Budgeting app comparison
Obsidian Tracker vs Monarch
Monarch is a paid personal finance app that connects to a large set of institutions and runs on web, iOS and Android. Tracker is a free CSV-based tracker. Monarch fits people who want connected, always-updating accounts; Tracker fits people who want a no-subscription view of platform returns and fees from statements.
Sources read and prices checked 2026-10-10.
Obsidian Metrics makes Tephra and Tracker, the two products this page compares against others. This page is written by the maker of one of the products compared, so read the competitor columns against their own pages, linked below each table. Competitor facts come only from the vendor pages listed under Sources, read on the date shown above; vendors change plans and prices without notice. We are not affiliated with any company named here, and all product names belong to their owners.
Tracker and Monarch side by side
| Feature | Tracker | Monarch |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A personal money tracker for income, expenses, investments, withdrawals and fees, with a dashboard, per-platform annualized return (IRR) computed from the data you import, fee analysis, a bills planner and a printable Monthly Report. | A personal finance app with account aggregation, net worth across accounts, budgeting, goals, customizable reports and partner collaboration. [1] [2] |
| Price | Free for signed-in members. The printable Monthly Report is included with Premium, the same membership that includes Tephra ($19 a month in the Skool community, $29 a month direct), or costs $5 once. | $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, in tiers the page names Core and Plus. A promotion was shown on the page; promotions change. [2] |
| Free trial | No trial needed for the free tier. An account is required. | The page says the first week is free. [2] |
| Connecting your accounts | None. Import statements as CSV (32 presets covering banks, brokerages, crypto exchanges and platforms such as Fundrise and TreasuryDirect) or enter by hand. No bank linking, and no OFX or QFX import. Premium members can add read-only Coinbase and Kraken balances. | The site says it connects with 13,000+ financial institutions using multiple data providers. [1] |
| Phones and sync across devices | Your data is kept in one browser on one device. Cloud sync is built but is not working today, and the app's 'Synced to your account' label does not reflect that. Export a CSV to keep a backup. | Works across web, iOS and Android. [1] |
| Investments | Annualized IRR for all platforms together and for each platform, computed from the cash flows you import, plus a fees page with annualized fee projections. | You can connect investment accounts, and the Plus tier lets you go deeper on investments. [1] [2] |
| Budgeting approach | A bills planner built on take-home pay: must-pay and luxury bills, what is left, a savings-first setting and a weekly fun-money amount. No category budgets or rollover in the documented feature set. | Goals and planning; the Plus tier adds forecasting tools. [2] |
| Sharing | No sharing feature is documented. | You can invite your partner to your account at no extra cost for a joint view. [1] |
Where Monarch is better
- Monarch. It connects to a large set of institutions, runs on web, iOS and Android, and adds partner collaboration at no extra cost and forecasting on its Plus tier. [1] [2]
Choose Monarch if: You want connected accounts, mobile apps and household collaboration, and are happy to pay a subscription.
Where Tracker is better
- No subscription for the core tracker; the cost is a free account.
- Per-platform annualized IRR and an annualized fee view across banks, brokerages, crypto exchanges and niche platforms, from statements you import.
- 32 CSV presets with a column-mapping preview before anything is imported, including niche platforms such as Atlas Earth, GoMining, Fundrise and TreasuryDirect.
- Tracker has no bank linking, so there are no bank logins to share. Optional read-only Coinbase and Kraken balances for Premium members use exchange API keys.
Choose Tracker if: You want a free tracker for statements, per-platform returns and fees, and do not need account linking.
Where Tracker falls short
- Cloud sync across devices is not working today. Data lives in one browser, and clearing site data loses it unless you exported a CSV.
- The JSON account export does not include locally stored transactions; use the CSV export in Settings.
- CSV import only; no bank connection, OFX, QFX or XLSX.
- The Fees page shows its first-to-last month one month early; dollar totals are right.
- Tracker cannot be used signed out.
Frequently asked
How much does Monarch cost?
Monarch lists $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a first week free, as read on 2026-10-10. A promotion was shown and may have changed.
Does Monarch track investments?
Its site says you can connect investment accounts, and the Plus tier goes deeper on investments.
Does Tracker sync to a phone?
Not today. Data is stored in one browser on one device.
More comparisons
Sources
Competitor facts come only from the pages below, accessed 2026-10-10.
- Monarch home page: https://www.monarch.com/ (accessed 2026-10-10)
- Monarch pricing: https://www.monarch.com/pricing (accessed 2026-10-10)