Fintech money apps that make it easier to build momentum with your money

For all those at home in the digital world, there is no shortage of fintech apps and new brands bringing fresh services to us. But how do you wade through them to find one that really helps you get ahead with your money? 

“There are more options for consumers now than there ever have been before, and some of these providers are offering genuinely better value,” says Dosh CEO Shane Marsh. 

“While it’s new for New Zealand, we’re probably a good 10 years behind the rest of the world. The benefit of that in some sense is that we can see what works and what doesn't work offshore, and bring the best of that to New Zealand.” 

All of these fintechs, however, are only as good as how much they get you ahead financially. Seeing all your financial life ‘in one place’, for example, is not necessarily going to help you make progress. 

You may have it all in one place, but stay stuck in one place! That would defeat the purpose a bit. 

What is getting ahead?  

It’s not about getting ahead of anyone else (we all run our own race), it’s getting to a better place financially than we are now.  

Specifically, it’s about either growing our money so we have more tomorrow to meet our needs, or having more today at the ready in case something goes pear-shaped.  

That means lifting the amount we save, invest, or repay. That means reducing how much we borrow and pay in interest, fees, and penalties. 

Can a fintech app do that? 

The strongest fintech tools are the ones that make your progress smoother – whether that’s by automating some good financial habits, improving returns on savings, or helping you handle the biggest financial risks you face. 

When we had a look around, here are the ones that seem to have the most potential to progress people’s money lives to a better place. See if any are right for you.  

Booster Savvy 

Save regularly, with a simple path to investing.

Booster Savvy combines saving and investing in one straightforward experience. It helps people set money aside consistently, while offering a clear transition from saving to investing as confidence grows. 

Dosh 

Build your savings buffer by making saving feel easy and routine. 

Dosh focuses on helping people save more often by automating regular contributions into savings. Its strength is reducing friction, making it easier to build up money ‘just in case’ over time. 

Wedge

Earn more on savings without locking money away.  

Wedge aims to improve returns on money that would otherwise sit in low‑interest savings accounts. By offering an on‑call savings option with higher return potential, it helps savings grow faster over time. 

Otto

Stay motivated to save, turn your progress into rewards.

Otto encourages positive money habits by rewarding people for progress toward savings, debt, or investing goals. Rather than holding money itself, it reinforces consistency across existing accounts. 

Otto is most useful for people who struggle to stay motivated, even when they know what they want to achieve. 

Kernel  

Improve your returns on short‑term savings while keeping money accessible. 

Kernel Smart Saver is designed for people who want better returns than a standard savings account, without committing to long‑term investing. 

It helps reduce the opportunity cost of holding cash, making it a useful home for emergency or near‑term savings. 

Squirrel

Keep savings available while earning a better return.

Squirrel On‑Call balances flexibility and returns, giving people a place to hold ‘just in case’ money. It supports your resilience by helping you keep funds available while avoiding the lowest‑return options.  

Sharesies 

Make investing accessible and easy to start. 

Sharesies keeps investing accessible, helping people move from saving to investing without needing large lump sums. It’s easier to get started and stay invested over time. 

Sharesies Save, in particular, is designed to help people start putting money aside regularly, often in small amounts, with a clear pathway into investing. 

Feijoa 

Make saving and investing happen automatically, without relying on willpower. 

Feijoa links everyday spending patterns to your KiwiSaver investing, turning small, regular round-ups into long‑term savings. By automating contributions, it helps people invest more consistently over time. 

And you can round-up into someone else’s KiwiSaver in the whānau too. 

Hnry 

Use this tax platform for sole traders to flow money towards your KiwiSaver and goals. 

Hnry can automate payments such as KiwiSaver contributions based on real‑time income for self‑employed people, supporting your regular saving and investing. 

Tiger Brokers / Stake / Hatch 

Lower your investing cost by reducing brokerage fees.

Apps can help you keep your trading and investment costs low. For those already investing, lower fees can make a meaningful difference to your long‑term outcomes. This helps ensure more of the return stays with you, the investor. 

Indus 

Invest regularly in Indian markets through steady contributions. 

Indus enables New Zealanders to invest in Indian mutual funds, with options for regular, automated investing. 

Moomoo 

Keep more of your returns by paying less fees. 

Moomoo is a low‑cost investing platform aimed at fee‑conscious investors. It can help to reduce friction and costs for people who actively invest. 

Blossom 

Save and invest regularly by making it automatic.

Blossom focuses on helping people save and invest consistently, often by automating contributions and making progress visible. It aims to support regular behaviour rather than maximising short‑term returns. 

By encouraging consistency, Blossom helps you increase the amount you set aside over time, and stay engaged with your long‑term financial goals. 

Pocketsmith / SortMe / Booster mybudgetpal 

Avoid money mistakes by improving visibility.

These tools focus on budgeting, tracking, and reminders to help people stay on top of their money. By improving awareness, they can help reduce the risk of missed bills, overdrafts, and late fees. 

This prevents small mistakes from becoming expensive setbacks. 

Quashed 

Reduce your insurance costs, keep premiums down.

Quashed helps people review and compare insurance, where inertia can quietly cost thousands over time. By reducing unnecessary spending, it frees up money for saving, debt repayment, or investing.  

It also helps you review your insurances and make sure you are getting the most cover for the amount you spend on insurance.  

Special mention: New Zealand Home Loans 

Pay your mortgage off faster by reducing interest and improving structure. 

Since there are very few (arguably zero) fintech apps here in New Zealand designed to help people repay more than the minimum on debt – now there’s a gap for a future fintech to fill – we thought we’d include this one here. 

NZHL helps homeowners reduce how long they spend paying off their mortgage by focusing on loan structure, not just rates. By reducing interest paid over time, more money goes toward clearing the debt sooner. This can bring long‑term freedom forward by years! 

Remember, no single app can do everything  

The right tool depends on what kind of progress you’re trying to make – whether that’s building a buffer, getting out of debt faster, or growing money for your future.  

It’s important to know that no app will be able to achieve savings without your money flowing in, erase debt without your repayments, make investing risk-free (if it tries it’s a scam), or cover up any interruptions in income. 

We all need to tweak our finances to progress – and one of these apps might help us do just that. Those tiny adjustments compound up!  

“There are more options for consumers now than there ever have been before, and some of these providers are offering genuinely better value,” says Marsh from Dosh. 

The trick is to try one. As you go, see if they’re really helping you get ahead. You can always move on and see if another works better for you instead.