# Envelope Budget vs Budget Zero

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Envelope Budget | Budget Zero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/envelope-budget-kualia/id6466455367/reviews)** | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-zero-envelope-planner/id6482576006/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **47** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **88.9% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 44 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kualia, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1707407810) | [Grey Park, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1739831354) |

## What reviewers say

### Envelope Budget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/envelope-budget-kualia/id6466455367)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kualia Pro Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Kualia Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Kualia Pro Year | $79.99 | per year |
| Kualia Pro Year | $79.99 | per year |
| Kualia Pro Lifetime | $199.99 | one-time |


### Budget Zero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-zero-envelope-planner/id6482576006)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |


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