Crypto Momentum Reshuffles PYMNTS Finance Apps Ranks

With so many companies reporting earnings over the last two weeks — including the new entry, Chime — we thought it would be a good time to take a look at the category of personal finance in our app provider rankings. And it’s a good thing we did, because the top movers for July in that category were surprising.

The PYMNTS.com Personal Finance apps page offers a monthly ranking of smartphone Personal Finance apps, assessing them based on publicly available information and exclusive app usage data, helping users identify the top performers in the market. The ranking aims to provide precise insights into app performance, aiding stakeholders in making informed decisions.

The leader for July was a surprise. Monarch, with a three-point jump for a total score of 51, topped the chart with Acorns and Robinhood rounding out the top. Monarch’s jump is undoubtedly tied to some very positive recent reviews. The budgeting and spend-tracking app aimed at “joint budgets” uses AI to analyze recent transactions to provide estimates of income and regular expenses. It then creates a visualization of income and expenses. Each transaction is assigned to a category and unrecognized merchants are subject to multi-factor authentication.

“Instead of having to sit down and review your information yourself, Monarch’s algorithm can nudge you in the right direction by scouring your transaction history to identify spending and saving patterns,” wrote a reviewer two weeks ago on CNET. “To be clear, though, it won’t do everything for you. You’ll need to take some time to spot any gaps or errors in Monarch’s math.

The app is an especially good choice for couples due to its monthly reporting features and shared goal tracking.”

Acorns also gained three points for a total of 56. It hasn’t had any recent positive reviews but has received plenty year-to-date. Its focus on investments and savings, as well as a decided lean toward educating kids about the topic, has served it well. The app bills itself as bringing simplicity to the investment experience, and recommends a diversified, expert-built investment portfolio of ETFs designed for long-term investing. In February, the company announced it had reached the milestone of one million kids served in the U.S. with the early 2025 launch of Acorn Early, a smart money app and debit card made for kids and teens. Globally, the Acorns company has served over 3.3 million kids, with multiple life stage products serving the needs of families worldwide. 

“We can offer the next generation a lifetime of financial wellness if we set them up with the right tools and knowledge early on,” Noah Kerner, Acorns CEO, said at the time. “It’s encouraging to see how mindful Gen Alpha already is about financial security, and how quickly Acorns Early is growing and making an impact.”

A more familiar name rounded out the top three for July. Robinhood posted a three-point gain, taking its new score to 85. That was most likely a reward for the momentum the company and the app are seeing, and could be profiting in the rankings from its expansion into crypto. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is having a “rip roaring” year.

“The digital brokerage with meme-stock origins closed above the $100 billion market cap threshold for the first time today (August 8), with the share price also notching a new record after a 3.1% gain,” it reported. “The stock is up more than 200% so far this year.

It’s a good time to be a brokerage, as investors pour billions into stocks, trade on tariff swings and rush into the options market in growing numbers. Robinhood is also aggressively expanding its crypto business and rolling out new products and features at a breakneck pace. That’s helped the stock ride a wave of market momentum to new heights.”

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