Question 1

What is the main difference between Monarch and Residual?

Accepted Answer

Monarch and Residual serve fundamentally different financial needs. Monarch is a wealth-tracking dashboard — it aggregates investments, net worth, and cash flow across complex financial lives without requiring you to allocate every dollar. Residual is a zero-based budgeting engine — it allocates your actual income into spending buckets before you spend it, and distills everything into a single Safe-to-Spend number so you always know exactly what is available.

Question 2

Does Monarch use zero-based budgeting?

Accepted Answer

Monarch does not enforce zero-based budgeting, and its creators have described ZBB as "clunky" for most users. Monarch focuses on cash flow visibility and big-picture tracking rather than proactive dollar allocation. If you want to see where your money went, Monarch excels. If you want a system that tells you where your money should go before you spend it, Residual is designed for that.

Question 3

How does Residual make zero-based budgeting easier?

Accepted Answer

Traditional zero-based budgeting requires daily transaction reviews and manual category adjustments — the maintenance overhead that causes most people to abandon the system. Residual automates categorization and budget matching with AI, so your budget stays current without daily upkeep. You get the discipline of zero-based math with a fraction of the manual effort.

Question 4

Which app is better for couples managing money together?

Accepted Answer

Both apps support shared access, but for different goals. Monarch gives couples a unified dashboard to see their combined net worth, investment accounts, and overall financial picture. Residual gives couples a shared Safe-to-Spend number they agree on before money is spent — making it easier to align on day-to-day decisions and prevent the "I thought we had more money" conversations.

Question 5

Does Monarch track investments and net worth?

Accepted Answer

Yes — investment tracking and net worth dashboards are core Monarch features. It connects to brokerage accounts, retirement accounts, and real estate valuations alongside bank and credit card accounts, making it well-suited for households with complex financial lives. Residual is focused on budgeting and spending clarity and does not aim to replace Monarch's wealth-tracking capabilities.

Question 6

How much does Residual cost, and when will it launch?

Accepted Answer

Residual is currently in development and has not announced pricing. You can join the waitlist at residual.finance to receive early access and be notified about pricing when the app launches.

Feature	Monarch Money	Residual
Core Philosophy	Cash flow forecasting and net worth tracking	Zero-based budgeting (ZBB)
Daily Focus	Reviewing historical trends and tracking broad goals	Knowing exactly what is safe to spend today
Manual Effort	Low; automatic tracking of past expenses	Low; AI automates traditional ZBB maintenance
Partner Collaboration	Shared dashboard for holistic visibility	Shared access for proactive goal negotiation
Primary Audience	High-complexity households seeking wealth visualization	Individuals and couples needing strict spending clarity

Monarch vs. Residual

Monarch: Big-Picture Wealth Tracking

Residual: Automation and the Safe-to-Spend Metric

Feature Comparison

Which budgeting app is right for you?

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Common questions about Monarch vs. Residual

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