# Gem vs Surplus

The clearest difference is price: Surplus at Free against Gem's $0.49. Surplus also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). Gem's advantage is chart position (#31 vs unranked) and ratings volume (89 vs 28). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Surplus is free to download; Gem costs $0.49 up front. Gem sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Surplus sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 — 4.8 for Gem against 4.8 for Surplus. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 89 and 28 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Gem's written reviews are positive against 83% of Surplus's.

Gem ships an update every 4 weeks, Surplus monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gem | Surplus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.49 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (89 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gem-money-tracker/id1437054263/reviews) | **[4.8 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surplus-expense-tracker/id1578612881/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **89** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | **87.9% of reviews** | 83.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#31** | — |
| Size | 42 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oz Pinhas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437054262) | [Dev Harvest LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526293285) |

## What reviewers say

### Gem

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gem-money-tracker/id1437054263)

**Currently charting:** #31 Top Paid · Finance (US App Store)

Track your spending, manage budgets, and organize your finances with this comprehensive money management tool. It offers detailed budgeting options, expense organization by category, and bill tracking. Automate entries with Apple Pay and import/export data for a complete financial overview.

**Highlights:** Budgeting (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly), Expense organization by category, Bill tracking and reminders, Savings goals and income tracking, Apple Pay integration for instant recording, CSV import/export, Customizable categories with icons

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gem Powerpack | Free | one-time |
| Thanks tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Amazing tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Spectacular tip | $4.99 | one-time |


### Surplus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surplus-expense-tracker/id1578612881)

This app helps you manage your monthly finances by tracking income, expenses, and upcoming payments. It provides insights into your spending habits, categorizes transactions, and offers customizable reports. Sync your accounts automatically or manually for a clear overview of your leftover spend.

**Highlights:** Monthly income and expense tracking, Categorization of spending, Customizable reports with CSV export, Transaction grouping, Home and lock screen widgets, Automation via Shortcuts app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Surplus Pro Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Surplus Pro Yearly | $14.49 | per year |
| Surplus Pro Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Surplus Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gem free?

Gem costs $0.49, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Surplus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Gem or Surplus?

Surplus is rated higher. Gem averages 4.8 out of 5 from 89 ratings, while Surplus averages 4.8 from 28 ratings.

### Do Gem or Surplus have ads?

Neither Gem nor Surplus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gem or Surplus?

Gem ships an update every 4 weeks, and Surplus monthly. Most recently, Gem was updated on October 19, 2026 and Surplus on October 22, 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.*