# Balance Guide Lite vs Buddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Balance Guide Lite at 88% against Buddy's 48%. Balance Guide Lite also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). Buddy's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Balance Guide Lite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase 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.

Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buddy has 9.6K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of Balance Guide Lite'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.

Balance Guide Lite ships an update every 5 months, Buddy every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Balance Guide Lite | Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balance-guide-lite/id514090147/reviews) | **[4.7 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **9.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **88.2% of reviews** | 48.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#87** |
| Size | 70 MB | 169 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mindwarp Consultancy Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/379259897) | [Buddy Budgeting AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/936422954) |

## What reviewers say

### Balance Guide Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balance-guide-lite/id514090147)

Easily manage your finances and plan your budget. This app helps you track your account balance, upcoming bills, and spending habits. It offers forecasting for future finances and allows for quick correction of your balance without needing to enter every transaction.

**Highlights:** Dark mode, Recurring transaction setup, Financial forecasting, Pie charts and graphs, Customizable categories, PIN security

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads, Multiple Accounts + Dropbox backup | $2.99 | one-time |


### Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955)

**Currently charting:** #87 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buddy Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Buddy Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Buddy Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Buddy Premium | $16.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlimited | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Calendar view for transactions
- Bill reminders and due date tracking
- Ability to hide/exclude certain transactions
- Savings/investment tracking
- Multi-currency support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Balance Guide Lite free?

Balance Guide Lite 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, Balance Guide Lite or Buddy?

Buddy is rated higher. Balance Guide Lite averages 4.2 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Buddy averages 4.7 from 9.6K ratings.

### Do Balance Guide Lite or Buddy have ads?

Neither Balance Guide Lite nor Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Balance Guide Lite or Buddy?

Balance Guide Lite ships an update every 5 months, and Buddy every 9 days. Most recently, Balance Guide Lite was updated on October 29, 2026 and Buddy on October 30, 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.*