The best money saving apps in Canada include Flipp, GasBuddy, and KOHO, to name a few.
Whether you want help saving money for a goal, keeping all of your store loyalty cards in one place, or booking the most cost-effective trip possible, there's an app for that.
To help save you the time and effort of sifting through (what feels like) millions of apps, here's an overview of the best of the best.
Key Takeaways
- The best money saving apps include KOHO, Flipp, and GasBuddy.
- You can find apps to help you with savings goals, earning cash back, grocery shopping, planning trips, and much more.
- Our own moneyGenius site is your best resource for saving money without using an app.
The best money savings apps
| App | Best for | Why try it? | Cost | Special features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOHO | Cash back and budgeting | Excellent features and tools (free and paid) to help you manage your credit and finances | $0 - $19/month | * Build and improve your credit history with KOHO Credit Building * Earns high interest |
| Great Canadian Rebates | Cash back and discounts | One of the most popular cash back apps/sites in Canada, with 900+ partner merchants. | $0 | * Earn extra cash back for choosing an e-gift card payout * Earn 25% on what your referral earns |
| GeniusCash | Cash back and unique reward-maximizing recommendations | Level up your money by maxing rewards on daily purchases and getting paid to develop good financial habits. | $0 | * Equip your wallet with the best credit cards for your unique spending habits with the Max feature * Access exclusive offers on top Canadian financial products like bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and mortgages |
| Checkout 51 | Cash back on groceries | Get paid for shopping you were going to do anyway. | $0 | * Link your store loyalty cards and earn multiple rewards at the same time * Earn more with surveys, etc. |
| Flipp | Shopping rewards and discounts | Find the best deals on everyday items and organize your shopping lists in one place. | $0 | * Shopping list feature gathers your selections from all flyers and puts them in one place * Watch List notifies you when a desired item goes on sale |
| AwardWallet | Keeping loyalty rewards in one place | Keep one app to manage your multiple loyalty programs and make the most of program perks. | $0 - US $30 | * Merchant Lookup tool shows which credit cards offer bonuses for shopping with specific merchants * Tracks your flights and travel itineraries, including real-time alerts |
| GasBuddy | Saving money on gas | Easily find the cheapest gas option in your area and save valuable time and money. | $0 | * Trip planning tool to determine costs, distance, where to gas up, etc. * Gas price charts, outage tracker (fuel and power), vehicle recalls, and more handy resources |
| Hopper | Saving money on travel | Find deals and book travel arrangements all in one place. | $0 | * Price Freeze feature lets you lock in a certain price for a specific time * Flight Watch notifications of price drops for a trip/route you're interested in |
KOHO
Best for: Cash back and budgeting
The KOHO app has been reviewed and rated by many Canadians as one of the best financial apps out there, particularly thanks to the cash back you can earn with the products included in your account.
App store ratings:
- Google Play Store: 4.6 stars
- Apple App Store: 4.8 stars
Why we love it
- Apply for and manage a wide range of valuable personal finance products all in one place
- All accounts come with a prepaid credit card that earns up to 5% cash back
- Access your credit score for free once per month
- Savings Goal tool lets you identify a goal and create a sub-savings account so you can make automatic contributions
- RoundUps feature lets you round card purchases to the nearest $1, $5, or $10 and the extra automatically goes into savings
- KOHO Credit Building add-on is a low-cost, high-value way to build your credit
How much it costs
The KOHO app itself doesn't cost anything, but you'll need a paid plan in order to open an account and log into the app. Here's a breakdown of the plan tiers, paid tools, and pricing:
- Essential: $0 per month
- Extra: $12 per month
- Everything: $14.75 per month
- KOHO Credit Building: $10 per month
- The Essential plan is only free if you set up direct deposits or load $1,000 per month
- The products and services make KOHO feel like a bank, but it isn't
- KOHO Credit Building doesn't provide detailed credit reports
Great Canadian Rebates
Best for: Cash back and discounts
Great Canadian Rebates is a much beloved Canadian website with cash back offers on many, many different products and services from 900+ different retailers and merchants.
There are 19 shopping categories to choose from, covering everything from pet supplies to credit card applications. The cash back rates vary, with some offered as percentages and some as dollar amounts.
App store ratings:
- Google Play Store: N/A
- Apple App Store: 3.0 stars
Why we love it
- Free to use
- 19 different shopping categories from more than 900 merchants
- Extra cash back bonus (up to 4%) for e-gift card payouts
- Many different merchant and denomination choices for e-gift cards
- Make a referral and earn 25% on what your referral person earns
- Also lists coupons, rebates, free gifts, etc., offered by retailers
What you should know before downloading
- The user interface is a bit dated
- The website also looks dated but is much more popular (Reddit and Red Flag Deals users love it)
GeniusCash
Best for: Cash back and financial recommendations tailored to your spending habits
GeniusCash is a cash back rewards app developed by moneyGenius that sends real cash straight to your bank account. It also helps you get the most credit card rewards, find the best deals, and unlock exclusive offers to get you even more cash back on your everyday purchases.
Why we love it
- Exclusive offers on top Canadian financial products like bank accounts, credit cards, loans, mortgages, and much, much more
- Get paid to develop good financial habits
- Unlock Max credit card rewards based on your unique spending
What you should know before downloading
- You have to connect your credit cards to get your spending breakdown and rewards-maximizing recommendations.
Checkout 51
Best for: Cash back on groceries
The Checkout 51 app provides cash back on household items, like grocery purchases, with offers that aren't usually store-specific. This means you can stay loyal to the retailers you prefer while still earning cash back on the most commonly used household items, like breakfast cereal, paper towel, canned soups, and much more.
Once you've completed your shopping, you take photos of your receipts and upload those to the Checkout 51 app. The appropriate cash back is then automatically added to your account.
App store ratings:
- Google Play Store: 4.1 stars
- Apple App Store: 4.6 stars
Why we love it
- Free to use
- Alcohol, personal care items, pet supplies, and automotive supplies are eligible for cash back too
- Most offers aren't store-specific
- Some cash back offers can be redeemed multiple times
- Link your store loyalty cards to earn extra rewards
- Complete surveys for even more cash back
- A desktop version is available too and online purchases still qualify for cash back offers
What you should know before downloading
- Cash back on gas purchases and prescriptions is available for US users, but not Canadians
- Offers must be manually loaded each week – they change weekly but aren't added automatically
- PayPal is the only payout option available
Flipp
Best for: Shopping rewards and discounts
Flipp lets you peruse flyers, collect coupons, and make your shopping lists all in one place.
Flipp has the largest inventory of store flyers you're likely to find in one place: at least 2,000 stores included. You'll see 12 categories to browse, each featuring anywhere from 4 to 16 individual retailers.
App store ratings:
- Google Play Store: 4.7 stars
- Apple App Store: 4.7 stars
Why we love it
- Free to use
- Huge inventory of flyers – at least 2,000 stores listed
- Inputting your postal code means all flyer deals are current in your specific area
- If you're travelling, simply change the postal code the app searches within
- Shopping list feature is convenient and lets you price match with competing stores
- Watch List feature notifies you when something you want goes on sale
- Add your store loyalty card and see available digital coupons
What you should know before downloading
- Doesn't sync with your Google or Alexa shopping list
- No cash back or in-app rewards like those offered by other apps
$75 GeniusCash + Unlimited transactions for $0 + Ding-free non-affiliated ATM usage.
$25 GeniusCash + $50 bonus for funding a new account, and $0 commissions on stocks & ETFs
$12 GeniusCash + Access trusted news coverage 24/7 + Digital and home subscription options.
$25 GeniusCash + Delicious meal choices with fresh ingredients + Front-door delivery.AwardWallet
Best for: Keeping all your loyalty rewards in one place
AwardWallet keeps all of your loyalty programs (more than 650 of them!) together in one place, making it super easy to take advantage of any points redemptions, bonuses, special offers, etc.
But it's more than just a wallet, despite the name. It's especially popular with frequent flyers as it tracks your flight and travel itineraries and provides real-time alerts and notifications related to travel.
App store ratings:
- Google Play Store: 4.1 stars
- Apple App Store: 4.7 stars
Why we love it
- Displays point balance for each loyalty program
- Merchant lookup tool shows you which credit cards offer bonus points for shopping with a particular merchant
- Credit card spend analysis includes details on whether you're maximizing rewards on all purchases
- Automatic tracking of flights and itineraries with real-time alerts
- Supports multiple accounts, making it useful for families
How much it costs
The basic version of AwardWallet is free to download and use. You can choose to upgrade to AwardWallet Plus for $30 USD. The AwardWallet Plus subscription offers a few extra features, including:
- The ability to export your rewards balances to an Excel spreadsheet or PDF
- Unlimited options for points expiration display
- Unlimited number of daily account user updates
What you should know before downloading
- The merchant lookup tool browses more than just the cards in your wallet, so it may offer suggestions for cards you don't have
- A limited number of programs require manual data entry
- Free version only displays expiration info for 3 points programs (Plus is unlimited)
GasBuddy
Best for: Saving money on gas
Fuel costs can eat up a huge part of your budget, but GasBuddy is doing its part to help you find gas-related savings. After entering your postal code or city, this app will list the nearby gas stations and their prices. You can even filter by your preferred fuel type or station brand (Esso, Shell, etc.).
Founded in 2000 as a place for people to share gas prices and help fellow drivers, GasBuddy's website claims it's helped North Americans save more than $3 billion since then.
App store ratings:
- Google Play Store: 4.0 stars
- Apple App Store: 4.7 stars
Why we love it
- Free to use
- Creates a list of gas stations near you and their gas prices
- Use the map for a bigger overview of all gas locations in your city/area and their prices
- Includes resources like gas price charts, maps, outage tracker, vehicle recalls, etc.
- Convenient trip planning tool shows the trip cost, distance, the best places to gas up along the way, and more
- Can also be accessed via an internet browser
What you should know before downloading
- Many features only available in the U.S., including the Pay With GasBuddy Card which can save you even more on gas purchases
- Some of the best features are behind a paywall, but neither of the paid memberships are available in Canada
Hopper
Best for: Saving money on travel
Not only is its bunny logo super cute, but the Hopper app offers some of the lowest travel prices among all travel apps and sites. Its Price Freeze feature is incredibly handy and most competitors don't offer anything like it.
Aside from the savings offered, it's refreshing to see a company that promotes an emission-heavy activity like air travel attempt to offset at least some of this environmental damage. The Hopper website says that it plants 2 trees for every booking made.
App store ratings:
- Google Play Store: 4.2 stars
- Apple App Store: 4.7 stars
Why we love it
- Free to use
- Price Freeze feature allows you to lock a price in for up to 21 days (for a fee)
- Carrot Cash loyalty program earns you discounts on future trips
- Hotel booking calendar is colour-coded for pricing, making it visually appealing and convenient
- Flight Watch feature notifies you when there's a price drop for a trip/route you're interested in
- Add your airline loyalty membership to earn points on purchases
- Claims to plant 2 trees for every booking made
- Available via web browser
What you should know before downloading
- Users report consistent app crashes and bugs
- Price Freeze feature isn't free, but prices are reasonable
- Refunds are often given as Carrot Cash
moneyGenius
The best way to save money without having to download an app
That's right, we offer extensive product reviews, detailed company profiles, and step-by-step explanations of the many personal finance-related tasks required of everyday Canadians.
And not only do we offer this valuable information, but we also offer GeniusCash cash back on qualifying products that can add literal money to your wallet.
Customer ratings:
- Trustpilot: 4.5 stars
Why we love it
- GeniusCash offers, ranging from $10 to $250, on dozens of everyday personal finance products
- Offers change or are refreshed every 2 months
- Other promotions include the Mountain of Prizes contest
- Annual Best of Money Awards lists and ranks top personal finance products and tools in Canada
- Annual $2,000 scholarship giveaway for post-secondary students
What you should know before using
- Your application must be approved before any GeniusCash is sent to you
Best money saving apps – runners up
While they may not be the cream of the crop, there are still plenty of other money-saving apps out there. In a time when there truly is an app for everything, here's a list of options that are worth looking into:
| App | Price | Unique features | App store star ratings | Check it out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agoda | $0 | * Search and compare hotel stays, "Private stays," and more * Competitive hotel prices * Best Price Guarantee * 10% off first trip booked via the app | * Apple: 4.8 * Google Play: 4.7 | Agoda |
| Caddle | $0 | * Earn money for completing surveys, watching videos, writing reviews, etc. * Unique store/product coupons and rebates available * Welcome and referral bonuses | * Apple: 3.9 * Google Play: 3.7 | Caddle |
| Drop | $0 | * Earn points for shopping with partnering merchants * Extra points available via flash deals, one-time offers, surveys, and games * Cash in points for gift cards * Also available as a browser extension | * Apple: 4.2 * Google Play: 1.2 | Drop |
| Flashfood | $0 | * Notifies you of special deals on food items at local grocery stores * Get high-quality food items for clearance prices * Food items are surplus, not expired * Reduces food waste | * Apple: 4.8 * Google Play: 4.2 | Flashfood |
| Mr. Rebates | $0 | * Earn cash back for shopping with partnering merchants * Available as an app, browser extension, or desktop site * Payouts available via PayPal, Amazon gift card, or cheque * Welcome and referral bonuses available | * Apple: 4.8 * Google Play: 4.4 | Mr. Rebates |
| MyPoints | $0 | * Collect points by shopping, playing games, watching videos, and more * Low $5 (700 points) payout threshold * Payout gift cards from a wide range of retailers * High-value partner bonuses available | * Apple: 3.5 * Google Play: 3.5 | MyPoints |
| Paymi | $0 | * Earn rewards for online and in-store shopping * Link credit and debit cards for automatic earnings * Low $2 payout threshold * CIBC partnership | * Apple: 3.6 * Google Play: 2.9 | Paymi |
| PC Optimum | $0 | * Shop with Loblaws affiliates to earn valuable PC Optimum points * View flyers and personalized offers each week * Partnership perks offer free trials and discounts from merchant partners * Earn extra with a linked PC Mastercard or PC Money Account | * Apple: 3.2 * Google Play: 3.4 | PC Optimum |
| Rakuten | $0 | * One of Canada's most well-known cash back shopping sites/apps * Can be used for online or in-store purchases * Discounts and coupon codes also available * Desktop site and browser extension available too | * Apple: 4.8 * Google Play: 3.7 | Rakuten |
| RebatesMe | $0 | * Earn up to 40% cash back for shopping with more than 6,500 retailers * Travel deals, coupon codes, sign-up, and referral bonuses also available * Exclusive offers for new members * Payouts via PayPal, cheque, credit card, or gift cards | * Apple: 5.0 * Google Play: N/A | RebatesMe |
| Swagbucks | $0 | * 20+ ways to earn rewards, including surveys and games * More than 1,500 cash back retail partners * Payouts available via PayPal or gift cards * Super low $1 payout threshold | * Apple: 4.4 * Google Play: 4.2 | Swagbucks |
| TopCashBack | $0 | * Earn cash back rewards when shopping online * Features more than 7,000 retailers * Browser extension also available * Payouts available via PayPal, gift cards, and prepaid cards | * Apple: 4.5 * Google Play: 3.4 | TopCashBack |
FAQ
What is the best money saving app in Canada?
The overall best app for you will be a personal choice, but we think KOHO is the best for banking and credit cards. Great Canadian Rebates and Checkout 51 are also indispensable savings tools.
What is the best savings account in Canada?
The savings account with the best regular interest rate is Motive Savvy Savings Account and the Simplii High Interest Savings Account has the best promo rate. The KOHO Earn Interest has a higher regular rate but is a hybrid account.
What is the best app for saving money for a trip?
If you're taking a road trip, the GasBuddy app will save you valuable time and money by showing you the cheapest places to fuel up. Otherwise, you'll find excellent deals on flights, hotels, and more with the Hopper app.
What is the best app for saving money for a goal?
The KOHO app offers valuable tools and tips for reaching a savings goal. Open a KOHO Earn Interest account to earn up to 3.5% interest, plus use the Savings Goal and RoundUps features to help reach your goal.
Are these money-saving apps safe?
Yes, all of these apps are safe to use. Some of them may use and/or sell certain data (like your email address and shopping habits), but your financial information is always safe and secure.
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