Goodbudget reviews: what App Store users complain about
We classified the 500 most recent App Store reviews of Goodbudget Budget Planner (by Dayspring Technologies, Inc.) from 13 storefronts, dated 31 January 2019 to 21 October 2026. Average rating in this sample: 3.12★. All-time rating in the US App Store: 4.6★ from 14k ratings. 267 reviews (53%) contained a complaint; the biggest theme was bugs (49% of complaining reviews).
Star ratings in this sample
| Stars | Reviews | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 5★ | 168 | 34% |
| 4★ | 74 | 15% |
| 3★ | 52 | 10% |
| 2★ | 60 | 12% |
| 1★ | 146 | 29% |
Complaint themes
| Theme | Reviews | Share of complaints | Avg severity (0–3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bugs | 132 | 49% | 2.4 |
| Feature requests | 108 | 40% | 2.1 |
| UX / design | 108 | 40% | 2.3 |
| Pricing / subscription | 88 | 33% | 2.3 |
| Performance | 24 | 9% | 2.2 |
| Crashes / freezes | 21 | 8% | 2.5 |
| Ads | 1 | 0% | 2.8 |
A review can count in several themes, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Top issues, ranked by reviews × severity
- Simplify navigation: 80 complaining reviews, avg severity 2.4/3. What to do: Run a quick usability test on the screens users mention; remove extra taps and pop-ups.
“This app was very confusing. And once I tried to fix the income amount I kept getting unallocated balances and there was no way to fix it so I couldn’t even use the app after that. Even after getting on line since the app says I can only make that change on th…” (1★, v4.2, 2023-01-04, US) - Justify or adjust the price: 51 complaining reviews, avg severity 2.2/3. What to do: Test a cheaper tier, annual discount or one-time purchase; show what paid users get.
“The app is helping me keep track of my money. I paid for the year, but I’m not sure it’s worth the price. I needed more than ten envelopes and that’s all the plus version gives you. It’s a good app that I don’t mind paying for once, but it’s not worth $50 in p…” (3★, v2.1.6, 2019-06-12, US) - Stop data / progress loss: 41 complaining reviews, avg severity 2.5/3. What to do: Reproduce sync and restore paths; add server-side backup and a visible "restore" option.
“The app out of blue is not working at all. I keep receiving an error message that it is having trouble syncing. All of my envelopes are gone, it says they are “user deleted”. I’m really disappointed because I have been using this app for years without any issu…” (1★, v5.3, 2024-07-03, US) - Ease paywall pressure: 31 complaining reviews, avg severity 2.3/3. What to do: Keep core features usable for free users or explain clearly what is paid; show the paywall less often.
“If you have more than 10 bills in your budget, you have to use the paid version because there is a limit on what you can input in the free version. I wish apps would be upfront about the limitations before you download. I’d gladly pay for a good app, but not w…” (1★, v2.1.6, 2019-06-11, US) - Improve content quality: 24 complaining reviews, avg severity 2.4/3. What to do: Review the content areas users name; add a "report a problem" button on content.
“I’ve been using this app for years to track my spending. In the last month there have been some major matching errors. For example, an income reads $549 HIGHER than what I actually put in there - the total doesn’t match the transactions. That’s in a line that…” (1★, v5.5, 2026-10-20, US)
Rating by app version
| Version | Reviews | Avg stars | Share with a complaint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | 5 | 2.8 | 60% |
| 5.4.22 | 5 | 3.0 | 80% |
| 5.4.20 | 12 | 3.4 | 42% |
Versions with fewer than 5 reviews in the sample are left out.
Is Goodbudget your app?
The full report reads up to ~300 of the latest public App Store reviews, classifies them into 7 themes and 18 specific issues, and ranks the 10 fixes that would move your rating most. PDF by email within 24–48 h.
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Launch prices until 30 Nov 2026 or the first 20 orders (then €49).
Method and limits
Reviews were collected once from Apple's public customer-reviews feed (most recent first, 13 storefronts merged, up to 500 reviews), then each review was classified by an AI model into 7 themes and 18 specific issues with a severity of 0–3; individual labels can be wrong, so check the quotes. This is a snapshot of recent reviews, not the app's full history. Generated 24 October 2026. Not affiliated with Dayspring Technologies, Inc. or Apple.
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FAQ
What do users complain about most in Goodbudget?
In the 500 most recent App Store reviews (2019-01-31 to 2026-10-21), the most common complaint theme was bugs (49% of complaining reviews), and the top specific issue was “simplify navigation” (80 reviews).
How many Goodbudget App Store reviews are negative?
267 of 500 recent reviews (53%) contained a complaint. Average rating in this sample: 3.12★.