CountAbout Review: An Excellent Tool for Detailed Budget Tracking

Maintaining a functional budget is vital for your financial well-being, and many apps aim to streamline this process. CountAbout is a relatively new all-in-one personal finance tool that stands out by directly importing data from both Quicken and Mint. Here, we'll explore CountAbout's features and what sets it apart in the world of personal finance software.

Features of CountAbout

CountAbout boasts a range of features, some of which are standard in online money management software, while others are unique to the platform. The standard features include:

• Automatic Transaction Downloads: It can automatically import your transactions from various financial institutions.
• Budgeting Tools: CountAbout allows you to create custom income and spending categories and tags.
• Financial Reports: You can generate financial reports.
• Mobile Apps: CountAbout offers apps for both Android and iOS.

Unique features of CountAbout include:

• Data Imports from Quicken and Mint: This sets it apart as it can seamlessly transition data from these platforms.
• Customizable Widgets: You can tailor your interface with widgets for a personalized view of your financial data.
• Running Balances: The system includes uncleared transactions in running balances.
• Ad-Free Interface: CountAbout provides an ad-free user experience.
• Recurring Transactions: You can set up recurring transactions for convenience.

User Interface

CountAbout offers a clean and straightforward interface, in contrast to some more cluttered alternatives. The user interface consists of tabs for transactions, budgets, reports, recurring transactions, and invoices.

Under "Transactions," you can view imported or manually added transactions, which can be categorized to track various budget categories. "Budgets" lets you set up budgets for different categories, even allowing for annual budget views. "Reports" offers standard financial reports that can be exported to CSV for external storage. The "Recurring" section simplifies the addition of monthly recurring transactions.

Investments

CountAbout offers an investment page exclusively for Premium subscribers. Here, you can maintain a list of all your investment holdings, helping you consolidate your investment data across various accounts.

Invoice Feature

CountAbout introduced an Invoice feature, which can benefit small businesses, contractors, and freelancers. It enables you to manage billing and integrates seamlessly with Quicken, Freshbooks, and Wave, streamlining your business activity with your accounting software.

Pricing

CountAbout provides two plans, both with a 45-day free trial. The standard plan offers basic budgeting features, but transactions must be entered manually. Upgrading to the Premium Plan, which costs just over $3 per month, automates the download of bank data into your budgets, making it a cost-effective choice for most users.

Inputting Budgets and Transactions in CountAbout

Before you begin budgeting, customize your category list to suit your preferences. You can also add tags for more detailed transaction tracking. Additionally, CountAbout allows you to attach images to transactions, such as receipts.

Create monthly budgets for the entire year, offering flexibility for seasonal or event-based adjustments. You can also budget on an annual basis, spreading expenses evenly across the months.

You can base your budgets on historical transactions, utilizing the "Use History" feature, provided you have sufficient data in the system.

Each transaction requires categorization, account selection, and tagging, making it easy to manage your budget.

Widgets

CountAbout stands out with its widget feature, allowing you to customize your interface with graphical or text-based elements that matter most to you. This feature enables at-a-glance access to critical financial information.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Simple User Interface: CountAbout offers a clean and clutter-free interface.
• Automatic Transaction Downloads: Streamlines the budgeting process by automatically importing transactions.
• Customizability: The platform allows users to tailor their interface, categories, and more.
• Ease of Use: CountAbout is user-friendly, making it accessible for a wide audience.
• Transferability: If migrating from other popular budgeting software, historical data can be moved seamlessly to CountAbout.

Cons:

• Simplicity: Some users may find CountAbout's interface too basic, lacking advanced features found in other personal finance software.
• Accounting Focus: While beneficial for business accounting, it may not be the best choice for users primarily interested in tracking monthly expenses.
• Cost: CountAbout is not free, and the premium version costs $39.99 annually. The basic version, priced at $9.99 per year, offers fewer features.
• Limited Investment Functions: While it can sync with investment accounts, CountAbout lacks robust investment tracking features.

Alternatives to CountAbout

1. Simplifi: This alternative offers custom savings goals, cash flow projections, personalized budgets, and the ability to share finances with a partner. Pricing is competitive, starting at $3.99 per month.
2. PocketSmith: PocketSmith focuses on providing annual projections and future financial planning, making it a solid choice for long-term financial management.

Is CountAbout for You?

CountAbout is an ideal choice for detail-oriented individuals who prefer detailed annual budget tracking. The cost, starting at $39 per year, is reasonable. It is also suitable for small businesses and organizations in need of basic accounting and reporting functions. However, if you seek simpler budgeting or more robust investment tracking, you may want to explore other options like free personal finance software or investment-centric solutions like PocketSmith.