Comparison

Envelope Budget vs Budget Zero

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Envelope Budget

Effortlessly manage your finances with an envelope budgeting system. Link accounts, track spending, and fund categories with ease. Gain clarity on your financial standing with insightful reports and a user-friendly interface.

Highlights
  • Envelope budgeting system
  • Unlimited spending categories
  • Track expenses, income, debt, and bills
  • Automatic bank syncing via Plaid
  • Net worth tracking
  • Spending trend reports
Features
Read full description

Kualia makes envelope budgeting effortless. Whether you're just getting started or switching from another app, you can set up your budget, link your accounts, and start tracking spending in minutes. Every dollar gets a purpose. Fund your categories with a single tap, review imported transactions with a swipe, and always know exactly where you stand financially. =============== What Users Are Saying "For those familiar with an envelope budget, or zero-based budget, this app really nails it. For a fraction of the price of competitors, it offers pretty much the same functionality, it's being actively developed, and the developers are super friendly and really prioritize user feedback." "I've spent a long time and numerous app downloads to find a budget app that meets all my needs and this is the one! This app is so easy to use and covers every single aspect that I am looking for." =============== Why Kualia? Budget With Confidence Built around the envelope method, Kualia turns budgeting from a chore into a daily habit you can actually keep up with. Create unlimited categories to organize your spending Set weekly, monthly, or yearly targets for each category Track expenses, income, debt, and recurring bills in one place Fund your entire budget with a single tap Bank Syncing Through Plaid Link your accounts and let transactions flow in automatically. Connect to thousands of financial institutions Review and categorize imported transactions one by one Enter transactions manually whenever you prefer Reports That Actually Help See the full picture of your finances without digging through spreadsheets. Track your net worth over time View monthly spending trends and top categories Reports classify transactions as inflows or outflows based on their net effect Spending breakdowns across savings, checking, and credit accounts Designed to Be Fast Kualia is built for speed. Budgeting a full list of categories, reviewing transactions, swiping through your day -- it all feels snappy and responsive. No lag, no waiting. Built by an Indie Developer Kualia is built and maintained by a solo developer who reads every piece of feedback. This isn't a faceless corporation. If you have a question, you'll hear back from the person who actually builds the app. =============== Subscription Kualia runs on a simple subscription with no ads, ever. 7-day free trial to explore everything No free tier with locked features. Everyone gets the full app. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the billing cycle. Any unused portion of the free trial is forfeited upon subscribing. Take control of your money with Kualia. Terms of Use: https://kualia.com/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://kualia.com/privacy

About

Budget Zero

This app offers a private and simple way to manage your money using a zero-based envelope budgeting system. It allows manual transaction logging without linking bank accounts, helping you track every dollar and stay mindful of your spending.

Highlights
  • Zero-based envelope budgeting
  • Manual transaction logging
  • No bank account linking
  • Private and secure
  • Offline functionality
  • Monthly budget periods
Features
Read full description

The budgeting app that respects your wallet AND your privacy. Budget Zero uses zero-based envelope to budget down to zero - without linking your bank account or tracking your data. Join countless users who've taken control of their money the simple way. WHY BUDGET ZERO? • Affordable - A fraction of the cost of other budgeting apps. • Private - No bank linking. No data selling. Your finances stay yours. • Simple - Manual entry keeps you mindful of every transaction • Powerful - Full envelope budgeting with monthly budget periods HOW IT WORKS 1. Add your accounts (checking, savings, credit cards, cash) 2. Create budget categories and organize them into groups 3. Assign dollars to each category every month 4. Log transactions and watch your budget update in real time 5. Reach zero - every dollar has a job FEATURES • Zero-based envelope budgeting system • Multiple account support (checking, savings, credit, cash) • Monthly budget periods with easy month-to-month navigation • Budget groups for organized category management • Transaction tracking with payee, date, and category • Credit card budget tracking • iCloud-synced across your devices • Works offline - no internet required to budget • Clean, distraction-free interface • Dark mode support BUDGET ZERO PRO Unlock additional features with an affordable one-time or low-cost subscription - a fraction of what competitors charge. Take control of your money. Download Budget Zero today. About Subscriptions: • Subscription Name: Budget Zero Pro • Subscription Length: 1 Month or 1 Year (Auto-renewable) • Subscription Price: $3.99/month or $19.99/year • Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. • You can manage or turn off auto-renew in your Apple ID Account Settings at any time after purchase. Links: • Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/budget-zero-privacy-policy • Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Envelope Budget4 screens
Budget Zero4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Envelope Budget at 89% against Budget Zero's 50%. Envelope Budget also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (47 vs 5). Budget Zero's advantage is monetization model (freemium vs subscription). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Envelope Budget sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Budget Zero sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Envelope Budget holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Envelope Budget has 47 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Envelope Budget's written reviews are positive against 50% of Budget Zero's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Envelope Budget versus Budget Zero: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEnvelope BudgetBudget Zero
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (47 ratings) — better4.2 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings47 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKualia, Inc.Grey Park, LLC

Customer experience

Envelope Budget

All ratings47 ratings
Positive89.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.6%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

Budget Zero

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Envelope Budget

Subscriptions4
  • Kualia Pro Month7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Kualia Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Kualia Pro Year7 Days trial$79.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Kualia Pro Year$79.991 Year
One-time1
  • Kualia Pro Lifetime$199.99
2 purchases

Budget Zero

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Envelope Budget free?
Envelope Budget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Budget Zero free?
Budget Zero is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Envelope Budget or Budget Zero?
Envelope Budget is rated higher. Envelope Budget averages 4.6 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while Budget Zero averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.
Do Envelope Budget or Budget Zero have ads?
Neither Envelope Budget nor Budget Zero shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Envelope Budget or Budget Zero?
Envelope Budget ships an update every 4 days, and Budget Zero every 4 days. Most recently, Envelope Budget was updated on September 21, 2026 and Budget Zero on September 18, 2026.

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