Steady vs PocketSmith: Which NZ Finance App Is Right for You?

If you're looking for a [personal finance app in New Zealand](/blog/personal-finance-app-nz), you've probably come across two names: Steady and PocketSmith. Both are built by New Zealanders, both connect to NZ banks via [Akahu](/blog/akahu-open-banking-nz-explained), and both have free tiers. But they take very different approaches to helping you manage money.

This is an honest, side-by-side comparison. Both apps have genuine strengths — the right choice depends on what you actually need.

The quick summary

Steady is a mobile-first app that uses AI to make everyday money management effortless. It's designed for people who want to stay on top of their finances with minimal effort — check your safe-to-spend, ask a question, get on with your day.

PocketSmith is a powerful financial planning tool with calendar-based budgeting and forecasting. It's designed for people who want detailed control over their finances and love diving into data.

Think of it this way: Steady is your smart daily dashboard. PocketSmith is your comprehensive financial planning suite.

NZ bank support

Both apps connect to New Zealand banks through Akahu, the country's open banking platform.

Steady: Supports ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank, Westpac, TSB, The Co-operative Bank, Heartland Bank, and others via Akahu. Connection is read-only and takes about 2 minutes to set up.

PocketSmith: Same Akahu integration — same bank support. PocketSmith also offers manual bank feeds and CSV imports for banks not covered by Akahu.

Verdict: Tie. Both use the same underlying platform for NZ bank connections.

Features comparison

Transaction tracking and categorisation

Steady: Transactions flow in automatically and are categorised by AI with strong NZ merchant recognition. Countdown, Pak'nSave, Z Energy, Spark — all categorised correctly from day one. You can correct mistakes and the AI learns from your corrections.

PocketSmith: Automatic transactions via Akahu with rule-based categorisation. You set up rules ("Any transaction containing 'COUNTDOWN' goes to Groceries") and PocketSmith applies them consistently. More manual to configure initially, but very reliable once set up.

Verdict: Steady for ease of setup. PocketSmith for customisation control.

AI assistant

Steady: This is Steady's standout feature. An AI assistant powered by Anthropic's Claude that can answer plain-English questions about your finances:

• "Can I afford a weekend trip to Queenstown?"
• "How much did I spend on dining out this month compared to last month?"
• "Where could I cut back to save an extra $200/month?"
• "Am I on track for my holiday savings goal?"

The AI has context about your spending patterns, goals, and financial situation, so the answers are personalised — not generic tips.

PocketSmith: No AI assistant. PocketSmith focuses on manual analysis through reports, charts, and dashboards. You do the interpretation; PocketSmith provides the data.

Verdict: Steady, clearly. The AI assistant genuinely changes how you interact with your finances.

Budgeting

Steady: [Safe-to-spend approach](/blog/safe-to-spend-explained). Rather than allocating budgets to dozens of categories, Steady calculates how much you can safely spend based on your income, upcoming bills, and savings goals. You can also set category-specific budgets if you want more control.

PocketSmith: Calendar-based budgeting. You create budget events on a calendar — recurring income, expenses, and savings. This gives you a visual timeline of your financial future. Powerful, but takes time to set up properly.

Verdict: Depends on your style. Steady for simplicity, PocketSmith for granular control.

Forecasting

Steady: Basic forecasting — projected account balances based on recurring income and expenses. Shows you when money might be tight.

PocketSmith: This is PocketSmith's crown jewel. The forecasting engine can project your finances up to 30 years into the future. "What if I increase my rent by $50/week?" "When will I hit my house deposit target?" "What happens if interest rates rise 1%?" Genuinely powerful scenario modelling.

Verdict: PocketSmith, decisively. If forecasting is your priority, PocketSmith is the better choice.

Savings goals

Steady: Goal-based savings with visual progress tracking. Gamification elements (XP, gems, streaks) make saving feel rewarding. You can ask the AI "Am I on track for my holiday goal?" and get a contextual answer.

PocketSmith: Goals through the calendar system — you set a target date and amount, and the forecast shows whether you'll make it based on your current trajectory.

Verdict: Steady for motivation and engagement. PocketSmith for realistic projection.

Spending insights

Steady: AI-powered insights that proactively tell you things like "Your power bill went up 18% this month" or "You've spent 30% more on dining this week." Spending personality analysis based on your actual data.

PocketSmith: Detailed spending reports with customisable date ranges, category breakdowns, and trend analysis. Income vs expense reports, net worth tracking, and asset allocation.

Verdict: Steady for proactive, easy-to-digest insights. PocketSmith for deep, customisable reporting.

Recurring bills

Steady: Automatic detection of recurring payments. Shows upcoming bills so you know what's coming out before it hits.

PocketSmith: Calendar-based recurring events. You manually set up each recurring transaction. Once configured, they appear on your financial calendar and feed into the forecast.

Verdict: Steady for automatic detection. PocketSmith for manual precision.

Mobile experience

Steady: Built mobile-first. The app is designed for quick check-ins on your phone — open it, see your safe-to-spend, ask a question, close it. Native-feeling experience with haptic feedback, smooth animations, and intuitive navigation.

PocketSmith: Has mobile apps for iOS and Android, but PocketSmith was designed as a desktop-first experience. The mobile apps are functional but the full power of PocketSmith is best experienced on a larger screen.

Verdict: Steady. If you primarily manage money on your phone, Steady offers a significantly better experience.

Pricing

Steady

• Free tier: Core features, limited AI conversations
• Pro: Unlocks unlimited AI conversations, advanced insights, and priority features

PocketSmith

• Free: 2 accounts, 6 months of history, manual entry only
• Premium ($12.95/month): 10 accounts, 10 years of history, automatic bank feeds
• Super ($22.95/month): Unlimited accounts, 30-year forecasting, all features

Verdict: Both offer free tiers, but PocketSmith's free tier is more limited (no automatic bank feeds). Steady's free tier includes automatic bank sync. PocketSmith's paid tiers are more expensive but include powerful forecasting features.

Who should choose Steady?

Choose Steady if you:

• Want to manage money on your phone with minimal effort
• Like the idea of asking an AI questions about your finances
• Don't want to spend hours configuring budgets and categories
• Are motivated by gamification (XP, streaks, achievements)
• Want automatic bill detection without manual setup
• Prefer a "safe-to-spend" approach over detailed category budgets
• Are new to finance apps and want something approachable

Who should choose PocketSmith?

Choose PocketSmith if you:

• Love data and want detailed, customisable reports
• Need long-term financial forecasting and scenario modelling
• Prefer calendar-based budgeting with granular control
• Want net worth tracking and investment oversight
• Are comfortable with a steeper learning curve for more power
• Primarily use a desktop or laptop for financial management
• Want to model "what if" scenarios for major financial decisions

Can you use both?

Some people do. PocketSmith for long-term planning and forecasting. Steady for day-to-day money management and quick AI-powered check-ins. Since both connect via Akahu, you're not duplicating data entry — both pull transactions automatically.

That said, most people find one app that fits their style and stick with it. The cognitive overhead of managing two financial tools usually isn't worth it.

The honest take

PocketSmith has been serving New Zealanders since 2008. It's mature, powerful, and deeply configurable. If you're the kind of person who enjoys building complex financial models and diving into detailed reports, PocketSmith is genuinely excellent.

Steady is newer and takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of giving you maximum control, it gives you maximum clarity with minimum effort. The AI assistant is a genuine differentiator — being able to ask "Can I afford this?" and get a real answer based on your actual financial situation changes how you think about money management.

Neither app is objectively "better." They serve different people with different needs. The best choice is the one that matches how you actually want to interact with your money — your [spending personality type](/blog/spending-personality-types-nz) plays a role here.

Try both free tiers. Use each for a week. You'll know which one clicks. See the full [NZ finance app comparison](/blog/best-budgeting-apps-nz-2026) or [compare all options](/compare). [View Steady's pricing](/pricing).