# Expense Keep vs PocketGuard

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Expense Keep at 77% against PocketGuard's 39%. Expense Keep also leads on ads (none vs shown). PocketGuard's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.4) and chart position (#66 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Expense Keep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PocketGuard sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PocketGuard holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.7K and 7.7K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of Expense Keep's written reviews are positive against 39% of PocketGuard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Expense Keep ships an update every 6 weeks, PocketGuard every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Expense Keep | PocketGuard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-keep-envelope-budget/id601885495/reviews) | **[4.6 (7.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketguard-budget-app/id949414211/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K | **7.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **77.5% of reviews** | 38.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#66** |
| Size | 5 MB | 167 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tayson Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/601885498) | [PocketGuard, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435880178) |

## 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


### PocketGuard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketguard-budget-app/id949414211)

**Currently charting:** #66 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

This app simplifies personal finance by automatically tracking expenses and bills. It helps you understand your disposable income, analyze spending habits, and manage subscriptions to save money. Set financial goals and create debt-payoff plans with smart algorithms.

**Highlights:** Automatic expense tracking, Bill and subscription monitoring, Disposable income calculation, Spending habit analysis, Financial goal setting, Debt-payoff plan creation

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly offer with 7 day trial | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| PocketGuard Plus | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscriptions | $12.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| PocketGuard Plus | $34.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient app that helps track spending
- 👍 Customizable budgeting categories
- 🚀 Real-time transaction updates
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🚀 Helpful for getting finances under control

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring issues with bank account syncing
- 🔒 Security concerns with 2FA/MFA requirements
- 🚫 Lack of support for certain banks/credit cards
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Buggy app performance and frequent crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent transaction syncing and labeling
- Inability to delete or manage connected accounts
- Budgeting data disappearing or not updating properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to carry over unspent budget to next month
- More advanced reporting and analytics
- Light/dark mode theme options
- Improved transaction categorization and learning
- Support for multiple users/family budgeting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Expense Keep free?

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

### Is PocketGuard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Expense Keep or PocketGuard?

PocketGuard is rated higher. Expense Keep averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while PocketGuard averages 4.6 from 7.7K ratings.

### Do Expense Keep or PocketGuard have ads?

PocketGuard shows ads; Expense Keep does not.

### Which is updated more often, Expense Keep or PocketGuard?

Expense Keep ships an update every 6 weeks, and PocketGuard every 3 weeks. Most recently, Expense Keep was updated on November 1, 2026 and PocketGuard on November 1, 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.*