# Sidecar: Budgeting Made Simple — Envelope budgeting, simplified

> Envelope budgeting app for tracking spending and managing shared finances without bank connection. (iPhone/iPad app by Brandon Duncan.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidecar-budgeting-made-simple/id6802113235 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Brandon Duncan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1858118962)
- Category: Finance, Productivity
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 7 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-08-25
- Data updated: 2026-09-17
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidecar-budgeting-made-simple/id6802113235/reviews.md

## What is Sidecar?

Sidecar is envelope budgeting for people who want to know what they can actually spend.

Instead of watching one balance and hoping, you give every dollar a job. Rent, groceries, gas for the car, the date night out — each gets an envelope. When you're standing in a shop wondering whether you can afford something, the answer is a number on the screen rather than a guess.

WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT

Sidecar doesn't connect to your bank. Nothing is imported, nothing is synced from your accounts, and we never ask for banking credentials. You enter what you spend. That takes a few seconds a day, and in exchange your financial life isn't sitting in one more third party's database.

BUILT FOR TWO (OR MORE)

Share a budget with your spouse and you both see the same numbers, updating in real time. Log a shopping trip on the way home and it's on their phone before you can say, "Honey, I'm home!" Roles let one of you own the budget while the other adds and edits. Remove someone and their access ends immediately.

INCOME THAT SORTS ITSELF

Tell Sidecar about your paycheck once — the amount, how often, and where it should go. Fixed amounts for the bills that don't move, percentages for everything else. It posts on its due date and divides itself the same way every time. A raise or a short week redistributes sensibly without you re-editing anything.

SPLIT A PURCHASE PROPERLY

One trip to a big shop is rarely one category. Split it across as many envelopes as it deserves, with a real amount for each, and it stays legible in your history afterwards instead of turning into entries you can't reconcile.

SEE WHERE IT WENT

Reports show spending by envelope over the last week, month, or quarter, with money in and money out side by side. Export every transaction to CSV whenever you want it.

NO ADS, NO TRACKING

Sidecar contains no advertising, no analytics, and no third-party trackers. We don't sell your information, because we don't collect anything to sell. Delete your account from Settings at any time and your budgets go with it.

## Key features

- Envelope budgeting system
- No bank connection required
- Real-time budget sharing
- Income sorting and allocation
- Purchase splitting
- Spending reports
- CSV transaction export


## Frequently asked questions about Sidecar

### What is Sidecar's main budgeting method?

Sidecar uses an envelope budgeting system. This means you assign specific amounts of money to different spending categories, like rent or groceries, to track where your money is going.

### Does Sidecar connect to my bank account?

No, Sidecar does not connect to your bank. All transactions are entered manually, ensuring your financial information is not stored in a third-party database.

### Can I share my budget with someone else using Sidecar?

Yes, Sidecar is built for sharing. You can share a budget with a spouse or partner, and both users will see the same real-time numbers and updates.

### How does Sidecar handle income?

You can tell Sidecar about your paycheck once, including the amount and frequency. It will then automatically sort and allocate your income to different envelopes on its due date.

### Can I split a single purchase across multiple budget categories in Sidecar?

Yes, Sidecar allows you to properly split a single purchase across as many envelopes as it applies to, keeping your transaction history legible and reconcilable.

### Does Sidecar have ads?

No, Sidecar contains no advertising. The app is completely ad-free, focusing on providing a clean and uninterrupted user experience.

### What kind of reports does Sidecar offer?

Sidecar provides reports that show your spending by envelope over the last week, month, or quarter. It displays money in and money out side by side for easy review.

### Can I export my transaction data from Sidecar?

Yes, you can export every transaction to a CSV file whenever you wish. This allows you to use your financial data outside of the app for further analysis.

## Version history (last 4 releases)

### 1.0.4 — 2026-09-03

Fixed some bugs along with the following update: 

Every envelope now has a complete history. Money that arrives when you create an envelope is recorded alongside paycheck funding, transfers and spending — so nothing in your budget is unexplained.

### 1.0.3 — 2026-08-31

• Tap a posted paycheck in Activity to see exactly how it was divided
• Each envelope now shows its full history — money in, money out, and moves
• Fixes a crash when removing an envelope from a split expense

### 1.0.1 — 2026-08-29

Some bug fixes, particularly one that was causing the app to crash when users tried deleting additional envelopes when splitting expenses.

### 1.0 — 2026-08-25

No release notes.

## More apps by Brandon Duncan

- [Ayuno - Intermittent Fasting](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ayuno-intermittent-fasting/id6787856522)
- [Papyr: Journaling App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papyr-journaling-app/id6793413023)

All apps by Brandon Duncan: https://appshunter.io/developer/1858118962

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-17.*
