Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Simple VS HomeBank

Compare Simple VS HomeBank and see what are their differences

Simple logo Simple

Simple is reinventing personal banking with modern online and mobile experiences, no surprise fees...

HomeBank logo HomeBank

Access Financial Services. Easy, fee-free banking for entrepreneurs Get the financial tools and insights to start, build, and grow your business.
  • Simple Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-06
  • HomeBank Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-18

Easy, fee-free banking for entrepreneurs Get the financial tools and insights to start, build, and grow your business.

Simple features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Simple offers an intuitive and straightforward interface, making it accessible for users who may not be tech-savvy.
  • No Hidden Fees
    Simple is transparent about fees, such as not charging for overdrafts or maintaining a minimum balance, which can save users money.
  • Innovative Budgeting Tools
    Tools like 'Safe-to-Spend' and 'Goals' help users manage their finances more effectively by visually representing their spending power and saving goals.
  • Excellent Customer Service
    Simple has a reputation for responsive and helpful customer service, which can be reached via multiple channels, including phone, email, and social media.
  • FDIC Insured
    Deposits are insured up to $250,000 through a partnership with BBVA USA, adding a layer of security for users.

Possible disadvantages of Simple

  • Limited Product Offerings
    Simple lacks a comprehensive suite of financial products like loans and credit cards that traditional banks offer.
  • Cash Deposit Limitations
    Depositing cash can be cumbersome as Simple does not have physical branches; users must utilize third-party services which might incur fees.
  • No Physical Branches
    The absence of physical locations may be a disadvantage for those who prefer face-to-face interactions for their banking needs.
  • Reliance on Internet Access
    As a fully online bank, Simple requires stable internet access and competent digital literacy, which may not be convenient for all users.
  • Limited ATM Network
    While Simple provides access to a broad network of fee-free ATMs, users might still encounter situations where finding a fee-free ATM is inconvenient.

HomeBank features and specs

  • Free of Charge
    HomeBank is completely free, which makes it accessible to a wide range of users without any financial commitment.
  • Multi-Platform
    HomeBank is available on multiple operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility and accessibility regardless of the user's preferred platform.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The software features an intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and manage their finances, even if they have little to no experience with financial software.
  • Comprehensive Reporting
    HomeBank offers a variety of detailed reports and charts that help users understand their spending habits and financial status.
  • Import and Export Data
    Users can easily import and export financial data in various formats (including QIF, CSV, and OFX), allowing seamless transitions between different financial tools.
  • Budget Management
    HomeBank includes features for tracking budgets, helping users to set spending limits and monitor their financial goals.

Possible disadvantages of HomeBank

  • Limited Support
    As an open-source project, HomeBank has limited official support, which might make resolving issues more challenging for users who are not tech-savvy.
  • No Mobile App
    HomeBank does not offer a dedicated mobile app, limiting users' ability to manage their finances on the go.
  • Lack of Advanced Features
    While it covers the basics well, HomeBank lacks some of the advanced features found in paid financial software, such as investment tracking and advanced financial forecasting.
  • Manual Data Entry
    HomeBank often requires manual input of transactions, which can be time-consuming and may not appeal to users looking for automated solutions.
  • Interface Design
    The design and aesthetics of HomeBank's interface may appear outdated compared to some modern financial tools, potentially impacting user experience.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite being user-friendly, there can still be a learning curve for users unfamiliar with financial software, especially due to limitations in official documentation and tutorials.

Analysis of Simple

Overall verdict

  • While Simple was considered a good choice for digital banking due to its ease of use and helpful financial management tools, it no longer operates independently. Former Simple customers and individuals seeking similar features might consider alternatives like Chime, Varo, or other modern fintech companies that offer similar services.

Why this product is good

  • Simple was known for its intuitive and user-friendly mobile banking experience, offering features like budgeting tools, no fees on basic accounts, and a reliable digital platform. It aimed to make banking straightforward and stress-free for users, especially those comfortable with handling finances through an app. However, as of 2021, Simple has been shut down by its parent company, BBVA USA, and its services have been transitioned into BBVA's offerings.

Recommended for

    Simple, when operational, was recommended for tech-savvy individuals looking for a seamless online banking experience without many fees, and people interested in integrated budgeting and financial tracking tools. Current recommendations would be to explore existing fintech solutions with comparable benefits.

Analysis of HomeBank

Overall verdict

  • HomeBank is a good option for personal finance management if you are looking for a no-cost, straightforward solution. It is continually updated, and the robust community surrounding the software can be a helpful resource for users. However, it may not be as feature-rich as some paid alternatives, and it lacks mobile apps, which might be a limitation for users looking for financial management on the go.

Why this product is good

  • HomeBank is a personal finance management software known for its simplicity and comprehensive features. It is open-source and free, making it accessible to a wide range of users. It allows you to manage your finances efficiently with features such as multi-account support, transaction tracking, budget management, reports, and graphs. Its user-friendly interface is designed to simplify financial management for individuals who may not have advanced technical skills. With its ability to import data from other financial software, HomeBank is versatile in catering to different users' needs.

Recommended for

  • Individuals with basic to intermediate personal finance management needs
  • Users preferring open-source and free software solutions
  • Budget-conscious users who want to avoid subscription fees
  • Users who manage their finances primarily on a desktop environment
  • Individuals who prefer a simple, straightforward interface

Simple videos

The Truth About Simple Skin Care

More videos:

  • Review - DOCTOR V Reviews Simple | Brown/ Dark Skin of Colour | SOC
  • Review - Simple Skincare Review! Micellar Water, Cleansers, Moisturizer | Clean, Affordable Skin Care

HomeBank videos

Homebank Made Simple - Homebank Reviews

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Simple and HomeBank)
Finance
14 14%
86% 86
Personal Finance
5 5%
95% 95
Business & Commerce
100 100%
0% 0
Time Tracking
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Simple and HomeBank. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Simple and HomeBank

Simple Reviews

The 8 Best Budgeting Apps of 2020
Simple is more than a budgeting app, it is an online bank account that replaces your old checking account and has tons of useful budgeting features built-in. When your budget and your bank live in the same app, it is much easier to manage and keep everything under control because you only have one place to visit to view and manage your money.
17 Top Evernote Alternatives for Note-Taking for 2019
Here’s the lowdown: Simplenote is free across all devices; Evernote isn’t. Evernote has an adequate amount of formatting and rich text options; Simplenote doesn’t. Evernote offers web clipping, Simplenote doesn’t.

HomeBank Reviews

The 10 Best Alternatives to GnuCash for Managing Your Finances
HomeBank is a solid replacement for GnuCash, particularly if you're new to accounting and need a user-friendly and budget-friendly option. Its simple layout allows you to easily manage your finances and keep on top of your budget.
Top 10 Best Open Source Accounting Software Comparison 2024
HomeBank is another free and open source module for personal and small business accounting. You can use this as a GNU/Linux distribution as well as an Ubuntu finance software, or finally, it is also a cross-platform tool that can also run on Microsoft Windows or ported via a third party to MacOS or Android.
Source: crm.org
Quicken Alternatives: Top 5 Financial Tools for Efficient Money Management
HomeBank, another free Quicken alternative, is a helpful financial tool for individuals with relatively simple finance management needs. It offers a clear interface, making it easy for users to track their expenses, income, and budget. HomeBank also provides visual reports, such as charts and graphs, that give users an at-a-glance understanding of their financial health....
Source: finally.com
Best 9 Personal Finance Software For Windows 11, 10 Free PC, Surface Pro
HomeBank is free personal accounting software for PC users. The software is designed to analyze your personal financing data, synchronize your banking data, and gives you real-time updates. It creates beautiful charts of your expenses and income and also generates daily reports that you can share with anyone instantly.
Best personal finance software of 2024
HomeBank will appeal if you work on multiple platforms, or don't use Windows by default. Available for Windows, macOS and Linux (there's also an Android app in development) HomeBank can be installed normally or as a portable app, and it makes the topic of personal finance easily accessible. If you've been using another program – such as Quicken or Microsoft Money – to manage...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, HomeBank should be more popular than Simple. It has been mentiond 9 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Simple mentions (4)

  • Closed bank closed debit card (simple.com)
    I received a refund for an item on Amazon and the debit card and bank was closed. Amazon will not reissue the refund to a different debit card and I'm clueless who to contact if there is anyone to contact since simple.com was defunct in 2021. Any help would be appreciated. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Am I selfish?
    Get a fresh bank account without him; credit unions can be good for this. Make sure it's not at a bank that he frequents...you don't want the teller to be "helpful" and clue him in on things. I used to recommend simple.com for a debit card, but they have sold out to PNC. Source: about 3 years ago
  • I never had to call Simple.
    Patience and discovering that simple.com now points to BBVA's Simple migration page. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Q about Simple hosted message center
    Prior to putting this on reddit the site showed a simple.com blue banner. Source: about 4 years ago

HomeBank mentions (9)

  • I CANT FIND A BUDGET SYSTEM I CAN STICK TO...
    Another app that works pretty well is the free one called HomeBank available at: http://homebank.free.fr/ It only works on desktop or laptop computers - Windows, Mac, and Linux. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Windows Software for Logging Expenses/Income
    I tried to download and try Homebank (http://homebank.free.fr/) but Microsoft Defender SmartScreen through a fit due to "unknown publisher" and in virustotal the installer was flagged by 3 vendors (Bkav Pro, Gridinsoft (no cloud),Elastic) Probably false positives as it seems to be open source, but not sure if I want to risk it. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Gnucash – open-source accounting software for personal and small businesses
    I use HomeBank [1] because I find the UI a lot simpler than GnuCash and importing mostly just works, with pretty good automatic category assignment that lets you use regular expressions. The only quirk is that one of my accounts uses a non-standard ordering for its csv file which needs fixing before HomeBank will accept it since the import UI is limited. I also find that it is useful to track the database file... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • GnuCash
    I used to use HomeBank (http://homebank.free.fr), now just a LibreOffice spreadsheet. I think for personal finances, it's perfectly fine to just record monthly total expenses as a bulk sum, for each account. Unless 'something's off' (i.e. My family has spent too little or too much) it's okay to not know all the expense items. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • Actual is going open-source
    What is a good desktop-first budgeting application? I've been using Homebank[1] for a few years now but I'm open to suggestions. [1]: http://homebank.free.fr/. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Simple and HomeBank, you can also consider the following products

Salesforce Financial Services Cloud - Salesforce Financial Services Cloud offers CRM solutions for banking, insurance, and wealth management.

GnuCash - A personal and small-business financial-accounting software, licensed under GNU/GPL and available for Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, BSD, and Solaris.

Money Guide Pro - Money Guide Pro is a financial planning software solution.

Money Manager Ex - Money Manager Ex is a free, open-source, cross-platform, easy-to-use personal finance software.

SmartOffice - Whether you need to read that report from the office, present a PowerPoint presentation, or review that annual statement from your broker that came in PDF form, SmartOffice has you covered.

YNAB - Working hard with nothing to show for it? Use your money more efficiently and control your spending and saving with the YNAB app.