A more powerful Copilot alternative for Mac & iPhone users.
Copilot is beautifully designed — but if you need more than spending awareness, Banktivity gives you deeper investment tracking, goal planning, asset tracking and budgeting tools that go far beyond what Copilot offers.
Copilot earns its following — the design is excellent, syncing is reliable and it does a great job of making spending awareness effortless on iPhone and Mac. But for users who want to go further — tracking a real investment portfolio, planning for retirement, managing assets, building a budget that actually accounts for what is coming — Copilot runs out of road. Banktivity is built for that deeper level of financial management, without sacrificing the native Apple experience you already expect.
On this page
Where Copilot Falls Short
Copilot is a polished product. The reasons people look beyond it are not about quality — they are about depth. As financial lives grow more complex, Copilot's limitations become more apparent.
Investment tracking is surface-level
Copilot shows investment account balances, but does not track individual securities, portfolio performance, ROI, capital gains or lot-specific cost basis. For anyone actively managing a portfolio, that gap requires a second tool.
No goal or retirement planning
Copilot does not have dedicated tools for retirement goals, debt payoff timelines, education savings or other long-term financial plans. It shows where your money went — not where it needs to go.
Budgeting does not connect to what is coming
Copilot's budgeting is primarily reactive — it categorizes and tracks spending after the fact. There is no support for scheduled transactions that automatically flow into your budget, making it harder to plan for irregular or upcoming expenses.
No way to track non-account assets
Real estate, vehicles, collectibles and other assets that do not have a bank account cannot be tracked in Copilot. Your net worth picture is incomplete without them.
No account grouping or custom organization
Copilot presents accounts in a single flat list. Banktivity lets you organize accounts into custom groups — by household member, by institution, by account type — so your financial picture is structured the way you actually think about it.
Why Banktivity
The same native Apple experience — with the depth Copilot doesn't have.
Like Copilot, Banktivity is built natively for Mac, iPhone and iPad. You are not trading a polished Apple experience for a web app or a Windows port. What you are gaining is everything underneath: real investment tracking, retirement and goal planning, asset tracking, powerful scheduled transactions that automatically feed your budget, and the ability to organize your accounts exactly the way you want.
Banktivity is the app for people who have moved past spending awareness and want a complete financial management tool — one that handles today's budget and tomorrow's retirement in the same place.
What you gain
- Full investment tracking — securities, ROI, IRR, dividends, capital gains
- Retirement, debt payoff and savings goal planning
- Asset tracking for real estate, vehicles and other non-account assets
- Scheduled transactions that automatically flow into your budget
- Custom account groups to organize your financial life your way
- 10+ report types including tax, forecast and net worth
- 30-day free trial, no credit card required
What to know before switching
- More depth than Copilot — some setup time to get the most out of it
- Budgeting is more structured than Copilot's passive tracking approach
Banktivity vs Copilot
Both native Apple apps. Very different levels of depth.
The comparison between Banktivity and Copilot is not about platform — both are built for Mac, iPhone and iPad. It is about how far each tool goes when your financial life demands more than spending awareness.
| Feature | Banktivity | Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Platform & Data | ||
Mac desktop app Native macOS application |
✔ Fully native | ✗ iOS only — no Mac app |
iPad + iPhone app Full-featured iPadOS experience |
✔ Fully native | ○ iPhone only |
Offline access Full functionality without internet connection |
✔ Advanced | ○ Limited |
Local data storage Your data stays on your devices |
✔ On your device | ✗ Cloud only |
Multiple currency support 30+ currencies with auto exchange rates |
✔ 30+ currencies | ○ Limited |
| Budgeting & Reporting | ||
Envelope budgeting Full zero-based envelope budget methodology |
✔ Full suite | ○ Limited |
Annual budget planning Plan all 12 months — handle irregular expenses |
✔ Full year planning | ○ Limited |
Report export — PDF, CSV, Excel Portable reports for your CPA or records |
✔ Advanced | ○ Limited |
Custom report builder Tailor reports to exactly what you need |
✔ Advanced | ○ Limited |
| Goals & Planning | ||
Retirement projections & scenarios What-if modeling for retirement age, savings, income |
✔ Full suite | ✗ Not available |
College savings planning Dedicated advanced education savings tool |
✔ Advanced | ○ Basic only |
Extra payment & purchase impact Model payoff and big purchase scenarios |
✔ Advanced | ✗ Not available |
| Transactions | ||
Multiple currency support 30+ currencies with auto exchange rates |
✔ 30+ currencies | ○ Limited |
Annual budget planning Budget every month of the year in advance |
✔ Full year | ○ Limited |
| Investment Tracking | ||
Cost basis & tax lot management Track purchase lots for accurate tax reporting |
✔ Advanced | ✗ Not available |
Capital gains tracking Short and long-term gains with full lot detail |
✔ Advanced | ✗ Not available |
Rate of return — IRR & ROI Institutional-grade performance metrics |
✔ Advanced | ✗ Not available |
Tax-loss harvesting Surface harvesting opportunities automatically |
✔ Advanced | ✗ Not available |
| Privacy & Pricing | ||
Local data ownership No third party holds your financial data |
✔ On device | ✗ Cloud only |
Annual subscription price Cost per year for full access |
✔ From $59.99 | ○ $95.00 / year |
Budgeting That Works With Your Financial Life
A budget that knows what is coming — not just what already happened.
Copilot categorizes your spending after the fact. Banktivity's envelope budgeting lets you plan ahead — and scheduled transactions are automatically incorporated into your budget so recurring bills, subscriptions and known expenses are already accounted for before the money leaves your account.
Track Investments
Real investment tracking — not just account balances.
Copilot shows you what your investment accounts are worth. Banktivity shows you what is inside them — individual securities, portfolio performance, buys, sells, dividends, options, ROI, IRR and capital gains, all from the same app you use for your budget.
Goal & Retirement Planning
Know where your money is going and where it needs to end up.
Copilot tells you what you spent. Banktivity helps you plan what comes next — with dedicated tools for retirement, debt payoff, education savings and other major goals that connect your day-to-day financial decisions to the future you are working toward.
Account Groups & Organization
Organize your accounts the way you actually think about your money.
Copilot shows all your accounts in a single flat list. Banktivity lets you put accounts into custom groups — by household member, by institution, by account type, or however makes sense to you. When your financial life spans multiple banks, retirement accounts, investment accounts and assets, that structure matters.
Reports & Insights
Go beyond spending charts to your complete financial picture.
Copilot offers spending charts and transaction history. Banktivity gives you a full reporting suite — income and expense, net worth over time, payee breakdowns, tax summaries, forward-looking forecasts and investment performance reports — so you can understand your finances at every level.
What Customers Say
Real customers who wanted more from their financial app.
Many Banktivity customers came looking for something with more depth — real investment tracking, meaningful reports and tools that grow with their financial life.
"This is a great tool to keep track of your income, expenses, and all sorts of financial assets. The functionality is great and it is very intuitive to use. I am thankful I found this software."
– Chris, Ohio
"Now, all it takes us is a 15-minute monthly session to review all transactions and change a few categorizations. Love being able to know at any moment what our expenditures are, in which categories, and what is our cash-flow need."
– Philip, Florida
"Simple, effective and efficient money management — doing the accounts is now a pleasure not a chore!"
– R.A.B., United Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Banktivity a good replacement for Copilot?
Yes, particularly if you have outgrown Copilot's spending-awareness focus. Both are native Apple apps, so you are not trading platform quality. What you gain is real investment tracking, retirement and goal planning, asset tracking, scheduled transactions that feed your budget automatically and custom account organization — none of which Copilot offers.
Does Banktivity track investments better than Copilot?
Significantly. Copilot displays investment account balances. Banktivity tracks individual securities, portfolio performance, buys, sells, dividends, options, ROI, IRR, capital gains and lot-specific cost basis — all within the same app you use for budgeting.
Can Banktivity track assets like real estate or vehicles?
Yes. Banktivity lets you add non-account assets — real estate, vehicles, collectibles and more — so your net worth reflects everything you own, not just what is connected to a bank account.
How does Banktivity handle recurring transactions differently from Copilot?
Banktivity's scheduled transactions are automatically incorporated into your budget. That means recurring bills, subscriptions and known expenses are already accounted for in your plan before they hit your account — giving you a more accurate picture of what is actually available to spend.
Does Banktivity have goal and retirement planning tools?
Yes. Banktivity includes dedicated goal tools for retirement, debt payoff, education savings and other major milestones. Copilot does not offer goal planning.
Is Banktivity as well designed as Copilot?
Copilot is known for its design, and that is a fair reputation. Banktivity is a mature, native Apple app with a clean interface — but it prioritizes depth, keyboard efficiency and capability alongside design. If you have been using Copilot and want a richer tool, you will find Banktivity well worth the learning curve.
Try Banktivity risk-free for 30 days.
No credit card required for first-time subscribers. The same native Apple experience you expect — with the investment tracking, goal planning and financial depth Copilot doesn't have.