# Checkbook vs True Balance Lite

The clearest difference is monetization model: True Balance Lite at free with in-app purchases against Checkbook's subscription. True Balance Lite also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (83% vs 56%). Checkbook's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 21) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Checkbook sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and True Balance Lite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

True Balance Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.4 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 83% of True Balance Lite's.

Checkbook ships an update every 6 weeks, True Balance Lite every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Checkbook | True Balance Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkbook-account-tracker/id484000695/reviews) | **[4.4 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/true-balance-lite/id1357847669/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | 55.9% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#149** | — |
| Size | 122 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beesoft Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1420966143) | [Robert Wohnoutka](https://appshunter.io/developer/372954100) |

## What reviewers say

### Checkbook

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

**Currently charting:** #149 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


### True Balance Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/true-balance-lite/id1357847669)

Easily track all your cash, personal, or business expenses with independent, customizable tapes. Correct mistakes, insert new entries, and see real-time recalculations for accurate financial overviews. Securely store data locally with optional password protection.

**Highlights:** 12 independent tracking tapes, Customizable tape names and colors, Real-time entry correction and recalculation, Local data storage with optional password, Backup and restore functionality, Large numeric keyboard for easy entry

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Entries | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Checkbook free?

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

### Is True Balance Lite free?

True Balance Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Checkbook or True Balance Lite?

True Balance Lite is rated higher. Checkbook averages 4.3 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while True Balance Lite averages 4.4 from 21 ratings.

### Do Checkbook or True Balance Lite have ads?

Checkbook shows ads; True Balance Lite does not.

### Which is updated more often, Checkbook or True Balance Lite?

Checkbook ships an update every 6 weeks, and True Balance Lite every 6 months. Most recently, Checkbook was updated on November 10, 2026 and True Balance Lite on November 2, 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.*