- Wedding budget apps side by side
- Ten wedding budget apps to compare
- Which wedding budget app fits how you plan
- The legal deadline that belongs in your budget plan
- Wedding planner app, budgeting app or shared expenses app?
- Six questions to answer before you set the budget
- Signs your wedding budget is drifting
- My plain advice on a wedding budget that holds
- Frequently asked questions
A wedding budget app helps you set a total, split it across the venue, food, clothes and suppliers, and track every deposit and payment as you go. Some are wedding planning apps with a budget tool built in, some are general budgeting apps and some help guests contribute or families share costs. Ten options follow in no particular order.
Wedding spending grows in small steps. A deposit here, an upgrade there and a few extras in the final month add up, and most couples only see the total when it's too late to change much.
The ten tools below help you see the whole picture early. They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. If you'd like AI help with the plan, my list of ChatGPT prompts to plan a wedding on a budget pairs well with any of them.
Wedding budget apps side by side
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site says the tool, or a plan or version of it, is free or open source. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridebook | UK wedding planning app | UK couples tracking spend and guests | Yes |
| Easy Weddings | Australian wedding planning site | Australian couples tracking spending | Not stated |
| Goodbudget | Envelope budgeting app | Saving for the wedding together | Not stated |
| Hitched | UK wedding planning site and app | UK planning tools in one app | Not stated |
| Honeyfund | Cash and honeymoon registry | Guests contributing to the honeymoon | Yes |
| Joy | Wedding website and planning app | Zero-fee cash funds with a website | Yes |
| Microsoft Excel | Budget templates in Excel | A spreadsheet you control completely | Yes |
| Splitwise | Shared expenses app | Splitting costs between two families | Yes |
| The Knot | Wedding planning site with a budget advisor | Seeing what real couples typically spend | Yes |
| Zola | Wedding planning platform | A budget tool beside registry and RSVPs | Yes |
Ten wedding budget apps to compare
Bridebook
Best for: UK couples who want one free planning app to keep an eye on the budget and guest list and to find suppliers.
Easy Weddings
Best for: Engaged Australians who want a calculator to keep track of all spending, next to a seating planner and supplier directory.
Goodbudget
Best for: Two people saving up together who like the envelope method and want to share the plan on Android, iPhone and the web.
Hitched
Best for: UK couples who want a checklist, guest list, seating chart and budget tool in the same app as venue searches.
Honeyfund
Best for: Anyone who'd rather ask guests for honeymoon or cash gifts than presents, using a registry with no-fee options.
Joy
Best for: Anyone planning a wedding who wants a free website, guest list and smart RSVP, plus zero-fee cash funds for gifts.
Microsoft Excel
Best for: Planners who prefer a spreadsheet and want a free budget template to track spending goals line by line.
Splitwise
Best for: Families sharing wedding bills who want to record who paid for what and who owes whom, without awkward conversations.
The Knot
Best for: US couples who want budget estimates based on what real couples typically spend before they start booking.
Zola
Best for: Couples who want a budget tool in the same account as their wedding website, guest list, registry and seating chart.
Which wedding budget app fits how you plan
- UK couples planning everything in one app: Bridebook or Hitched.
- Australian couples tracking spending: Easy Weddings.
- Saving up for the day together: Goodbudget.
- Asking for honeymoon or cash gifts: Honeyfund or Joy.
- A spreadsheet you control: Microsoft Excel.
- Families splitting the bills: Splitwise.
- Seeing typical spending before booking: The Knot.
- A budget tool beside your registry: Zola.
The legal deadline that belongs in your budget plan
GOV.UK says couples marrying in England and Wales must give notice at least 29 days before the ceremony. You give notice together at a register office in the district where at least one of you lives, and the ceremony must take place within 12 months of giving notice.
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Couples plan the venue a year ahead and forget this appointment until the final few weeks. Put it in your budget app as a dated line on day one, with the register office booking, so it sits next to the deposits you're tracking. If you're marrying in Scotland, Northern Ireland or abroad, the rules and timings are different, so check the official page for where the ceremony will happen.
Wedding planner app, budgeting app or shared expenses app?
A wedding planner app keeps the budget next to the guest list, seating chart and suppliers, which saves switching between tools.
A general budgeting app is better at saving towards a target. It suits couples who want to put money aside each month and see how close they are.
A shared expenses app records who paid for what, which helps when parents, grandparents and the couple are all contributing to different parts of the day.
Six questions to answer before you set the budget
- What's the most you can spend without borrowing?
- Who is contributing, and to which parts of the day?
- Which three things matter most to you both?
- How many guests are you inviting?
- Which deposits are refundable if plans change?
- Have you kept money aside for last-minute extras?
Signs your wedding budget is drifting
- The guest list keeps growing. Freeze the number.
- Upgrades go in without a line. Add each one to the app.
- Nobody knows who's paying for what. Write it down.
- There's no contingency left. Pull back on one category.
Do you make a wedding budget app? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on a wedding budget that holds
Agree the guest number before you agree anything else. It drives the venue, the food, the drinks and the stationery, so a list that grows by thirty people quietly rewrites half the budget. Settle the number, put a contingency line in the app and protect it until the final fortnight.
If you're working with a planner, my round-up of AI tools wedding planners use to save time shows what they can automate for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is a wedding budget app?
It's an app that helps you set a total wedding budget, split it across categories and track deposits and payments as you go.
Are wedding budget apps free?
Many wedding planning apps include a free budget tool. Check the free plan column above, then confirm on each vendor's site.
How far ahead must you give notice to marry in England?
GOV.UK says at least 29 days before the ceremony, and the ceremony must happen within 12 months of giving notice.
How do we split wedding costs between families?
Agree who covers which parts of the day, then use a shared expenses app to record who paid for what.
Should we use an app or a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet gives full control, while an app keeps the budget next to guests and suppliers. Many couples use both.
What do couples forget to budget for?
Common gaps include the legal notice, alterations, suppliers' meals, tips and postage for invitations.
