# Best Budget vs Wave Budget

The clearest difference is rating: Wave Budget at 4.8 against Best Budget's 3.9. Wave Budget also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). Best Budget's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (68 vs 13). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Wave Budget sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Best Budget asks for nothing beyond the download.

Wave Budget holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Best Budget has 68 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Best Budget's written reviews are positive against 100% of Wave Budget's.

Best Budget ships an update every 6 months, Wave Budget fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Best Budget | Wave Budget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-budget/id492359166/reviews) | **[4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-budget/id1597718926/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **68** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 52 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [倩 赵](https://appshunter.io/developer/376557917) | [Stefan Galler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1466600641) |

## What reviewers say

### Best Budget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-budget/id492359166)

This personal finance app helps you manage your money by creating unlimited income and expense budgets. Track transactions, monitor spending against your budgets, and gain insights into your financial habits. It offers robust reporting and data management features to help you become your own financial expert.

**Highlights:** Create unlimited budgets, Track income and expenses, Set budget details (name, amount, category), Rollover budget amounts, Transfer funds between budgets, View transaction history, Generate income/expense reports, Export budgets (HTML, CSV, PDF)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient budgeting features
- 💡 Helpful for tracking expenses
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Great for managing multiple budgets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 💸 Aggressive advertising in free version
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 🤔 Confusing interface for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Transactions not saving properly
- Budgets disappearing without explanation
- Incorrect calculations and balance display

**Requested features**

- Ability to link accounts and sync data
- More detailed reporting and analytics
- Recurring income and expense options
- Improved user guide and tutorials


### Wave Budget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-budget/id1597718926)

Easily set up a monthly budget and monitor your spending to understand your remaining funds. Its minimalist design ensures quick and efficient financial management. Connect with your Apple ID for seamless cross-device synchronization.

**Highlights:** Monthly budget setup, Expense tracking, Minimalist design, Cross-device sync via Apple ID, No login required

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $9.49 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Best Budget free?

Best Budget is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Wave Budget free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Best Budget or Wave Budget?

Wave Budget is rated higher. Best Budget averages 3.9 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Wave Budget averages 4.8 from 13 ratings.

### Do Best Budget or Wave Budget have ads?

Best Budget shows ads; Wave Budget does not.

### Which is updated more often, Best Budget or Wave Budget?

Best Budget ships an update every 6 months, and Wave Budget fortnightly. Most recently, Best Budget was updated on November 1, 2026 and Wave Budget on November 3, 2026.

---

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