# iSum vs Budget Projects

The clearest difference is ads: iSum at none against Budget Projects's shown. iSum also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (83% vs 62%). Budget Projects's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iSum sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per year and Budget Projects sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 6 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Budget Projects holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 80 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of iSum's written reviews are positive against 62% of Budget Projects's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

iSum ships an update fortnightly, Budget Projects every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iSum | Budget Projects |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isum/id435350676/reviews) | **[4.3 (80 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-projects/id898189432/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 24 | **80** |
| Positive reviews | **82.7% of reviews** | 62.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ZEN PLUS LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/317808580) | [LINKLINKS LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/600375781) |

## What reviewers say

### iSum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isum/id435350676)

Easily track expenses, time, and various other metrics with a beautifully redesigned, user-friendly interface. Gain insights into your data with totals, averages, and trends, and export your information conveniently.

**Highlights:** Simplified and intuitive interface, Versatile tracking of expenses, time, and metrics, Customizable group organization, In-depth data insights and trend overviews, CSV data export functionality, Support for tracking negative numbers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iSum Annual Subscription | $2.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Straightforward and efficient
- 💡 Useful for tracking expenses and budgeting
- 🔒 Secure and private data storage
- ⭐ Great customer service and responsiveness

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or data loss issues
- 🔒 Lack of password protection or security features
- 💰 Subscription model or paid upgrade concerns
- 📂 Limited number of categories or lists
- 🔄 Difficulty restoring previous purchases

**Reported bugs**

- Notes or descriptions disappearing after edits
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Incorrect date/time recording for entries

**Requested features**

- Add more category options
- Implement iCloud or cloud sync support
- Include a daily/weekly/monthly expense summary
- Allow customization of currency and date formats
- Provide a password protection or lock screen feature


### Budget Projects

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-projects/id898189432)

This app helps you manage your finances by creating income and expense budgets. Track your spending against these budgets to gain control and save money. Visualize your financial habits with detailed reports and charts.

**Highlights:** Create unlimited budgets, Recurring budget options, Progress bar for budget tracking, Detailed financial reports and charts, Customizable categories, Transaction search and export, Passcode and Touch ID protection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - 6 months | $1.99 | per 6 months |
| Remove Ads Forever | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Transactions | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 💰 Simple, no-frills budgeting approach
- 🔄 Rollover feature between budget periods
- 📊 Customizable budget categories
- 🔒 No bank account linking required

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- ⚠️ Data loss after updates
- 🔄 Recurring costs sometimes disappear
- 📅 Date field stuck in January (recent bug)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when creating budgets
- Recurring costs not deducted from associated budgets
- Date field defaults to January instead of current date
- Ads appearing in center of screen and not closeable
- Data erased after app updates

**Requested features**

- In-app tutorial or contextual help menu
- Automatic transaction entry from bank accounts
- Biweekly recurring payment option
- Default time setting for all transactions
- Monthly calendar view of expenses


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iSum free?

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

### Is Budget Projects free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iSum or Budget Projects?

Budget Projects is rated higher. iSum averages 4.1 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Budget Projects averages 4.3 from 80 ratings.

### Do iSum or Budget Projects have ads?

Budget Projects shows ads; iSum does not.

### Which is updated more often, iSum or Budget Projects?

iSum ships an update fortnightly, and Budget Projects every 6 months. Most recently, iSum was updated on September 19, 2026 and Budget Projects on September 23, 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.*