PocketGuard review

Keeping close tabs on your personal finances is a chore that’s made much easier thanks to the advent of an app like PocketGuard. It’s been around for a while now and continues to be tweaked and fine-tuned in order to offer easy money monitoring, as well as expense tracking for good measure. Available for MacOS and Android, supplemented by a desktop edition, PocketGuard makes total sense for anyone who’s on the go.

PocketGuard will work for both the US market and Canada too, with a host of convenient financial management tools that allow budgeting and monitoring of incomings and expenses on the move. It’s got rivals, of course, from the likes of QuickBooks, Expensify, Hurdlr and Zoho Expense for that matter, plus more besides.

Adding to the convenience factor is that PocketGuard is also compatible with the Apple Watch, which if you’re an owner of one, makes it super simple to dip in and check your finances anywhere. There are lots of features too, including the ability to set financial goals, budget, keep tabs on spending and view transactions. Bill payment tracking, fraud detection and budget categorization tools add to the muscular feel of PocketGuard.

• Want to try Pocketguard? Check out the website here

PocketGuard: Pricing

Affordability is a big part of the appeal with PocketGuard. Currently, there’s a free trial for seven days, which lets potential users check out its features and functions though it only really reveals its true potential if you head directly for the paid-for edition. So, from there, the option is for a $12.99 per month subscription or, alternatively, a more cost-effective annual fee of $74.99, which breaks down as $6.25 a month.

PocketGuard: Features

There are a stack of features in the latest incarnation of PocketGuard and all will be invaluable as part of a personal finance makeover. It’s possible to manage and prioritise expenses, get to grips with budgeting thanks to a crop of practical tools, as well as enjoying the convenience of features like bill negotiation or working out debt payoffs. The more curious can also take a deeper look into the world of net worth.

Highlights include the capacity for tracking your income and expenses, along with seeing just how much you've got spare while PocketGuard also lets you build up a bigger picture of your money matters over time. Other key features are the options for creating spending limits so you can cap outgoings where needed, as well as the capacity for setting savings goals. 

Add it all together and the picture of your finances becomes very clear indeed. Once you’ve got all your data into the software you’ll have access to an In My Pocket zone, which is the true strength of the app as it gives an instant overview of your money.

PocketGuard: Performance

You’ll find that Pocketguard works with wonderful efficiency on both the Mac iOS and Android app editions of the software, with a neat and tidy interface that is suitably tap-friendly. 

While the web-based variation on the theme is similarly speedy, you’ll find that Pocketguard is most able when it’s getting on with business on your mobile phone or tablet. There’s very minimal effort involved in setting up the app to link to your bank accounts and once you’ve got that in place you should find that PocketGuard will work very dependably.

PocketGuard: Ease of use

The ease-of-use factor is perhaps one of the best things about PocketGuard. The fact that it has been around for a while has allowed the UX folks to hone the user experience to near perfection. The journey through the various features and functions is a super smooth one, plus there’s some really great help at hand should you need it. 

Using PocketGuard on a mobile device is impressive as it feels like the whole thing has been carefully thought out to make working on personal finance and budgeting chores on-the-go that little bit easier.

The straightforward journey of getting to grips with PocketGuard begins with setting up and this is one of the best aspects of the software. Connecting accounts, so that it’s then possible to pull in data and collate figures for better financial management, is largely a breeze. Overall, PocketGuard has to be one of the nicest overall experiences offered from the personal finance end of the software spectrum.

PocketGuard: Support

As has always been the case, PocketGuard places plenty of emphasis on offering help as and when it is needed. The great thing is that the software itself is easy enough to master. In fact, it is super intuitive. However, if you do become unstuck, there’s a comprehensive help center on the website. This boasts articles on every aspect of the software and should help get to the bottom of the majority of queries.

PocketGuard: Final verdict

PocketGuard is a fine piece of software that works to great effect on mobile devices. Sure, it’s not the cheapest personal finance manager package on the block, and the likes of Quicken or Simplifi pip it to the post on that front. Nevertheless, anyone wanting to get serious with their finances, and who needs a stress-free assistant to achieve that, will find PocketGuard more than measures up.

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