# Budget Bestie vs Expense Tracker

Budget Bestie and Expense Tracker both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 71% of Expense Tracker's written reviews are positive against 31% of Budget Bestie's. Expense Tracker also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Budget Bestie's advantage is chart position (#62 vs unranked) and ratings volume (3.2K vs 785). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Budget Bestie sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Expense Tracker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Budget Bestie against 4.8 for Expense Tracker. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.2K and 785 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 31% of Budget Bestie's written reviews are positive against 71% of Expense Tracker's.

Budget Bestie ships an update fortnightly, Expense Tracker every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Budget Bestie | Expense Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-bestie/id6460258044/reviews) | **[4.8 (785 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-datrack/id6760328162/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.2K** | 785 |
| Positive reviews | 30.7% of reviews | **71.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#62** | — |
| Size | 125 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Budget Bestie Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1702068834) | [Quoc Phan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883910790) |

## What reviewers say

### Budget Bestie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-bestie/id6460258044)

**Currently charting:** #62 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

This app helps you manage your money using the cash stuffing method, digitally. It guides you through creating expense envelopes, allocating funds, and tracking spending to meet savings goals. Get reminders for bills and budget according to your pay schedule.

**Highlights:** Digital cash stuffing method, Customizable expense envelopes, Automated spending tracking, Bill payment reminders, Savings goal management, Budgeting by pay schedule

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Customizable budgeting
- 📊 Helps track spending
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 🤝 Useful for couples/families
- 🧠 Helpful for those with ADHD

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription-based, not free
- 🔒 Lack of transparency about paid features
- 🕰️ Lengthy setup process before payment required
- 💸 Expensive subscription cost
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy at times

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing/crashing on certain screens
- Inability to type zeros
- Transactions not updating in real-time
- Difficulty navigating/accessing certain features

**Requested features**

- Debt tracking section
- Ability to edit/delete past transactions
- Flexible pay schedule options
- Sharing/collaboration features
- Free basic version


### Expense Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-datrack/id6760328162)

Effortlessly track your daily expenses with AI-powered logging and insightful chat-based queries. Visualize your spending patterns with clear charts and manage budgets automatically. Your financial data remains private and secure on your device.

**Highlights:** AI-powered expense logging via text or receipts, Chat interface for asking spending questions, Visual spending charts and calendar view, Automatic recurring bill logging, Monthly budget tracking, Data privacy with no bank login required, CSV/Excel import for history migration

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| DaTrack Pro Lifetime Launch | $69.99 | one-time |
| DaTrack Pro Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Budget Bestie free?

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

### Is Expense Tracker free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Budget Bestie or Expense Tracker?

Expense Tracker is rated higher. Budget Bestie averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while Expense Tracker averages 4.8 from 785 ratings.

### Do Budget Bestie or Expense Tracker have ads?

Budget Bestie shows ads; Expense Tracker does not.

### Which is updated more often, Budget Bestie or Expense Tracker?

Budget Bestie ships an update fortnightly, and Expense Tracker every 4 days. Most recently, Budget Bestie was updated on October 24, 2026 and Expense Tracker on October 24, 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.*