Getting Started with Lode

New to Lode? This guide walks you through the basics: setting up your first account, adding transactions, organizing categories, setting budgets, and checking your statistics.

Finding your way around

On iPhone, everything opens from the Dashboard. Settings is the gear at the top left; Quick Convert and Statistics are at the top right; the Budget and Transactions tiles open those screens. At the bottom are three buttons: Lode AI, + and the microphone for voice input. On iPad, the same sections — Dashboard, Transactions, Statistics, Budget and Settings — are in the sidebar.

Step 1. Set up your accounts

When you first open Lode, you choose your language and currency, and Lode creates a starter account for you automatically. You can also enter its Starting Balance — the money already in it, which is saved as a starting balance, not as income. You can rename the account any time in Settings → Accounts.

The free plan includes one account; with Premium you can add as many as you like — cards, cash, wallets. When you add a new account, you can set its starting balance right there. To correct an account’s balance later, choose Adjust Balance from the account’s … menu: Lode records the difference without counting it as income or spending.

Lode shows your total balance across all accounts at a glance.

Step 2. Add your first transaction

Tap + at the bottom of the Dashboard. Touch and hold + to add a bill, goal, debt, trip or project instead.

Enter the amount, pick a category and account — that’s it. The date and time default to now, and the type to Expense; switch to Income or Transfer at the top of the editor.

Tip: if you have a Premium subscription, try Lode AI — just type coffee 4 or salary 3000 and confirm the card it shows.

Step 3. Set up categories

Lode comes with a ready-to-use set of categories: food, transport, salary, and more. You can rename them, change icons and colors, group them into folders, or create your own. On the free plan you can create up to 8 categories of your own; the starter set doesn’t count toward that.

Go to Settings → Categories.

Step 4. Create a budget (optional)

Lode offers to set a budget during setup, and you can skip it. Later, tap the Budget tile on the Dashboard, then Add limits. Set an overall monthly budget, a limit for any category, or both — Lode will track how much you’ve spent and how much is left.

Step 5. Explore your statistics

Tap the Statistics button at the top right of the Dashboard. Income, expenses, bills and net balance are free; spending by category, daily cost and trends come with Premium. Tap Customize Widgets to reorder or hide them to match what matters to you.

Your data is safe

Lode stores everything in your personal iCloud — never on our servers. Only you can see your data (plus anyone you share an account with), and sync across devices happens automatically.

Questions? Reach out — we’re happy to help.