Comparison

Stash | Envelope Budget vs Bindful

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Stash | Envelope Budget

Features
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Cash stuffing, without the cash. Stash is a simple envelope budget. When you get paid, stuff envelopes. When you spend, tap an envelope and enter the amount. That’s it β€” no bank login, no account, no monthly subscription. HOW IT WORKS β€’ Add your paycheck β€’ Stuff envelopes (groceries, gas, fun, bills) β€’ Spend from the right envelope in seconds β€’ Move money between envelopes anytime SINKING FUNDS Car insurance, Christmas, the vet β€” bills you already know are coming. Give them a target and a date so they sit tucked away, not mixed into β€œsafe to spend.” WHY STASH β€’ No bank connection. You enter the numbers. β€’ Your checking balance stops lying β€’ Big, readable amounts β€’ Optional iCloud backup (Pro) if you get a new phone β€’ One-time Pro. Not a subscription.

About

Bindful

Features
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Your cash stuffing binder, minus the ATM runs. Bindful turns the envelope method you've seen all over your For You page into a pastel binder that lives on your phone. Stuff your envelopes every payday, watch your sinking funds fill up, and keep every dollar where you can see it β€” no cash to carry, no bank account to connect. THE BINDER A grid of soft, pastel envelopes behind real binder rings. Your total sits at the top; every envelope shows what's left inside. It's the part of budgeting that's actually nice to look at β€” and it's built to be screenshot-worthy. PAYDAY IS THE BEST PART Start a stuffing session, enter what came in, and tap your money into each envelope. Every stuff lands with a satisfying haptic tick. Close the binder, see what you put away, and get on with your day. The session itself is always ad-free β€” the ritual is sacred. SINKING FUNDS FOR THE BIG STUFF Christmas, car repairs, the trip you keep talking about. Give a fund a goal and a date, and Bindful tells you the pace β€” about how much to stuff each week, fortnight, or month to get there. SAVINGS CHALLENGES Start the 100 Envelope Challenge ($5,050), the 52-Week Challenge ($1,378), or the 26-Week Step-Up right inside your binder. Tick off steps on the challenge grid and share the card when you finish. FREE MEANS FREE Unlimited envelopes. Unlimited sinking funds. No subscription, no envelope cap, no paywall on the method. Unlock extra premium envelope covers whenever you feel like a new look. YOURS ALONE No bank linking. No account. No sign-up. Everything stays on your phone, works offline, and can be exported β€” or erased β€” with a tap. You chose manual budgeting on purpose; Bindful is the app that agrees with you. NO GUILT, EVER Overspent? Move cash between envelopes and carry on. No red warnings, no streak shaming, no lectures. A clean history ledger with one-tap undo and a month recap shows what you stuffed, spent, and saved. Make your first envelope, stuff it on payday, and feel your money again.

Screenshots

Stash | Envelope Budget3 screens
Bindful4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bindful at none against Stash | Envelope Budget's 1. Stash | Envelope Budget's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Stash | Envelope Budget sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Bindful asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Stash | Envelope Budget versus Bindful: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStash | Envelope BudgetBindful
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyβ€”Fortnightly
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.416.4
Further details β€” not scored
Size38 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperXentech LLCGCL Tech

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Stash | Envelope Budget

One-time1
  • Pro lifetime$49.99
None

Bindful

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stash | Envelope Budget free?
Stash | Envelope Budget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bindful free?
Bindful is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Stash | Envelope Budget or Bindful have ads?
Bindful shows ads; Stash | Envelope Budget does not.

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