Comparison

Simple Budget Envelopes vs BeanFlow

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Simple Budget Envelopes

Easily track your remaining budget with an unlimited number of digital envelopes. Add or subtract funds as you spend or receive money. This straightforward app requires no sign-in or in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Unlimited digital envelopes
  • Add/subtract funds easily
  • Track remaining budget
  • No sign-in required
  • No in-app purchases
Features
Currently charting
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An incredibly simple app, perfect for keeping track of how much money remains in your budget. Simple Budget Envelopes allows you to have as many envelopes as you need, then add or subtract as you receive or spend money. No in-app purchases. Yours to simply use as you like.

About

BeanFlow

This app offers a flexible approach to personal finance management, supporting both simple daily tracking and structured double-entry accounting. It features OCR import from screenshots and videos to easily add transactions, and supports the Beancount data format for portability and integration.

Highlights
  • Simple and Beancount accounting modes
  • OCR import from screenshots and videos
  • Track daily income and expenses
  • Double-entry accounting support
  • Import and export .bean files
  • Offline-first operation
Features
Read full description

BeanFlow is a personal finance and accounting app that combines simple everyday tracking with the structure of Beancount. Whether you only want to record daily income and expenses or already use double-entry accounting to manage accounts and assets, BeanFlow gives you a flexible way to organize your financial records. Simple Mode and Beancount Mode now both support OCR import from screenshots and videos, making it easier to turn large amounts of transaction history into usable records without entering everything manually. Import transactions from screenshots and videos Have a folder full of payment screenshots? Need to capture transactions from a recorded statement or scrolling transaction list? BeanFlow can use OCR to recognize transaction information from screenshots and videos and prepare it for import. This is especially useful when you need to process historical transactions, long lists, or many records at once. OCR import works in both Simple Mode and Beancount Mode, so you can use the same faster capture workflow regardless of how you prefer to manage your finances. Track everyday money Coffee, lunch, subscriptions, shopping, bills, or a new source of income — every transaction can become part of your financial history. Record income and expenses over time and build a clearer picture of where your money goes and how your finances change. Simple Mode for everyday tracking Managing your money shouldn’t require learning accounting before recording your first expense. Simple Mode provides an approachable workflow for everyday income and expense tracking, without forcing unnecessary accounting concepts into every transaction. If you just want a clean personal ledger, you can keep things simple. Beancount Mode when you need more structure For users who want greater control over their records, Beancount Mode provides a more structured accounting workflow. Organize transactions through accounts and use double-entry accounting to maintain clearer records of income, expenses, assets, and other financial activity. Built around Beancount Already using Beancount? BeanFlow supports .bean files, allowing you to continue working with a familiar and portable data format instead of moving your financial history into a completely closed system. Import and export .bean files Your financial records should remain yours. BeanFlow supports importing and exporting Beancount files, making it easier to back up your ledger, migrate your data, and continue using it as part of your existing Beancount workflow. Offline-first and portable BeanFlow is designed with local use in mind, so your ledger doesn’t need to depend on a constant internet connection. Open data formats and portable files help you stay in control of your financial records. Simple for everyday use. Structured when you need it. Recording a cup of coffee shouldn’t feel like completing an accounting assignment. At the same time, your finance app shouldn’t become limiting when you want to organize accounts, assets, and more detailed records. From a single payment screenshot to years of financial history, BeanFlow helps you capture, organize, and keep control of your data.

Screenshots

Simple Budget Envelopes4 screens
BeanFlow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: BeanFlow at Free against Simple Budget Envelopes's $0.99. BeanFlow also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 months). Simple Budget Envelopes's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (115 vs 2). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

BeanFlow is free to download; Simple Budget Envelopes costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Budget Envelopes holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Budget Envelopes has 115 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Simple Budget Envelopes's written reviews are positive against 86% of BeanFlow's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Budget Envelopes ships an update every 5 months, BeanFlow every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Simple Budget Envelopes versus BeanFlow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Budget EnvelopesBeanFlow
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (115 ratings) — better4.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews — better85.7% of reviews
Number of ratings115 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#157 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoseph Palmer昆 杨

Customer experience

Simple Budget Envelopes

All ratings115 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral3.5%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews72 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral5.6%
Negative5.6%

BeanFlow

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

Bugs and requests

Simple Budget Envelopes

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • New update whites out numbers and envelopes are blank
  • App crashes when trying to open envelopes after an update
  • White on white text in dark mode, making text entry impossible

Requested features

26 requests
  • Add a tutorial within the app
  • Add a button to reset all envelope balances at once
  • More color options for envelopes
  • Ability to sort envelopes
  • Running balance for each envelope
Show 21 more
  • Ability to put dates on transactions
  • Form field in envelopes to note budget amount from each paycheck
  • Ability to customize envelopes with pictures
  • Make the app shareable with a spouse
  • Make sub-envelopes within an envelope
  • Support multi-device syncing
  • Option to list transactions newest to oldest
  • Create a way to have envelopes start from scratch each month
  • Add a date next to input items
  • Ability to edit a transaction
  • Sync across devices
  • Change the color of envelopes
  • Add a memo feature for transactions
  • Add a budget limit for envelopes
  • Create a transaction statement
  • Ability to sync with a husband's app for real-time updates
  • Display total amount budgeted vs total spent at the top
  • Option for making notes on transactions
  • Standard 'delete and reorder' UI
  • Way to rename accounts
  • Add a budget limit so users know what number to stay under

BeanFlow

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Simple Budget Envelopes

No in-app purchases

None

BeanFlow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple Budget Envelopes free?
Simple Budget Envelopes costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is BeanFlow free?
BeanFlow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simple Budget Envelopes or BeanFlow?
Simple Budget Envelopes is rated higher. Simple Budget Envelopes averages 4.6 out of 5 from 115 ratings, while BeanFlow averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Simple Budget Envelopes or BeanFlow have ads?
Neither Simple Budget Envelopes nor BeanFlow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Budget Envelopes or BeanFlow?
Simple Budget Envelopes ships an update every 5 months, and BeanFlow every 10 days. Most recently, Simple Budget Envelopes was updated on October 18, 2026 and BeanFlow on October 11, 2026.

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