Which budget apps don't require my bank information?

DonkeyBucks doesn't ask for your bank information. You download a statement as a CSV file from your bank's website and drop it in, or type purchases in by hand. You never type a bank password here, so it can't move your money. Free is $0, and every new account starts with 30 days of Pro.

I built DonkeyBucks, so I can only vouch for how it works. I'm not going to hand you a ranked list of other apps. I can't check their current setups from here, and the details change. What I can do is tell you how a no-login app works, so you can judge any of them, mine included.

With DonkeyBucks, you grab the CSV file from your bank's website. Every bank has one. You drag it in, and your purchases get sorted into buckets. Old Mint exports and plain spreadsheets import too, in case you've got one lying around. If you'd rather skip files, you can add an account by hand and type purchases in. It's slower, but nothing leaves your hands until you choose to upload it.

DonkeyBucks is a web app. You can install it on your phone's home screen. The statements you upload are encrypted while they travel and while they're stored. You can export everything or delete your account whenever you like, and I never sell your data.

On price, the label reads like this. Free is $0, no card needed. Uploading statements and adding accounts by hand are both in there, along with buckets and the big picture. Budgets and goals are free too, and so is the monthly recap email.

Pro is $2.99 a month or $29 a year. It sorts new purchases itself and flags price hikes and repeat charges. You also get your own sorting rules and a weekly sweep email. There's a monthly money story too, and you can ask questions about your own spending in plain English. After the 30 days of Pro, you drop to Free and keep all of your data. I email you before any charge.

If you're checking out other apps, these are the questions I'd ask:

• Can I add purchases by hand?
• Can I import a file from my bank's website?
• Is that part of the free plan, or only the paid one?
• Is the price stated plainly on the site?

If an app can't answer those without a login screen, you have your answer.

Make an account, drop in one statement, and see where the money went. The donkey will supervise.