Backer: Smart 529 Savings
Principly, Inc. Finance iPhoneiPadiPod touch
Backer: Smart 529 Savings is a free Finance app for iPhone and iPad by Principly, Inc. Rated 4.7/5 from 513 ratings. Requires iOS 15.6.
- Rating
- 4.7
- 513 ratings
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 64 MB
- Age 4+
- Updated
- Oct 10
- 2026 · v1.30.1
Screenshots
About Backer: Smart 529 Savings
Give family a place to back their future. Backer makes it simple to open or link a 529 education savings plan for your child, share their gifting page, and give the people who love them an easy way to contribute. THE SIMPLE, FAST, FUN WAY TO 529 • SIMPLE – Open or link a 529 in less than 5 minutes • SMART – Grow your savings with tax-free investing • SOCIAL – Invite family and friends to chip in FIND THE RIGHT 529 PLAN FOR YOU 529s are confusing, with over 100 different ones in the U.S. Tell us a little about your family and we'll recommend plans that fit, each scored on fees, tax savings and Morningstar ratings. ALREADY HAVE A 529? LINK IT TO BACKER We connect to most 529 plans in the country. Link the plan you already have and manage your savings and gifts in one place. GROW YOUR SAVINGS TAX-FREE A 529 is like a retirement account for your child's education. Your savings grow tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified education expenses are tax-free too – not just college tuition, but books and supplies, housing, certain K-12 expenses, apprenticeships and more. If you've been wondering how you'll be able to afford college, a 529 plan is the answer. INVITE FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO CHIP IN Build a team of backers – grandparents, aunts and uncles, family friends, even your old college roommate. Every child gets a gifting page with a custom link that's easy to share. Think birthdays, holidays... Wednesdays. We send your backers reminders around the holidays and when your child's birthday is coming up, and they can give by bank account, card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. AUTOMATE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND GIFTS Paperless setup. Automated contributions. Projected savings. Set up monthly or yearly contributions, watch your savings grow, and see every gift from your backers, all from your phone. SIMPLE, TRANSPARENT PRICING Backer Basic is $0 to join, with a $1.99 platform fee per contribution or gift. Backer Pro ($29.99/year or $2.99/month) removes the platform fee on contributions you make and adds priority support. Card processing fees may apply. Details at backer.com/pricing. SECURITY YOU CAN TRUST We use the strongest available browser encryption, secure servers monitored 24/7/365, and industry-leading identity verification. Your 529 investments are held in a government-sponsored account that you can access any time. NEED OUR HELP? Visit help.backer.com or reach our team at [email protected]. Disclosures: This app is operated by Principly, Inc., an SEC-registered investment adviser using the trade name Backer. Investing involves risks, and any account you open or send money to may lose value. Investing in 529 plans in particular involves certain tax considerations and related risks. Projected savings shown in the app are hypothetical and not a guarantee of future results. For disclosures, see backer.com/legal. "Backer" is a registered trademark of Principly, Inc. Copyright © 2026.
Ratings & reviews
4.7
513 ratings
What’s new
Version 1.30.1 · Updated October 10, 2026
A new coat of paint to fit our refreshed brand
App privacy
The developer, Principly, Inc., reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected and linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Identifiers: Device ID
- Contact Info: Physical Address, Email Address, Name, Phone Number
Used for: Analytics, App Functionality
Alternatives to Backer: Smart 529 Savings
Looking for apps like Backer: Smart 529 Savings? Here are 6 similar apps on the App Store. The highest rated is MoneyPigeon (5.0/5), and all 6 are free to download.
-
UNest: Investing for Kids
4.7
-
NextGen 529
-
Kachinga
3.8
-
Mostt: Investing for Parents
4.7
-
Bushel Wallet™
4.2
-
MoneyPigeon
5.0
| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backer: Smart 529 Savings | 4.7 / 5 (513 ratings) | Free | October 10, 2026 | |
| UNest: Investing for Kids | 4.7 / 5 (3,665) | Free | Oct 21, 2026 | Compare |
| NextGen 529 | – | Free | Oct 24, 2026 | Compare |
| Kachinga | 3.8 / 5 (69) | Free | Sep 18, 2026 | Compare |
| Mostt: Investing for Parents | 4.7 / 5 (58) | Free | Sep 10, 2026 | Compare |
| Bushel Wallet™ | 4.2 / 5 (5) | Free | Mar 24, 2026 | Compare |
| MoneyPigeon | 5.0 / 5 (9) | Free | Oct 9, 2025 | Compare |