Software

Mobile Apps

personally tested


My Budget Book (Pro)

The perfect Household Book

Available for Apple and Android

My Budget Book is a practical tool to keep track of and manage your income and expenditure.

With individual entries and standing orders, you can keep track of the next few months to see how much money you have available each month. The graphic display also helps you to keep track of larger purchases over a longer period of time.

This app is available under the same name in an almost identical design from two different developers: one offers it for iOS only and the other for Android OS only.
At the time, I bought the low-priced complete package for my iPhone 11 Pro, as the app and the appearance of the developer's website made a pleasant impression on me.
After I received the new Fairphone 4 and it had passed its test as my new main phone, I looked for an adequate alternative for “My Budget Book Pro” and was amazed when I found its double in the Google Play Store! The full Android version does no “Pro” suffix in its name, but design and functions are almost identical. But the Android version is even better.

Developer/Supplier

Apple iOS

Christian Drapatz, Kämpenstr. 42, 45147 Essen, Germany

Android OS

Andreas Ewert, Am Frache 19, 44229 Dortmund, Germany

Purchase/Installation Date

Apple iOS

02.01.2020 Pro Trial Version

Android OS

21.12.2021

Purchase Price

Apple iOS

Pro Trial Version for free
In-App purchase: 03.01.2020 Complete package for 4.49 EUR

Android OS

Google Play Store: 3.99 EUR

Rating (1–5 Stars)

Apple iOS

**** (4 Stars, downgrading because of the Cons)

Android OS

***** (5 Stars)

System Requirements

Apple iOS

iOS or iPadOS from vers. 12.0 upwards
Compatible with iPhone/iPad/iPod touch

Android OS

Android OS
Compatible with Android Smartphones/Tablets

Languages

Apple iOS

German, English

Android OS

German, English and nine more languages

Support (Language, Contact)

in German and English, via E-Mail

Features

  • offline – the app does not have internet authorisation for security reasons
  • no advertising and no hidden in-app purchases (only voluntary donations)
  • configurable material design layout incl. configurable dark mode
  • quickly switch between the different views Account Balance and Monthly Balance
  • statistics with tables + graphics illustrate expenditure and savings potential
  • manage multiple accounts and perform transfers between them
  • define your own main and sub-categories to analyse your cost history
  • manage other optional lists of payment types, groups or persons
  • group the statistics and charts by categories, accounts and, if activated in the settings, also by groups, persons or payment types
  • add photos, e.g. of receipts, to your bookings
  • get reminders of outstanding payments
  • define the beginning of the month based on your incoming salary (e.g. 1st or 15th).
  • compare bookings with your bank statement
  • create templates to enter bookings even faster
  • filter and sort inputs and outputs according to various criteria and time periods
  • protect your sensitive data with a password
  • import existing data or account statements from your bank using the CSV import (import of other formats on request)
  • export your data as HTML, Excel or CSV file to view or print on PC
  • create backups for data protection, incl. automatic backups

Pros

  • Android version: no data loss when leaving the app, e.g. switching to the banking app to look up something there and then enter it in the budget book
  • Android version: no data loss when switching off the display/activating the display lock
  • Android version: when jumping back/gesturing back, there is a confirmation prompt asking whether the app should be closed (if so, with automatic data backup option!)
  • User interface easy to learn
  • all your accounts can be stored
  • store frequently occurring bookings as templates (saves a lot of time)
  • Every time the app is closed, automatic data backup starts (optional)
  • manual data backup possible at any time

Cons

  • iOS version: As soon as the display lock is active (display off), unsaved entries are lost
  • iOS version: when switching to another app, unsaved entries are lost
  • file format of Apple and Android version unfortunately not identical, therefore data not transferable when changing eco system

Conclusion

Highly recommended! A must have! Thumbs up!
I've never had so much fun with accounting!

Apple users must be careful not to switch to another app or pause for too long during a booking process, otherwise all entries made will be lost.
So don't quickly switch to another app in between to look up, copy & paste as you are used to doing with all other apps. Do not set a very short time for the screen lock while using this app.
But Apple customers are used to being patronised and bullied and adapt their way of working to the way the developers work. Wink smile

Alternatives

I don't know of any comparable apps. I first looked at F-Droid for my Fairphone 4, but unfortunately found nothing comparable. For such a sophisticated app, however, it's not the price that matters to me, but the range of functions, security and, of course, ease of use.

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