Short answer
A finance app for freelancers should turn lumpy invoices into a steady monthly pay, keep the tax share apart and show how many months your buffer covers. In Finman, client payments land in a holding account, a savings goal holds the tax, and you transfer yourself one fixed amount each month. It is free during the open beta.
What a freelancer needs from a finance app
Salary apps assume one deposit on the same day each month. Freelance money arrives as invoices: two in one week, then nothing for a month, then a client who pays 40 days late. The app has to turn that into a plan you can live on. Six jobs decide whether it can:
| Job | What to look for | How Finman covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth lumpy income | Separate accounts and transfers between them, so invoices land in one place and your pay comes from there | Holding account plus a fixed monthly transfer to your spending account |
| Keep tax apart | A goal or envelope you top up on every payment | A savings goal for tax; add to it each time an invoice clears |
| Know your runway | A view of the buffer against your monthly costs | Account balances, monthly spending by category and a balance forecast |
| Clients in other currencies | Accounts that keep their own currency | Each account has its own currency; totals convert to your base currency |
| Work costs and receipts | Categories you control, recurring charge detection, receipt photos | Your own categories and rules, subscription detection, receipt reading from a phone photo |
| Your bank, any country | Statement file import, so coverage does not depend on bank sync | CSV, OFX or QFX import; monobank connects directly; manual entry |
Finance apps freelancers use, compared
Prices below are from each vendor’s own page, checked 30 Oct 2026. They change, so confirm before you subscribe.
| App | Price | Fits a freelancer who… |
|---|---|---|
| YNAB | $14.99/mo or $109/yr after a 34-day trial | wants a strict zero-based method: you budget only money already in the account |
| Goodbudget | Free: 10 + 10 envelopes, 1 account; Premium $10/mo or $80/yr | likes envelopes and types income in as it arrives |
| Monarch | $14.99/mo or $99.99/yr | wants bank sync and a full household picture |
| Tiller | $99/yr after 30 days | prefers to build the system in Google Sheets or Excel |
| Finman | Free during the open beta; after it Free $0, Pro $9/mo | wants a holding account, a tax goal, several currencies and file import without a bank login |
Sources: ynab.com/pricing; goodbudget.com, monarch.com and tiller.com pricing pages; Finman pricing.
The setup: holding account, tax goal, fixed pay
This is the standard way to budget irregular income, built from features Finman has today. The method itself is explained step by step in how to budget on an irregular income.
- Step 1Client paysThe invoice lands in a holding account you create for business income.
- Step 2Tax share outAdd your estimated rate of that payment to a “Tax” savings goal.
- Step 3Buffer growsWhat stays in the holding account is your buffer for thin months.
- Step 4Fixed payOn the same day each month, transfer one fixed amount to your spending account.
- Step 5Budget the payCategory budgets run on that fixed amount, the way a salaried budget would.
- 01Create two accounts. A holding account for client payments and a spending account for your pay. Give each the currency it really uses.
- 02Start a Tax goal. Set a target for the year. Each time a payment clears, add your estimated tax share with the Contribute button, so the goal shows what is spoken for.
- 03Pick your pay. Use the lowest month of the last year as a starting figure. Transfer it monthly between your own accounts.
- 04Budget the pay. Set category budgets on the fixed amount. Finman flags a budget at 80% spent or when the current pace will break it before the month ends.
- 05Watch the buffer. Divide the holding account balance by your monthly pay: that is how many months you can cover if invoices stop.
Set up the holding account and tax goal
Two accounts, one goal, one monthly transfer. Free during the open beta, no card.
Start freeHow much tax to set aside as a freelancer
Tax on an invoice is yours to set aside, and the bill arrives after the money is spent. The share depends on your country, province or state, income and deductions, so take the percentage from your accountant or last year’s return. Two official rules worth knowing:
- 01Canada. You generally pay income tax by instalments when your net tax owing is more than $3,000 ($1,800 in Quebec) in the current year and in either of the two previous years. Due dates are March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. See the CRA instalment rules.
- 02United States. Sole proprietors generally make estimated tax payments when they expect to owe $1,000 or more, and the estimate covers self-employment tax too. See the IRS estimated tax rules.
Funding the Tax goal on every payment means the instalment is already sitting there when it is due. Keep receipts for work costs as you go; the routine is in organizing expenses for tax season.
Clients who pay in other currencies
A client in euros, another in US dollars, rent in Canadian dollars: in Finman each of those is its own account in its own currency, and net worth and reports convert to the base currency you choose. Transfers between your accounts in different currencies are credited at the exchange rate Finman has stored for that date, so the amount your bank credited can differ by its spread and fees. More in multi-currency budgeting.
Getting bank data in
Finman connects directly only to monobank, with a personal API token. For RBC Royal Bank, TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, Tangerine, Wealthsimple Cash, EQ Bank, Revolut and Wise you download a CSV, OFX or QFX file from online banking and import it; the import wizard shows every row and flags duplicates before anything is written. Step by step: importing bank statements. Canadian freelancers can start from Finman in Canada.
Where Finman stops
Finman covers your own money: pay, tax set-aside, buffer, spending and net worth. It does not create invoices, chase late payers, produce a profit-and-loss statement, run payroll or file returns. Once your practice keeps formal books, use accounting software for the business and Finman for the household side. The AI CFO chat answers from your numbers and is a planning aid; tax questions still belong with an accountant. If you run a company with staff, see personal finance for business owners.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best finance app for freelancers?
One that handles irregular income and tax you pay yourself. Look for separate accounts with transfers, a goal for tax, multi-currency accounts and file import. YNAB suits a strict zero-based method; Finman suits a holding account, tax goal and several currencies, and is free during its open beta.
What is the best budgeting app for freelancers with irregular income?
Pick an app where you can budget one fixed monthly pay, whatever the deposits do. In Finman, invoices land in a holding account, you transfer yourself the same amount every month and budget that amount, while a savings goal keeps the tax share apart.
How much should a freelancer set aside for taxes?
It depends on your country, income and deductions, so use the rate from your accountant or last year’s return. In Canada, instalments are generally due when net tax owing is over $3,000 ($1,800 in Quebec); in the US, estimated payments when you expect to owe $1,000 or more.
Can Finman send invoices or do my bookkeeping?
Finman tracks your personal money only: accounts, budgets, goals, debts, subscriptions, investments and net worth. Invoicing, profit-and-loss statements, payroll and tax filing need accounting software.
Do I have to connect my bank to Finman?
Connecting a bank is optional. Only monobank connects directly. For RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, Tangerine, Wealthsimple Cash, EQ Bank, Revolut and Wise you import CSV, OFX or QFX files, and manual entry works for every feature.
Does Finman work with clients who pay in different currencies?
Yes. Each account keeps its own currency, and net worth and reports convert to the base currency you pick. Transfers between currencies are credited at Finman’s stored exchange rate for that date.
Pay yourself like an employer would
Create a holding account, a Tax goal and a monthly transfer in about ten minutes. Free during the open beta.
Get Started Free