Single-user maths
One pot, one owner, no notion of shared responsibility.
SharedNest vs PocketGuard
A PocketGuard alternative with family safe-to-spend
'In My Pocket' for one pocket only.
Is SharedNest a good PocketGuard alternative?
Short answer
'In My Pocket' for one pocket only. Parents who want one safe-to-spend number for the family, plus each child's costs.
PocketGuard's headline number — what is safe to spend — is genuinely useful when one person owns the whole picture.
In a household, safe-to-spend depends on who covers what. SharedNest works that out from your split rule and shows each person their own room to breathe.
What PocketGuard does well
- Clear safe-to-spend figure
- Subscription detection
- Simple onboarding
Where families outgrow it
No splitting or settling
Shared bills have to be reconciled elsewhere.
Paid features and bank reliance
The useful parts need a subscription and linked accounts.
PocketGuard vs SharedNest, side by side
| Feature | PocketGuard | SharedNest |
|---|---|---|
| Income-weighted splits | Not supported | Any ratio you choose, applied automatically to every shared expense |
| Private expenses | Not applicable | Mark any expense private — it counts for you, stays invisible to the household |
| Per-person view | One user | You / Household switch |
| Recurring bills | Detected from bank data | Defined once, split automatically |
| Price | Paid tiers | Free while we build |
| Per-child budgets | Not supported | Child profiles, per-child caps for spending, allowance and activities |
| Bank statement import | Bank sync | Five-step import: pick rows, set split, child and privacy, review, done |
| Phone experience | Full app | Swipe dashboard, quick add, budgets and an AI household assistant |
Who SharedNest is for
Parents who want one safe-to-spend number for the family, plus each child's costs.
Switching from PocketGuard
Set incomes and the split rule first; the per-person numbers follow.
Questions people ask
- Is SharedNest free for families?
- Yes. Every feature is free while we build, with no paywall and no waitlist.
- Can we track what each child costs?
- Yes. Tag expenses to a child, set per-child budgets for spending, allowance and planned activities, and see each child's costs over time.
- Is there a safe-to-spend figure?
- Yes. Set your family monthly limit and the dashboard shows what is left, a daily safe amount and your pace.
Ready for a clearer family budget?
Free while we build — every feature included. Create your family household and invite another adult when you’re ready.