# Budgets Pro vs PocketGuard

Budgets Pro and PocketGuard both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 92% of Budgets Pro's written reviews are positive against 39% of PocketGuard's. Budgets Pro also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 14) and ads (none vs shown). PocketGuard's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and ratings volume (7.7K vs 10). On rating and device support there is nothing between them.

PocketGuard is free to download; Budgets Pro costs $4.99 up front. PocketGuard sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Budgets Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Budgets Pro against 4.6 for PocketGuard. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PocketGuard has 7.7K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Budgets Pro's written reviews are positive against 39% of PocketGuard's.

Budgets Pro ships an update every 2 months, PocketGuard every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Budgets Pro | PocketGuard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budgets-pro-expense-tracker/id498102622/reviews) | **[4.6 (7.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketguard-budget-app/id949414211/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **7.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **91.9% of reviews** | 38.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | #167 | **#55** |
| Size | 8 MB | 164 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MoneyBudgie](https://appshunter.io/developer/354069981) | [PocketGuard, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435880178) |

## What reviewers say

### Budgets Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budgets-pro-expense-tracker/id498102622)

**Currently charting:** #167 Top Paid · Finance (US App Store)

This app helps you manage your money by creating custom budgets and tracking your spending against them. It provides instant feedback on how much you have left to spend and allows you to view your purchase history. You can also export your data for further analysis.

**Highlights:** Create custom budgets (monthly, weekly, custom periods), Track spending against budgets, View remaining budget amounts, Monitor purchase history, Export purchases as CSV, Secure passcode entry

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### PocketGuard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketguard-budget-app/id949414211)

**Currently charting:** #55 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

This app simplifies personal finance by automatically tracking expenses and bills. It helps you understand your disposable income, analyze spending habits, and manage subscriptions to save money. Set financial goals and create debt-payoff plans with smart algorithms.

**Highlights:** Automatic expense tracking, Bill and subscription monitoring, Disposable income calculation, Spending habit analysis, Financial goal setting, Debt-payoff plan creation

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly offer with 7 day trial | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| PocketGuard Plus | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| PocketGuard Plus | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscriptions | $12.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| PocketGuard Plus | $24.99 | per year |
| PocketGuard Plus | $34.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $74.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Membership | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient app that helps track spending
- 👍 Customizable budgeting categories
- 🚀 Real-time transaction updates
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🚀 Helpful for getting finances under control

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring issues with bank account syncing
- 🔒 Security concerns with 2FA/MFA requirements
- 🚫 Lack of support for certain banks/credit cards
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Buggy app performance and frequent crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent transaction syncing and labeling
- Inability to delete or manage connected accounts
- Budgeting data disappearing or not updating properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to carry over unspent budget to next month
- More advanced reporting and analytics
- Light/dark mode theme options
- Improved transaction categorization and learning
- Support for multiple users/family budgeting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Budgets Pro free?

Budgets Pro costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PocketGuard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Budgets Pro or PocketGuard?

PocketGuard is rated higher. Budgets Pro averages 4.5 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while PocketGuard averages 4.6 from 7.7K ratings.

### Do Budgets Pro or PocketGuard have ads?

PocketGuard shows ads; Budgets Pro does not.

### Which is updated more often, Budgets Pro or PocketGuard?

Budgets Pro ships an update every 2 months, and PocketGuard every 3 weeks. Most recently, Budgets Pro was updated on October 26, 2026 and PocketGuard on October 26, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Budgets Pro or PocketGuard?

Budgets Pro currently peaks at #167 in the App Store charts, and PocketGuard at #55. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*