Dollarbird

Author: Kaitlyn Short

Dollarbird is an app that allows you to see how your bank balance evolves over time, budget for all kinds of expenses and set reminders for recurring transactions or bills due. 

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The Good

• Free finance app
• Access information offline
• Device compatibility

Dollarbird is a free personal finance app. Safety is an advantage you get with Dollarbird, as your information is as safe as being stored locally on your phone. There is no bank sync functionality available. You can set up a PIN that must be entered before you use the app on your phone. The PIN keeps your information secure. This app is for great for anyone who doesn't always have access to the internet on their phone or who just doesn't want to link their bank accounts to any app. Dollarbird is an app that uses simple tools to allow you to track your bank balance, budget, and recurring transactions. Dollarbird's highlights include:

• Free
• Mobile apps
• Offline access
• Info safety
• Categorized spending

Due to the fact that all information is entered into Dollarbird manually, you can access all of your information offline. There is no need for data signal or wifi, so you can access the app anytime, anywhere. This is the smartphone equivalent of balancing your checkbook on paper. You start by entering your balance and from there you enter every transaction you initiate after that. You are able to duplicate transactions that should recur. Like other financial apps, DollarBird lets you categorize your expenditures. You can check to see how much you've spent on going out to eat in May, for example. It has a fairly thorough set of calculations it performs on command. It tells you how much you originally planned to spend in a particular month and how much is currently remaining in your budget. You can see a graph of your balance throughout the month as well. The reinforcement you get and the certainty and understanding of your spending are powerful. It's a personal spending trainer as well as a personal finance app. Also, the Pro version of the Dollarbird app has several awesome features.  They include:

• Multiple Calendars: Allowing users to track different accounts
• Multiple Device Syncing: Users can use Dollarbird on several different devices, and they all sync together.
• Budget Breakdown: This allows users to help correct their spending behavior if needed.
• Data Backup through Dollarbird's Servers
• Expenses and Income Charts
• Over 100 Category Icons

The app is available for both Android and iPhone. This is a fairly new app, which shouldn't be concerning because there're not a lot of risks involved with an app that doesn't need any bank account information or even an internet connection. We believe there is the potential for lots of cool features to be offered in future updates.

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The Bad

• Not available on web browser
• Lack of information
• Pro version not available

The Dollarbird app is merely that    an app. There is no option to open the program on your web browser or through computer software. This proves to be a disadvantage for those potential customers who prefer to view their finances on their computer, or to at least have the option to access it on their laptop or desktop as well as their mobile device. Some concerns about Dollarbird include:

• No automated syncing option
• Upgrade package unavailable
• No currency options
• Support through email only
• Unavailable for desktop

The same lack of required information to register for this app that gives it some advantages can also be disadvantageous. If you want a completely automated product, this one's not for you. The "Pro" account, an upgrade from the free version, is currently unavailable to new users. Dollarbird is currently working on a massive update, making the Pro version unavailable for the time being. This package deal apparently offers you data backup, syncing ability across devices and the calendar feature. So even though the $4.99/month price point isn't bad, it isn't even an option right now. The amounts you enter are not denominated in any particular currency. If you spend different currencies a lot, you'll have to convert them to one or you won't end up with the correct amounts. Therefore, if you're a backpacker or a business traveler, you'll have to spend extra time to make this app work. Support comes in the form of an email. We couldn't find any other way to contact the company about questions. When you click on the support link it redirects you to a new email window.  There's no indication of any support upgrade that would go along with a "Pro" upgrade.

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The Bottom Line

While DollarBird offers standard features, there is nothing setting them apart. We believe there are better-suited personal finance management companies to help with your needs. Those that use the DollarBird app can expect the following from the service:

1. Free of charge
2. Budgeting tools
3. Mobile app
4. No automated syncing