Top Digit Alternatives – Free Money Saving Apps
Looking for a free Digit alternative? Or just one that is cheaper than Digit? I’m going to share a few with you that I’ve found to be quite awesome!
I’ve been a huge fan of Digit ever since I learned of them a year or so ago. I love saving money, so something that would help me automate it was crucial for me. I’ve found over the years I don’t save as much as I could because I don’t think I have any money left over. Well, Digit changed my way of thinking and I was grateful for it.
If you don’t know what Digit is, here is my Digit review. Check it out and see if it’s an app that might help you save.
What Happened to Digit?
When they started their money saving journey, Digit was free. They created a system using text messages to help you save money based on analyzing your spending habits and your income. When it could put money away into a savings account, it did. If you needed the money, all you had to do was text and it would put the money into your bank account. It was handy and it was free!
I signed up and saved a few thousand dollars over the year or so I used it. It was great because it was saving money without thinking about it. I like that. While they didn’t provide us with earned interest on our savings account balance, it was easy enough to transfer the savings into a different bank account to earn more money. By the way, here are 12 that could provide you with interest.
Digit hasn’t gone anywhere, but what they did back in April of 2017 is what led to many people leaving them, including myself. Here is the email they sent out on 4/11/2017 to those already Digit customers.
Since we all got this in April, the 100 days mark should be coming up in the next day or so. This is why I’ve cancelled my account with them. In order to counteract the fee with the interest savings they now provide, you’d need to save somewhere around $1,200 per month. I just don’t see most Digit users even doing that. Basically the fee would be a convenience fee for those using the service.
While I respect the need to earn money, I dislike companies and services who create a free product and then pull the rug out and start charging for it. That’s not my style and not a business model I take kindly to. I don’t create free products for my customers and then go back on my word and start charging them for it. If they would have grandfathered all current Digit users in on a free model and then created some other tiers with better interest rates and other perks, then it would have made more sense.
I feel their move has probably hurt them more than they know, but they don’t release that kind of information, so I’m sure we’ll never know. From my view in the personal finance community, I see many people are looking for those free Digit alternatives and I can’t blame them. I did the same thing.
Top Digit Alternative
While I wanted to put a free one here, the best Digit alternative is Dobot. It’s a paid app that costs money after a free, 30-day trial.
Dobot is probably the most similar app to Digit when comparing savings strategies. After linking your checking account to Dobot, the app will automatically withdraw small amounts of money based on your spending habits. The primary difference between Digit and Dobot is that you can create savings goals that add purpose to saving small amounts of money on a regular basis.
You will also receive weekly text and email messages with how much you saved. You have the option to transfer this amount to your savings goal(s) with the tap of a button.
To be completely transparent, Dobot costs $1.99 per month. This is cheaper than Digit’s $2.99 fee, but it’s still a fee.
If you want some truly free money savings apps, then check out below.
The Free Digit Alternatives
There are probably quite a few out there, but the ones we list have been around for a little bit and have some user reviews. With the explosion of apps these days, it’s no surprise some are focusing on helping people with money management. I’ve used the free Personal Capital app for years and love it, but also look for those which help me save and invest my money.
Qapital
Qapital gives you a lot of flexibility in creating a savings plan. Instead of using an algorithm based on your spending habits, you get to create the rules. You can tell Qapital to automate transfers or create savings goals that challenges you to spend less than your targeted spending amount.
You can also link you credit or debit card to Qapital and they will round up the purchase amount and transfer the difference to your Qapital account. If you spend $3.10 for example, Qapital will transfer the remaining 90 cents and your total purchase will be $4.
One unique way to save with Qapital is by creating IFTTT rules that will save a designated amount each time you use a hashtag, achieve a fitness goal, or any number of activities with apps you use on your phone.
Tip Yourself
If you have an iPhone and enjoy social media, Tip Yourself can be a good choice. Their version of savings goals are “tip jars” that visually fill up as you save more money. You will need to “tip yourself” as the app doesn’t have an automated saving function.
What Tip Yourself lacks in automation can be made up for in motivation. You can connect with other Tip Yourself users to share savings activity and non-financial milestones too. They also have a calendar that allows you to view your how much you saved on a daily basis. When a calendar day is green, you gave yourself a tip.
For the immediate future, Tip Yourself is only available for Apple devices. They are in the process of developing an Android app.
Chime
Chime is an online savings bank that gives has two different ways to automate your savings. By enrolling in direct deposit with Chime, you can transfer up to 10% of your paycheck from your checking account to a Chime savings account.
A second way to save money is by paying bills and spending with a Chime debit card. The card will automatically roundup the payment amount and transfer the difference to your checking account. If you use your card regularly, you can easily save $10-$15 each week with Chime.
Summary
If you still want to use a micro-saving app for free, you should consider one of these apps. While Digit is still a good service, you might not be saving enough to justify the new monthly fee. These Digit alternatives can help you save money without reaching into your wallet.