Why we built JointWorth

“How much money do we actually have?”

It sounds like a simple question, but we couldn’t answer it ourselves. Money was spread across bank accounts, investments, a housing fund, a mortgage. Getting a single number meant opening five apps and reaching for a calculator.

Bookkeeping apps don’t answer this

Most finance apps care about every single expense. But for many households, the question that matters isn’t “should I have bought this coffee” — it’s “which direction is our net worth moving?”

These are very different levels of granularity. One demands daily logging; the other only needs an update once a month.

A balance sheet for two

JointWorth starts with a household balance sheet: assets on one side, liabilities on the other, net worth in the middle.

It also has one key design decision: two people maintain it together. Family finances aren’t a solo activity — transparency is itself a form of trust.

We deliberately left out budget analysis, spending categories, and bill importing. If a problem can be solved simply, we don’t pile on features.