# Cost Split vs Settle Up

The clearest difference is ads: Cost Split at none against Settle Up's shown. Cost Split also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 59%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.4). Settle Up's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 129). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cost Split sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Settle Up sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Settle Up holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Settle Up has 1.7K ratings behind it against 129, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Cost Split's written reviews are positive against 59% of Settle Up's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Cost Split ships an update every 6 weeks, Settle Up every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cost Split | Settle Up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cost-split/id524132764/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/settle-up-group-expenses/id737534985/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 129 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **85.7% of reviews** | 58.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 31 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jacob Ivstam](https://appshunter.io/developer/524132767) | [Step Up Labs, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1109834817) |

## What reviewers say

### Cost Split

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cost-split/id524132764)

Easily manage shared expenses with friends and family. Track group costs, split bills unevenly, and get clear payback plans. Supports online and offline use with cloud sync and email reports.

**Highlights:** Cloud sync for group expenses, Offline support, Uneven expense splitting, Payback calculations, Email expense reports, Multiple currency support, Attach photos to expenses

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock | $0.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💰 Inexpensive premium version
- 🌍 Supports multiple currencies
- 📝 Detailed expense tracking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Currency rates not downloading
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel premium subscription
- 🔍 Limited to 5 free transactions
- 📤 Email report formatting issues
- 🔍 Lack of search/filtering options

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues between devices
- Incorrect expense calculation/payback amounts

**Requested features**

- Add ability to group/categorize expenses
- Implement Android app version
- Allow more than one person to pay an expense
- Add option to print/export expense reports
- Include receipt image attachments in email reports


### Settle Up

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/settle-up-group-expenses/id737534985)

Easily track shared expenses and IOUs for groups like travelers, flatmates, or friends. Handles complex splits, multiple payers, incomes, and items from bills. Works offline and across platforms, minimizing transfers and offering real-time exchange rates.

**Highlights:** Track shared expenses, Manage IOUs, Handle complex splits, Multiple payers support, Offline functionality, Real-time exchange rates, Data export

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Group Premium for 1 week | $5.99 | one-time |
| Group Premium for 2 weeks | $9.99 | one-time |
| Group Premium for 2 months | $14.99 | one-time |
| Group Premium for 1 month | $14.99 | one-time |
| Group Premium for 2 months | $29.99 | one-time |
| Group Premium | $39.99 | one-time |
| Group Premium for 1 year | $39.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Group Premium | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Flexible expense splitting
- 🚀 Fast expense adding
- 💡 Supports multiple currencies
- 👍 Helpful for group trips and outings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive compared to alternatives
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 👎 Poor UI/UX design
- 👎 Free version lacks key features
- 🔒 Requires social media login

**Reported bugs**

- Expense details disappearing
- Inability to create new groups
- Keyboard issues on iOS 8
- Incompatibility with iPad

**Requested features**

- Ability to assign fixed amounts to group members
- Option to adjust expense shares (e.g. exclude certain items)
- Support for paying groups (multi-family events)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cost Split free?

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

### Is Settle Up free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cost Split or Settle Up?

Settle Up is rated higher. Cost Split averages 4.6 out of 5 from 129 ratings, while Settle Up averages 4.8 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Cost Split or Settle Up have ads?

Settle Up shows ads; Cost Split does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cost Split or Settle Up?

Cost Split ships an update every 6 weeks, and Settle Up every 2 weeks. Most recently, Cost Split was updated on October 13, 2026 and Settle Up on October 13, 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.*