Comparison

Finl vs CustomBudget

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

Head to head
About

Finl

Features
Read full description

Finl is a minimalist expense tracker with an intuitive, clutter-free interface. Track expenses manually or set budgets to monitor spending across multiple currencies with live exchange rates. Smart categorization, charts, and insights help you understand your finances at a glance. With Finl Pro, unlock AI-powered features including receipt scanning, voice entry, and price detection. Privacy-first design, no ads, no complexity—just clean expense tracking.

About

CustomBudget

This app offers a private and secure budgeting experience without requiring bank account access. It uses an envelope system to help you track spending, manage recurring bills, and visualize where your money goes, all while keeping your data offline and on your device.

Highlights
  • Envelope budgeting system
  • No bank account linking
  • Offline functionality
  • Customizable budget start date
  • Bill reminders
  • Recurring bill automation
  • Data export and backup
Features
Read full description

Every other budget app wants your bank password. This one just wants five seconds a day. CustomBudget is envelope budgeting with no bank linking, no account, and no cloud. You give each category an amount at the start of the month, record what you spend as you go, and always know what is left. Everything stays on your phone. WHY CUSTOMBUDGET Most budget apps start by asking for read access to your bank. CustomBudget never asks, because it never needs to. There is no sign-up, no password, no sync, and no server. Open it, budget, close it. ENVELOPES THAT MATCH YOUR REAL MONTH * Give every category an amount and watch it draw down as you spend * Money left in an envelope rolls into next month; overspending does not follow you * Set your month to start on any day from the 1st to the 28th, so your budget matches your payday instead of the calendar * Starts with 16 spending envelopes and an income category, or build your own from 29 icons and 12 colours * Retire an envelope without losing its history FAST ENTRY, HONEST MATH * A big keypad built for one-handed entry in a checkout queue * Payee, note, account and date when you want them, none of them required * Cash, checking, savings and credit accounts * Transfers between your own accounts are tracked but never counted as spending * Every amount is exact to the cent, with no floating point drift REMINDERS THAT ARRIVE * Bill reminders 1, 3 or 7 days ahead of a recurring payment, at 9am * An alert when an envelope reaches 80% and again at 100%, while you can still do something about it * A month-end nudge the day before your budget month rolls over * Every reminder is scheduled by your phone. Nothing is sent anywhere RECURRING BILLS ON AUTOPILOT * Weekly, every two weeks, monthly, quarterly or yearly * Post automatically on the due date, or hold it for you to confirm * Catches up correctly after you have been away from the app SEE WHERE IT WENT * A spending ring that adds up to exactly what you spent, including retired envelopes * Budgeted against actual, worst overspend first * Uncategorised spending is shown, never quietly hidden PRIVACY FIRST BY DESIGN * No account and no login * No bank linking and no email scanning * No cloud, no sync, no server * No ads, no trackers, no analytics * Works completely offline, always YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS * Export a full backup to Files, iCloud Drive, email or AirDrop * Restore in one tap, with a seven-day undo if you change your mind * Delete everything permanently whenever you want * Backup and export are free forever, because it is your data BUILT TO READ WELL * Light and dark themes * 30 currencies * Money columns that line up properly instead of jittering PERFECT FOR * Anyone who wants a budget without handing over bank credentials * People paid on the 15th, or the last Friday, whose month is not the calendar month * Envelope and zero-based budgeters * Anyone who has tried a budgeting app and quit because it took too long YOUR MONEY. YOUR PHONE. NOBODY ELSE'S BUSINESS. Download it and set up your first envelope in under a minute.

Screenshots

Finl4 screens
CustomBudget3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CustomBudget at none against Finl's 2. CustomBudget also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). Finl's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, ads and device support 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. Finl sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. CustomBudget asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Finl ships an update every 9 days, CustomBudget every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Finl versus CustomBudget: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFinlCustomBudget
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTSUNG JUI HSIEHCustomApps LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Finl

Subscriptions2
  • Finl Pro Monthly$2.491 Month
  • Finl Pro Yearly$24.991 Year
None

CustomBudget

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Finl free?
Finl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CustomBudget free?
CustomBudget is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Finl or CustomBudget have ads?
Neither Finl nor CustomBudget shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Finl or CustomBudget?
Finl ships an update every 9 days, and CustomBudget every 4 weeks. Most recently, Finl was updated on October 6, 2026 and CustomBudget on October 24, 2026.

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