A Greenlight alternative without a card

Cards and trackers answer different questions

A debit card answers: how can my child spend real money safely? A tracker answers: how can we record chores, savings and an allowance? Some families want both. Others only need the second for now.

Prices checked on November 14, 2026, on Greenlight's own site. Terms change, so confirm on the current page. Anything we could not confirm there is left out.

What Greenlight says it offers

Greenlight's site describes a family finance and safety app. It states that plans start at $5.99 a month for the whole family and include up to five kids. The site names four tiers and gives the starting price only.

• A debit card for kids, with spending limits and real-time notifications.
• Allowance paid on a set schedule, with chores that can be linked to earnings.
• Savings goals, with earning rates that depend on the plan.
• Investing, where kids research and parents approve trades.
• Family location sharing and fraud and scam protection on some plans.

For a family that wants real money inside the app, that list is more than a simple tracker can match.

What a tracker without a card offers

Pouch is a free web app. There is no account and no card. Data stays on your device. You can add it to your home screen.

• Chores that repeat daily, on chosen days or weekly, plus one-time jobs, with optional pay per chore.
• A weekly allowance added on payday.
• One savings goal per kid.
• A history of what was earned and spent.
• A printable weekly chart and a backup file.

Pouch's balance is pretend. It is not a bank, and it does not hold or send money. You pay out in cash or by your own transfer.

Side by side

When a card makes sense

A card suits kids who need to pay for things themselves, especially online or away from home. It also lets parents set limits. If that is where your family is, a card product is the right tool, and a tracker does not replace it.

When you may not need one yet

• Your child is young and spends coins at the corner shop or store.
• You pay allowance in cash and just want a record.
• You are not ready to commit to a monthly fee.
• You prefer that your child's data stay on one device with no account.
• You want to try the habit before adding real money.

Other things to weigh

1. Fees. Add up the yearly cost of any card product, including extras.
2. Who holds the money. Read the provider's terms for how funds are held.
3. Age. Check the minimum age each provider sets.
4. Exit. Find out what happens to your data if you stop using it.

Read cash or tracked allowance for more on choosing between cash, a tracker and a card. For other apps, see chore and allowance apps compared and the Homey alternative.