Nationly vs Abroad Buddy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Nationly
Automates location tracking for US expats and frequent travelers to simplify foreign earned income exclusion (FEIE) tax paperwork. It offers automatic tracking, form pre-filling, and timeline views to manage travel history and compliance.
- Automatic location tracking
- Form 2555 pre-fill
- Backfill via camera roll
- Timeline and calendar views
- Home screen widgets
- Global Entry renewal export
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Nationly automates your location tracking and helps streamline Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) paperwork—so you can focus on what you want, not spreadsheets. Free Features Automatic Location Tracking — Nationly securely tracks your location in the background, ensuring an accurate timeline of your travels without the hassle of manual updates. Timeline & Calendar Views — Visualize your movement over time. Get a clear overview of each day, month, and year in an intuitive interface. Global Entry Renewal & More — Export a complete record of your trips to simplify Global Entry renewal, or for any other documentation needs. Premium Features (Subscription Required) Form 2555 Pre-Fill — Simplify expat tax filing. Export your location data directly into Form 2555 to prove FEIE eligibility quantitatively using the Physical Presence Test (PPT) or qualitatively under Bona-Fide Residency (BFR). Requires Plus or Premium subscription. Backfill via Camera Roll — Easily import location data from your photos to fill in any data gaps. Requires Plus or Premium subscription. Advanced Widgets — Monitor your location and upcoming travel deadlines right on your home screen. Keep tabs on FEIE eligibility and visa compliance at a glance. Requires Plus or Premium subscription. Who It's For Digital Nomads & US Expats: Automatically track qualifying days and generate FEIE reports. Frequent Travelers: Keep a thorough record for visa compliance and cross-border logistics. Any World Explorer: Enjoy peace of mind knowing your travel history is safely stored and easy to access. Subscription Info Nationly is free to download with basic location tracking, timeline views, and calendar features. Advanced features require a paid subscription. Plus Plan: Billed annually at the current Plus rate (price shown in the app). New subscribers receive a 3-month free trial. After the trial ends, the subscription automatically renews at the same annual rate unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Premium Plan: No free trial. Billed annually at the current Premium rate (price shown in the app). Billing begins immediately upon purchase. Automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions can be managed and cancelled in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions.
Abroad Buddy
Manage your semester abroad finances with this dedicated budgeting app. Track spending, plan trips, and estimate costs to help you focus on your experience.
- Semester abroad budgeting
- Spending tracking
- Trip planning
- Weekly schedule
- Budget estimation
- Wishlist management
- EUR to USD conversion
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Manage your semester abroad budget with AbroadBuddy, the first and only budgeting app specifically made for students studying abroad. Track spending, plan trips, schedule your week, and dream big! Choose between two modes: "Set a Budget" to track your remaining balance, or use "Budget Builder" to estimate semester costs based on weekly expenses, planned trips, and wishlist items. Schedule trips with prepaid and planned expenses, track payments with built-in EUR to USD conversion that accounts for potential fees, and manage your wishlist of places you want to visit. Budgeting for your semester abroad can be difficult and nerve-racking. AbroadBuddy is here fix that and let you focus on what really matters!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Abroad Buddy at none against Nationly's 3. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Nationly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Abroad Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Nationly against 5.0 for Abroad Buddy. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 8 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Nationly ships an update fortnightly, Abroad Buddy every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Nationly | Abroad Buddy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (8 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 8 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 61 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | PPTt LLC | SAMMY ARKIN LICHTENSTEIN |
Customer experience
Nationly
Abroad Buddy
In-app purchases
Nationly
- Basic Plan Monthly1 Month trial$2.991 Month
- Basic Plan Annual3 Months trial$19.991 Year
- Premium Plan Annual$59.991 Year
Abroad Buddy
No in-app purchases









