Dashboard
Read this first. It tells you whether the week is under control, what is due next, and whether your position improved.
Guide | updated April 21, 2026
The fastest way to get real value from Catalyst Cash.
Set up the few numbers that change decisions, run one weekly audit, and open the right tool only when the audit tells you to.
Primary output
Weekly decision packet
Cash pressure, debt focus, safe-to-spend context, and the next moves that matter now.
Best first setup
Checking, cards, renewals
You do not need a perfect migration. Start with the balances and obligations that shape this week.
Pro value
Full operating system
Up to 8 Plaid institutions, quieter balance and ledger upkeep, deeper AI, nearby rewards help, and the archive needed to run the system seriously.
Getting Started
Set up the smallest honest version of your finances.
Do not wait for perfect data. Load the inputs that can change this week's decisions.
Cash that protects the week
Checking and savings define your floor, your runway, and whether a purchase is actually safe.
Debt that can hurt you
Credit cards, loans, APRs, limits, and due dates drive payoff order, utilization pressure, and urgency.
Recurring pulls on cash
Rent, subscriptions, minimum payments, and known upcoming charges help the app separate a calm week from a dangerous one.
Your first honest audit
Once cash, debt, and timing are loaded, run the audit. That first pass is usually enough to reveal the real bottleneck.
Weekly Workflow
Use the app in this order each week.
The value comes from a repeatable rhythm, not from wandering through every tab.
01
Refresh only what changed reality
Update the balances, due dates, and renewals that could change this week's decisions.
02
Read the top moves first
Start with the strongest actions, urgent warnings, and safe-to-spend read before opening every card.
03
Open the screen that resolves the bottleneck
Use AskAI for tradeoffs, Cashflow for timing, Rewards for card choice, Renewals for waste, and the Pro ledger for cleanup.
04
Check history to validate the decision
Audit history is there to confirm the system is getting safer and cleaner over time, not just to admire the score.
App Map
Open the right screen for the right question.
The product gets simpler once each surface has a clear job.
Audit
This is the decision engine. Run it when you get paid, before large purchases, or anytime you need the clearest next moves.
Cashflow + Renewals
Use these surfaces to stage bills, subscriptions, and the next 30 days so timing problems show up early. Tracked recurring items can also seed missing budget lines.
AskAI
Use it after the audit for tradeoffs: what to pay first, whether you can afford the move, and how a choice changes runway. Feedback can shape future answers on-device, and saved chats expire after 24 hours.
Portfolio + Ledger
This is the source of truth for banks, cards, loans, assets, balances, and the transaction detail behind the weekly picture. It also explains whether balances are live, cached, or waiting for the next sync.
Rewards
Use it at the point of purchase to search a merchant, check nearby stores when several options are close together, and review missed rewards before you pay.
History + Ledger
History proves progress. The Pro ledger lets you search, filter, export, and clean up the details behind the audit.
Plans
Free proves the system. Pro runs the full system.
Free is genuinely useful. Pro is where Catalyst becomes a faster, broader, and more complete operating tool.
Free
$0
forever
- 2 audits per week
- 5 AskAI chats per day
- Catalyst AI
- 1 Plaid institution or fully manual use
- Last 12 audits
- Core budgeting, debt, dashboard, cashflow, and renewals tools
Pro
Pro
For heavier weekly use, deeper model reasoning, multi-institution upkeep, full history, and the more serious operational workflow.
- 20 audits per month
- 30 AskAI chats per day
- Catalyst AI + CFO + Boardroom
- Up to 8 Plaid institutions with quiet balance + ledger upkeep
- Full audit archive
- Full searchable ledger with export
Monthly
$12.99
/ month
Lowest upfront cost for getting full Pro access right away.
Annual
$119.99
/ year
Save $46/yr vs monthly
$10.00/mo effective with the strongest recurring-value option.
Lifetime
$249.99
once
One purchase, lifetime access. Pays for itself in under 20 months compared with monthly Pro. Every current Pro feature is included.
Built for people who want broader account coverage, quieter upkeep, full ledger cleanup, deeper AI, and a real archive.
Financial Logic
The signals behind the recommendations.
Checking floor first
The audit treats your emergency floor as a hard safety boundary. If the floor is dishonest, the guidance will be too.
Debt drag gets priority
High-interest balances are expensive by default, so the system pushes them forward when that is the financially clean move.
Timing pressure matters
Recurring charges matter because of timing, not just total cost. A small bill at the wrong moment can still wreck the week.
Trends validate the system
History should help you see whether your actions improved liquidity, reduced risk, and made the next month easier to run.
Privacy
What stays local, what goes over the network.
The short version is local-first by default, networked only when you use networked features.
Stored locally first
Balances, debts, renewals, settings, and audit history are kept on your device as the primary record.
AI on demand
When you run an audit or AskAI chat, Catalyst sends the card, merchant, and money context needed for a specific answer while leaving out private account identifiers and access details.
Plaid is optional
If you connect through Plaid, it helps keep balances and transactions current. You can also stay fully manual.
Backup and demo are both controlled
Auto-Backup and encrypted export are built in. Demo mode temporarily swaps in sample finances, restores your real setup when you exit, and clears on a full relaunch.
Next Step
Start with one honest weekly check-in.
Add the accounts that shape this week, run one audit with current numbers, and you will know quickly whether Catalyst should stay Free or become your full Pro operating system.