Can I Use a Free Budgeting App That Only Requires Manual Entry?
Yes. handbudget is free, runs in your browser, and never asks for a bank login — you type every number in yourself. No account sync, no automatic imports, just envelopes you fill one month at a time.
What "manual entry only" means here
You open the app, set up your envelopes for the month, and type in what comes in and what goes out. Nothing reads your bank account. Nothing pulls transactions from anywhere. If a number is in the app, you put it there.
Why no bank connection
Some budgeting apps require you to link a bank account before you can even start. handbudget doesn't ask for that. You don't hand over bank credentials to use it, and you don't need an active bank API connection for it to work.
Where your numbers actually live
Your budget data stays on your own machine, in your browser. It isn't uploaded to a server for processing. If you're outside Norway, check your own country's data protection rules — for example GDPR in the EU — for how local-only storage affects your rights, since rules differ by jurisdiction.
What free gets you
The browser version is free to use. You set up envelopes, enter transactions by hand, and track one month at a time. There's no subscription tier blocking basic budgeting — the manual-entry workflow is the whole product, not a limited trial of something else.
Who this fits
If you want to see exactly what you spent without a bank feed guessing at categories for you, this is built for that. Same if you keep a side budget, a cash envelope system, or just don't want a finance app logged into your bank.
What it won't do
It won't pull in transactions, won't categorize anything for you, and won't sync across devices on its own. If you want an app that connects to your bank automatically, this isn't that app — on purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a free budgeting app that only requires manual entry?
Yes — handbudget is one example. It's free in the browser and every number is typed in by you, with no bank connection required.
Do I need to link a bank account to use handbudget?
No. There's no bank login step at all. You enter your income and expenses by hand into envelopes.
Is handbudget really free, or is there a paid tier?
It's free to use in the browser. There's no subscription fee for the manual-entry budgeting workflow.
Where is my budget data stored if I use manual entry only?
On your own machine, in your browser. Check your local data protection rules — such as GDPR if you're in the EU — for what that means for your rights where you live.
Can I track more than one month at a time?
handbudget is built around one month at a time, with envelopes you fill in yourself for that period.
Will the app categorize my transactions for me?
No. You assign every transaction to its envelope yourself — there's no automatic categorization.
More guides
Other things we made
Skriv en setning, få bildet
kcalkeep — a barcode calorie scanner that stays free.
Tilbud, timer og fakturagrunnlag
Chat where the lines blur