A savings app for kids where parents keep the real money
Babalata is a savings app for kids ages 6 to 18 in the United States: kids set savings goals with a photo, a target amount and a target date, record each amount they put aside and watch the goal fill up, while parents keep the real money, because Babalata has no debit card or bank account and does not hold or move money.
Updated October 29, 2026. Every fact here matches the app and our official fact sheet.
- No debit card
- No debit card and no bank account. Parents keep the real money.
- Ages 6 to 18
- For kids ages 6 to 18 and their parents.
- Under 13
- Children under 13 need a parent's approval, given on the parent's own device, before they can use the app.
- No ads
- No advertising and no tracking code in the app.
- iOS and Android
- Available on the App Store and Google Play, in the United States only.
What should a savings app for kids do?
Use this checklist for any app you consider. The right column shows how Babalata handles each point.
| What to look for | In Babalata |
|---|---|
| One goal with a target and a date | Kids name the goal, add a photo, and set the amount and the date. |
| A plan for how much to put aside | Babalata shows the amount per day, week or month. |
| Progress the child can see | The goal's photo is revealed and the percentage climbs with each recorded amount. |
| Parents can follow along | Goal progress, notifications and a weekly family report. |
| Clear about where the money is | Babalata holds no money. Parents keep the real money. |
| Parent approval for young children | Children under 13 need a parent's approval on the parent's own device. |
| No ads or tracking | No advertising and no analytics or tracking code in the app. |
| Rewards that are not money | Coins and badges cannot be cashed out. |
How does saving for a goal work in Babalata?
- A kid names what they are saving for, adds a photo, and sets a target amount and a target date.
- Babalata shows how much to put aside each day, week or month to reach the goal by the target date.
- Each time the kid puts money aside, they record the amount in the app, in whole dollars. The app keeps the record; it does not move money.
- The goal's photo is revealed, as puzzle pieces or a fade, while the progress percentage climbs.
- When the recorded amounts reach the target, the goal is marked as reached and the kid sees a celebration screen.
- A kid's first, second and fifth completed personal goals earn bronze, silver and gold badges. Badges are not money.
- Kids can save toward a group goal with family. A group is joined with an invite code, and when a parent adds a goal to a family group, each child is asked before being counted in.
What do parents see?
- See each of your child's goals: the amount saved, the target, the percentage and the target date. Progress comes only from amounts actually recorded.
- Get a notification when your child records an amount toward a goal or reaches a goal.
- Record a gift toward your child's personal goal. It shows as a gift from you, not as your child's own saving.
- The weekly family report says how many times your child put money away that week and the furthest goal milestone they passed: 25%, 50%, 75% or the goal reached.
- Set up an allowance, one time, weekly or monthly in US dollars, and mark it as given. The app records it; no money moves.
Where does the real money go?
Babalata does not hold, move, or transfer money and is not a bank. There is no debit card and no bank account. Parents keep the real money; the app records allowance, deposits and savings goals that families enter themselves.
The money can stay in a jar or piggy bank at home, or in a savings account in the child's name at a bank or credit union. Either way, Babalata is where the child records the goal and each amount, and the money itself stays with the family.
Work out how long a goal will take with the savings goal calculator.
Should parents match a child's savings?
Matching is optional, and the money comes from you. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau gives an example of a matching plan: 25 cents for every dollar your child saves (CFPB, Money as You Grow, checked October 29, 2026). Babalata has no match feature. A parent can record a gift toward a child's personal goal, and it is shown as a gift from the parent.
What Babalata is not
- Babalata does not hold a child's savings. The real money stays with the family: in a piggy bank or jar at home, or in the family's own bank or credit union account.
- Babalata pays no interest, and amounts in the app never grow on their own.
- There is no automatic saving, no round-ups and no transfers. Each amount is recorded by hand.
- There is no savings match in the app. Parents record gifts only toward a child's personal goal, not a group goal. A family can agree on a match at home.
- Babalata is not a bank and issues no debit card.
- In-app coins and badges are rewards inside the app. They are not money and cannot be cashed out.
Is it safe for a child under 13?
Children under 13 need a parent's approval, given on the parent's own device, before they can use the app.
- No advertising in the app
- No analytics or tracking code in the app
- Personal information is never sold or shared for advertising
- Unused accounts are deleted after 24 months without a sign-in, with a warning email one month before
Questions parents ask
Is Babalata a savings app for kids?
Babalata is a savings app for kids ages 6 to 18 in the United States: kids set savings goals with a photo, a target amount and a target date, record each amount they put aside and watch the goal fill up, while parents keep the real money, because Babalata has no debit card or bank account and does not hold or move money.
Does my child need a bank account or a debit card?
No. Babalata has no debit card and no bank account. Your child records what they put aside, and the real money stays with your family.
Can parents add to a child's goal?
Yes, as a gift. A parent can record a gift toward a child's personal goal. It is shown as a gift from the parent, not as the child's own saving, and it cannot take the goal past its target. Gifts cannot be recorded toward a shared group goal.
Does Babalata pay interest?
No. Babalata is not a bank and pays no interest. Amounts in the app are records that your family enters.
What ages is it for?
Kids ages 6 to 18. Children under 13 need a parent's approval, given on the parent's own device, before they can use the app.
Where can we get it?
Available on the App Store and Google Play, in the United States only. Search for Babalata on the App Store or Google Play, or open babalata.com/get on your phone.
Get Babalata
Available on the App Store and Google Play, in the United States only.