# Budget Zero vs FortBudget

The clearest difference is rating: FortBudget at 5.0 against Budget Zero's 4.3. FortBudget also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%). Budget Zero's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Budget Zero sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and FortBudget sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

FortBudget holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Budget Zero's written reviews are positive against 100% of FortBudget's.

Budget Zero ships an update every 3 days, FortBudget every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Budget Zero | FortBudget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-zero-envelope-planner/id6482576006/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fortbudget-envelope-budget/id6796013476/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Grey Park, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1739831354) | [Gustavo Payano Vasquez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1880392926) |

## What reviewers say

### Budget Zero

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

This app helps you manage your money privately using a zero-based envelope budgeting system. It allows manual transaction logging without linking bank accounts, offering a distraction-free interface and offline functionality.

**Highlights:** Zero-based envelope budgeting, Private, no bank linking, Manual transaction logging, Offline functionality, Budget rollover, iCloud sync, Dark mode support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $79.99 | one-time |


### FortBudget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fortbudget-envelope-budget/id6796013476)

A private budget tracker that gives you complete control over your financial data. Manually add transactions or import CSVs, with all data stored locally on your device. Offers zero-based budgeting and encrypted local backups.

**Highlights:** Private budget tracking, Manual transaction entry, CSV import and export, Zero-based monthly budgets, Encrypted local backups, No bank linking or sign-up

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FortBudget Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Budget Zero free?

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

### Is FortBudget free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Budget Zero or FortBudget?

FortBudget is rated higher. Budget Zero averages 4.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while FortBudget averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Budget Zero or FortBudget have ads?

Neither Budget Zero nor FortBudget shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Budget Zero or FortBudget?

Budget Zero ships an update every 3 days, and FortBudget every 2 months. Most recently, Budget Zero was updated on November 8, 2026 and FortBudget on October 31, 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.*