Cake Budget offers two subscription tiers designed for different budgeting needs, plus a generous 30-day free trial to try everything risk-free.

Subscription Tiers

Budget Pro - $10/month or $100/year

Perfect for: Individuals and couples managing personal finances

What’s Included:

Bank Connections:

2 bank institutions
Up to 5 accounts total
Unlimited real-time syncs via webhooks

Core Features:

✅ Unlimited slices (budget categories)
✅ Automation rules for transaction categorization
✅ Funding schedules for paycheck allocation
✅ Auto-contributions for savings goals
✅ Recurring slices with automatic advancement
✅ Transaction splitting
✅ AI-powered financial insights
✅ Real-time transaction syncing
✅ Safe-to-Spend calculation
✅ On Track status for goals
✅ Email notifications
✅ Mobile-responsive web app
✅ Secure Plaid integration
✅ Priority support

Connection Limits Explained:

2 institutions: Your main bank + one more (e.g., Chase + Ally)
5 accounts total: Checking, savings, credit card, etc. across both institutions

Annual Savings: Pay annually and save $20/year (2 months free!)

Family - $20/month or $200/year

Perfect for: Families budgeting together or power users with multiple accounts

Everything in Budget Pro, plus:

Expanded Bank Connections:

5 bank institutions (2.5× more than Pro)
Up to 12 accounts total (2.4× more than Pro)
Unlimited real-time syncs

Family Features:

✅ Shared slices with family members
✅ Add up to 2 additional family members
✅ Collaborative budgeting
✅ Shared transaction visibility
✅ Individual permissions and access control

Connection Limits Explained:

5 institutions: Multiple banks, credit unions, credit cards
12 accounts total: Comprehensive coverage for complex finances

Annual Savings: Pay annually and save $40/year (2 months free!)

Free 30-Day Trial

For: All new users

What’s Included:

✅ Full access to Budget Pro features
✅ Real-time transaction syncing
✅ All automation features (rules, funding schedules)
✅ AI insights
✅ No credit card required to start
✅ Cancel anytime during trial

After Trial:

Choose Budget Pro ($10/month) or Family ($20/month)
Or let subscription lapse (features stop syncing)

Trial Limitations:

Same connection limits as Budget Pro (2 institutions, 5 accounts)
Upgrade to Family during trial for expanded limits

Feature Comparison

Feature	Free Trial	Budget Pro	Family
Price	$0 (30 days)	$10/mo or $100/yr	$20/mo or $200/yr
Bank Institutions	2	2	5
Total Accounts	5	5	12
Unlimited Slices	✅	✅	✅
Real-Time Sync	✅	✅	✅
Automation Rules	✅	✅	✅
Funding Schedules	✅	✅	✅
Auto-Contributions	✅	✅	✅
Recurring Slices	✅	✅	✅
Transaction Splitting	✅	✅	✅
AI Insights	✅	✅	✅
Family Members	❌	❌	✅ (up to 2)
Shared Slices	❌	❌	✅
Collaborative Budgeting	❌	❌	✅

What Happens Without a Subscription

If your trial ends or subscription lapses:

Bank Connections:

❌ Stop syncing new transactions
❌ Can’t add new connections
❌ Existing connections remain but inactive

Automation Features:

❌ Rules stop processing
❌ Funding schedules deactivate
❌ Auto-contributions pause
❌ AI insights unavailable

Your Data:

✅ Historical transactions preserved
✅ Existing slices remain
✅ Can view past data
✅ Safe-to-Spend still calculates (based on last synced balances)

Basically: Everything stops syncing. You keep your historical data but can’t add new transactions automatically.

To Restore: Resubscribe anytime to reactivate all features and resume syncing.

Choosing the Right Plan

Choose Budget Pro If:

✅ You’re budgeting individually or as a couple
✅ You have 1-2 banks you primarily use
✅ You want powerful automation without complexity
✅ You need 5 or fewer total accounts
✅ You don’t need to share budget access with others

Perfect For:

Young professionals
Single-income households
Simple financial setups
Solo budgeters

Choose Family If:

✅ You’re budgeting with a spouse, partner, or family
✅ You have accounts at 3+ different banks
✅ You need shared budget visibility
✅ You have 6+ accounts to track
✅ You want collaborative financial planning

Perfect For:

Dual-income households
Families with kids
Power users with complex finances
Shared financial responsibility

Billing & Payment

Payment Methods

Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover)
Debit cards
Processed securely via Stripe

Billing Cycles

Monthly:

Billed on the same day each month
Cancel anytime, no long-term commitment

Annual:

Billed once per year
Save 2 months (17% discount)
Budget Pro: $100/year (vs. $120 monthly)
Family: $200/year (vs. $240 monthly)

Trial to Paid Transition

During Trial:

Day 1-29: Full access, no charges
Day 30: Trial ends

What Happens on Day 30:

You’re prompted to choose a plan
Enter payment method
First charge occurs
Subscription begins

If You Don’t Subscribe:

Features stop syncing
Bank connections go inactive
Historical data preserved
Can reactivate anytime by subscribing

Upgrading & Downgrading

Upgrade (Pro → Family):

Processed immediately
Prorated credit applied
Expanded limits available instantly
Pay difference for current billing period

Downgrade (Family → Pro):

Takes effect at end of current billing period
Keep access to Family features until then
Connection limits enforced after downgrade
If over limits: Prompted to remove excess connections

Cancellation

How to Cancel:

Navigate to Settings → Subscription
Click “Manage Subscription”
Click “Cancel Subscription”
Confirm cancellation

What Happens:

Access continues until end of billing period
No refunds for partial months
Features deactivate after period ends
Can resubscribe anytime

Data Retention:

All historical data preserved for 90 days
Resubscribe within 90 days: Full restore
After 90 days: Data may be archived

Connection Limit Examples

Budget Pro Scenarios

Scenario 1: Single Bank, Multiple Accounts

Institution 1: Chase
- Checking
- Savings
- Credit Card
Total: 1 institution, 3 accounts

Result: ✅ Within limits
Can add: 1 more institution with up to 2 accounts

Scenario 2: Two Banks

Institution 1: Chase
- Checking
- Savings
Total: 2 accounts

Institution 2: Ally Bank
- High-Yield Savings
- Money Market
- CD
Total: 3 accounts

Combined: 2 institutions, 5 accounts
Result: ✅ Within limits (exactly at maximum)

Scenario 3: Over Limit

Institution 1: Chase (3 accounts)
Institution 2: Ally (2 accounts)
Institution 3: Capital One (1 account)

Total: 3 institutions, 6 accounts
Result: ❌ Over limit (need Family tier)

Family Scenarios

Scenario 1: Complex Finances

Institution 1: Chase (checking, savings, credit card) - 3 accounts
Institution 2: Ally (HYSA, emergency fund) - 2 accounts
Institution 3: Capital One (2 credit cards) - 2 accounts
Institution 4: Discover (credit card) - 1 account
Institution 5: Local Credit Union (checking, savings, car loan) - 3 accounts

Total: 5 institutions, 11 accounts
Result: ✅ Within limits

Special Offers

Student Discount

Who Qualifies:

Currently enrolled students (.edu email or verification)

How to Get It:

Email support@trycakebudget.com with proof of enrollment
Student ID or .edu email accepted

Discount Amount:

Contact support for current student pricing

Custom Pricing

For organizations or unique situations:

Email support@trycakebudget.com
We’ll work with you on custom pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens if I hit my connection limit? A: You’ll be prompted to either remove an account or upgrade to Family tier.

Q: Can I try Family features during the trial? A: Yes! Upgrade to Family during your trial. The 30-day trial still applies.

Q: Are there setup fees or hidden costs? A: No. The monthly/annual price is all you pay. No setup fees, no per-transaction costs, no hidden charges.

Q: Can I switch between monthly and annual billing? A: Yes! Change anytime in Settings → Subscription.

Q: Do you offer refunds? A: No refunds for partial months, but you keep access until the end of your billing period after cancellation.

Q: What if I need more connections than Family allows? A: Contact us at support@trycakebudget.com for custom pricing.

How to Connect Your Bank Account - Understand connection limits
Reference: Security & Privacy - How we protect your payment information
FAQ - More common questions

Ready to get started? Try Cake Budget free for 30 days at trycakebudget.com