Comparison

Simple Checkbook. vs Pocket Register

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

Head to head
About

Simple Checkbook.

Manage your personal finances with this straightforward checkbook application. Track multiple accounts, log detailed transactions, and visualize your spending habits with insightful charts. Sync your data seamlessly across devices via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Multiple account management
  • Detailed transaction logging
  • Transaction clearing status
  • Balance tracking
  • Transaction filtering
  • Expense/income charts
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

A simple checkbook to help organize your finances. Features: - Keep track of any number of accounts. - For each transaction, track the date, name, type, amount, check number, category, and notes. - Mark transactions as cleared. - Displays cleared, outstanding, and current balance. - Ability to filter transactions displayed. - Display charts for expenses or income by category. - Syncs to iCloud

About

Pocket Register

This finance app provides a simple, offline checkbook ledger to track deposits and withdrawals. It allows for quick-fill templates, memo notes, and date selection for easy organization. View your running balance at a glance with home screen widget support.

Highlights
  • Log deposits and withdrawals
  • View running balance
  • Quick-fill transaction templates
  • Memo notes and date selection
  • Offline functionality
  • Home screen widget
Features
Read full description

Pocket Register is your no-frills check register, right in your pocket. Whether you're managing your main account, a cash stash, or a side budget, Pocket Register makes it easy to: - Log deposits, withdrawals, and transfers - View your current running balance - Set up recurring transactions — weekly, monthly, or twice a month (perfect for paydays) - Plan ahead: see upcoming bills, debts, and what's safe to spend before your next paycheck - Scan receipts with the built-in document scanner - Set monthly budgets per category, with progress bars - Get smart category suggestions as you type - Add quick-fill templates for repeat transactions - Reconcile against your bank statement - Stay organized with memo notes, splits, and date selection - Works fully offline by default. iCloud Sync is available as an optional Pro feature. Plan Ahead: The optional Plan tab shows your projected balance, upcoming bills and debts, and what's safe to spend before payday — built from your own recurring transactions. It stays out of the way until you need it, so a simple register stays simple. Beautiful Design: Cleanly designed for iPhone and iPad, with full light and dark mode support. Privacy First: No data collection, no tracking, no bank linking. Your transactions stay on your device by default. iCloud Sync is opt-in and uses your private iCloud account, so only you can see your data. Lightweight: Simple by design, built for speed and clarity. No bank linking, no subscriptions. Widget Support: View your balance and recent transactions at a glance. Home Screen widgets in three sizes, plus Lock Screen widgets so your balance is always one tap away. Whether you're tracking a vacation budget, side hustle income, or just keeping tabs on daily spending, Pocket Register gives you full control, offline and clutter-free. Pro (one-time purchase, no subscription): - Removes all ads - Unlimited accounts and transactions (free includes 2 accounts and 300 transactions) - iCloud Sync across all your devices - Custom color themes - Lock Screen widgets - Family Sharing for up to 5 family members - Unlimited splits and quick-fill templates - Advanced CSV export with profiles, presets, splits, and Excel/YNAB-compatible formats

Screenshots

Simple Checkbook.4 screens
Pocket Register4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pocket Register at Free against Simple Checkbook.'s $3.99. Pocket Register also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (64% vs 50%). Simple Checkbook.'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Pocket Register is free to download; Simple Checkbook. costs $3.99 up front. Pocket Register sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Simple Checkbook. asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pocket Register holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Register has 25 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Simple Checkbook.'s written reviews are positive against 64% of Pocket Register's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Checkbook. ships an update fortnightly, Pocket Register every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Simple Checkbook. versus Pocket Register: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Checkbook.Pocket Register
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)4.4 (25 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews63.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings425 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthew HilesChad Pickard

Customer experience

Simple Checkbook.

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Pocket Register

All ratings25 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative27.3%

In-app purchases

None

Simple Checkbook.

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Pocket Register

One-time4
  • Small Thanks Tip$0.99
  • Medium Thanks Tip$2.99
  • Big Thanks Tip$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Pocket Register Pro$9.99

Questions

Is Simple Checkbook. free?
Simple Checkbook. costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pocket Register free?
Pocket Register is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Simple Checkbook. or Pocket Register?
Pocket Register is rated higher. Simple Checkbook. averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Pocket Register averages 4.4 from 25 ratings.
Do Simple Checkbook. or Pocket Register have ads?
Neither Simple Checkbook. nor Pocket Register shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Checkbook. or Pocket Register?
Simple Checkbook. ships an update fortnightly, and Pocket Register every 6 days. Most recently, Simple Checkbook. was updated on October 10, 2026 and Pocket Register on October 9, 2026.

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