# Spending Tracker vs Build a Budget

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Build a Budget at none against Spending Tracker's 1. Build a Budget also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Spending Tracker's advantage is ratings volume (19K vs 1) and device support (5 vs 1). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spending Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Build a Budget asks for nothing beyond the download.

Build a Budget holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spending Tracker has 19K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Spending Tracker ships an update every 2 months, Build a Budget weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spending Tracker | Build a Budget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spending-tracker/id548615579/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/build-a-budget/id6809194081/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 94.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 50 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 26.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MH Riley Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/409695800) | [ALEXANDER KALMAN DUNN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1870110372) |

## 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


### Build a Budget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/build-a-budget/id6809194081)

Manually log income and expenses with customizable categories and recurring transaction scheduling. Automate tracking with Apple Shortcuts for a faster financial overview.

**Highlights:** Manual income and expense logging, Customizable categories, Recurring transaction scheduling, Apple Shortcuts automation, Quick transaction entry

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spending Tracker free?

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

### Is Build a Budget free?

Build a Budget is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Spending Tracker or Build a Budget?

Build a Budget is rated higher. Spending Tracker averages 4.8 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Build a Budget averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Spending Tracker or Build a Budget have ads?

Spending Tracker shows ads; Build a Budget does not.

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

Spending Tracker ships an update every 2 months, and Build a Budget weekly. Most recently, Spending Tracker was updated on October 31, 2026 and Build a Budget on October 9, 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.*