# Spendful vs Spending & Expense Tracker

The clearest difference is monetization model: Spendful at free with in-app purchases against Spending & Expense Tracker's subscription. Spendful also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Spending & Expense Tracker's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (41 vs 4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spendful sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Spending & Expense Tracker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Spendful holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spending & Expense Tracker has 41 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Spendful ships an update every 4 months, Spending & Expense Tracker every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spendful | Spending & Expense Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendful/id6739823913/reviews)** | [4.6 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spending-and-expense-tracker/id6740085856/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **41** |
| Positive reviews | — | 72.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 7 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Allegra Laro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1779231623) | [Vage Alaverdian](https://appshunter.io/developer/1775977490) |

## What reviewers say

### Spendful

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendful/id6739823913)

This app offers a minimalist approach to tracking your expenses, focusing on privacy and manual entry. Visualize your spending habits with intuitive charts and organize purchases into custom groups. It's designed for users who want a clear, ad-free overview of their financial activity.

**Highlights:** Manual spend tracking, Visual spending charts, Custom spend groups, Inflation adjustment, Siri Shortcuts integration, CSV import/export, iCloud sync, Privacy-focused

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full version | Free | one-time |
| Full version | $9.99 | one-time |


### Spending & Expense Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spending-and-expense-tracker/id6740085856)

Manage your money with this personal finance manager. Plan budgets, track income and expenses, and grow savings with smart tools. Achieve financial freedom with easy-to-use budgeting and expense tracking.

**Highlights:** Monthly budgeting tools, Income and expense tracking, Savings growth features, Income calculator, Expense calendar, Financial insights

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium, 3 days Trial | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | Free | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and convenient design
- 🚀 Quick and intuitive
- 💡 Customizable to personal preferences
- 💡 Helpful for budgeting and financial clarity
- 👍 Easy to track spending and expenses

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Disappearing categories and inability to edit
- 🐛 Lack of guidance or onboarding for new users

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing income categories
- Inability to move categories between expense and income

**Requested features**

- Add more currency options
- Ability to convert currencies to USD
- Suggest new functionalities and features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spendful free?

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

### Is Spending & Expense Tracker free?

Spending & Expense Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Spendful or Spending & Expense Tracker?

Spendful is rated higher. Spendful averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Spending & Expense Tracker averages 4.6 from 41 ratings.

### Do Spendful or Spending & Expense Tracker have ads?

Neither Spendful nor Spending & Expense Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spendful or Spending & Expense Tracker?

Spendful ships an update every 4 months, and Spending & Expense Tracker every 5 days. Most recently, Spendful was updated on September 30, 2026 and Spending & Expense Tracker on October 6, 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.*