# Monthly Spending Tracker vs RealBudget

The clearest difference is ads: RealBudget at none against Monthly Spending Tracker's shown. RealBudget also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (138 vs 3). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Monthly Spending Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and RealBudget sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 — 5.0 for Monthly Spending Tracker against 4.9 for RealBudget. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RealBudget has 138 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Monthly Spending Tracker ships an update every 18 months, RealBudget fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monthly Spending Tracker | RealBudget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monthly-spending-tracker/id1498487255/reviews)** | [4.9 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realbudget-envelope-budgeting/id1643604343/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **138** |
| Positive reviews | — | 94.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 7 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brandon Stecklein](https://appshunter.io/developer/498894252) | [Limitless Innovative Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569503582) |

## 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 expenditures. Record transactions, categorize expenses, and set spending limits to stay within your budget. View past spending and generate expense reports.

**Highlights:** Track monthly spending, Categorize expenses, Set monthly budget limits, Receive budget warnings, View transactions by month, Generate expense reports

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

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


### RealBudget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realbudget-envelope-budgeting/id1643604343)

Manage your money effectively with a digital envelope budgeting system. This app allows you to create custom envelopes, track expenses, and gain full control over your finances. It offers features like bank syncing and budget sharing to simplify your financial management.

**Highlights:** Digital envelope budgeting, Custom budget periods, Budget sharing, Bank transaction syncing, Flexible rollover options, Persistent savings envelopes, Cross-device access

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Sync | $9.99 | per month |
| Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $5.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $7.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $8.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Visual envelope system
- 💰 Helps with budgeting and saving
- 🆓 Free to use with generous developer
- ✅ Practical and manageable budgeting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Notes not visible at a glance
- 🔄 Budgets need to be recreated monthly
- ❓ Difficulty finding sharing options
- 🐛 Glitchy at times
- 🤔 Desire for a version without budgeting

**Reported bugs**

- Too many glitches to deal with
- Cannot budget for future budgets
- Savings budget messes up monthly budget

**Requested features**

- Ability to see notes at a glance
- Duplicate budget button or master budget option
- Ability to share budget
- Ability to split transactions
- Option to approve money withdrawal visualization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monthly Spending Tracker free?

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

### Is RealBudget free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Monthly Spending Tracker or RealBudget?

Monthly Spending Tracker is rated higher. Monthly Spending Tracker averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while RealBudget averages 4.9 from 138 ratings.

### Do Monthly Spending Tracker or RealBudget have ads?

Monthly Spending Tracker shows ads; RealBudget does not.

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

Monthly Spending Tracker ships an update every 18 months, and RealBudget fortnightly. Most recently, Monthly Spending Tracker was updated on November 11, 2026 and RealBudget on November 12, 2026.

---

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