Comparison

Checkbook vs Buddy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Checkbook

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
Currently charting
Read full description

An easy & quick way to manage your daily finances, Checkbook keeps track of your credit card charges, cash expenditures...etc. With the Checkbook application, it can totally replace your paper checkbook. You can create multiple accounts, save recurring transactions, transfer funds, view reports & graphs, export data...etc. You can even search the transaction by crossing your finger on the calendar! All details of the Checkbook are well designed to provide an excellent experience. Designed and developed by polycents! FEATURES ※Export in CSV, QIF & HTML Formats -Export your transactions by email for use of desktop applications such as Excel, Quicken...etc. ※Calendar -Show all your monthly transactions as points on the calendar. -Filter transactions by tapping a date or selecting multiple dates on the calendar. ※Recurring Transactions -Save a transaction to be used repeatedly(daily, weekly, 2 weeks, monthly, tire monthly), without retyping all the details. ※Multiple Accounts -Track as many accounts as you need. ※Categories -Supports multiple categories with beautiful icons to choose from. ※Payee & Note -All the details you need to keep track of your transactions are including. ※Search -Quickly search for transactions by dates, name, payee, and category. -Search and edit transactions on the same screen. ※Transfer -Transfer funds from one account to another. ※Reconcile Transactions -Reconcile your transactions by editing cleared/un-cleared status ※Reports & Charts -Review all your expenses & income by category or account with beautiful graphs and reports. -Supports both bar and pie charts. -You can set the time period to daily, weekly, monthly & yearly. ※Passcode -Protects your private information. ※Currency -Supports multiple currencies. ※Elegant, Powerful & User-friendly interface # Subscription Details # - Monthly and annual subscriptions are available. - Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. - Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is disabled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. - Automatic renewals will be charged at the same price you were originally charged for the subscription. - Subscriptions can be managed by going to Account Settings on the App Store after purchase. Terms of Use: https://www.iubenda.com/terms-and-conditions/42835851 Privacy Policy: https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/42835851 Developer website:https://www.polycents.com If you have any problems or suggestions please send a mail to checkbook@appxy.com, you will get the response in a short time.

About

Buddy

This app helps you create and manage personal or shared budgets. Track expenses, connect your bank account for automatic transaction import, and gain a clear overview of your spending, income, and savings. It also features tools to split costs and settle up with others.

Highlights
  • Create personal budgets
  • Shared budgeting for couples/groups
  • Connect bank accounts for transaction import
  • Detailed spending and income overview
  • Expense splitting and settlement tracking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Buddy helps you set up a budget and keep track of your expenses, either by yourself or together with your loved ones. Here’s what is waiting for you inside: BUDGETS Buddy will help you not to overspend on your well-earned salary by setting up a budget plan that fits you. Do you want a shared budget with your partner? Or keep the expenses between you and your mates fair on the vacation? No problem, just invite them and get a clear picture of who spent what. CONNECT YOUR BANK Import all transactions from your bank account into Buddy and see how your budget is doing. OVERVIEW We'll give you a beautiful & detailed overview of your spendings, income, and savings. SPLIT Split lets you know who paid what, and how to settle up. And much more for you to find. Take control of your finance today! Buddy offers a $9.99 monthly renewing and a $49.99 yearly renewing subscription to unlock Premium functionality. The purchase will be charged from your iTunes account if you choose to buy the Buddy Premium subscription. You can manage or cancel your subscription through the user settings in iTunes after the purchase. The subscription period ends with the same kind of subscription you already bought to the same price unless you turn off your subscription 24 hours before it renews. It is not possible to cancel your current subscription during the time your subscription is active. Privacy Policy: https://buddy.download/privacypolicy/ Terms & Conditions: https://buddy.download/terms-and-conditions/

Screenshots

Checkbook4 screens
Buddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Buddy at free with in-app purchases against Checkbook's subscription. Buddy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). Checkbook's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Checkbook sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Buddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14K and 9.6K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of Checkbook's written reviews are positive against 48% of Buddy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Checkbook ships an update every 6 weeks, Buddy every 9 days. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Checkbook versus Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCheckbookBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (14K ratings)4.7 (9.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.8% of reviews — better48.5% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better9.6K
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#147#68 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size122 MB169 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeesoft AppsBuddy Budgeting AB

Customer experience

Checkbook

All ratings14,252 ratings
Positive82.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative11.7%
Written reviews779 reviews
Positive55.8%
Neutral9.4%
Negative34.8%

Buddy

All ratings9,567 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews889 reviews
Positive48.5%
Neutral11.9%
Negative39.6%

User reviews

Checkbook

From 14K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Buddy

From 9.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Visually appealing
  • 💡 Customizable categories
  • 🚀 Intuitive interface
  • 👍 Helps with budgeting

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Recurring transactions not working properly
  • 🐛 Balance not carrying over to next month
  • 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
  • 🐛 Transactions disappearing or resetting
  • 💸 Expensive subscription

Bugs and requests

Checkbook

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Buddy

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Recurring transactions not working as expected
  • Balance not carrying over to next month
  • Syncing issues between devices
  • Transactions disappearing or resetting
  • Inability to edit categories without creating new ones

Requested features

8 requests
  • Calendar view for transactions
  • Bill reminders and due date tracking
  • Ability to hide/exclude certain transactions
  • Savings/investment tracking
  • Multi-currency support
Show 3 more
  • Ability to reorder categories
  • Weekly budget view
  • Ability to split transactions

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Checkbook

Subscriptions4
  • Premium - 1 Month$0.991 Month
  • Premium - 1 Year7 Days trial$7.991 Year
  • Premium - 1 Year7 Days trial$8.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Premium - 1 Year7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Upgrade to Checkbook Pro$9.99
11 purchases

Buddy

Subscriptions10
  • Buddy Premium7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Buddy Premium$4.991 Month
  • Premium$9.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Buddy Premium$9.991 Month
  • Buddy Premium7 Days trial$16.991 Year
  • Buddy Premium7 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Buddy Premium7 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • Buddy Premium1 Year trial$34.991 Year
  • Buddy Premium7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Buddy Premium7 Days trial2 variants$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlimited$49.99

Questions

Is Checkbook free?
Checkbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Buddy free?
Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Checkbook or Buddy?
Buddy is rated higher. Checkbook averages 4.3 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Buddy averages 4.7 from 9.6K ratings.
Do Checkbook or Buddy have ads?
Checkbook shows ads; Buddy does not.
Which is updated more often, Checkbook or Buddy?
Checkbook ships an update every 6 weeks, and Buddy every 9 days. Most recently, Checkbook was updated on November 1, 2026 and Buddy on November 1, 2026.
Which is more popular, Checkbook or Buddy?
Checkbook currently peaks at #147 in the App Store charts, and Buddy at #68. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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