# PayBack vs SpendFriend

The clearest difference is price: PayBack at Free against SpendFriend's $7.99. PayBack also leads on ratings volume (5 vs 1). SpendFriend's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

PayBack is free to download; SpendFriend costs $7.99 up front. PayBack sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SpendFriend asks for nothing beyond the download.

SpendFriend holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PayBack has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PayBack ships an update monthly, SpendFriend every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PayBack | SpendFriend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $7.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payback/id294486937/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendfriend/id6451025685/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 82.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 2 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Cunningham](https://appshunter.io/developer/294486940) | [Joshua Friend](https://appshunter.io/developer/1085104321) |

## What reviewers say

### PayBack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payback/id294486937)

This app helps you easily track and settle shared expenses after group trips. It calculates who owes whom and minimizes the number of transactions needed for everyone to settle up, ensuring friendships remain intact.

**Highlights:** Track shared expenses, Calculate debts automatically, Minimize settlement transactions, Ideal for group trips, User-friendly interface

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Banner Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### SpendFriend

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendfriend/id6451025685)

Track your spending in real-time to avoid checkout surprises. Use voice input to quickly log purchases and monitor your budget, ensuring you know your available funds before you pay.

**Highlights:** Speech-to-text expense logging, Real-time spending tracking, Budget setting and monitoring, Available funds display, Avoid checkout surprises

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PayBack free?

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

### Is SpendFriend free?

SpendFriend costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PayBack or SpendFriend?

SpendFriend is rated higher. PayBack averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while SpendFriend averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PayBack or SpendFriend have ads?

Neither PayBack nor SpendFriend shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PayBack or SpendFriend?

PayBack ships an update monthly, and SpendFriend every 3 weeks. Most recently, PayBack was updated on September 9, 2026 and SpendFriend on September 14, 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.*