# Emma vs Budget app

Emma and Budget app both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of Budget app's written reviews are positive against 38% of Emma's. Budget app also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (16K vs 1.4K). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Emma sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Budget app sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Emma against 4.7 for Budget app. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Budget app has 16K ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 38% of Emma's written reviews are positive against 79% of Budget app's.

Emma ships an update every 6 days, Budget app every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emma | Budget app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emma-budget-planner-tracker/id1270062373/reviews) | **[4.7 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-spending-tracker/id1525179720/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.4K | **16K** |
| Positive reviews | 38.3% of reviews | **78.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#72** |
| Size | 161 MB | 247 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Emma Technologies LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1202559061) | [InnerGrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828382777) |

## What reviewers say

### Emma

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emma-budget-planner-tracker/id1270062373)

Consolidate all your financial accounts in one place to track spending, manage subscriptions, and set budgets. Receive weekly reports, daily balance notifications, and overdraft alerts. Offers bank-level security with SSL encryption and biometric authentication.

**Highlights:** Consolidate all accounts, Track subscriptions, Set budgets, Weekly spending reports, Overdraft alerts, Bank-level security

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Emma Plus Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Emma Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Pro Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Emma Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| Emma Ultimate | $14.99 | per month |
| Emma Plus Yearly | $41.99 | per year |
| Emma Pro | $83.99 | per year |
| Subscription | $83.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for budgeting and tracking spending
- 🚀 Efficient at categorizing transactions
- 💡 Useful for detecting subscriptions and recurring payments
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 👍 Provides good financial insights and analytics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Concerns about data privacy and security
- 💰 Expensive subscription model, features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Syncing issues, transactions not always accurately categorized
- 🔍 Difficult to cancel subscription or delete account
- 📢 Aggressive upselling and notifications

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes frequently
- Transactions not syncing properly or showing incorrect balances
- Issues connecting to certain bank accounts
- Recurring payments not being tracked accurately

**Requested features**

- Add support for more banks and financial institutions
- Improve budgeting features with better categorization and goal-setting
- Provide more customization options for categories and reporting
- Integrate with investment accounts and track net worth
- Offer a more affordable pricing model or free tier with core features


### Budget app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-spending-tracker/id1525179720)

**Currently charting:** #72 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

This personal finance app helps you track spending, plan budgets, and save money to achieve financial freedom. It offers features like AI-powered tracking, shared budgeting, and detailed stats to understand your financial habits.

**Highlights:** Budget Planner, Spending Tracker, Money Management, Recurring Transactions, Shared Budgeting, AI Tracking, Stats & Charts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Budget Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Financial Empowerment | $5.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium | $6.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium Sale | $4.99 | one-time |
| Budget Lifetime Member | $8.99 | one-time |
| lifetime member sale | $14.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Global | $19.99 | one-time |
| Family Premium | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Straightforward and intuitive
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase
- 🎨 Customizable categories and colors
- 🗓️ Helpful calendar and transaction views

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring bills/payments not working as expected
- 🔍 Lack of advanced reporting and analytics
- 🤝 Sharing/collaboration features not reliable
- 🇨🇦 Limited support for Canadian banks/accounts
- 🔀 Difficulty moving money between budgets

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues between devices
- Transactions not always loading correctly
- Upgrade/premium features not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to carry over surplus/deficit between months
- Option to view remaining budget instead of just spent
- Multiple savings account/ledger support
- Automatic recurring bill/subscription tracking
- Web/desktop app version for easier data entry


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emma free?

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

### Is Budget app free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Emma or Budget app?

Budget app is rated higher. Emma averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Budget app averages 4.7 from 16K ratings.

### Do Emma or Budget app have ads?

Emma shows ads; Budget app does not.

### Which is updated more often, Emma or Budget app?

Emma ships an update every 6 days, and Budget app every 4 days. Most recently, Emma was updated on October 29, 2026 and Budget app on November 1, 2026.

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