# Monthly Spending Tracker vs Simple Budget

The clearest difference is rating: Monthly Spending Tracker at 5.0 against Simple Budget's 4.4. Simple Budget's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 17 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Monthly Spending Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Simple Budget sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Monthly Spending Tracker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Budget has 48 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Monthly Spending Tracker ships an update every 17 months, Simple Budget every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monthly Spending Tracker | Simple Budget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monthly-spending-tracker/id1498487255/reviews)** | [4.4 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-budget-expense-tracker/id1560574926/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **48** |
| Positive reviews | — | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 4 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brandon Stecklein](https://appshunter.io/developer/498894252) | [Luke Brady](https://appshunter.io/developer/1560574928) |

## What reviewers say

### Monthly Spending Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monthly-spending-tracker/id1498487255)

This personal finance app helps you monitor your monthly expenses by recording transactions, categories, dates, and payees. Set a budget limit and receive alerts as you approach it. View your spending history by month and generate expense reports.

**Highlights:** Track monthly spending, Record transactions, categories, dates, payees, Set monthly budget limits, Receive budget alerts, View monthly transactions, Generate expense reports

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spending Tracker Premium | $2.99 | one-time |


### Simple Budget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-budget-expense-tracker/id1560574926)

This financial tool simplifies budgeting using the envelope system with digital enhancements. Manually track expenses, gain powerful insights into spending habits, and forecast future financial scenarios to grow your savings. Access your budget across devices with phone number sign-up.

**Highlights:** Envelope budgeting system, Manual transaction entry, Spending insights and analysis, Budget calculator, Cross-device access, Transaction export

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium Subscription | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monthly Spending Tracker free?

Monthly Spending Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Simple Budget free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Monthly Spending Tracker or Simple Budget?

Monthly Spending Tracker is rated higher. Monthly Spending Tracker averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Simple Budget averages 4.4 from 48 ratings.

### Do Monthly Spending Tracker or Simple Budget have ads?

Monthly Spending Tracker shows ads; Simple Budget does not.

### Which is updated more often, Monthly Spending Tracker or Simple Budget?

Monthly Spending Tracker ships an update every 17 months, and Simple Budget every 2 months. Most recently, Monthly Spending Tracker was updated on September 12, 2026 and Simple Budget on September 14, 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.*