# Checkbook vs Monetal

The clearest difference is rating: Monetal at 5.0 against Checkbook's 4.3. Monetal also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). Checkbook's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 21) and chart position (#156 vs unranked). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Checkbook sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Monetal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Monetal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Checkbook has 14K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Checkbook's written reviews are positive against 88% of Monetal's.

Checkbook ships an update every 6 weeks, Monetal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Checkbook | Monetal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkbook-account-tracker/id484000695/reviews) | **[5.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monetal-sms-expense-tracker/id1302304930/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | 55.8% of reviews | **88.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#156** | — |
| Size | 122 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beesoft Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1420966143) | [Ilya Krupko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1302304929) |

## What reviewers say

### Checkbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkbook-account-tracker/id484000695)

**Currently charting:** #156 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

Manage your daily finances with this app, tracking credit card charges, cash expenditures, and more. It offers multiple accounts, recurring transactions, fund transfers, and detailed reports with graphs. Easily search and export your financial data.

**Highlights:** Multiple account tracking, Recurring transaction saving, Fund transfers between accounts, Export data in CSV, QIF, HTML, Calendar view of transactions, Reports and charts for expenses/income, Passcode protection

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium - 1 Year | $7.99 | per year |
| Premium - 1 Year | $8.99 | per year |
| Premium - 1 Year | $9.99 | per year |
| Upgrade to Checkbook Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Easy to use
- 📊 Helpful charts and reports
- 🔄 Seamless sync across devices
- 🧮 Convenient built-in calculator
- 🗂️ Ability to manage multiple accounts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lacking advanced search/filtering
- 🔁 Recurring transactions issues
- 🔒 Concerns about data security
- 💰 Subscription model too expensive
- 📢 Intrusive ads in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Account balances not updating correctly
- Transactions disappearing or duplicating
- Sync issues between devices
- App crashes or freezes after updates

**Requested features**

- Custom categories and icons
- Budgeting and forecasting tools
- Ability to attach receipts/photos
- Improved account organization options
- Automatic balance reconciliation


### Monetal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monetal-sms-expense-tracker/id1302304930)

Effortlessly manage your finances with this ad-free expense tracker. Automatically parse transactions from SMS, track income, expenses, and debts across unlimited accounts. Features budgeting tools, detailed history, and cross-device sync for complete financial control.

**Highlights:** SMS transaction parsing, Add transactions in 3 taps, Track expenses, income, and debts, Unlimited multi-currency accounts, Budget planning tools, Cross-device data sync, No ads

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Month | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Year | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Year | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Year | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Forever | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Checkbook free?

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

### Is Monetal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Checkbook or Monetal?

Monetal is rated higher. Checkbook averages 4.3 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Monetal averages 5.0 from 21 ratings.

### Do Checkbook or Monetal have ads?

Checkbook shows ads; Monetal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Checkbook or Monetal?

Checkbook ships an update every 6 weeks, and Monetal every 2 weeks. Most recently, Checkbook was updated on October 30, 2026 and Monetal on October 29, 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.*