Comparison

Smart Spend Challenge vs Impulses

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

Head to head
About

Smart Spend Challenge

Features
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Ready to break free from compulsive buying? Smart Spend Challenge helps you build a healthier relationship with money through compassionate, personalized support — with achievement badges to celebrate your financial victories and shareable cards to inspire others. ■ What's New in v1.2.0 • Share Your Financial Wins: Streak and badge cards ready for Stories, Threads, Line — make mindful spending visible • Card visuals match your app theme, focused on the achievement not advertising • Share from the home screen, milestone unlock popup, or badge collection wall ■ Why Smart Spend Challenge? • Personalized Strategies: Your spending triggers mapped to actionable If-Then plans • Emergency Support: 90-second intervention when shopping urges strike • Flexible Goals: Set your own pace — every no-spend day counts • Smart Notifications: Gentle reminders before payday and sale seasons • Progress Tracking: Unlock badges at Day 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90 — and share them ■ Features That Transform Your Finances • Beautiful streak counter for no-spend days • Custom action plans for your specific triggers (stress, boredom, social pressure) • Evening check-ins that celebrate progress without shame • Calculate savings and track financial goals • Complete privacy — your data never leaves your device ■ Real Behavioral Change • Identify emotional spending patterns • Build pause between impulse and action • Create accountability without judgment • Develop lasting financial mindfulness ■ Your Journey, Your Pace Whether avoiding online shopping for a day or building an emergency fund, we support your unique path to financial wellness — and now help you celebrate it publicly when you're ready. Start today. Your future self will thank you. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Impulses

Features
Read full description

Stop buying things you don't need. Impulses puts time between you and every impulse purchase, so you can decide with a clear head and keep more money in your pocket. HOW IT WORKS 1. Add anything you're tempted to buy. In the Amazon app, tap Share and send it to Impulses: the title and price are added automatically. 2. Pick a waiting period from 1 to 30 days. 3. When the wait is over, Impulses notifies you. You decide: buy it or skip it. Often, by the time the reminder arrives, the urge is already gone. FIND YOUR WEAK SPOTS Tag each impulse as a Like, Want, or Need. Filter your list by status (pending, locked, accepted, or rejected) and stay on top of every decision. SEE WHAT YOU SAVE Charts and category breakdowns show your total saved, impulses avoided, and average wait time at a glance. MAKE IT YOURS Choose your currency (ten major world currencies), accent color, and notification settings. IMPULSES PREMIUM Custom waiting periods, unlimited items, and advanced stats. Available as an in-app subscription (monthly or yearly) or a one-time lifetime purchase. Download Impulses and start making only purchases you actually feel good about. Terms of Use: https://cocoataster.com/impulses/terms Privacy Policy: https://cocoataster.com/impulses/privacy

Screenshots

Smart Spend Challenge4 screens
Impulses3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Smart Spend Challenge at 18.2 against Impulses's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Smart Spend Challenge sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Impulses sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Smart Spend Challenge versus Impulses: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmart Spend ChallengeImpulses
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 11 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.2 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChihChuan WangEric Sans Alvarez

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Smart Spend Challenge

Subscriptions2
  • Smart Spend Pro Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Smart Spend Pro Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
3 purchases

Impulses

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Yearly$12.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$17.99

Questions

Is Smart Spend Challenge free?
Smart Spend Challenge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Impulses free?
Impulses is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Smart Spend Challenge or Impulses have ads?
Neither Smart Spend Challenge nor Impulses shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Smart Spend Challenge or Impulses?
Smart Spend Challenge ships an update every 11 days, and Impulses every 11 days. Most recently, Smart Spend Challenge was updated on October 12, 2026 and Impulses on October 25, 2026.

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