Bank Syncing
Your accounts, always up to date.
Connect 12,000+ banks and credit unions via Plaid. A small per-account linking fee applies to help cover our costs. Manual entry & CSV imports are always free.
How bank syncing works
Set it up once and your finances stay current automatically.
Most people have accounts spread across multiple banks. A checking account here, a savings account there, a credit card somewhere else. Keeping track of all of them manually is tedious, and it is the number one reason people give up on budgeting.
FreeBudget solves this by connecting directly to your financial institutions through Plaid, the same secure infrastructure behind apps like Venmo, Robinhood, and Coinbase. When you link an account, your transactions flow in automatically. No copying numbers from bank statements, no forgetting to log a purchase, no gaps in your budget.
A small per-account linking fee applies to help cover the cost of maintaining these connections. We charge this because Plaid is not free for us to use, and we would rather be upfront about costs than hide them behind a monthly subscription. Everything else in FreeBudget is free.
If you prefer not to link your accounts, that is perfectly fine. You can enter transactions manually, import CSV files from your bank, or mix and match. FreeBudget works however you want it to.
Everything you need to stay connected
12,000+ Institutions
Connect virtually any bank, credit union, or brokerage in the US and Canada via our Plaid integration.
Real-Time Sync
Transactions appear automatically. No manual entry needed. Your budget stays current without any effort.
Powered by Plaid
The same bank-link technology used by Venmo, Robinhood, and thousands of other financial apps you already trust.
Multi-Account Support
Link checking, savings, credit cards, loans, and investment accounts all in one place.
Auto-Categorization
Transactions are automatically categorized so you can see where your money goes without lifting a finger.
Manual Entry Too
Prefer to add transactions by hand? You can do that alongside linked accounts, or skip bank linking entirely.
Frequently asked questions
How does bank syncing work?
When you link an account, FreeBudget connects through Plaid, a trusted third-party service used by thousands of financial apps. Plaid securely retrieves your transaction and balance data and sends it to FreeBudget. Your bank login credentials are never stored on our servers.
Is there a cost for bank syncing?
FreeBudget charges a small per-account linking fee to help cover the cost of maintaining bank connections through Plaid. Everything else in the app is completely free. You can also use FreeBudget without bank syncing by entering transactions manually or importing CSV files.
Which banks are supported?
FreeBudget supports over 12,000 financial institutions in the United States and Canada through Plaid. This includes major banks like Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Capital One, as well as credit unions, brokerages, and smaller community banks.
How often do transactions sync?
Transactions typically appear within a few hours of posting to your bank account. The exact timing depends on your financial institution, but most users see new transactions show up the same day.
Can I use FreeBudget without linking a bank account?
Absolutely. Bank syncing is optional. You can add transactions manually, import CSV files from your bank, or use a combination of all three methods. Many users start with manual entry and add bank syncing later.
Ready to take control of your finances?
Join the growing community who've simplified their money with FreeBudget. It takes less than a minute to start.