# Spense: Budget App & Planner — Envelope Budget & Bill Tracker > Zero-sum budgeting app for proactive financial management. (iPhone/iPad app by DelamainLabs LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spense-budget-app-and-planner/id6746705743 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [DelamainLabs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1818023011) - Category: Finance, Lifestyle - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 5.00/5 from 12 App Store ratings · 11 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.1 · 69 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2025-12-23 - Data updated: 2026-10-17 - Monetization: freemium - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spense-budget-app-and-planner/id6746705743/reviews.md ## What is Spense? Spense — Budgeting That Does Itself Download, connect your bank, done. Spense categorizes every transaction as it arrives and shows you exactly what's safe to spend — no Try everything free for 14 days. No credit card, no sign-up forms — open the app and your trial starts. After that, Spense is $2.99/month or $24.99/year. One plan, everything included. Budgeting on Autopilot - Transactions categorize themselves the moment they arrive - See what you've spent and what's left, per category, in real time - Spending trends show whether you're ahead of or behind your own pace - Smart credit card tracking — spending per card, payments detected automatically Built on a Method That Works Under the hood, Spense runs on envelope budgeting, the 100-year-old method where every dollar gets a job. Want to be hands-on? Switch to Manual Mode and assign every dollar yourself until $0 is left, with targets for bills, savings goals and debt payoff. Want it effortless? Stay in Auto Mode and let Spense do the sorting while you keep the visibility. Both are included — change anytime. Switching? - From another auto-sync budgeting app: Auto Mode gives you the same hands-off experience at a fraction of the price - From YNAB: import your categories and history in minutes — same method, simpler app, lower cost - From spreadsheets: keep the control, lose the data entry Key Features - Automatic bank sync and categorization via Plaid - Real-time category balances and flexible reallocation - Targets for bills, savings goals and debt payoff - Savings goals with progress tracking - Monthly reflections: where your money went, month over month - Smart credit card and transfer detection - YNAB import - Pick your own emoji for every category - Face ID / Touch ID app lock - Works with any pay schedule Built by a small independent team, not a big tech company or a bank. Your feedback shapes the roadmap. Stop reconstructing where your money went. Start knowing before you spend. 14-day free trial included, then $2.99/month or $24.99/year. Cancel anytime. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://usespense.com/privacy ## Key features - Zero-sum budgeting - Envelope categorization - Manual transaction entry - Automatic bank sync (paid) - Real-time envelope balances - Transaction review and categorization - YNAB import ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Spense Monthly | $2.99 | per month | | Spense Yearly | $24.99 | per year | ## Is Spense safe? Not enough ratings yet to assess Spense. ## Is Spense legit? Spense: Budget App & Planner has limited verification signals. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Spense is 58 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data. ## Recent user reviews (10 of 11) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spense-budget-app-and-planner/id6746705743/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Good Budgeting App *2026-06-08* I had no idea how much I was spending on recurring subscriptions I had forgotten about and on vtuber merch. Spense made it easy to see where I could cut my spending, like canceling some of these subscriptions or buying less food, so I can buy even more merch of my oshi. Good app. ### 5/5 — Perfect expense companion *2026-02-09* I’m am extremely happy and satisfied with this app. It’s finally something that helps me to stay on top of my budget. Facilitate my personal operating expenses and protects towards over expenditures. This app helps develop habits of mindful spending. Kudos to the team for making this great app!! 👌🥇🎖️ ### 5/5 — Master Budgeter *2025-12-29* I be budgeting all day with this app. 11/10 would budget again. ### 5/5 — Great app *2025-12-28* This app has completely changed the way I manage my money. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, making it simple to track expenses and set realistic budgets. Highly recommended. ### 5/5 — Helps me spreadsheet expenses with a modern ui *2025-12-25* Proactive budgeting App ! something I had been waiting for is finally here . Best part this App allows you to budget your expenses proactively and not be reactive to your spend . Must for financial success ! ### 5/5 — Great budget app *2025-12-24* I was looking for a budgeting app going into 2026. Glad I found this app to try. It’s super user friendly. Which it’s always important to me ### 5/5 — Good Budgeting App *2025-12-24* It’s a nice and clean app that doesn’t burden users with over-the-top, unnecessary features that no one will use. It also doesn’t mask every feature behind a paywall, making it usable without having to pay — unlike many budgeting apps. Good UI. Really allows users to visualize their spendings and savings so that they can be on top of their finances. Overall, I would recommend this app and am excited to see how they continue to develop it. ### 5/5 — Best financing app on the market *2025-12-24* App has been a lifesaver with tracking what i was putting my money into which also helped me by showing what subscription i was paying for that i didn’t need ama also helped me figure out what i need to stop wasting money on and helping with budgeting for my upcoming trips. all in words it’s the best financial budgeting app on the market ### 5/5 — Organizes all my transactions *2025-12-24* Loving how all my transactions are given to me and I have to organize them like a spreadsheet myself. Keeps me conscious of my spending habits. ### 5/5 — Intuitive and useful! *2025-12-24* A lot easier to use than any other budgeting app I’ve tried ## Frequently asked questions about Spense ### How does Spense's zero-sum budgeting work? Spense uses zero-sum budgeting, meaning you assign every dollar of your income to a specific category (envelope) until your 'To be budgeted' amount reaches $0. This ensures every dollar has a purpose and prevents idle money. ### Is Spense free to use? Yes, Spense is free for manual budgeting. You can create accounts, add transactions, and manage your envelopes without any cost. Automatic bank syncing requires a paid subscription. ### What are the subscription costs for Spense Plus? Spense Plus offers automatic bank sync for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. A 14-day free trial is included for the bank sync feature. ### Can I import my data from YNAB to Spense? Yes, Spense allows you to import your existing categories and transaction history from YNAB. This makes switching to Spense a seamless process. ### What security measures does Spense use for bank syncing? Bank syncing is handled by Plaid with read-only access. Spense also employs bank-level security with biometric authentication for user accounts. ### How often is Spense updated? The app was last updated on February 11, 2026, indicating active development and regular updates to improve functionality and reliability. ### What devices is Spense compatible with? Spense is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices, making it accessible to a wide range of Apple users. ### What is the age rating for Spense? Spense has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for users of all ages interested in managing their finances. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### v2.6.0 — 2026-10-13 New: • A new welcome screen. Sign up with Apple, Google or email so your budget is backed up, or start without an account like before. • Setup now ends in a real budget. Pick Auto or Classic, add your first account and starter categories, and land on a budget that's ready to use. • Monthly round-up. On the first open of a new month, see how last month went and set a limit for categories that don't have one, with a suggested amount. • Auto Mode: categories without a limit show what you usually spend, and a limit you set now applies to every month. • A daily streak in Recent Updates, in every mode. • Linking a bank in Classic Mode no longer makes you wait, and tells you where new transactions will show up. • Fixes: Reflect amounts show your currency symbol, an expense can no longer go to Ready to Assign by mistake, renaming a category keeps its other settings, YNAB import fixes, and deleting a category lists exactly what will be removed. ### 2.5.0 — 2026-10-01 Manual Mode, rebuilt • A new budget screen: every category with what's assigned, spent and available at a glance • Each month starts fresh. Leftovers roll forward, and overspending is settled for you • Category types and targets: bills, savings goals, debt payoff, and weekly or monthly refills • A faster review screen for new bank transactions • Budget goals now show on the Goals tab • Reorder your categories Also new • App Lock: protect Spense with Face ID or Touch ID • A redesigned sheet for adding transactions • Budget accuracy fixes and general improvements ### 2.4.0 — 2026-09-24 What's new in Spense 2.4 • Savings goals: a new Goals tab. Set a target and a date, set aside money from your accounts, and see whether you're on pace. Spense shows how much each account has left for goals, so you never set aside more than you have. • Your pond: earn drops for staying on track, reaching goals and keeping your streak. Grow your fish through 7 pond levels and unlock 27 badges. • A friendlier start: new users get a quick setup. Tell us your name, connect a bank or go manual, and watch your history load in. • Reflect trendline: see your last 8 months of spending at a glance, and tap any month to jump to it. • Smarter notifications: alerts now match how you budget, and they no longer pop up while you're using the app. • Transfers and card payments are now clearly labeled and kept out of your budget. • Easier amount entry: amounts group thousands as you type, and a Done button closes the keypad. • Fixes: Reflect months that stopped updating mid-month, dark mode contrast, dialogs that could appear blank, first launch scrolling. ### 2.3.0 — 2026-08-19 New - A fresh new look — the entire app redesigned: softer colors, friendlier layouts, and a proper dark mode - Just open and go — no sign-up, no forms. Your budget starts the moment you open the app; create an account later to back it up - Spending Pace on the dashboard — see whether you're ahead of or behind your month before you spend - Monthly Net card — income vs spending for every month this year, plus your year-to-date total - Delete your account and data anytime, right from Profile Improvements - Cleaner Auto Mode budget screen — one summary bar per category with subcategories tucked beneath - Faster startup and transaction loading — recent months load instantly, older months on demand - A shorter, smarter app tour (4 quick steps) Bug Fixes - Fixed a sign-out loop and a broken first-launch experience on some devices - Fixed dashboard numbers clipping at larger text sizes - Fixed bank linking opening before the previous screen finished closing - Assorted crash fixes and polish throughout ### 2.2.0 — 2026-06-05 New - Six new animated splash screens — your fish does something different every time you open the app - Recent Updates popup so you don't miss what changed - Custom emojis on any category or subcategory — make your budget feel like yours - Notifications for new transactions in both Auto and Classic modes - Credit cards now show as actual cards on the Accounts screen Improvements - Transactions are now individual cards instead of one big container — easier to read, easier to act on - Cleaner Auto Mode budget screen with fewer redundant subcategories - Classic mode review shows whether a transaction is income or expense up front - Tap Assigned on Manual Mode to see what you've already spent - Smoother onboarding with Auto Mode selected by default - Major framework upgrade -- faster startup, smoother animations across the board Bug Fixes - Fixed swipe actions crashing on the Accounts and Subcategories screens - Fixed dark/light mode toggle crash on startup - Fixed product tour glitches and onboarding errors - Fixed credit card payments showing as income in Reflect - Fixed assigned amounts for system subcategories like credit card payments ## Apps similar to Spense | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Budget Zero: Envelope Planner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-zero-envelope-planner/id6482576006) | 4.2 (5) | Free | Finance | | [Budgeting App - Spend Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budgeting-app-spend-tracker/id1636460435) | 4.7 (83) | Free | Finance | | [Envy: Envelope Budget Planner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/envy-envelope-budget-planner/id1569230951) | 4.8 (822) | Free | Finance | | [Qube Money: Envelope Budgeting](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qube-money-envelope-budgeting/id1542093769) | 4.6 (1,606) | Free | Finance | | [Fudget: Monthly Budget Planner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fudget-monthly-budget-planner/id1664719450) | 4.7 (1,786) | Free | Finance | | [Weekly: Budget Planner & Bills](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/weekly-budget-planner-and-bills/id1460038809) | 4.8 (3,810) | Free | Finance | --- *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 2026-10-17.*