# Smart Spend vs Surplus

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Smart Spend at none against Surplus's 4. Smart Spend also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (258 vs 28). Surplus's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surplus sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Smart Spend asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Smart Spend against 4.8 for Surplus. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Spend has 258 ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Smart Spend's written reviews are positive against 83% of Surplus's.

Smart Spend ships an update every 8 days, Surplus monthly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart Spend | Surplus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (258 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-spend-cost-analyzer/id1464471112/reviews) | **[4.8 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surplus-expense-tracker/id1578612881/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **258** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | **84.6% of reviews** | 83.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 75 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Scicotherapy Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1260450873) | [Dev Harvest LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526293285) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart Spend

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-spend-cost-analyzer/id1464471112)

This app helps you actively understand and transform your spending habits through hands-on learning and financial insights. It offers customized budgeting tools, engaging trivia, and advanced analysis without linking bank accounts, prioritizing your privacy. Receive daily feedback and earn rewards for improving your financial discipline.

**Highlights:** Active spending and savings tracking, Financial pattern identification, Spending knowledge trivia game, Customizable budgeting (Cash Pool, MicroBudgets), Advanced search and filter tools, Privacy-focused, no bank linking, Siri integration and iOS widgets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Original take on budgeting
- 💡 Risk of purchase indicator
- 💡 Annual expenses tracking
- 💡 Brilliant cash pool idea
- 💡 Prioritize purchases (needs, loves, likes, wants)

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Missing country currency
- 🐛 App crashes after update
- ❌ Cannot edit/delete previous entries
- ❌ No option for weekly expenses (e.g., groceries)
- ❌ Cannot edit bill information (only delete and re-enter)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes immediately upon opening after update
- Hourly income input glitch, defaults to $45
- Cannot edit/delete previous entries
- Cannot edit bill information, only delete and re-enter

**Requested features**

- Visualize cash pool growth
- Add additional income sources (bonus, etc.)
- Ability to change savings by numbers, not just percentage
- Show difference when adding a purchase to see remaining spendable amount
- Add more themes/color options


### 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 Smart Spend free?

Smart Spend is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Surplus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Smart Spend or Surplus?

Surplus is rated higher. Smart Spend averages 4.7 out of 5 from 258 ratings, while Surplus averages 4.8 from 28 ratings.

### Do Smart Spend or Surplus have ads?

Neither Smart Spend nor Surplus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smart Spend or Surplus?

Smart Spend ships an update every 8 days, and Surplus monthly. Most recently, Smart Spend was updated on November 3, 2026 and Surplus on November 3, 2026.

---

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