Gem vs 42 Foundation Tools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Gem
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.
- 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
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Log expenses and stay on budget. No subscription. In-app purchases are tips :) BUDGET - Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly - Average & daily spending, breakdown by category - Compare against same day last month - Rearrange your budgets, and other lists - Explore your costs and salary over time ORGANIZE - By category, budget, wallet, account, tag… - Customize category colors & icons (500+ from Apple) - Favorite accounts, custom sorting, merge categories - Add attachments and receipts BILLS - Repeat: day, week, month, year - View paid & upcoming subscriptions MONEY TOOLS - Savings goals, income, transfers, balance - Multiple currencies, exchange rates - Calculator & journal view WALLET SYNC & AUTOMATIONS - Instant recording when paying in store with Apple Pay (requires setup) - Auto-organize expensesbased on merchant names - App shortcuts and “Send to Gem” in share sheet - Import CSV files, sub-categories, notes. Import into specific wallet. Skip duplicates when importing - Export everything MORE - Customize the way your create entries - Widgets. Lock Screen shortcut - Daily iCloud backup - Daily reminders - Custom main screen, list layouts, app menu and theme - Insights in search results PREVIEW FEATURES May not work as expected :) - Type “Rent” → it’s categorized in “Household” - Detect receipt prices from attachments Need help? Have a suggestion? Email me at human@shelftwo.com. Terms & privacy: shelftwo.com/gem/terms
42 Foundation Tools
This app provides retirement planning tools specifically for first-responder and public-sector families. It helps estimate pensions, project income, and analyze various savings and insurance options. All data is saved locally on your device for privacy.
- Retirement income projection
- CalPERS pension estimation
- 457(b) deferred comp analysis
- Life insurance gap analysis
- College savings planner
- Local data saving
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42 Foundation Retirement Planning Tools brings clear, plain-English planning to first-responder and public-sector families. Estimate your CalPERS pension, project your retirement income, and see how your 457(b), overtime, and outside savings add up over time. Includes: • Master Retirement Projector — your projected monthly income vs. your target, by age. • CalPERS Pension Optimizer — estimate your pension from your formula, age, and years of service. • 457(b) Deferred Comp Analyzer — model contributions and tax-advantaged growth. • Survivor Benefit & Life Insurance Gap — right-size a term life policy to protect your family. • College Savings Planner — project 529 growth against the rising cost of college. Your inputs save automatically on your device. No account, no sign-in, and no data leaves your phone. Educational planning tools only — not personalized financial, tax, or legal advice. Figures reflect current-year rules and change annually.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: 42 Foundation Tools at Free against Gem's $0.49. 42 Foundation Tools also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Gem's advantage is ratings volume (89 vs 1) and chart position (#151 vs unranked). On update cadence and ads 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
42 Foundation Tools is free to download; Gem costs $0.49 up front. Gem sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. 42 Foundation Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.
42 Foundation Tools holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gem has 89 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Gem ships an update every 4 weeks, 42 Foundation Tools fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Gem | 42 Foundation Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.49 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (89 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 87.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 89 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #151 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Oz Pinhas | PALMER CHRISTIEN MAHONEY |
Customer experience
Gem
42 Foundation Tools
In-app purchases
Gem
- Gem PowerpackFree
- Thanks tip$0.99
- Amazing tip$2.99
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- Spectacular tip$4.99
42 Foundation Tools
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Gem free?
Is 42 Foundation Tools free?
Which has better reviews, Gem or 42 Foundation Tools?
Do Gem or 42 Foundation Tools have ads?
Which is updated more often, Gem or 42 Foundation Tools?
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