# Joint Expense vs Esme

The clearest difference is update cadence: Esme at every 3 days against Joint Expense's every 6 weeks. Joint Expense's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Joint Expense sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Esme sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Joint Expense ships an update every 6 weeks, Esme every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Joint Expense | Esme |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vishal Chaudhry](https://appshunter.io/developer/451982651) | [Kenneth Ong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886904775) |

## What reviewers say

### Joint Expense

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joint-expense/id1097381597)

Manage group expenses with flexibility. Record shared costs, track money collected in advance, and generate detailed reports to settle balances. Ideal for trips, parties, or shared living situations.

**Highlights:** Record individual and shared expenses, Create a money bank for advance collection, Specify unequal participant dues, Combine different expense types, Generate detailed email reports, Duplicate existing events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Expenses | $1.99 | one-time |


### Esme

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esme-smart-budget/id6760933844)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Esme Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Esme Premium Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Joint Expense free?

Joint Expense is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Esme free?

Esme is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Joint Expense or Esme have ads?

Neither Joint Expense nor Esme shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Joint Expense or Esme?

Joint Expense ships an update every 6 weeks, and Esme every 3 days. Most recently, Joint Expense was updated on October 24, 2026 and Esme on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*