# Actual Budget Spendıng Tracker — user reviews

> 21 indexed App Store user reviews of Actual Budget Spendıng Tracker by Halim Ozturk, rated 4.50/5 from 84 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/actual-budget-spendng-tracker/id6747974396/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/actual-budget-spendng-tracker/id6747974396.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 68 · 4★ 7 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 7

## Newest reviews (1 of 21)

### 1/5 — Impersonating the real actual budget!

*2025-11-25*

this app is impersonating well established open source project with the same name Actual Budget. superior to what this app is offering. I assume the dev would like to have some subscriptions by misleading others. bad dev!

**Developer response:** There's a well known open source project called Actual Budget at actualbudget.org, and it's a good piece of software. This is not that project, and it doesn't claim to be. It's a separate app, developed independently, with its own code and design and no link to them.

They're built for different people. The open source one is self hosted and syncs to a server you run yourself. This one is for someone who just wants budgeting on their iPhone and iPad with nothing to set up: a weekly Safe to Spend figure, expenses and income, savings goals, recurring bills, all kept in your own private iCloud.

If the self hosted project is what you're after, it's the better fit and worth going straight to. If a simple on device budget is closer to what you need, that's what this is, and you can try it before paying for anything.

Either way, the feedback that helps us most is the specific kind. If you tell us what fell short, from Settings, Help and Contact, we'll act on it.

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — totally paywalled

*2026-08-13*

need a subscription for any features

**Developer response:** The app is paid, and that is a deliberate choice. There are no ads in it, so it is funded by the people who use it rather than by advertisers.

Worth correcting one thing though: a subscription is not required. There is a one time purchase that unlocks everything permanently, and it sits next to the yearly plan on the same screen.

What that covers: a weekly Safe to Spend figure, expenses and income, savings goals, recurring bills with alerts, cash flow and debt payoff, four home screen widgets and full iPad layouts. No bank login, and no account with us.

### 1/5 — Serious app bug

*2026-08-06*

The app freezes completely, and upon closing and rebooting gets stuck on “calculating budget” screen endlessly after attempting to set my “budget stress level”.

**Developer response:** You are right, this is a bug. The budget screen could end up waiting on setup data that never arrived, with no timeout and no way out, so it stayed on "Calculating budget" even after a restart.

I could not reproduce it here, but that path is gone in 1.6.0: the calculation times out and offers a retry, and the iCloud work behind it no longer blocks the screen.

Until it is out, the bottom tab bar still responds, so the other tabs are usable. If it happens again on 1.6.0, email me at halimozturk@windowslive.com with your iPhone model.

### 1/5 — iCloud同步功能无法使用

*2026-08-04*

完全无法使用，我想要同步多个设备之间的账本数据，点了多少次同步都会显示同步成功，实际上根本用不了，结果我把飞行模式打开，Wi-Fi也关掉，再去点同步还是会显示同步成功？？？！

**Developer response:** 您好，谢谢您把问题写得这么具体。

飞行模式那一段帮我们找到了真正的问题。断网之后还显示"同步成功"，说明那个提示根本没有去确认同步有没有完成，它只是在您点击之后过两秒就自己变成成功。提示是错的，您看到的并不是真实状态。这一点我们已经改掉，会随之后的版本一起发布。

同步本身用不了，原因也在我们这边，跟您的设备、Apple ID 或网络都没有关系。从 App Store 下载的版本连接的是 iCloud 的正式环境，而我们在那个环境上缺少同步所需的数据结构，所以请求一直被拒绝。

这个已经在 8 月 5 日修好了，是在服务器上完成的，您不需要更新或者重装。修好之后被拒绝的请求几乎降到零，之前留在设备上的数据也开始上传。您可以在一台设备上新增一笔记录，过几分钟看看另一台上有没有出现，请以这个为准，暂时不要相信那句提示。

我们还在补两件事：持续盯住同步的失败率，以及做一个能看到同步真实状态的页面，这样下次不用等用户来告诉我们。如果两台设备之间还是对不上，请写信到 halimozturk@windowslive.com，告诉我们是哪两台设备、大概什么时候试的，我们接着查。

### 1/5 — function

*2026-07-28*

I downloaded it and it froze . I tried redownloading and it froze again.

**Developer response:** An app that won't open is worth nothing, and twice in a row isn't bad luck. I'd rather find this than argue about it.

Here is where I got to. I put it through repeated clean installs and launches, ran a full test pass over it, and went through the App Store analytics for this app line by line. No freeze on my side, and no crash report from any device. I'm not telling you it didn't happen. I'm telling you the data isn't showing me where it happened, and I don't want to guess at a fix.

Going looking did turn up things worth fixing, so they're fixed. The opening screens are lighter now, animation that could drag on older iPhones is gone, and I closed a rare case where the app could end up stuck waiting on itself instead of getting on with its work. The download is also about 25 MB smaller, since a few components it no longer needed were cut out. That work is finished and going out in an update.

If you're up for it, the fastest way to close this properly is an email to halimozturk@windowslive.com: which screen it stopped on (the welcome screen, one of the setup questions, or the main screen after that), your iPhone model, and a screenshot if you can grab one. Send that and I'll get straight on it and do everything I can to sort it out quickly.

### 1/5 — Functional Yes, useful? No.

*2026-07-19*

Considering there are no good linking tools, ability to track your expenses digitally and requires literal man hours to even make viable.

Recommend spending the time doing your expenses in something more viable, even an excel spreadsheet with enough know how can be more useful.

**Developer response:** Fair, and thanks for putting it plainly. If getting anything useful out of the app means typing in every purchase by hand, that's a real cost, and you're right to weigh it.

The linking part is a deliberate choice on our side, not a missing piece. Connecting to your accounts means handing a bank login to a third-party service and letting your whole transaction history leave your phone. We decided we didn't want to sit in the middle of that. Your data stays on your device and in your own iCloud, and we never ask for a bank login.

That choice only earns its keep if the manual side is quick, so here's what already runs on its own: fixed costs like rent, subscriptions, insurance and loan payments are entered once as recurring transactions, and after that the app posts each one for you every period. Bill reminders clear the rest in a tap. A spreadsheet, however well built, won't do that part for you. What's left is the day-to-day variable spending, and that's the piece your review is really about.

Making that piece faster is what we're building now, in large part because of feedback like yours: bulk import from a bank statement or spreadsheet file, one-tap quick entry, and automatic category suggestions.

If you write in and tell us which format your bank exports (CSV, OFX, QFX and so on), we'll make sure it's on the list.

### 1/5 — Not Actual Budget

*2026-05-19*

This is not the free software Actual Budget. They appear to have stolen their name and are charging money.

**Developer response:** You're probably thinking of actualbudget.org, the open source, self hosted project. This is a separate app, built independently, and it isn't connected to that project or run by the same people. If that's the one you wanted, this isn't it, and that's worth knowing before you spend time here.

What this app is: a private budgeting app for iPhone and iPad. You set a weekly Safe to Spend number, log income and expenses, track savings goals and recurring bills, and everything syncs through your own iCloud instead of a server we run. No bank logins, no account with us.

It's free to download and try. Anything paid shows its price up front before you decide, and downloading on its own never costs anything.

If you give it a run and something's missing for the way you budget, tell us from Settings, Help and Contact. We read those.

### 1/5 — Not actual budget

*2026-05-06*

It says “actual budget” but no way to sync to an actual budget server

**Developer response:** Thanks for sharing this. Actual Budget is an independent, standalone budgeting app for iPhone and iPad. It is designed for users who want simple expense tracking, budgets, savings goals, and private iCloud sync across Apple devices.

It does not connect to external or self-hosted budgeting servers. We understand how that expectation could be confusing, and we’ll make the App Store listing clearer so users know exactly what the app is built for.

### 1/5 — Confusing and no customisation

*2026-04-16*

Apps does random -$178 per day for some reason and no way to customise budget reset day to your pay day it just does monthly. Makes dodgy lifetime offer with a 2min timer but it just resets each time you try

**Developer response:** Thanks for the honest feedback. The daily figure is not random. It is a Safe to Spend calculation based on the income, bills, recurring transactions, and timing in your budget. That said, if the logic was not clear enough in the app, that is something I need to improve. Payday aligned budget cycles are a valid feature request and already under consideration. The lifetime offer is optional, and I agree that any limited time offer should feel transparent and trustworthy.

### 1/5 — Not free

*2026-02-02*

Appears free but a paywall is the last screen in set up. Disappointing. Also unable to add a partner for couples or multi-households.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the feedback. Actual Budget is free to download, and the paywall appears at the end of setup so you can preview the experience first, then choose whether to subscribe. Pricing and terms are shown on the paywall before you confirm any purchase.

Shared budgets / partner access for couples or multi-households isn’t available yet (single-user only for now). We’re actively evaluating household sharing — if you tell us the workflow you need via Settings → Help/Contact, it genuinely helps us build the right solution.

### 1/5 — Update error

*2026-01-11*

since your update to 1.8.0 the app loads to an update screen saying an update needs to happen - current version 1.8.0, new version 1.8.0

**Developer response:** That was a real bug, not something on your end. In that build the app could throw up an "update required" screen even when you were already on the newest version, so it looped on itself. It's fixed in the current release.

If you still land on that screen after updating, delete the app and reinstall it once. That clears the stuck state for good, and your data comes back from your iCloud on the next launch.

If it somehow happens again after that, write to us from Settings, Help and Contact with your device and iOS version, and we'll chase it down.

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — Support

*2026-05-28*

The app developer’s support is extremely fast and helpful.

**Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback! We believe great support is just as important as great features, and we're always here to help when needed. We truly appreciate your kind words.

### 5/5 — Au top

*2026-05-12*

Un ami utilise l’appli qui est vraiment top. Je l ai téléchargée et il y eu des bugs mais en fait j ai une version iOS pas assez récente. Le développeur que je ai contacté m a répondu (ce qui est rare) très rapidement et m a très bien conseillée. Merci encore et dès que je change d iPhone j utiliserai l appli.

**Developer response:** Bonjour,

Merci beaucoup pour ce retour si positif et sincère. Nous développons Actual Budget en continu afin de rendre le suivi du budget plus clair, plus fiable et plus agréable au quotidien.

L’application est optimisée pour iOS 18 et les versions ultérieures afin d’offrir de meilleures performances et une expérience plus stable. Chaque retour utilisateur est très précieux pour nous : il nous aide à améliorer l’application et à offrir une assistance rapide et attentive lorsque c’est nécessaire.

Nous serons ravis de vous retrouver sur un appareil compatible. Merci encore pour votre soutien et votre confiance.

### 5/5 — Belle découverte

*2026-05-01*

une superbe appli très intuitive

**Developer response:** Merci beaucoup pour votre retour. Nous sommes ravis que vous trouviez Actual Budget intuitive et agréable à utiliser. Notre objectif est de rendre le suivi des dépenses, la gestion du budget et des objectifs d’épargne aussi simples, clairs et motivants que possible. Merci sincèrement pour votre confiance et pour avoir pris le temps de partager votre expérience.

### 5/5 — Great App with Active Developer

*2026-04-01*

Love the ease of use and simplicity to keep me motivated.

**Developer response:** Thank you for your thoughtful review. I am delighted to hear that the app’s simplicity and ease of use have helped keep you motivated. Creating a polished and genuinely useful experience is always the goal, so your feedback truly means a great deal. I sincerely appreciate your support and will continue working to make Actual Budget even better.

### 5/5 — Great app!

*2026-01-28*

Incredibly user friendly, easy to set up and so far a great tool for getting on track!!

**Developer response:** Thank you so much for the kind words! 🙏
We’re really happy to hear that you found the app easy to set up and helpful right from the start. Making budgeting simple and approachable is exactly what we aim for.

Thanks for taking the time to leave a review — it truly means a lot and helps us keep improving!

### 5/5 — Dump Trucker

*2025-09-09*

I started using this app as a simple money tracker, but it quickly became my go-to for everything finance related. The budget planner free style setup makes it easy to see where every dollar is going, and the Safe to Spend dashboard is honestly brilliant. I’ve also set recurring income and bills, so I don’t have to enter the same things every month. Compared to My Emma or Bill com, this feels far more user-friendly and polished. The fact that it works offline and syncs instantly with iCloud just makes it even better.

**Developer response:** Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It makes me really happy to hear the app is helping you stay on top of both daily expenses and longer-term savings goals. I put a lot of effort into making the app more than just a basic budget tracker—things like the Safe to Spend dashboard, recurring expenses, and bill reminders are all there to make money management less stressful.
I’m also glad you’ve noticed how smooth the CloudKit sync is across devices and how the multi-currency support makes it easier to manage finances when traveling or earning in different currencies. Feedback like yours encourages me to keep refining the app—whether that’s improving the subscription manager, polishing the design for dark mode, or adding more insights to help people stick with their budgets.
Thanks again for supporting the app and for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review—it really helps a solo developer like me to keep building and improving.

### 5/5 — Thank you

*2025-08-22*

This app deserves more attention. It combines the best parts of a savings tracker and a budget app into one seamless experience. I love that I can manage recurring income, subscriptions, and bills all in one place — basically a solid bill organizer plus a subscription manager. The visual savings goals keep me motivated, and the multi-currency support has been helpful when traveling. I’ve tried alternatives like Honeydue and Every Dollar, but this feels lighter, faster, and more private. Definitely worth the lifetime plan.

**Developer response:** Thank you so much for taking the time to share this detailed review! It means a lot to hear that the mix of budgeting and savings features is working well for you. I built this app with the idea of combining everything into one place, so knowing that the savings goals, bill organizer, and subscription manager features are genuinely useful really motivates me to keep improving.
I’m also glad to hear the multi-currency support has been helpful during your travels — that was one of the most requested features early on. Compared to bigger budget tracker apps, my goal has always been to keep things simple, fast, and private without losing the essential tools people rely on.
Your feedback gives me great encouragement as I continue adding more improvements and financial tips to help make money management feel less stressful. Thanks again for supporting the app and for highlighting the lifetime plan — it truly helps independent developers like me to keep going.

### 4/5 — Very good app only a couple steps short of perfection.

*2026-05-18*

I am honestly thinking of dropping an other big-name budgeting app in favor of this one. I can see the direction it’s going and can see the promise it holds. There’s a few smaller items that can use some work, but the “big-picture” items are all excellent, making this an easy go-to for me, right now. 

My honest rating would be 4.5/5, but we can’t submit half-ratings.

**Developer response:** Thank you so much for the thoughtful review. Comments like this genuinely mean a lot to us, especially coming from someone with experience using other budgeting apps. We’re continuously refining the smaller details while staying focused on building a budgeting experience that feels simple, modern, and genuinely useful long-term.

If there’s ever a feature, improvement, or workflow you’d personally like to see, please feel free to reach out through our support email anytime. We read every message and are always happy to hear feedback from users who care deeply about the product. Thanks again for giving the app a chance and being part of the journey.

### 2/5 — No Expense Sync

*2026-07-17*

Stupid app. If I need to upload every expense manually, I'd rather use a free spreadsheet

**Developer response:** Thanks for being blunt. The manual entry part is a fair hit and it deserves a real answer.

We don't connect to bank accounts, and that's a decision rather than something we forgot. Bank sync means handing your banking login to a third-party aggregator and letting your whole transaction history leave your phone. We'd rather not be in that position. Your entries stay on your device and in your own private iCloud, not on our servers, and we never ask for a bank login.

That said, typing in everything isn't how this is meant to work either. Your fixed costs (rent, subscriptions, insurance, loan payments) get entered once as recurring transactions, and after that the app posts them for you every period on its own. Bill reminders let you settle the rest in a tap. For most people that's the bulk of a month handled without typing.

What's actually missing is a fast way to bring in the rest, and you named it. Bulk import from a statement or spreadsheet file, one-tap quick entry, and automatic category suggestions are on our roadmap now because of this review.

If you write in and tell us which file format your bank exports, we'll make sure that one is covered.

### 2/5 — Want to Like it ...

*2026-04-30*

4/30/26 - Got a response from the developer, thanks for that. But, more unhappiness … I set a reminder to notify me the day before I needed to either purchase or end my free trial, and when that reminder activated I went to my account to do that, and it has already subscribed me for a year. I’m absolutely not happy about this. This app is still a long ways from ready and I’m not interested in it until it is ready. Bugs are one thing, but undeveloped apps … let’s just say I’m beyond tired of paying to beta test unfinished apps. I realize  has as much to do this with this premature charging as anybody, but the developer and Apple need to get their respective stuff together. 4/23/26 - I want to like it, but, it seems broken. Sync between devices is DOA. Can't edit Expenses, or delete them. (I should be able to adjust amounts after an expense or income is created - why can’t I do that. Why would I want to be block from that?) Going to have to cancel trial subscription.

**Developer response:** You're right that changing a number after you've entered it is basic, and it works. Open any expense or income to edit the amount, the date, the category or the notes, or swipe on the row to edit or delete it. Nothing is locked once it's saved.

Syncing across devices runs through your own private iCloud, so the same data shows up on your iPhone and iPad with no account on our side. If one device was behind, it was usually a stale iCloud pull that a relaunch clears.

A lot has changed since the version you tried, and the editing problem you hit was a real bug that's since been fixed. If anything on your account still isn't sorted, write to us from Settings, Help and Contact and we'll deal with it directly with you.

We'd rather the app earn its place than feel half finished, so if something is still rough, tell us exactly where and we'll get on it.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*