Best Implementation of Envelope Budgeting (and best support)
MoneyWell user since ~2009 (albeit on and off), and while over the years have tried a number of different apps to address different needs, they all fell short to what MoneyWell does best: manage and make decisions on cash flow.
Mint doesn’t really hit this front and centre, and other services are a bit too cloud-centric. (MoneyWell leverages iCloud only for sync between devices, of which transport is strictly in Apple’s custody, not MoneyWell).
Goes without saying that the support team behind MoneyWell is outstanding.
Excited to see what comes next with MoneyWell, including full featured iOS/iPad app (so it’s less of a ‘companion’) and more features in investments / net worth management.
Mint doesn’t really hit this front and centre, and other services are a bit too cloud-centric. (MoneyWell leverages iCloud only for sync between devices, of which transport is strictly in Apple’s custody, not MoneyWell).
Goes without saying that the support team behind MoneyWell is outstanding.
Excited to see what comes next with MoneyWell, including full featured iOS/iPad app (so it’s less of a ‘companion’) and more features in investments / net worth management.
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Updated review
Apple has solved my biggest gripe with this app with iOS 18. The ability to use FaceID to lock the app and access the native Passwords app to unlock protected documents has made a big difference. The app itself has been rock solid, even if sync can sometimes be a little slow. Since the iPhone app is bundled with the Mac app in the subscription, it is overall a great value and a handy tool to have. Moneywell continues to be the gold standard for those that rely on the envelope budgeting method, and has a much more palatable business model then the likes of YNAB and other less private options.
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Syncs well with iPhone
This app is working well on my iPhone 12. It synchronized multiple years of transactions in less than a minute. I am happy to be able to view and edit transactions on my phone.
Tried to love it
After moneywell was purchased I had very high hopes that many of the gaps and issues would be resolved after a few years of little development from the previous owner.
Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case.
Sync: so many sync issues with the iOS app from the Mac app. Repeated contact with support had them ‘fix’ the issues…temporarily. I suspect there is a fundamental issue with how syncing is handled.
Scheduled Transactions: repeated issues with existing scheduled transactions not being able to be scheduled with a strange sync error. Support ‘resolved’ each time this happened. Now I have the problem again. Sigh.
Unselecting synced or local file yields some very odd behavior. It is almost as if these moneywell files are separate, but you can’t really tell from the UI. Oddly settings will revert to using a synced file on restart and balances will be all over the place (read: incorrect). Again, I suspect the sync function is fundamentally broken.
Lack of sync with major financial institutions. This was a regression from years past. I suspect syncing using direct connect was deprecated, but no new option is available now for years. I can’t download transactions from major institutions like Chase? What year is this?
Migrated to a recurring fee: while this is the trend for many companies this is hard to swallow for an underperforming app.
Bottom line: I can’t recommend this app. It just lacks basic functionality and is miles behind competitors.
Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case.
Sync: so many sync issues with the iOS app from the Mac app. Repeated contact with support had them ‘fix’ the issues…temporarily. I suspect there is a fundamental issue with how syncing is handled.
Scheduled Transactions: repeated issues with existing scheduled transactions not being able to be scheduled with a strange sync error. Support ‘resolved’ each time this happened. Now I have the problem again. Sigh.
Unselecting synced or local file yields some very odd behavior. It is almost as if these moneywell files are separate, but you can’t really tell from the UI. Oddly settings will revert to using a synced file on restart and balances will be all over the place (read: incorrect). Again, I suspect the sync function is fundamentally broken.
Lack of sync with major financial institutions. This was a regression from years past. I suspect syncing using direct connect was deprecated, but no new option is available now for years. I can’t download transactions from major institutions like Chase? What year is this?
Migrated to a recurring fee: while this is the trend for many companies this is hard to swallow for an underperforming app.
Bottom line: I can’t recommend this app. It just lacks basic functionality and is miles behind competitors.
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Subscription based and yet no biometric support
Almost a year since subscription support of this app began, and yet no sign of FaceID on iPhone, or TouchID on the Mac to unlock. What type of development plan is this? I’m happy to support an otherwise excellent implementation of envelope budgeting, but this type of oversight is amateurish at best. Seriously considering dumping this subscription with this type of mentality.
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Response from developer
Edit: In case you haven't seen, in iOS 18 it's now possible to lock individual apps behind touch/faceID at the system level, so you don't have to wait for us to add this feature. Original response: Thank you for your review. As I responded to your similar review on the Mac App, this is indeed just the beginning. This release was all about restoring sync—especially for our existing customers—some of whom have been waiting a while for this. Now we've taken over the app and got this version with syncing released we've got lots of improvements planned. Thanks also for your feedback on the icon. I'll advise our "designer" (also me) that it isn't going down well.
Great to have the app available on my phone
We have used Moneywell in our household for a few years so to now to have the app available again is brilliant. I am able to input my spend receipts ’on the go’ instead of waiting to get home and using the laptop. It’s so easy, convenient, and the synching works very well. Thank you to the Moneywell team for getting the phone app up and running!
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works great except for syncing
I’ve been a paying MoneyWell user for many, many years and generally love the product. I also appreciate that it’s probably a very scrappy team working on it day to day. I would love to leave a 5-star review, but unfortunately the syncing experience is pretty poor, and I hope there’s a way to fix it. Even leaving both the mobile and desktop apps open to sync simultaneously rarely works well, and more often than not just times out in an error state. The data being reconciled during syncing can’t possibly be that large, so I’d love to understand if I’m doing something wrong or if there’s a fix on the horizon. Thank you!
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Great companion app to MoneyWell on the Mac
The iPhone companion app MoneyWell Express works seamlessly across iCloud accounts, and with the addition of the main MoneyWell program also supporting Family Share, it means partners can share a budget seamlessly. MoneyWell Express is used to enter transactions (not set up and manage the budget). It is perfect for entering transactions when out-and-about so that they are immediately reflected in the budget for all to see. This is one of the few applications I can say I pay for with a smile on my face.
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Please add local sync
Please add local sync. As a rule I store no data to any cloud service. So if direct sync to computer could be offered I can happily use the mobile app. Otherwise I’ve been using MacOS app since 2013 to date and am happy. But local sync will be a good relief.
So happy that sync is back
I have been using Moneywell on the Mac for over a decade. I had the iPad and iPhone versions when they were available, but they had to stop supporting it when drop box got rid of their API. Since then the company has changed hands and thankfully invested in bringing this back. So far the sync functionality is much better than previous versions. I love bucket budgeting.
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Thrilled to Have the MoneyWell App Back!
I’m so happy to have this app back! Thanks for all your hard work to relaunch it. Long term, I’d really like to see the ability to sort transactions in chronological order and to see a running balance. Other than those feature requests, I’m really happy with how it’s working on iOS. (Still crossing my fingers that you’ll be able to launch a fully-featured iPadOS version, equivalent to the macOS version, too.)Thanks again!
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Sync is back!
It’s great to have sync back! This mobile version is just for transaction entry and viewing bucket balances - but what it does, it does well
I couldn’t remove the “default” account
I couldn’t remove the “default” account which already contained data… wasted another half hour of my life. Maybe this could be ok, but already it started counter-intuitive
