Comparison

Simple Budget vs Bento

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Simple Budget

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
Read full description

Simple Budget is a hands-on budgeting app for people who want control over where their money goes. SEE WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES Break your spending down into categories, and give each category a budget. By planning your spending ahead of time, you can build savings directly into your budget, allowing you to have guilt-free spending money while still keeping up with your savings. Track your spending habits with Simple Budget to see if your spending matches your goals. HANDS-ON, WITHOUT THE HASSLE Stay close to your spending to see exactly where your money is going. Avoid the set-it-and-forget-it model and plan for every dollar. When you see each one coming in and out, you understand what you're spending and what you're saving. PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, LEARN FROM THE PAST • Plan your spending ahead of time, from retirement savings to weekend shopping. • Budget Calculator: see how your month ends up after the bills you know are coming, before you decide on that splurge. • Projected spending and savings for the current month. • Recurring income on any schedule: weekly, biweekly, monthly and more. • Year Savings: income, spending and savings for every month of the year. • Spending History: track your spending habits month to month. ENVELOPE BUDGETING, MADE EASY Building your budget is quick and easy with customizable, pre-built budget categories. Find what applies to you, tailor it to your needs, and build a budget that works for you. YOUR BUDGET, YOUR WAY • Track balances across your accounts, free. • Search, filter and sort every transaction, free. • Export your transactions to CSV anytime, free. • Sign in with your phone number and pick up your budget on any device, free. FREE AND PREMIUM Simple Budget is built for everyone, and stays affordable for anyone looking for extra budgeting firepower. The core of Simple Budget is free: budgets and categories, transactions, accounts, income, monthly insights and CSV export. Premium adds detailed category insights and trends, yearly insights, full Budget Calculator editing, history from previous years, and more. Simple Budget Premium is an auto-renewing subscription, billed monthly or annually. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Questions or ideas? luke@pgmediasolutions.com Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.gosimplebudget.com/privacy-policy

About

Bento

Features
Read full description

Bento AI is a smart budgeting app that helps you take control of your finances with AI-powered insights. BUDGET SMARTER Set your monthly income, choose spending categories, and let Bento allocate your budget intelligently. Track every expense with receipt scanning or manual entry. AI-POWERED INSIGHTS Get personalized financial advice, spending forecasts... TRACK EVERY EXPENSE Scan receipts with your camera, import from gallery, or add expenses manually. Each transaction is categorized into your Bento budget. ANALYTICS & PACE See daily and weekly spending pace, money health score, and accumulated savings. Know exactly where you stand at any moment. FREE FEATURES - Budget setup with custom categories - Manual expense & income tracking - Receipt scanning (4/month) - Dashboard with monthly overview - Push notifications PRO SUBSCRIPTION - AI budget allocation - Budget structure recommendations - Monthly reports - 15 receipt scans/month PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION - AI insights & spending forecast - Daily & weekly budget pace - PDF expense reports - Unlimited receipt scans Terms of Use (EULA): https://bento-ai.net/terms-of-service Privacy Policy URL : https://bento-ai.net/privacy-policy.

Screenshots

Simple Budget4 screens
Bento4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bento at fortnightly against Simple Budget's every 3 months. Bento also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Simple Budget sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Bento sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Budget ships an update every 3 months, Bento fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Simple Budget versus Bento: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple BudgetBento
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (53 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings53 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB40 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperLuke BradyBento AI LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Simple Budget

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium Subscription1 Month trial$0.991 Month
  • Annual Premium Subscription$9.991 Year
8 purchases

Bento

Subscriptions6
  • Bento Pro7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Bento Premium7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Bento Ultimate7 Days trial$29.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Bento Pro7 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • Bento Premium7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Bento Ultimate7 Days trial$69.991 Year
One-time2
  • Pro Extra Scans$1.99
  • Premium Extra Scans$2.99

Questions

Is Simple Budget free?
Simple Budget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bento free?
Bento is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Simple Budget or Bento have ads?
Neither Simple Budget nor Bento shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Budget or Bento?
Simple Budget ships an update every 3 months, and Bento fortnightly. Most recently, Simple Budget was updated on October 24, 2026 and Bento on October 10, 2026.

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