Comparison

CentSage vs ZenBudget

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

Head to head
About

CentSage

Manage your money with a straightforward budgeting and spending tracker. Log everyday expenses, create budgets by category, and review your financial patterns through simple reports. This app focuses on manual tracking for privacy and ease of use.

Highlights
  • Quick budget tracking by category
  • Fast manual spending entry
  • Manual transaction logging (income/expenses)
  • Monthly financial overview
  • Spending reports for pattern analysis
  • No bank linking required
  • Privacy-focused local data storage
Features
Read full description

CentSage is a simple budgeting and spending tracker designed for people who want to manage their money without complicated finance tools or bank linking. Track your budgets, log everyday spending, review transactions, and understand your monthly financial patterns — all from a clean, easy-to-use iOS app. CentSage is built around quick, low-friction budgeting. You can add spending directly from a budget in seconds, or create a more detailed transaction with a category, date, and note when you want more context. Key Features: Quick Budget Tracking: Create budgets by category and see how much you have spent, how much remains, and which areas need attention. Fast Spending Entry: Log everyday purchases quickly without filling out a long form. Open a budget, enter an amount, and move on. Manual Transaction Tracking: Add income and expenses manually, including optional notes, dates, and categories. Monthly Overview: See income, spending, recent activity, and budget progress at a glance. Spending Reports: Review lightweight reports to better understand where your money is going and how your spending changes over time. No Bank Linking Required: CentSage is designed for manual tracking, giving you control over what you enter and when. Privacy-Focused Design: CentSage does not currently require an account or bank connection. Your financial information is stored locally on your device. Dark Mode Support: Use CentSage comfortably in light mode or dark mode. CentSage is made for people who want budgeting to feel simple, fast, and easy to maintain. Whether you are tracking everyday spending, managing monthly budgets, or trying to better understand your habits, CentSage helps you stay aware without overwhelming you. Download CentSage and start tracking your money with clarity.

About

ZenBudget

Features
Read full description

ZenBudget is a mindful budgeting app that asks you to record every expense yourself. Skip the bank links and receipt scanners—by entering each purchase manually, you relive the moment of spending and bring unconscious out-flows into clear view. Designed for quiet, Zen-like consistency, the app feels frictionless to open and log. Siri and Shortcuts support make quick capture even easier. All your data stays in sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac through iCloud.

Screenshots

CentSage3 screens
ZenBudget2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: CentSage at every 2 days against ZenBudget's fortnightly. CentSage also leads on iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). ZenBudget's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CentSage ships an update every 2 days, ZenBudget fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
CentSage versus ZenBudget: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCentSageZenBudget
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristopher EndressKouki Saito

In-app purchases

None

CentSage

No in-app purchases

None

ZenBudget

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CentSage free?
CentSage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ZenBudget free?
ZenBudget is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CentSage or ZenBudget have ads?
Neither CentSage nor ZenBudget shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CentSage or ZenBudget?
CentSage ships an update every 2 days, and ZenBudget fortnightly. Most recently, CentSage was updated on November 3, 2026 and ZenBudget on November 8, 2026.

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