# Expense Tracker vs Budget app & spending tracker

The clearest difference is rating: Expense Tracker at 4.8 against Budget app & spending tracker's 3.0. Expense Tracker also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (888 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Expense Tracker sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Budget app & spending tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Expense Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Expense Tracker has 888 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Expense Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, Budget app & spending tracker every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Expense Tracker | Budget app & spending tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (888 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-monai/id6447112647/reviews)** | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-and-spending-tracker/id6747028140/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **888** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 82.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 54 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Florian Vates](https://appshunter.io/developer/1544416478) | [Thi Quynh Nhu Phan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763169469) |

## What reviewers say

### Expense Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-monai/id6447112647)

Effortlessly track daily expenses with AI-powered voice input and automatic categorization. Enjoy a beautiful, clutter-free interface and secure iCloud storage. Offers a free trial before subscription.

**Highlights:** AI-powered voice expense input, Automatic expense categorization, Manual expense entry, Customizable categories, Beautiful and intuitive UI/UX, Secure iCloud storage, Privacy-friendly, no login required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Basic monthly intro | $2.99 | per month |
| Advanced | $2.99 | per month |
| Family month intro | $3.99 | per month |
| Basic monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Family | $3.99 | per month |
| Student Monthly | $4.49 | per month |
| Family month | $5.49 | per month |
| Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Student Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Basic yearly intro | $24.99 | per year |
| Advanced | $24.99 | per year |
| Basic yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Family yearly intro | $34.99 | per year |
| Family | $34.99 | per year |
| Family yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $71.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Dictate transactions, no need to enter individually
- 🚀 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Shared account for couples
- 👍 Practical, solves the problem of writing down expenses
- 👍 Intuitive and effective

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't register all transactions, especially Apple Pay
- 🔒 Requires payment to use, no free trial
- 🔒 Stops working on alternative devices after paying
- 🔒 Limited features in free version
- 🐛 Voice input sometimes gets stuck or has errors

**Reported bugs**

- Doesn't register all bank transactions
- Incompatible with some devices or iOS versions
- Sharing large lists doesn't work

**Requested features**

- Weekly/daily expense view
- Separate savings category
- Ability to add past expenses
- Multi-currency support
- Improved reporting and analytics


### Budget app & spending tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-and-spending-tracker/id6747028140)

This app helps you take control of your finances by manually tracking every dollar spent and earned. Visualize your spending habits with charts, set up custom categories, and manage recurring bills. It prioritizes your privacy with no forced sign-ups.

**Highlights:** Manual expense and income logging, Visual spending insights and charts, Customizable categories, Recurring transaction management, Calendar view of transactions, Privacy-focused, no forced sign-up

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Expense Tracker free?

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

### Is Budget app & spending tracker free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Expense Tracker or Budget app & spending tracker?

Expense Tracker is rated higher. Expense Tracker averages 4.8 out of 5 from 888 ratings, while Budget app & spending tracker averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Expense Tracker or Budget app & spending tracker have ads?

Neither Expense Tracker nor Budget app & spending tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Expense Tracker or Budget app & spending tracker?

Expense Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, and Budget app & spending tracker every 6 months. Most recently, Expense Tracker was updated on October 30, 2026 and Budget app & spending tracker on October 23, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*