# Bookkeeping vs Self Employed

The clearest difference is price: Self Employed at Free against Bookkeeping's $2.99. Self Employed also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 7). Bookkeeping's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (74% vs 47%). On in-app purchases, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Self Employed is free to download; Bookkeeping costs $2.99 up front. Bookkeeping sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month and Self Employed sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Self Employed holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Self Employed has 2.1K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Bookkeeping's written reviews are positive against 47% of Self Employed's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Bookkeeping ships an update every 3 months, Self Employed fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookkeeping | Self Employed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookkeeping/id357412761/reviews) | **[4.2 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/self-employed-accounting/id6450295655/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **2.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **73.9% of reviews** | 47.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#136** |
| Size | 13 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Warby Software Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/357412764) | [Protection & Security App LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1282949976) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookkeeping

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookkeeping/id357412761)

This app provides double-entry bookkeeping and invoicing for small businesses, non-profits, and clubs. It works offline and syncs data across devices using Dropbox. Manage unlimited companies and transactions with a variety of financial tools.

**Highlights:** Double-entry bookkeeping, Invoicing and quotations, Offline functionality, Dropbox synchronization, Unlimited companies and transactions, Multi-currency support, PDF reports

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Data Entry for 1 Month | $2.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 💼 Comprehensive double-entry bookkeeping functionality
- 📱 Portable accounting solution for iPad/iPhone
- 💰 Excellent value for money compared to desktop alternatives
- 📊 Professional-looking invoices and reports
- 🎯 Powerful features for small businesses

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎓 Steep learning curve for non-accountants
- 🔐 Hidden subscription requirement after purchase
- ❌ Not intuitive for beginners
- ⚠️ Requires accounting knowledge to use effectively
- 🖥️ Lacks cloud sync across multiple devices

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when setting year start date
- Screen misalignment on iPad 2
- Persistent rating prompt pop-ups
- Unable to change default quantity on sale line items
- App locks when editing setup

**Requested features**

- Cloud sync across multiple iOS devices
- Receipt photo capture functionality
- Simplified version for sole traders
- Trial/demo version before purchase
- Mac application version


### Self Employed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/self-employed-accounting/id6450295655)

**Currently charting:** #136 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

Streamline business operations for self-employed individuals. Manage invoices, track expenses and mileage automatically, and simplify tax compliance with US federal tax law features. Gain insights with reports and analytics.

**Highlights:** Professional invoice creation, Automatic GPS mileage tracking, Categorized expense tracking, Receipt scanning with OCR, US federal tax law compliance, Business finance reports and analytics

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Employed Monthly Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| Employed Yearly Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Simplicity and intuitiveness
- 💡 Useful for small businesses and families
- 🚀 Efficient for tracking expenses and income

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🐛 Inability to add decimal points for expenses
- 🐛 Unreliable mileage tracking
- 🐛 Syncing and data loss problems
- 🔒 Concerns about security and account access

**Reported bugs**

- App not opening past initial screen
- Inability to log in to existing account
- Quota exceeded error messages
- Transactions not saving properly

**Requested features**

- Add ability to upload digital receipts
- Improve date and transaction editing functionality
- Integrate with other professional apps
- Provide better instructions and guidance for users


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookkeeping free?

Bookkeeping costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Self Employed free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bookkeeping or Self Employed?

Self Employed is rated higher. Bookkeeping averages 3.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Self Employed averages 4.2 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do Bookkeeping or Self Employed have ads?

Self Employed shows ads; Bookkeeping does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bookkeeping or Self Employed?

Bookkeeping ships an update every 3 months, and Self Employed fortnightly. Most recently, Bookkeeping was updated on October 26, 2026 and Self Employed on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*