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Banktivity Review: Pros, Cons, Features, and Pricing

Banktivity is a budgeting and planning software that helps users manage their finances, pay bills, and track spending patterns. It's ideal for personal finance enthusiasts and small business owners who value detailed bank account and credit card money management on macOS and iOS.

Banktivity addresses common pain points like complicated budgeting processes and lack of detailed financial reports for finance teams. It supports direct access to financial institutions to download transactions, categorize every payee, and maintain cash flow clarity, while features like scheduled transactions, envelope budgeting, and real estate tracking enhance overall financial management. 

In this article, I'll cover Banktivity's features, pros and cons, use cases, and pricing so you can decide if this personal finance app aligns with your financial goals and needs.

Banktivity Evaluation Summary

Banktivity tracks income, spending, goals and investments in one Mac/iOS finance app.
Pricing
  • From $4.99/month (billed annually)
  • 30-day free trial

Why Trust Our Software Reviews

Banktivity Overview

In my opinion, Banktivity is a solid choice for those seeking a personal finance tool with detailed budgeting capabilities. It excels in investment tracking and offers a user-friendly interface on iOS app and desktop, making it ideal for individuals and small business owners. Compared to competitors like Quicken, YNAB, Moneydance, and MoneyWiz, it stands out with its intuitive navigation and responsive customer support.

However, its onboarding could be more streamlined, and it may not offer as many integrations as some larger platforms. It's best suited for users who prioritize detailed insights into financial data, net worth, and currencies while retaining straightforward budgeting over extensive third-party connectivity. If you're looking for a tool that combines functionality and ease of use with powerful features, Banktivity could be the right fit for your financial planning needs.

How We Test & Score Tools

We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes a tool effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.

Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring works across seven criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.

Core Functionality (25% of final scoring)

The starting point of our evaluation is always the core functionality of the tool. Does it have the basic features and functions that a user would expect to see? Are any of those core features locked to higher-tiered pricing plans? At its core, we expect a tool to stand up against the baseline capabilities of its competitors.

Standout Features (25% of final scoring)

Next, we evaluate uncommon standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality typically found in tools of its kind. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.

We also evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Tools offering plentiful native integrations, 3rd party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.

Ease of Use (10% of final scoring)

We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the tool. High scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.

Onboarding (10% of final scoring)

We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use a tool with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the tool with no experience. High scoring solutions indicate little or no support is required.

Customer Support (10% of final scoring)

We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Tools and companies that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.

Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring)

Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review their likelihood, given the option, to choose the tool again for the core functionality. A high scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.

Value for Money (10% of final scoring)

Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more, for less, will score higher.

Core Features

Budget Tracking

Banktivity lets you track your expenses and income in real-time, giving you a clear view of your finances. You can categorize transactions by payee and account to see where your money goes and maintain a steady cash flow.

Investment Tracking

It offers detailed insights into your investment accounts and portfolios, helping you monitor performance and track investments at linked brokerage institutions.

Financial Reports

Generate comprehensive reports that show your net worth and financial health over time. These reports help you analyze spending patterns and adjust your budget accordingly.

Bill Pay

You can schedule and pay bills directly through Banktivity, ensuring you never miss a payment. This supports scheduled transactions and recurring obligations.

Account Syncing

Sync all your bank accounts and credit card data in one place for a unified view using Open Banking-style connections to financial institutions.

Goal Setting

Set and track financial goals to stay on top of your savings account and investment plans, guided by clear dashboards and tutorial prompts.

Ease of Use

Banktivity is user-friendly, with an intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate your finances on iOS and macOS. You’ll find its layout straightforward on the iPad app and desktop, allowing access to key features like budgeting and investment tracking without hassle. Compared to other budgeting software, it’s designed to simplify financial management, with clear categorization, templates, and reporting tools that don’t overwhelm you.

Integrations

Banktivity integrates with Direct Access, Salt Edge, and a wide range of Open Banking–enabled financial institutions to import transactions seamlessly. Banktivity does not have an open API or third-party integration tools available.

Banktivity Specs

  • 2-Factor Authentication
  • Accounts Payable
  • Accounts Receivable
  • API
  • Audit Trail
  • Balance Sheet
  • Billing/Invoicing
  • Budgeting
  • Calendar Management
  • Comparative Reporting
  • Compliance Tracking
  • CRM Integration
  • Custom Reports
  • Dashboard
  • Dashboards
  • Data Export
  • Data Import
  • Data Mining
  • Data Visualization
  • Document Comparison
  • Expense Tracking
  • External Integrations
  • Financial Analysis
  • Forecasting
  • General Account Ledger
  • Multi-Currency
  • Multi-User
  • Notifications
  • P&L
  • Payroll
  • Process Reporting
  • Risk Assessment
  • SAP Integration
  • Scenario Planning
  • Scheduling
  • Tax Management
  • Visualization
  • Workflow Management

Banktivity FAQs

Bradley Clifford
By Bradley Clifford

I have 15+ years of experience helping growth-stage companies build finance infrastructure, forecasting tools, and decision-support frameworks. I'm VP of Finance at Black & White Zebra, and previously Senior Director of Finance at Rewind, where I helped cut cash burn from $11M to $2M. I also spent 6 years at Stack Overflow, supporting growth from $20M to $100M through its $1.8B acquisition. I hold an FCCA designation and an MSc in Professional Accountancy.