# Cashew vs Zerosum

The clearest difference is update cadence: Zerosum at every 2 days against Cashew's every 3 weeks. Zerosum also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Cashew's advantage is ratings volume (532 vs 29). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cashew sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Zerosum sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 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 — 4.9 for Cashew against 5.0 for Zerosum. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cashew has 532 ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 98% of Cashew's written reviews are positive against 94% of Zerosum's.

Cashew ships an update every 3 weeks, Zerosum every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cashew | Zerosum |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (532 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cashewexpense-budget-tracker/id6463662930/reviews) | **[5.0 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zerosum-zero-based-budgeting/id6784319439/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **532** | 29 |
| Positive reviews | **97.5% of reviews** | 94.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 103 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [James Kokoska](https://appshunter.io/developer/1704737685) | [Pedro Fidalgo](https://appshunter.io/developer/6784319441) |

## What reviewers say

### Cashew

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cashewexpense-budget-tracker/id6463662930)

This app helps you understand your spending habits by allowing you to set flexible budgets and visualize your financial progress with charts. Track subscriptions, recurring transactions, and manage finances across different currencies with a personalized interface.

**Highlights:** Flexible budgeting (monthly, weekly, custom), Visual spending reports (pie charts, bar graphs), Subscription and recurring transaction tracking, Personalized interface (dark mode, accent colors), Multi-currency support with conversion rates, Timely reminders for transactions

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cashew Pro Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Cashew Pro Yearly | $11.99 | per year |
| Cashew Pro Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Sleek and intuitive interface
- 💡 Customizable budgets and categories
- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 👍 Helpful visualizations and analytics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional sync issues between devices
- 💡 Lack of bank/account integration
- 💡 Missing calendar view
- 🐛 Laggy animations when adding transactions

**Reported bugs**

- Recurring transactions not generating properly
- Inconsistent behavior when configuring past installments

**Requested features**

- Add widgets for quick access
- Implement shared budgets and family access
- Improve recurring transaction management
- Export data to Excel/CSV


### Zerosum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zerosum-zero-based-budgeting/id6784319439)

This app helps you meticulously plan your finances using a zero-based budgeting approach. It allows you to allocate every dollar before spending, track savings goals, and gain insights through detailed analytics and forecasts. You can choose between automatic bank syncing or manual entry, and even share your budget with family.

**Highlights:** Zero-based budgeting, Savings goal tracking, Financial analytics and forecasts, Recurring transaction scheduling, Bank sync or manual entry, Family budget sharing

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Zerosum Basic (Monthly) | $5.99 | per month |
| Zerosum Plus (Monthly) | $8.99 | per month |
| Zerosum Pro (Monthly) | $12.99 | per month |
| Zerosum Basic (Annual) | $39.99 | per year |
| Zerosum Plus | $59.99 | per year |
| Zerosum Pro (Annual) | $89.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cashew free?

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

### Is Zerosum free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cashew or Zerosum?

Zerosum is rated higher. Cashew averages 4.9 out of 5 from 532 ratings, while Zerosum averages 5.0 from 29 ratings.

### Do Cashew or Zerosum have ads?

Neither Cashew nor Zerosum shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cashew or Zerosum?

Cashew ships an update every 3 weeks, and Zerosum every 2 days. Most recently, Cashew was updated on October 22, 2026 and Zerosum on October 21, 2026.

---

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