# Budget app vs SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Budget app at 16K against SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker's 5. Budget app also leads on chart position (#66 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Budget app sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Budget app has 16K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Budget app's written reviews are positive against 100% of SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker's.

Budget app ships an update every 9 days, SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Budget app | SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-spending-tracker/id1525179720/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplifypocket-expense-tracker/id6767071818/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#66** | — |
| Size | 241 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [InnerGrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828382777) | [Otis Kelley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896368341) |

## What reviewers say

### Budget app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-spending-tracker/id1525179720)

**Currently charting:** #66 Top Grossing · Finance, #195 Top Free · Finance (US App Store)

This personal finance app helps you track spending, plan budgets, and save money to achieve financial freedom. It offers features like AI-powered tracking, shared budgeting, and detailed stats to understand your financial habits.

**Highlights:** Budget Planner, Spending Tracker, Money Management, Recurring Transactions, Shared Budgeting, AI Tracking, Stats & Charts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Budget Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Financial Empowerment | $5.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium | $6.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium Sale | $4.99 | one-time |
| lifetime member sale | $6.99 | one-time |
| Budget Lifetime Member | $8.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Global | $8.99 | one-time |
| Family Premium | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Straightforward and intuitive
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase
- 🎨 Customizable categories and colors
- 🗓️ Helpful calendar and transaction views

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring bills/payments not working as expected
- 🔍 Lack of advanced reporting and analytics
- 🤝 Sharing/collaboration features not reliable
- 🇨🇦 Limited support for Canadian banks/accounts
- 🔀 Difficulty moving money between budgets

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues between devices
- Transactions not always loading correctly
- Upgrade/premium features not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to carry over surplus/deficit between months
- Option to view remaining budget instead of just spent
- Multiple savings account/ledger support
- Automatic recurring bill/subscription tracking
- Web/desktop app version for easier data entry


### SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplifypocket-expense-tracker/id6767071818)

Track your personal finances without connecting to your bank. Log expenses via voice or tap, set custom budgets, and monitor recurring bills. Gain clear insights into your spending habits with detailed analytics and smart alerts.

**Highlights:** Voice-activated transaction logging, Manual transaction entry, Budget creation and tracking, Recurring transaction management, Spending analytics, Customizable alerts, No bank connections

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Budget app free?

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

### Is SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker free?

SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Budget app or SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker?

SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker is rated higher. Budget app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Budget app or SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker have ads?

Neither Budget app nor SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Budget app or SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker?

Budget app ships an update every 9 days, and SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker every 3 weeks. Most recently, Budget app was updated on October 19, 2026 and SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker on October 13, 2026.

---

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