In today’s digital age, managing personal finances can be a daunting task, but CountAbout offers a solution with its intuitive and comprehensive budgeting tools. It’s a tool that simplifies the often confusing task of keeping track of finances and maintaining a functioning budget, which is crucial for financial health. CountAbout, a relatively new yet versatile personal finance tool, stands out for its ability to import data from established platforms like Quicken and Mint.
Its features extend beyond personal budgeting to include investment management and simple business or group budgeting. In this CountAbout review, we will determine if its customizability, ease of use, and affordability make it worth considering a switch from other financial apps.
CountAbout History
CountAbout, founded in 2012 by Joseph Carpenter and Alex Wong, is a result of the unique blend of expertise in finance and software development. Carpenter, with his background as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and Wong, skilled in software consulting, have shaped the platform’s philosophy around making financial decisions that enhance long-term financial health. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, CountAbout has grown under its leadership, focusing on addressing real-world budgeting and financial planning challenges.
The company is known for its strong commitment to customer support and continuously evolves based on user feedback. This approach has led to a platform highly regarded for its functionality and usability, often surpassing user expectations.
CountAbout’s core vision is to empower its users with a financial management tool that is not only effective but also practical and enjoyable to use, making financial management an accessible and pleasant experience.
CountAbout Features
Here are some of the powerful features that users love about Countabout:
1. Customization:
Allows personalization of fields, functions, and reports, including the ability to modify income and spending categories to suit individual needs.
2. Import from Quicken or Mint.com:
Enables easy data transfer from popular accounting software, saving significant time and effort.
3. Automated Transactions:
With the Premium plan, transactions are automatically synced, eliminating hours of data entry.
4. iOS and Android Apps:
Provides a mobile app compatible with both iOS and Android devices, though with some functional limitations compared to the full software.
5. Scheduling:
Facilitates scheduling of payments within the budget, including recurring payments, to effectively manage and track finances.
6. Reporting:
Offers a wide range of customizable reporting options for various account activities, with the ability to filter and export reports for further analysis or sharing.
7. Customer Support:
Exceptional support primarily through email, with the option for telephone assistance, is known for its responsiveness and helpfulness.
8. Budgeting Tools:
Advanced features for planning finances and tracking financial progress over time.
9. Split Transactions:
Allows dividing a single transaction into multiple categories for precise tracking of spending and income.
10. Security and Privacy:
Prioritizes the protection of personal financial data, ensuring confidentiality and safety.
CountAbout Pricing
CountAbout offers two main pricing plans: the Basic Plan at $9.99 annually and the Premium Plan at $39.99 annually. Both plans provide the full feature set, which includes budgeting, reporting, and tagging.
The primary difference is that the Basic Plan requires manual account updates and transaction entries, while the Premium Plan offers the convenience of automatic data syncing with your accounts.
For additional functionality, CountAbout provides two add-on features: Invoicing, useful for small businesses, and attachments for storing receipts and similar documents. CountAbout’s Basic Plan is more affordable than many competitors, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious users.
However, the Premium Plan, priced comparably to other brands, is favored by the majority of subscribers for its automatic bank data downloads and integration into budgets and projections. Additionally, both plans include a 45-day free trial, ensuring customer satisfaction.
CountAbout Competitors
The budgeting app space is quite crowded, with everyone trying to fill in the void caused by Mint closing. One of the most popular and well-regarded budgeting apps is Quicken.
Quicken Stands is a formidable competitor in the personal finance software market, offering a comprehensive range of tools for individuals serious about managing their finances.
The benefits of using Quicken include enhanced accuracy and reduced effort in managing finances, thanks to its efficient and user-friendly design. The platform provides valuable insights with over 30 built-in, customizable reports and “what-if” tools, enabling users to make informed financial decisions based on thorough data analysis.
Quicken is designed to adapt and grow with its users, making it a versatile tool that evolves with changing financial needs and circumstances, ensuring long-term utility for its users. To see how the two compare, you can check out this CountAbout vs Quicken article.
Simplify by Quicken is another product that offers much of the same functionality as Quicken but in a sleek app.
Conclusion
CountAbout positions itself as a notable player in the personal finance software arena, offering a practical solution for managing finances with its intuitive tools and features like data importation and automated transactions. Its competitive pricing with both basic and premium plans caters to a wide range of users.
Despite competition from established platforms like Quicken, CountAbout distinguishes itself through continuous user-driven enhancements, ease of use, and effective customer support, making it an attractive option for your financial management needs. Click Here to learn more or get started.
