# Spending Tracker vs The Checkbook

The clearest difference is price: Spending Tracker at Free against The Checkbook's $4.99. Spending Tracker also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 76%) and ratings volume (19K vs 970). The Checkbook's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On rating, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Spending Tracker is free to download; The Checkbook costs $4.99 up front. Spending Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and The Checkbook sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 4.8 for The Checkbook. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spending Tracker has 19K ratings behind it against 970, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Spending Tracker's written reviews are positive against 76% of The Checkbook's.

Spending Tracker ships an update every 2 months, The Checkbook fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spending Tracker | The Checkbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spending-tracker/id548615579/reviews) | [4.8 (970 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-checkbook/id6468368811/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 970 |
| Positive reviews | **94.6% of reviews** | 75.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#53** |
| Size | 50 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MH Riley Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/409695800) | [Four One Four 213, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1709830108) |

## 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


### The Checkbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-checkbook/id6468368811)

**Currently charting:** #53 Top Paid · Finance (US App Store)

Manage your finances on the go with this transaction tracker. Easily record income and expenses, schedule upcoming bills, and reconcile with your bank statements for accurate balance tracking. Offers multiple accounts, customizable themes, and secure access.

**Highlights:** Real-time transaction tracking, Upcoming bill and deposit scheduling, Bank account reconciliation, Multiple account management, Customizable color themes, Transaction search and filtering, Recurring transaction setup

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shared Storage - Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Shared Storage - Annual | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Easy to use
- 🔍 Helps track finances
- 📱 Convenient mobile app
- 🧮 Simple check register
- 🔒 Secure with Face ID

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔢 Limited account name length
- 🔍 Difficult to view past transactions
- 🔢 No custom currency options
- 🐛 Data loss issues
- 🚫 No iPad-optimized layout

**Reported bugs**

- Data loss and sync issues
- Incorrect transaction display
- Recurring transactions not working as expected

**Requested features**

- 📊 Spending reports and analytics
- 🔁 More recurring transaction options
- 🖨️ Check printing capability
- 🔀 Ability to split transactions
- 🔄 Easier transaction editing/deletion


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spending Tracker free?

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

### Is The Checkbook free?

The Checkbook costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Spending Tracker or The Checkbook?

Spending Tracker and The Checkbook are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 19K and 970 ratings respectively.

### Do Spending Tracker or The Checkbook have ads?

Spending Tracker shows ads; The Checkbook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Spending Tracker or The Checkbook?

Spending Tracker ships an update every 2 months, and The Checkbook fortnightly. Most recently, Spending Tracker was updated on September 24, 2026 and The Checkbook 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.*