Sightglass Budget

Sightglass Budget In development

Envelope budgeting, made intentional.

An envelope budgeting app for planning your money before you spend it, and seeing exactly what is left in each category.

Android and web today. iPhone is in development.

Screenshots from the current build, taken on a test budget, on a phone and on a computer. Swipe or scroll sideways, and tap a screenshot to see it larger.

The Budget screen on a computer, three months side by side.
The Budget screen on a phone.
Adding a transaction.
A category and its transactions.
Managing shared budgets.
Reports for the last 3 months.

Decide where every dollar goes.

When income arrives, you budget it into categories before you spend it: rent, groceries, the car repair you know is coming. Each category then shows what is left for the month.

Available to Budget is the money you haven't assigned yet. If you spend more than you planned in one category, you cover it with money from another. Every dollar you move is a choice you make on purpose.

If you have used envelope budgeting before, by hand or in another app, it will feel familiar.

The top of the phone Budget screen: an Available to Budget card with the note All your income is budgeted, then income, budgeted, and spent totals, and the amount carried from last month. The top of the phone Budget screen: an Available to Budget card with the note All your income is budgeted, then income, budgeted, and spent totals, and the amount carried from last month.

What it does for you

Tell us what you need

This is separate from the waitlist. What frustrates you about the budgeting app you use now, and what do you hope this one does? We read the responses.

What is being built

The roadmap shows where Sightglass Budget is heading, so you get a heads-up on what is coming. It is updated as work moves along and as feedback comes in from the people using it.

  • Beta testing
See the full roadmap

A note from the developer

I started building Sightglass Budget in 2024 to replace the discontinued app I had used since 2015. I built it for my own family, with the features we want, and for the past few months it has been the only budgeting app my household uses.

Before building it, I tried a lot of budgeting apps. Many are good, but none did quite what I wanted, so I built Sightglass Budget around spending on purpose and seeing what is going on with your money. That's where the name comes from: a sightglass lets you see what's happening inside. Since I started, a few new apps have come out, and it's exciting to see other developers building tools that help people. That's what I'm doing too.

Now I am opening it up to other people. It is still in development, and things will change before release. If you join the testing, I would love to hear what works, what does not, and any suggestions you have.

Frequently asked questions

Does it connect to my bank?

Not yet. Today you can enter transactions manually or import a CSV. Bank sync is planned for future development.

What will it cost?

We're still working that out. Sync, hosting, and app store fees all factor in. Pricing will be posted here once it is set.

When does beta open?

There is no date yet. Beta opens when the app is ready for outside testers. A few critical pre-launch items are still in development, and we will share more as they come together.

Is my data private?

Yes. You own your data. Your budget is kept on your devices and on the sync server, synced over encrypted connections, and it is shared only with the people you invite. There are no ads in the app, and your data is not sold.

Is there AI in it?

There is no AI in Sightglass Budget right now. If it is added later, the plan is for it to be an optional setting for those who want it, and off by default. We have considered possibly using AI in reports to spot patterns in your spending, as well as a few other areas. For now, the focus is on the core functionality of Sightglass Budget.

Why another budgeting app?

Budgeting is personal, and what works for one person doesn't always work for another. Plenty of budgeting apps are good, and if yours works for you, that's great. Sightglass Budget was built to fill the gaps we kept running into: it is centered on spending on purpose and clearly seeing what is going on with your money. There are no streaks, badges, or points, just a useful tool. Join the waitlist and see if it fits you better. If it doesn't, no hard feelings.

Spend on purpose, not by accident.

Join the waitlist to be invited to test Sightglass Budget. We will email you when it is your turn, plus occasional progress updates.