# Checkbook vs Expense Note

The clearest difference is ads: Checkbook at none against Expense Note's shown. Checkbook also leads on ratings volume (204 vs 2). Expense Note's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 10 days). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Checkbook sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Expense Note sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Expense Note holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Checkbook has 204 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Checkbook's written reviews are positive against 92% of Expense Note's.

Checkbook ships an update every 10 days, Expense Note every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Checkbook | Expense Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (204 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkbook-bills-to-budget/id1636872963/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-note-spending-tracker/id6450291645/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **204** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 82.9% of reviews | **91.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 198 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CoreBits LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1257463128) | [Techin Park](https://appshunter.io/developer/906432484) |

## What reviewers say

### Checkbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkbook-bills-to-budget/id1636872963)

This app acts as a modern checkbook register to help you organize bills, track spending, and avoid late fees. It shows your true available balance, not just what the bank has cleared, and provides budget tracking and future financial projections.

**Highlights:** Track cleared and pending payments, Bill reminders and automatic scheduling, Create and track spending budgets, Calendar view of financial future, Multiple account support, Family sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bills to Budget Plus | $1.99 | per month |
| Bills to Budget Plus | $1.99 | per month |
| Bills to Budget Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Bills to Budget Family Plus | $4.99 | per month |
| Bills to Budget Family Plus | $4.99 | per month |
| Bills to Budget Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Bills to Budget Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Bills to Budget Family Plus | $29.99 | per year |
| Bills to Budget Premium Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Bills to Budget Family Plus | $29.99 | per year |
| Family Upgrade | $19.99 | one-time |
| Bills to Budget Plus Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Family Plus Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Replaces Mint budgeting effectively
- 💡 Groups bills by pay period
- 🗓️ Calendar view for due dates
- ✨ Customer service is impressive
- 🚀 Quick response to support requests

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't work for 1099 contractors (irregular income)
- 🐛 Doesn't work with partial payments
- 🐛 Doesn't work with variable due amounts
- 🐛 Ledger disappeared on new phone
- ❓ No clear path to refund from Apple

**Reported bugs**

- Charged for something not billed
- Ledger disappeared on new phone
- Automated refund system by Apple
- Lifetime purchase not honored

**Requested features**

- Manual way to add income for irregular pay
- Tutorial on how to use the app
- Support for Portuguese language
- Enhance Chinese localization
- Add employment paycheck amounts for check and balancing


### Expense Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-note-spending-tracker/id6450291645)

A minimalist expense tracker for effortless daily expense recording and management. Quickly input spending, view patterns at a glance, and customize categories. Securely back up your data and start smart spending.

**Highlights:** Quick expense recording, Intuitive expense management, Customizable categories, Data backup and restore, Multiple currency support, Secure login

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Checkbook free?

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

### Is Expense Note free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Checkbook or Expense Note?

Expense Note is rated higher. Checkbook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 204 ratings, while Expense Note averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Checkbook or Expense Note have ads?

Expense Note shows ads; Checkbook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Checkbook or Expense Note?

Checkbook ships an update every 10 days, and Expense Note every 2 days. Most recently, Checkbook was updated on October 24, 2026 and Expense Note on October 24, 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.*