includes everything in Essential, so you can still manually import CSV files if you prefer, even with bank sync enabled.

How accurate is auto-bill detection?

Plaid's AI has 90%+ accuracy in detecting recurring bills. It identifies both fixed bills (same amount every time) and variable bills (utilities that change monthly).

Ready to Choose Your Plan?

Start with a 60-day free trial. No credit card required. Cancel anytime.

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Full access for 60 days
Cancel anytime
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Questions? Check our FAQ or view detailed pricing

Essential vs Premium - Choose Your Plan | Purpose Budget