# Budgeting app or spreadsheet: which should you choose to track your spending in 2026

> Connected app, spreadsheet or offline app to track your spending? An honest comparison, PSD2 and ACPR security, and our advice for getting started.

*Updated 2026-03-05*

## In short

- Three options exist for tracking your spending: the connected app (aggregator), the manual spreadsheet, and the offline app like Pilote Budget, free and anonymous.
- The aggregator automates everything but shares your bank data read-only; the spreadsheet keeps control and privacy, at the cost of manual entry.
- The advice: start simple (spreadsheet or offline app) to understand where your money goes, then automate once the habit is set.
- Before connecting your accounts, check the app's status in the ACPR's REGAFI register (the FCA register in the UK) and never enter your credentials outside your bank's flow.

You finally want to track your spending, but you are torn: an app that plugs straight into your bank account, or a good old spreadsheet you fill in by hand? The real answer fits in one sentence: the tool matters less than the habit. A fully automated app you never open is worth nothing next to a spreadsheet you open every Sunday evening. This article gives an honest comparison of the three families of tools (connected app, spreadsheet, offline app), with their strengths and limits for a beginner, and tells you how to decide.

## The three families of tools, in plain terms

There are three main options. We will walk through each one, no jargon.

### The connected budgeting app (the aggregator)

An aggregator is an app that connects to your bank accounts and pulls in your transactions automatically. It sorts your spending into categories (groceries, rent, subscriptions), calculates your balance, and can send you alerts. In the European Union, this service of consolidating several accounts into one unified view grew out of PSD2, the second European Payment Services Directive, in force across the EU since 13 January 2018[\[2\]](#source-2). In the United Kingdom and the United States, the same idea runs under Open Banking and similar account-aggregation rules.

In France, the two consumer apps whose status is confirmed in 2026 are Bankin' and Linxo. Bankin' is still active (its new terms of use apply from 13 March 2026 for new sign-ups), authorised and supervised by the ACPR, and it operates as an agent of Perspecteev (Bridge) for payment services[\[7\]](#source-7). Linxo is active too: the company launched a new app, "Linxo Lab", on 26 January 2026, which centralises accounts, crypto and investments through more than 1,700 banking connectors[\[8\]](#source-8). One detail worth being transparent about: Linxo Group belongs to the Crédit Agricole group, which took a majority stake (more than 85% of the capital) in January 2020[\[9\]](#source-9). In other words, your aggregator can be owned by a bank, which is good to know.

These apps offer a free tier and paid tiers. We will not quote prices here: they change often, and we would rather say nothing than claim something we cannot verify at the source.

### The manual spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice)

The spreadsheet is the zero-connection option. You create your columns (date, label, amount, category), enter each expense by hand, and build your totals with formulas. Nothing leaves your computer. This is exactly the tool recommended by Mes questions d'argent, the portal of the French national financial education strategy run by the Ministry of the Economy and implemented by the Banque de France, which explicitly names the spreadsheet (Excel) as a tool for keeping your accounts, alongside mobile apps[\[4\]](#source-4).

Manual entry has a hidden advantage: it forces you to look at where your money goes. If you do not know where to start, the method is simple. List your income (what comes in each month), your regular expenses (internet, phone), your occasional expenses and your impulse buys. That is the basic structure suggested by La finance pour tous, with no fixed percentage split imposed[\[1\]](#source-1). We cover this in more detail in our [complete guide to managing your budget when starting out](/en/blog/how-to-manage-your-budget-when-starting-out).

### The third way: the offline budgeting app

Between the aggregator and the spreadsheet, there is an option people often forget: the budgeting app that does not connect to your bank. The reference example is Pilote Budget (and Pilote Dépenses). This app is free, fully anonymous and confidential, and is not connected to your personal bank account; it lets you work out your "money left to live on" once fixed costs are deducted[\[5\]](#source-5). It was developed under the auspices of the Agence nouvelle des solidarités actives, together with the Banque de France, the French Banking Federation, La Banque Postale and several other players, and is free to download on Google Play and the App Store[\[6\]](#source-6).

It is the best argument for debunking the idea that you "absolutely have to sync your accounts": the Banque de France itself offers an offline app. The convenience of an app without the data sharing.

## Comparison table: connected app, spreadsheet or offline app

Here are the three options side by side on the criteria that really matter for a beginner.

| Criterion            | Connected app (aggregator)         | Spreadsheet (Excel, Sheets)       | Offline app (Pilote Budget)                          |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Cost                 | Free tier + paid tiers             | Free (Google Sheets, LibreOffice) | Free[\[5\]](#source-5)                               |
| Automation           | High (auto-import of transactions) | None (manual entry)               | None (manual entry)                                  |
| Control and learning | Low (you watch, you do not enter)  | Maximum (you build everything)    | Good (you enter, you see your money left to live on) |
| Bank data shared     | Yes, via PSD2 (read-only)          | No, nothing leaves your machine   | No, anonymous and offline[\[5\]](#source-5)          |
| Works offline        | No (needs the sync)                | Yes                               | Yes                                                  |
| Learning curve       | Very low                           | Medium (formulas)                 | Low                                                  |

## Security and legal framework: what PSD2 guarantees (and what it does not)

Direct answer: a serious aggregator is regulated by law, but no security is absolute. Here is what you need to understand.

### Why a serious aggregator is regulated

PSD2 created two new services: payment initiation and account information (aggregation), which lets you consolidate data from several accounts into a unified budget[\[2\]](#source-2). To operate, aggregators (account information service providers) must apply for registration with the ACPR, the French prudential supervision and resolution authority[\[2\]](#source-2). Crucially, PSD2 replaced the old "screen-scraping" (where the app logged in with your credentials as if it were you) with secure interfaces (APIs) from 14 September 2019, and requires strong customer authentication, meaning at least two factors, to access accounts[\[2\]](#source-2). The UK applies equivalent Open Banking rules under the FCA.

In practice, a compliant aggregator accesses your transactions read-only, through these secure APIs, and redirects you to your own bank's authentication flow. We stay cautious: that is the framework the regulation sets, not a guarantee that "nothing can ever go wrong".

### The right reflex: check the status and protect your credentials

Two simple steps protect you. First, check the app's status. Payment service providers authorised by the ACPR in France (or passported from another EU state) are listed in the REGAFI register, which you can consult to confirm an aggregator's status[\[6\]](#source-6). In the UK, the equivalent is the FCA's Financial Services Register. Second, never enter your banking credentials outside your bank's official flow. If an app asks for your secret code directly on its own screen, that is a red flag.

## Strengths and weaknesses for a beginner

### When the connected app wins

It is unbeatable if you have little time, several accounts (a current account, a savings account, maybe a joint account), and you want automatic alerts when you approach a limit. You enter nothing, everything arrives on its own. The downside: because you never touch the numbers, you learn to steer your money more slowly. And you share your bank data, even read-only.

### When the spreadsheet (or the offline app) wins

The spreadsheet wins if you genuinely want to understand where your money goes, keep full control, and make sure your data never leaves your machine. It is the ideal tool for learning. An offline app like Pilote Budget offers a good middle ground: the simplicity of an app, without the data sharing, and free[\[5\]](#source-5). For a first paycheck or a student budget, that is often more than enough.

## Our advice: start simple, then automate

### Week 1: a spreadsheet (or a notebook) to understand

For one week, write down every expense by hand, in a spreadsheet or even a notebook. The goal is not perfection, it is to see reality: the daily coffee at 4 adds up to 80 a month. You can organise your categories around broad blocks (needs, wants, savings); if you want a number to anchor on, see our article on [the 50/30/20 rule on a tight budget](/en/blog/the-50-30-20-rule-tight-budget). It is a popular rule of thumb, not an official standard: treat it as a compass, not a law.

### Then: automate what has become a habit

Once tracking your budget has become a reflex, that is when you can automate. If manual entry starts to wear you down, switch to a connected app to save time, after first checking its status in REGAFI (or the FCA register in the UK)[\[6\]](#source-6). Automation is a reward for a good habit, not a shortcut to creating one.

## Key takeaways

- The tool matters less than the habit: an app you never open is worth nothing next to a spreadsheet kept every week.
- Under PSD2, aggregators access your accounts read-only through secure APIs and must register with the ACPR.
- The Banque de France recommends the spreadsheet and offers Pilote Budget, a free, offline app: no, you do not have to sync your accounts.
- Some apps are owned by a bank (Linxo has been majority-owned by Crédit Agricole since 2020): worth knowing before you choose.
- Always check an aggregator's status in the REGAFI register before giving it access to your accounts.

## FAQ

### Can a free budgeting app access my money?

No: a PSD2-compliant aggregation app accesses your transactions read-only, through secure APIs, and cannot move your money (triggering a transfer is a separate service, payment initiation)[\[2\]](#source-2). An offline app like Pilote Budget does not access your account at all[\[5\]](#source-5).

### Spreadsheet or app: which is safer for my data?

The spreadsheet keeps your data on your machine, with no bank connection. An offline app like Pilote Budget is anonymous and disconnected from your account[\[5\]](#source-5). A connected app shares your bank data read-only, within the regulated PSD2 framework[\[2\]](#source-2). For maximum privacy, the spreadsheet or the offline app win.

### How do I check that a budgeting app is authorised in France?

Consult the ACPR's REGAFI register: it lists payment service providers authorised in France or passported from another EU state[\[6\]](#source-6). Check that the app (or the company that operates it) is listed before connecting your accounts. In the UK, use the FCA's Financial Services Register instead.

### Do you really have to sync your accounts to manage your budget well?

No. The Banque de France recommends the spreadsheet (Excel) for keeping your accounts[\[4\]](#source-4) and offers a free, anonymous, offline app, Pilote Budget[\[5\]](#source-5). Syncing is a convenience, not a condition.

### Why can a budgeting app be owned by a bank?

Banks have understood the value of these tools. Linxo Group came under majority ownership of the Crédit Agricole group (more than 85% of the capital) in January 2020[\[9\]](#source-9). That does not disqualify the app, but it helps to understand who is behind the tool.

## Sources

1. [La finance pour tous (IEFP): Managing your budget](https://www.lafinancepourtous.com/pratique/gerer-son-budget/), Institut pour l'education financiere du public (IEFP)
2. [La finance pour tous (IEFP): Second European Payment Services Directive (PSD2)](https://www.lafinancepourtous.com/decryptages/finance-perso/banque-et-credit/directives-europeennes-sur-les-services-de-paiement/deuxieme-directive-europeenne-sur-les-services-de-paiement-dsp2/), Institut pour l'education financiere du public (IEFP)
3. [La finance pour tous (IEFP): About us](https://www.lafinancepourtous.com/qui-sommes-nous/), Institut pour l'education financiere du public (IEFP)
4. [Mes questions d'argent: How to keep your accounts (spreadsheet)](https://www.mesquestionsdargent.fr/budget/comment-faire-ses-comptes), Banque de France / French national financial education strategy
5. [Mes questions d'argent: Pilote Budget (app)](https://www.mesquestionsdargent.fr/budget/pilote-budget-application-gerer-budget), Banque de France / French national financial education strategy
6. [ACPR / Banque de France: Payment institution and account information service provider (REGAFI)](https://acpr.banque-france.fr/autoriser/procedures-secteur-banque/agrement-autorisation-ou-enregistrement/etablissement-de-paiement-et-prestataire-de-service-dinformation-sur-les-comptes), Autorite de controle prudentiel et de resolution (ACPR) / Banque de France
7. [Bankin': Terms of use (2026 status)](https://bankin.com/fr/cgu.html), Bankin' SAS (agent of Perspecteev / Bridge)
8. [Linxo: Launch of Linxo Lab (2026 status)](https://linxo.com/lancement-linxo-lab/), Linxo Group (Credit Agricole group)
9. [Credit Agricole: Majority stake in Linxo Group (2020 acquisition)](https://presse.credit-agricole.com/actualites/le-groupe-credit-agricole-prend-une-participation-majoritaire-dans-linxo-group-9b7a-9ed05.html), Credit Agricole group