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While debt reduction software programs cannot make your debts disappear on their own, they can help you create a thoughtful plan to pay things down faster or create more interest savings over time. Debt reduction programs can also help you create a formal debt snowball or debt avalanche plan, then track your results. In addition to helping with budgeting, some software programs will automatically make payments to better ensure you stay on schedule.
By the end of 2022, Americans carried $986 billion in revolving credit card debt. This illustrates how much Americans rely on credit cards and why debt reduction software can be a good tool to rein in that debt. The average credit card APR was 19.07% by the end of 2022, which means consumers are paying out the nose to manage their debts.
We compared more than 20 debt reduction software programs and apps to find the best options for different types of consumers. This ranking of seven represents the best options available today based on function, price, ease of use, and more.
Best Debt Reduction Software Programs of 2023
- Best Overall: Quicken
- Best for Fast Payoff: ZilchWorks
- Best App: Tally
- Best Free Option: Unbury.Me
- Best for Envelope Budgeting: Qube Money
- Best for Automation: Qoins
- Best for Debt Snowball: Undebt.it
Best Overall : Quicken
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Quicken
- Price: Starts at $47.88/year
- Money-back guarantee: 30 days
- App: Android, iOS
Quicken is our best overall because this company has been around since 1982. While you won’t find a free version available, the annual cost is reasonable when you consider the access you receive to this software and the mobile app.
Automatically categorizes transactions
Available for Mac or Windows, plus a mobile app
Qualify for a 30-day money-back guarantee
No free version available
May be overly complicated for some people
Quicken is a company that offers comprehensive financial tracking software with a debt reduction component. This money management tool lets you see your entire financial life in one place, including your bank accounts, investments, loans, and other financial details. You can oversee and pay your bills using the interface with some plans, which are available for Windows or Mac. You can also create a debt reduction plan and oversee all your spending with tools that let you search for transactions and determine where your money is really going.
Quicken was founded in 1982, and over 20 million people have used its software. This company has 256-bit encryption that protects your data, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee period.
You’ll pay $47.88 per year for the "Simplifi" program, but you can upgrade to the more popular “Deluxe” version for $59.88 per year. This plan allows you to create a budget and track your debt, so it’s likely the best for someone seeking debt reduction help. The next plan up is the “Premier” version for $83.88 per year, which includes bill pay software and priority access to customer support. There is also a fourth version called "Home & Business" which is the most complete version and costs $119.88 per year. Quicken frequently offers a discount so your first year will likely cost less.
Best for Fast Payoff : ZilchWorks
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ZilchWorks
- Price: Starts at $39.95/year
- Money-back guarantee: 30 days
- App: No
ZilchWorks focuses on creating the fastest path for anyone to get out of debt, mostly because they use the debt avalanche or debt snowball method, depending on your needs. While this software isn’t intended to oversee your full financial picture, its promise is simply to help you relieve debt in the least amount of time.
Receive a 30-day money-back guarantee
One-time purchase
Creates a fast and efficient way to pay off debt
Must manually enter your debt information
Does not sync with your bank accounts
Doesn’t analyze spending or investments
No mobile app
ZilchWorks is ideal for consumers who want software that focuses on debt reduction. Their program works diligently to analyze your debts and figure out the fastest and most efficient way to pay them off. Once you create a plan with ZilchWorks, you will know exactly how much you need to pay each month toward each debt, and it will tell you when you’ll be debt-free.
An interesting fact about Zilchworks is that you only have to purchase this software once. This makes it less expensive for the long haul than some other debt reduction software programs that require a paid annual membership. A standard program for a single user starts at $39.95. ZilchWorks has also been around since 1990.
We like the fact that ZilchWorks creates an efficient debt payoff plan for you based on either the debt avalanche or debt snowball methods—the choice is yours to pay off the highest debt or the highest rates first. It’s important to note that you do have to enter your debt payments manually into this software. Also, note that Zilchworks doesn’t have its own mobile app, so you’ll need to use desktop software which is only for Windows.
Best App : Tally
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Tally
- Price: $0 to $300 per year, plus interest on your credit line
- Money-back guarantee: No
- App: Android, iOS
Tally made our list as the best debt reduction app because it incorporates debt reduction with consolidation all from a smart device. The app specifically makes it easy to manage your credit cards and bills in one place, and that includes the new line of credit Tally provides. We also like that Tally will pay your credit card bills on your behalf if you want, creating the ultimate hands-off debt repayment process.
Option to pay debts manually or have them paid automatically for a fee
Tally is available in 44 states
Tally is an app without any desktop software
Doesn’t help you create a budget or manage your finances
Tally is an automated debt manager. This mobile app helps consumers by offering a line of credit at a lower interest rate than they’re paying on their credit cards. From there, Tally monitors each credit card and its balance and then uses its smart technology to help you know which cards to pay off first. Generally speaking, Tally operates using the debt avalanche method, meaning you would pay off credit card balances with the highest APRs first.
Tally is free to download. You can access the app's Tally+ feature and manage your debts for $25 a month. The company makes money by charging you interest on your line of credit, which should be lower than the interest you were paying on a credit card. The service is available to those with a minimum credit score of 580.
While this app promises to automate debt repayment for you, it does offer the option to let you pay your credit card bills yourself. Tally also promises the safe transfer of your data, which is transmitted securely using SSL encryption.
Best Free Option : Unbury.Me
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Unbury.Me
- Price: Free
- Money-back guarantee: N/A
- App: No
While Unbury.Me is incredibly basic, it’s totally free to use. We also believe it’s a helpful tool for consumers who want help creating a debt payoff plan without having to deal with complicated software or syncing their bank accounts.
Software is absolutely free
Uses the debt snowball or the debt avalanche method
Not available on mobile
Must manually enter all your debt information
Doesn’t sync with bank accounts
If you really just want access to a free tool that can help you create a debt repayment plan you can manage yourself, Unbury.Me is a good option. This software includes a basic debt repayment calculator you can use to craft a payoff plan using the debt snowball or the debt avalanche, two different strategies that have you focus on the smallest debts or debts with the highest interest rate first.
Interestingly, you don’t download this software to your computer. Instead, you create an online account where you can store your information. Then, each time you want to tweak or update your debt information, you sign on and make the changes manually. The app does not sync with your banking and other accounts.
Even though there are a lot of limitations with this debt reduction software, it is effective in helping you see the big picture and determine whether to use the debt snowball or debt avalanche method. For someone disciplined to follow a set plan, Unbury.Me might be all they need.
Best for Envelope Budgeting : Qube Money
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Qube Money
- Price: Starts at $8/month (Limited free version available)
- Money-back guarantee: No
- App: Android, iOS
Qube Money helps you manage all aspects of your finances and is the only debt reduction software that made our list for envelope budgeting. If you want to pay down debt and start using a budget that works, consider giving it a try.
Free version available
Manage your debts and get on a budget
Qube Money helps you organize your finances and spend with purpose
Limited free version requires $5 setup fee
Relatively new with few reviews and user opinions to compare
Must use a Qube debit card for purchases
Qube Money is a comprehensive financial management tool that lets you plan your finances using the “envelope budgeting method.” This method of budgeting forces you to set spending limits in all discretionary categories including groceries, dining out, entertainment, transportation, and more. From there, Qube Money sets up digital envelopes that work in conjunction with a Qube Money debit card tied to your account. The app tracks your spending and other family members’ spending who are synced to the program, letting you work within parameters and stay on track.
Qube Money is also rolling out automated debt reduction, which will help you manage your credit card bills and other debts in an optimized way. With the Qube Money budgeting help that you receive, you’ll also be in the best position possible to “find” extra money you were wasting before and can use to pay down debt faster.
Qube Money offers a free version but also offers a premium and family version for $8 and $15 respectively. Their default security system also requires you to open a “qube” using your mobile app before you can spend money with your Qube debit card, making the system foolproof and secure. You can also apply for Qube Kid cards that let your little ones learn about and be part of the family finances.
Best for Automation : Qoins
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Qoins
- Price: Starts at $5/month
- Money-back guarantee: No
- App: Android, iOS
We believe Qoins is best for automation because this app rounds up your purchases on your behalf and throws your extra money toward your debt balances. Once you download the app and connect your accounts, the hard work of debt repayment is done for you.
Rounds up purchases and funnels extra amounts toward credit card bills
Debt repayment happens automatically
Promises to help you pay down debt faster and improve your credit score
No free version available
Doesn’t help create a budget or manage other finances
Qoins is a mobile app that lets you automate the debt repayment process with extra money gleaned from rounding up your purchases. This lets you pay off debt seamlessly and potentially without even noticing the extra money you’re spending each month. You’ll sync all your bank accounts with the Qoins app, and they will actually begin paying your bills on your behalf.
While Qoins aims to help you pay down debt by rounding up your purchases, this app can be used to pay more bills than one might think. For example, you can use Qoins to pay student loans, mortgage payments, auto loans, etc. Of course, you only have to use Qoins to pay bills you want to pay with the app. You have the option to pay some of your bills manually if you want, simply by not including them in your Qoins app.
Qoins charges 4.99 per month.
Qoins says it uses industry-standard encryption and never stores your banking information, which helps with security. Qoins was founded in 2016 and claims to have helped users pay off more than $20 million in debt so far.
Best for Debt Snowball : Undebt.it
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Undebt.it
- Price: Free
- Money-back guarantee: N/A
- App: No
The Undebt.it debt snowball calculator uses a streamlined interface to create a savvy debt repayment plan for free. The snowball method pays off your smallest debts first.
Undebt.it is free to use
You can create a smart payoff plan using the debt snowball method
Can sign up for Undebt.it using your Twitter or Meta account
Must enter debts and make payments manually
Doesn’t sync with your bank accounts
Mobile-friendly, but no mobile app
Undebt.it is a free debt reduction calculator you can use on any desktop computer or mobile device. This calculator helps you use the debt snowball method, which asks you to pay off your smallest debts first while making minimum payments on the rest. Founded in 2012, Undebt.it claims to have more than 123,000 active users and $9 billion in debt that's currently being paid down.
Creating an account is entirely free, but you do have to enter all your individual debts and accounts manually. From there, Undebt.it will help you craft a debt payoff plan using the debt snowball method (or via the debt avalanche method if you prefer). You can also use “Debt Snowflakes” to tack on additional payments to specific bills, and you can track your credit utilization, spending, and debt payoff plan all in one place.
Undebt.it is a secure option to consider if you want a debt reduction program that doesn’t require you to enter your banking information or passwords. For anyone concerned with identity theft or compromised information, this is a bonus even though it does limit the features available.
Final Verdict
Quicken is a well-established company with proven software that has been around since 1983, and we believe this is the strongest choice for most situations. Its software works on the most popular platforms, including Mac and Windows for desktop versions and Android and iOS for mobile versions. It syncs with your bank data so you have the option to handle pretty much all of your finances through Quicken if you so choose.
Compare the Best Debt Reduction Software Programs
Software | Price | Money-back Guarantee | App |
---|---|---|---|
Quicken
Best Overall |
Starts at $35.99/year | 30 days | Android, iOS |
ZilchWorks
Best for Fast Payoff |
Starts at $39.95/year | 30 days | No |
Tally
Best App |
Up to $25/month | No | Android, iOS |
Unbury.Me
Best Free Option |
Free | N/A | No |
Qube Money
Best for Envelope Budgeting |
Starts at $8/month (Limited free version available) | No | Android, iOS |
Qoins
Best for Automation |
Starts at $3/month | No | Android, iOS |
Undebt.it
Best for Debt Snowball |
Free | N/A | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
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How Can I Track Down All My Debts?
Checking your credit report is the best way to find out details about your debts. Annualcreditreport.com provides free access once per year to your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. Many banks, credit unions, and credit cards also offer access to your credit reports as a feature.
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What Are the Expected Costs of Debt Reduction Software?
Debt reduction software is often free, and even some paid programs offer a free version you can try. Paid plans can cost $30 or more per year.
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Is Debt Reduction Software Worth It?
While paying for debt reduction software may feel counterintuitive, these programs can be well worth it if they help you save money on interest, get out of debt faster, or both. These programs also make sense for people who have tried to get out of debt on their own but found they need a third party to help them create a plan they can stick to. Debt reduction software can lead to thousands of dollars in savings depending on how much debt you have.
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What Are Two Methods for Paying Off Your Debt?
The debt snowball asks you to pay off your smallest debts first while making the minimum payments on the rest. Debt avalanche requires that you focus on paying off your highest interest rate debt first while paying the minimum on the other debt. A debt avalanche is considered the mathematically correct option because you avoid additional interest by paying off the highest rate debt first. However, the debt snowball provides a positive psychological satisfaction effect when a small debt is paid off.
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How Many Years Before a Debt Can Be Written Off?
Laws vary from state to state on how much time creditors have to sue in order to collect a debt. Some circumstances, such as a debtor filing for bankruptcy, will lead to creditors writing off a debt, but the tradeoff is that you'll have the bankruptcy on your record. It's also common for creditors to sell a debt to a collection agency if you are far enough behind on payments. In that event, the collection agency becomes your new creditor.
Methodology
To find the best debt reduction software programs, we looked for services that offer a wide range of functionality for a reasonable cost (or no cost at all). We included some programs that sync with your bank accounts and provide oversight of your complete financial picture, but we also wanted to include free tools that can help you create a path out of debt without having to link your bank accounts.
Overall, we looked for programs that have solid reviews, a history of helping people out of debt, and security features that can keep your information safe.
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Getty Images / SEAN GLADWELL