# Simple Budget vs Wave Budget

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Wave Budget at 100% against Simple Budget's 67%. Wave Budget also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Simple Budget's advantage is ratings volume (53 vs 13). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Wave Budget holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 53 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Simple Budget's written reviews are positive against 100% of Wave Budget's.

Simple Budget ships an update every 3 months, Wave Budget fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Budget | Wave Budget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-budget-expense-tracker/id1560574926/reviews) | **[4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-budget/id1597718926/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **53** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 59 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Luke Brady](https://appshunter.io/developer/1560574928) | [Stefan Galler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1466600641) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Wave Budget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-budget/id1597718926)

Easily set up a monthly budget and monitor your spending to understand your remaining funds. Its minimalist design ensures quick and efficient financial management. Connect with your Apple ID for seamless cross-device synchronization.

**Highlights:** Monthly budget setup, Expense tracking, Minimalist design, Cross-device sync via Apple ID, No login required

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $9.49 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Budget free?

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

### Is Wave Budget free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Simple Budget or Wave Budget?

Wave Budget is rated higher. Simple Budget averages 4.5 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while Wave Budget averages 4.8 from 13 ratings.

### Do Simple Budget or Wave Budget have ads?

Neither Simple Budget nor Wave Budget shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Budget or Wave Budget?

Simple Budget ships an update every 3 months, and Wave Budget fortnightly. Most recently, Simple Budget was updated on October 24, 2026 and Wave Budget on October 23, 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.*