Pricing
Free to plan. $9 a month to track.
Start with the Planner, free forever, and work out what to save. Move to Pro when you have a 529 and real bills to pay. Your children, schools and family carry over, so there is nothing to re-enter.
Planner
Work out what to save, and where to save it, before you spend a dollar.
Best for
Expecting parents, new parents, and anyone who hasn’t opened a 529 yet.
What you get
- A savings goal for each child, born or not
- Any eligible school, with grad school paths
- Compare 5,700+ US schools by real cost
- Compare 50 top state 529 plans
- An AI assistant that sets up your plan
- Invite your partner and family to follow along
- Alerts when a school’s costs change
- A guide to what counts as qualified
Pro
Spend your 529 the right way, and keep the proof for tax time.
Best for
Families with a 529 who are paying, or about to pay, for college.
Everything in Planner, plus
- Log expenses and snap receipts
- Instant IRS Publication 970 expense check
- Link your 529 and see balances
- Monthly budgets, forecasts and alerts
- Student logins, with parent approval
- Foreign expenses converted to dollars
- CSV and PDF exports for tax time
Your $9 includes 1 parent and 1 child.
Each additional child or user is +$5 a month.
Which plan do you need?
Most families start with Planner and add Pro the day the first bill arrives.
Not sure which you need?
- A baby on the way, or no 529 open yetPlanner
- Just opened a 529 and haven’t paid a bill yetPlanner today, Pro with the first bill
- Paying tuition, housing or books from a 529Pro
- Need records to back up your tax returnPro
- Grandparents or a partner who want to follow alongEither, they can join free
Upgrade from Settings any time. Nothing to re-enter.
What Pro costs for your family
$9 a month includes 2 people. Each additional child or user is +$5 a month.
Who will be on your account?
Count the people who will have their own login.
Parents
You and anyone who manages the money
Children with their own login
So they can log expenses. Children you only plan for are free.
Grandparents and other guests
Family who follow along
Your price with Pro
$9a month
$108 a year
- Pro, includes 2 people
- $9
- 0 additional people at +$5
- $0
- Total (2 people)
- $9 a month
People are charged once they have joined, and the price adjusts when someone is added or removed.
What Pro adds
Planning tells you what to save. These are the tools for spending it well.
- Pro
Every expense and receipt, in one place
Log tuition, housing and books in seconds. Snap the receipt on your phone and it is filed with the expense.
- Pro
Qualified or not, instantly
Each expense is checked against IRS Publication 970 as you log it, so a non-qualified purchase never turns into a surprise tax bill.
- Pro
A monthly budget that follows your school
See what each month allows, built from your school's real cost of attendance, with alerts at 80% and when you go over.
- Pro
Your real 529 balance
Link your 529 account to see its balance, withdrawals and returns, and a forecast of whether the money lasts to graduation.
- Pro
Student logins, parent approval
Your child logs what they spend. You review and approve each one, and guests can follow along without changing anything.
- Pro
Reimbursement alerts
We tell you when you have paid for qualified costs out of pocket that you may be able to pay back to yourself, and before the year-end deadline.
- Pro
Ready for tax time
Export everything as CSV or PDF, or send your accountant a private link. Records are there if you are ever asked.
- Pro
Bring what you already have
Import the spreadsheet or bank export where you track costs today, and statements for your 529 account. No retyping.
See it in action
Your dashboard
Spending, balance and what is left, at a glance.
Approve expenses
Review what your student logs in one tap.
Stay on budget
Each month against your school's allowance.
Every feature, side by side
| What you get | Planner | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Plan ahead | ||
| Savings goal for any eligible schoolUS colleges and 365 schools abroad, with each school's real cost of attendance | ||
| Several children, several schools eachAdd transfers and graduate school to a child's path | ||
| Compare 5,700+ US schools by real cost | ||
| Compare 50 top state 529 plansBy fees and independent ratings | ||
| AI assistantAsk questions or tell it what to set up | ||
| Plan alertsSchool cost changes, milestones and whether you are on track | ||
| Print or email your plan, on a schedule | ||
| Qualified-expense guideWhat counts, in plain English | ||
| Track spending | ||
| Log expenses and receiptsFrom your phone or computer | ||
| Instant qualified-expense checkAgainst IRS Publication 970, as you log | ||
| Import from a spreadsheet or bank exportWe suggest categories; you confirm | ||
| Foreign expenses in dollarsConverted at the rate on the day | ||
| Monthly budgets and spending alertsBuilt from your school's cost of attendance | ||
| Your 529 account | ||
| Link your 529 accountRead-only: balances and withdrawals, never your login | ||
| Import account statements | ||
| Balance history, returns and a forecastWill the money last to graduation? | ||
| Stay compliant | ||
| Reimbursement alerts and the year-end deadline | ||
| CSV and PDF exportsEverything, ready for tax time | ||
| Private link for your accountant | ||
| Your family | ||
| Invite family to follow the plan | ||
| Student logins with parent approvalYour child logs, you review | ||
| Guests with view or log access | ||
Up and running in minutes
When you upgrade, we walk you through setup. Skip any step you do not need.
- 1
Add your 529 plan
Connect the account securely or enter the balance yourself.
- 2
Bring in your history
Upload the spreadsheet you already keep. We sort it into categories for you to confirm.
- 3
Add your student
Give them a login to snap receipts. You approve each one.
- 4
Watch your budget
Your monthly budget and alerts start working as soon as expenses come in.
Your money, your data
Payments by Stripe
We never see or store your card number.
Read-only account linking
We can see balances and activity, never move money, and never see your login.
Cancel from your billing page
No contract. If you cancel you keep read-only access to export your records.
Two-factor sign-in
Add an extra layer of security to your account in Settings.
Questions
What is the difference between Planner and Pro?
Planner is free and helps you decide what to save: a savings goal for each child and school, cost alerts, and the tools to compare schools and 529 plans. Pro is for once you have a 529 and real bills to pay: it tracks expenses and receipts, checks each one against IRS rules, budgets by month, links your account and keeps records for tax time.
Do I need Pro if I do not have a 529 yet?
No. Start with Planner. Upgrade when you open a 529 and the first tuition, housing or book bill arrives. Your children, schools and savings goals carry straight over.
How does the price work?
Pro is $9 a month and includes 2 people, such as 1 parent and 1 child. Each additional child or user is +$5 a month, charged only once they have joined. Children you are only planning for, with no login of their own, do not count.
Can I cancel any time?
Yes, from your billing page. If you cancel, you keep read-only access so you can export your records.
What happens to what I have already set up?
Everything stays. Pro builds on the plan you already made, so there is nothing to re-enter.
Do I have to connect my bank or 529 account?
No. Linking is optional and read-only: we can see balances and activity but never move money, and we never see your login. You can also enter balances by hand or import statements.
Can I bring my existing records?
Yes. Paste or upload the spreadsheet or bank export where you track college costs and we read it, suggest a category for each line, and let you confirm before anything is saved.
Which schools are covered?
Any eligible US college, more than 5,700 of them, plus 365 schools abroad. Costs come from published College Scorecard data, and foreign costs are converted to dollars.
Is checkout secure?
Payment is handled by Stripe. We never see or store your card number. You can also turn on two-factor sign-in for your account.
Is this tax advice?
No. Launch529 gives you estimates and organized records based on published rules, but it is not tax, legal or financial advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your situation.