A budgeting app answers where your money goes this month, by sorting transactions into categories and letting you set a spending limit for each. A net worth tracker answers what you are worth and how that changes over the years, by adding up everything you own and subtracting everything you owe.
Both connect to your bank and both show transactions, which is why the two are easily confused. This article explains what each type does, which apps belong where as of 14 October 2026, and when you need one or both. It also makes clear where Gylder (gylder.nl) fits, because it is a net worth tracker and not a budgeting app.
What does a budgeting app do?
A budgeting app helps you plan and control spending within a month, with a budget per category as its core feature. YNAB asks you to decide what your money is for before you spend any of it, and Lunch Money lets you set monthly budgets per category. Copilot Money rolls an unspent budget over to the next month, while Banktivity uses the envelope method. Several of these apps also show a net worth figure, but it sits beside the monthly plan rather than at its centre.
For readers in the Netherlands, availability matters more than features. Monarch Money is only available in the US and Canada, and Copilot Money works with US-based accounts only. Banktivity runs exclusively on Mac, iPhone and iPad. YNAB lists the Netherlands among the countries where Direct Import connects to at least one bank, so check whether yours is included. Lunch Money supports multiple currencies and CSV uploads, but its site does not say which European banks it syncs with.
What does a net worth tracker do?
A net worth tracker shows all your assets minus all your liabilities and follows that number over months and years. It includes things that never appear as a transaction, such as the value of your home, the outstanding mortgage, and the market value of your investments and crypto. We explain the calculation in what net worth is and why you should track it.
Because a tracker looks at balances rather than cash flow, it sometimes tells a story your budget cannot. Suppose your monthly mortgage payment is €1,200, of which €500 repays the loan. A budgeting app counts the full €1,200 as spending, whereas a net worth tracker sees the €500 move from your bank account into home equity, so your net worth does not fall by that amount.
| Budgeting app | Net worth tracker | |
|---|---|---|
| Main question | Where does my money go this month? | What am I worth, and how is that changing? |
| Time horizon | Weeks to a month | Months to years |
| What it counts | Income and spending | Assets and liabilities, including home, mortgage, investments and crypto |
| Spending limits per category | Yes, the core feature | Usually not |
Do you need one, the other or both?
You need a budgeting app mainly when the month itself is the problem, because money runs out before payday or your income is irregular. A net worth tracker becomes useful once spending is roughly under control and your money sits across several banks, a broker, a crypto exchange and a home. The question then shifts to whether your wealth is actually growing.
Combining the two works well, since they overlap only in importing transactions. The cost is two subscriptions and two apps with access to your bank, each needing its own read-only consent under PSD2, which we explain in what PSD2 allows an app to do.
How Gylder fits in
Gylder is a net worth tracker, not a budgeting app. It categorises transactions from connected accounts automatically and keeps transfers between your own accounts and investment trades out of your spending totals. It also shows a multi-week trend and spending rate per category, but it has no budgets or spending limits. At its centre is one net worth figure with daily snapshots, covering your home, a mortgage with multiple loan parts, investments and crypto from Bitvavo and Coinbase. Our comparison of net worth trackers for Europe shows how it compares with apps of its own type.
What this doesn't tell you
The app details here reflect what each company published on its own website on 14 October 2026, and features and country coverage change, so check before you subscribe. Neither type of app tells you whether your pension is adequate, how much tax you owe or how to invest. This article is general information, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gylder a budgeting app? No, Gylder (gylder.nl) is a net worth tracker. It categorises transactions and shows spending trends per category, but it does not offer budgets, spending limits or envelope budgeting.
Can a net worth tracker replace a budgeting app? Only if you do not need spending limits. A net worth tracker shows whether your wealth grows, while a budgeting app helps you stay within a monthly plan.
Which budgeting apps work with Dutch bank accounts? YNAB lists the Netherlands among the countries where Direct Import connects to at least one bank. Monarch Money is only available in the US and Canada, and Copilot Money works with US-based accounts only.
Does a budgeting app show my net worth? Some do, including Lunch Money, Copilot Money and Banktivity, but the figure is only as complete as the accounts the app can connect. If your home, mortgage or Dutch broker account cannot be added, the net worth shown will be too low or too high.