# IOU vs Check Mate

The clearest difference is rating: Check Mate at 5.0 against IOU's 4.4. Check Mate also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (83% vs 60%). IOU's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly) and ratings volume (18 vs 3). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. IOU sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Check Mate asks for nothing beyond the download.

Check Mate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IOU has 18 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of IOU's written reviews are positive against 83% of Check Mate's.

IOU ships an update fortnightly, Check Mate monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IOU | Check Mate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iou-split-receipts-and-expense/id1589968294/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/check-mate-split-bills/id6475055417/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **18** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 53 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eric Agredo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1475112741) | [Aizhan Kozhakhmetova](https://appshunter.io/developer/1780234118) |

## What reviewers say

### IOU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iou-split-receipts-and-expense/id1589968294)

Effortlessly split bills with friends by scanning receipts. The app itemizes purchases, assigns them to individuals, and calculates each person's total including tip and tax. Avoid manual calculations and ensure fair payment among your group.

**Highlights:** Receipt scanning and itemization, Assign items to individuals, Automatic tax and tip calculation, Per-person total calculation, Eliminates manual bill splitting

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IOU Pro | $0.99 | per month |
| IOU Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| IOU Pro | $6.99 | per year |
| IOU Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| Lifetime IOU Pro | $29.99 | one-time |


### Check Mate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/check-mate-split-bills/id6475055417)

Effortlessly divide shared expenses with friends and family. Snap a photo of your bill, itemize costs, and clearly see who owes whom. Keep a history of all your shared expenses for easy tracking and transparent financial transactions.

**Highlights:** Bill photo scanning, Automatic expense identification, Customizable expense itemization, Clear 'who owes whom' breakdown, Shareable settlement reports, History of all bills

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IOU free?

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

### Is Check Mate free?

Check Mate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, IOU or Check Mate?

Check Mate is rated higher. IOU averages 4.4 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Check Mate averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do IOU or Check Mate have ads?

Neither IOU nor Check Mate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IOU or Check Mate?

IOU ships an update fortnightly, and Check Mate monthly. Most recently, IOU was updated on November 3, 2026 and Check Mate on October 30, 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.*