# Expense Keep vs Simple Envelope Budgeting

The clearest difference is price: Expense Keep at Free against Simple Envelope Budgeting's $2.99. Expense Keep also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.7) and review sentiment (77% vs 38%). Simple Envelope Budgeting's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Expense Keep is free to download; Simple Envelope Budgeting costs $2.99 up front. Expense Keep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Simple Envelope Budgeting asks for nothing beyond the download.

Expense Keep holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Expense Keep has 1.7K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Expense Keep's written reviews are positive against 38% of Simple Envelope Budgeting's.

Expense Keep ships an update every 6 weeks, Simple Envelope Budgeting monthly. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Expense Keep | Simple Envelope Budgeting |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.4 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-keep-envelope-budget/id601885495/reviews)** | [3.7 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-envelope-budgeting/id6443788334/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **77.5% of reviews** | 37.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 5 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tayson Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/601885498) | [Frank Herring](https://appshunter.io/developer/1229497521) |

## What reviewers say

### Expense Keep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-keep-envelope-budget/id601885495)

This app offers a simple and fast way to track expenses and income, helping users manage their finances and save money. It allows for organizing funds into separate accounts or spending envelopes, with features for recurring transactions and detailed monthly history.

**Highlights:** Track expenses and income, Organize money into accounts/envelopes, Set up recurring transactions, View monthly history and cash flow, Create custom expense categories, Transfer money between accounts

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Expense Keep Pro | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Simple and intuitive interface
- 📊 Helpful expense tracking and visualization
- 🔁 Recurring expense and income management
- 🧠 Useful for budgeting and financial awareness
- 💰 Good value for the paid version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes after recent updates
- 🔒 Lack of cloud backup and data sync
- 📄 Limited export and reporting options
- 🔧 Inability to edit expense categories
- 💸 Some features locked behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch after recent update
- Dark mode functionality is broken
- Recurring expense dates not updating correctly
- Unable to export data or send feedback in-app

**Requested features**

- Add support for multiple currencies
- Implement a monthly budgeting feature
- Allow customization of expense categories
- Improve data export and reporting options
- Integrate cloud backup and cross-device sync


### Simple Envelope Budgeting

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-envelope-budgeting/id6443788334)

Digitize your financial efforts with this straightforward budgeting app. It uses a color-coded envelope system to help you track spending, set savings goals, and avoid going over budget. Syncs across devices without ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** iCloud Sync, Savings Goals, Color-Coded Envelopes, Budget Overspend Indicator, Search Function, Ad-Free Experience

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Expense Keep free?

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

### Is Simple Envelope Budgeting free?

Simple Envelope Budgeting costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Expense Keep or Simple Envelope Budgeting?

Expense Keep is rated higher. Expense Keep averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Simple Envelope Budgeting averages 3.7 from 11 ratings.

### Do Expense Keep or Simple Envelope Budgeting have ads?

Neither Expense Keep nor Simple Envelope Budgeting shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Expense Keep or Simple Envelope Budgeting?

Expense Keep ships an update every 6 weeks, and Simple Envelope Budgeting monthly. Most recently, Expense Keep was updated on October 15, 2026 and Simple Envelope Budgeting on October 15, 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.*