# Sem vs Shared Budget

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sem at none against Shared Budget's 2. Sem also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Shared Budget's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shared Budget sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Sem asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Sem against 5.0 for Shared Budget. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Sem ships an update every 4 months, Shared Budget every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sem | Shared Budget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sem-budgeting/id6455884315/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-budget-expense-tracker/id6771901283/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 53 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mark Mendoza](https://appshunter.io/developer/1700185707) | [Ruby Game Studio LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1744350591) |

## What reviewers say

### Sem

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sem-budgeting/id6455884315)

Easily manage your expenses, categorize spending, and track savings with this intuitive budgeting tool. Receive timely reminders for upcoming bills and generate detailed monthly financial statements to understand your spending habits.

**Highlights:** Add and manage expenses, Categorize spending, Monthly budget overviews, Push notifications for due dates, Generate monthly statements, Light and Dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shared Budget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-budget-expense-tracker/id6771901283)

Manage household finances with a group. Track income, expenses, budgets, and debts with clear charts and recurring transaction features. Ideal for couples, roommates, or families.

**Highlights:** Shared group creation and member invitation, Quick income and expense logging, Category spending visualization, Monthly budget envelopes, Debt tracking, Recurring transaction setup, Shared task management

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shared Budget Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Shared Budget Premium | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sem free?

Sem is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shared Budget free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sem or Shared Budget?

Sem and Shared Budget are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Sem or Shared Budget have ads?

Neither Sem nor Shared Budget shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sem or Shared Budget?

Sem ships an update every 4 months, and Shared Budget every 2 days. Most recently, Sem was updated on October 11, 2026 and Shared Budget on October 10, 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.*