# Frugal vs BudgetBloom

The clearest difference is rating: Frugal at 5.0 against BudgetBloom's 4.3. Frugal also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (6.1 vs 17.0). BudgetBloom's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 11 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BudgetBloom sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Frugal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Frugal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 95% of Frugal's written reviews are positive against 100% of BudgetBloom's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Frugal ships an update every 11 months, BudgetBloom weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Frugal | BudgetBloom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frugal/id670596192/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budgetbloom-spending-tracker/id6737521957/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 94.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Russell Leake](https://appshunter.io/developer/670596195) | [Benia Morgan-Ware](https://appshunter.io/developer/1672127727) |

## What reviewers say

### Frugal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frugal/id670596192)

This app helps shoppers determine the best value by comparing prices and sizes of items. It also calculates discount percentages and stacked coupons, simplifying complex deals. A bonus tip calculator is included for splitting bills.

**Highlights:** Price and size comparison, Discount percentage calculation, Stacked coupon calculation, Price per unit display, Total savings calculation, Tip calculator

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### BudgetBloom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budgetbloom-spending-tracker/id6737521957)

Effortlessly monitor your expenditures with a clean, intuitive interface. Visualize spending patterns through simple charts and enjoy a privacy-focused experience with data stored locally. Ideal for those seeking a straightforward way to understand their finances.

**Highlights:** Expense tracking, Spending pattern visualization, Intuitive donut charts, Dark mode support, Privacy-first local data storage, Clean and simple design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Water the Bloom | $0.99 | one-time |
| Water the Bloom | $2.99 | one-time |
| Water the Bloom | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Frugal free?

Frugal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BudgetBloom free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Frugal or BudgetBloom?

Frugal is rated higher. Frugal averages 5.0 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while BudgetBloom averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Frugal or BudgetBloom have ads?

Neither Frugal nor BudgetBloom shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Frugal or BudgetBloom?

Frugal ships an update every 11 months, and BudgetBloom weekly. Most recently, Frugal was updated on November 1, 2026 and BudgetBloom on October 30, 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.*