Last updated: 2026-10-24
BudgetBuddy is built to keep your finances private. There is no account, no sign-in, no bank connection, no advertising, no analytics and no tracking. Your entries stay on your device.
The entries, categories, budget and currency you enter are stored only in an encrypted database on your device. The encryption key is generated on your device and kept in the iOS Keychain or Android Keystore. The developer cannot see, access or recover this data. Automatic cloud backups of the app database are disabled, so if you lose or reset your device without exporting a backup, the data cannot be recovered.
Nothing. The app does not send your entries, usage data, device identifiers or crash reports to the developer or to any analytics or advertising service.
Premium subscriptions are processed by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play). The developer does not receive your name, payment details or purchase history. The app asks the store on your device whether you have an active subscription. Apple and Google handle that information under their own privacy policies.
Premium includes a category suggestion button. In versions where cloud suggestions are enabled, the app first asks for your confirmation each time, and then sends only the entry name (for example "Netflix") to a server operated by the developer, where a language model running on that same server returns a category. No third-party AI provider receives it. Amounts, dates and your other entries are never sent. The name is not stored or logged by the developer and is not used to train models. You can always choose the on-device suggestion instead, which sends nothing. Versions without cloud suggestions use only the on-device suggestion.
Premium includes a bill scanner. When you tap Scan bill or From photo, the app asks for camera or photo access, takes or reads one image, and extracts text from it on your device using the text recognition built into iOS (Apple Vision) or Android (Google ML Kit, delivered through Google Play services). The image is deleted right after and is never uploaded, stored in the app database or sent to the developer or any AI service. Only the name, amount and date the app finds are placed into the entry form for you to check and save.
You can export your data as text through the system share sheet and import it again. An export is not encrypted. When you share it, it goes wherever you choose, such as a file, a notes app or a messaging app, and is then governed by that service. Keep exports somewhere you trust.
Use Settings, "Delete all my data" to erase all entries, categories and settings from the device. Uninstalling the app also removes the database and its key. Because we hold no copy, there is nothing to delete on our side.
BudgetBuddy is a general budgeting tool and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from anyone.
If this policy changes, the new version ships with an app update and the date above changes. Questions or requests: see the support contact in Settings, About.