Honest comparison
Owdyn vs MyBudgetPal
MyBudgetPal is a free New Zealand budgeting app from Booster that connects to your bank accounts and categorises your spending.
Facts last checked: 29 July 2026
At a glance
MyBudgetPal’s pitch is simple: free, connected, automatic. It is a solid way to see where money went. Owdyn’s pitch is different: not just where money went, but what is genuinely left — bills, BNPL and goals already subtracted. MyBudgetPal is backed by a KiwiSaver provider; Owdyn is an independent app whose only product is the app itself.
Side by side
| Owdyn | MyBudgetPal | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Live now — sign up free today, no waitlist | Live and free |
| Built for NZ | Yes — NZD-first, NZ merchants | Yes — NZ-built (Booster) |
| Getting your data in | CSV import from any NZ bank — no bank login required. Automatic bank sync is in testing and comes to Plus and Wise after launch. | Live bank connections |
| Organising idea | Safe to Spend — forward-looking, commitments subtracted | Spending review — strong on categorising what already happened |
| BNPL (Afterpay, Laybuy, Zip) | Afterpay, Laybuy and Zip tracking built in | Not a headline feature |
| Cost | Free plan always free; paid plans add forecasting and AI | Free — offered by Booster alongside its investment products |
Where MyBudgetPal shines
- Completely free with live bank connections — a low-friction way to start.
- Automatic categorisation with an easy review flow.
- Backed by an established NZ financial services company.
Where Owdyn shines
- Forward-looking by design: Safe to Spend subtracts what is *coming* — bills, BNPL instalments, goal contributions — not just what happened.
- BNPL tracking is native: Afterpay, Laybuy, Zip instalments reduce your number automatically.
- Independent: Owdyn’s only business is the app — your data exists to serve you, and is never a funnel to other financial products.
- No bank login required — CSV import keeps your credentials with your bank.
Pick MyBudgetPal if you want a free, connected spending tracker and are comfortable with an app offered by a KiwiSaver/investment provider.
Pick Owdyn if you want a forward-looking number that accounts for bills and Afterpay before you spend, from an independent app.
Good questions. Clear answers.
Is MyBudgetPal really free?
Yes — MyBudgetPal is free, offered by Booster alongside its investment and KiwiSaver products. Owdyn also has a genuinely free plan (unlimited transactions, CSV import and export, budgets, goals, bills, BNPL), with paid plans adding forecasting and AI insights.
What does Owdyn do that MyBudgetPal doesn’t?
The core difference is direction. MyBudgetPal is strongest at reviewing where money went. Owdyn’s Safe to Spend looks forward: upcoming bills, BNPL instalments and savings goal contributions are already subtracted from the number on screen, so you know what is genuinely spendable before payday.
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No waitlist
Try the difference tonight.
Owdyn is live now — import your first bank statement in minutes and see your real Safe to Spend. Free during beta, no credit card, and your data stays yours.
Free during beta · No credit card · Works with every NZ bank via CSV