# RealBudget vs EnvelopeBudgeter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: EnvelopeBudgeter at none against RealBudget's 12. EnvelopeBudgeter also leads on update cadence (daily vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. RealBudget sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. EnvelopeBudgeter asks for nothing beyond the download.

RealBudget ships an update fortnightly, EnvelopeBudgeter daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RealBudget | EnvelopeBudgeter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realbudget-envelope-budgeting/id1643604343/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **138** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 89 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Limitless Innovative Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569503582) | [ButterApps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1024216692) |

## What reviewers say

### RealBudget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realbudget-envelope-budgeting/id1643604343)

Manage your money effectively with a digital envelope budgeting system. This app allows you to create custom envelopes, track expenses, and gain full control over your finances. It offers features like bank syncing and budget sharing to simplify your financial management.

**Highlights:** Digital envelope budgeting, Custom budget periods, Budget sharing, Bank transaction syncing, Flexible rollover options, Persistent savings envelopes, Cross-device access

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Sync | $9.99 | per month |
| Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $5.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $7.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $8.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Visual envelope system
- 💰 Helps with budgeting and saving
- 🆓 Free to use with generous developer
- ✅ Practical and manageable budgeting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Notes not visible at a glance
- 🔄 Budgets need to be recreated monthly
- ❓ Difficulty finding sharing options
- 🐛 Glitchy at times
- 🤔 Desire for a version without budgeting

**Reported bugs**

- Too many glitches to deal with
- Cannot budget for future budgets
- Savings budget messes up monthly budget

**Requested features**

- Ability to see notes at a glance
- Duplicate budget button or master budget option
- Ability to share budget
- Ability to split transactions
- Option to approve money withdrawal visualization


### EnvelopeBudgeter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/envelopebudgeter/id6443415078)

Track your spending with a simple budgeting tool. Set limits for specific categories and share your budget with a partner to monitor expenses collaboratively.

**Highlights:** Create category-specific budgets, Track spending against budget, Share budgets with partners, Collaborative expense tracking, Simple expense logging

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RealBudget free?

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

### Is EnvelopeBudgeter free?

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

### Do RealBudget or EnvelopeBudgeter have ads?

Neither RealBudget nor EnvelopeBudgeter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RealBudget or EnvelopeBudgeter?

RealBudget ships an update fortnightly, and EnvelopeBudgeter daily. Most recently, RealBudget was updated on October 30, 2026 and EnvelopeBudgeter on October 15, 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.*