Disclosure: Pocket Clear is our product. We've scored it using the same criteria as every other app. We encourage you to verify our findings independently — all sources are linked below.
Pocket Clear scores highest (A+) because it never requires bank linking, holds no financial data at all unless you opt into Pro cloud sync, has no third-party analytics SDKs, no ads, and no data selling. Where its synced data is concerned, the honest description is TLS 1.3 in transit and AES-256-GCM at rest in Pocket Clear's cloud, under a key Pocket Clear holds — not end-to-end encryption. Goodbudget (B+) and EveryDollar Free (B) also don't require bank linking, but they do keep your data on their servers by default. All bank-linked apps (YNAB, Monarch, Copilot, PocketGuard, Rocket Money) score C or lower due to mandatory Plaid integration.
The Full Scorecard
We evaluated each app on six dimensions. Each dimension is scored A (best) through F (worst). The overall grade is a weighted average emphasizing bank linking and data selling — the two factors with the biggest privacy impact.
| App | Bank Linking | Data Storage | Encryption | 3rd-Party SDKs | Ads | Sells Data | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Clear | A+ | A+ | A+ | A+ | A+ | A+ | A+ |
| Goodbudget | A+ | C | D | B | A | A | B+ |
| EveryDollar (Free) | A+ | C | D | C | C | A | B |
| YNAB | D | C | C | C | A | A | C+ |
| Monarch Money | D | C | C | C | A | A | C+ |
| Copilot Money | D | C | C | C | A | A | C |
| Spendee | D | C | D | C | A | B | C |
| PocketGuard | D | C | D | D | C | B | D+ |
| Rocket Money | F | C | D | D | A | C | D |
| Mint (defunct) | F | D | D | F | F | F | F |
Methodology
Bank Linking: A+ = never requires it. D = required for core features via Plaid/MX. F = requires full read access to all accounts.
Data Storage: A+ = local device only (default). C = cloud servers (required). D = third-party cloud with limited transparency.
Encryption: A+ = end-to-end encrypted, with the key held only by the user. A = TLS 1.3 in transit plus strong at-rest encryption (AES-256-GCM), and no financial data held at all unless the user opts into sync. C = TLS in transit plus server-side encryption on data the app stores by default. D = TLS only.
Third-Party SDKs: A+ = zero tracking SDKs. B = minimal analytics. C = standard analytics (Google, Amplitude, etc.). D = multiple behavioral trackers. F = ad networks + behavioral SDKs.
Ads: A+ = none, ever. A = none. C = upsells/promotions for own products. F = third-party targeted advertising.
Sells Data: A = confirmed no data selling/sharing. B = no data selling, some anonymized analytics. C = shares aggregated data with partners. F = sells or monetizes individual spending data.
Overall Grade: Weighted average. Bank Linking (25%), Sells Data (25%), Third-Party SDKs (15%), Encryption (15%), Data Storage (10%), Ads (10%).
Key Findings
- Every bank-linked app caps at C+. Mandatory Plaid integration means your credentials and full transaction history pass through a third-party aggregator. The CFPB took enforcement action against Plaid in 2022 for collecting more data than users authorized.
- Only one app stores nothing by default. Pocket Clear is the only app in this table that holds no financial data on its servers unless you deliberately turn on cloud sync. Every other app stores your data on its servers as a condition of working at all — and none of the apps compared here, Pocket Clear included, offers true end-to-end encryption where only you hold the key.
- Mint scored F across the board. Before shutting down, Mint required bank access, ran ad networks, used behavioral tracking SDKs, and shared data with Intuit partners. It's the privacy baseline — everything else is better.
- "Free" often means "you're the product." PocketGuard and Rocket Money's free tiers exist to collect spending data. Pocket Clear and Goodbudget are genuinely free without data monetization.
How We Collected This Data
We reviewed each app's privacy policy, terms of service, and App Store privacy labels as of April 2026. For SDK analysis, we referenced publicly available App Store privacy nutrition labels and third-party audits. Bank linking status was verified by installing each app and checking onboarding requirements. All findings are based on publicly available information.
What This Means for You
If privacy matters to you, the simplest rule is: avoid bank linking. Every app that requires Plaid or MX access creates a data pipeline you can't fully control. Manual expense tracking takes 2-3 minutes per day and gives you the same spending insights — without the privacy trade-off.
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Pocket Clear: free, offline, nothing uploaded, no bank linking. Ever.
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