# Spending Tracker vs Budget app

The clearest difference is ads: Budget app at none against Spending Tracker's shown. Budget app also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and chart position (#60 vs unranked). Spending Tracker's advantage is review sentiment (95% vs 79%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spending Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Budget app sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Spending Tracker against 4.7 for Budget app. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19K and 16K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Spending Tracker's written reviews are positive against 79% of Budget app's.

Spending Tracker ships an update every 2 months, Budget app every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spending Tracker | Budget app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spending-tracker/id548615579/reviews)** | [4.7 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-spending-tracker/id1525179720/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 16K |
| Positive reviews | **94.6% of reviews** | 79.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#60** |
| Size | 50 MB | 231 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MH Riley Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/409695800) | [InnerGrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828382777) |

## What reviewers say

### Spending Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spending-tracker/id548615579)

Easily track your expenses and income to gain control over your finances. Set budgets, view spending summaries, and generate reports with interactive charts. Take the first step towards saving money by understanding where your money goes.

**Highlights:** Simple and intuitive interface, Flexible time period tracking (Weekly, Monthly, Yearly), Budget mode with carry-over, Summary view of spending progress, Log expenses and income, Editable spending and income categories, Interactive charts and reports

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 📊 Helpful reports and charts
- 💰 One-time fee for premium features
- 🔁 Recurring transactions
- 🗂️ Multiple accounts and categories

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional syncing issues
- 🔢 Lack of fortnightly budget option
- 🗂️ Difficulty deleting unused categories
- 💰 Paid upgrade required for some features
- 📈 Limited budget tracking within categories

**Reported bugs**

- Transactions sometimes entered in wrong order
- Backup and restore functionality not always reliable

**Requested features**

- Add ability to split transactions into multiple categories
- Incorporate currency conversion and exchange rates
- Allow family/shared account access and updates
- Implement a 'Debt' category to track loan payments
- Add option to take photos of receipts and attach to transactions


### Budget app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-spending-tracker/id1525179720)

**Currently charting:** #60 Top Grossing · Finance, #173 Top Free · Finance (US App Store)

This personal finance app helps you track spending, plan budgets, and save money to achieve financial freedom. It offers features like AI-powered tracking, shared budgeting, and detailed stats to understand your financial habits.

**Highlights:** Budget Planner, Spending Tracker, Money Management, Recurring Transactions, Shared Budgeting, AI Tracking, Stats & Charts

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Budget Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Financial Empowerment | $5.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium | $6.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium Sale | $4.99 | one-time |
| lifetime member sale | $6.99 | one-time |
| Budget Lifetime Member | $8.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Global | $8.99 | one-time |
| Family Premium | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Straightforward and intuitive
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase
- 🎨 Customizable categories and colors
- 🗓️ Helpful calendar and transaction views

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring bills/payments not working as expected
- 🔍 Lack of advanced reporting and analytics
- 🤝 Sharing/collaboration features not reliable
- 🇨🇦 Limited support for Canadian banks/accounts
- 🔀 Difficulty moving money between budgets

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues between devices
- Transactions not always loading correctly
- Upgrade/premium features not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to carry over surplus/deficit between months
- Option to view remaining budget instead of just spent
- Multiple savings account/ledger support
- Automatic recurring bill/subscription tracking
- Web/desktop app version for easier data entry


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spending Tracker free?

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

### Is Budget app free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spending Tracker or Budget app?

Spending Tracker is rated higher. Spending Tracker averages 4.8 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Budget app averages 4.7 from 16K ratings.

### Do Spending Tracker or Budget app have ads?

Spending Tracker shows ads; Budget app does not.

### Which is updated more often, Spending Tracker or Budget app?

Spending Tracker ships an update every 2 months, and Budget app every 9 days. Most recently, Spending Tracker was updated on September 24, 2026 and Budget app on September 24, 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.*