BeanFlow vs Expense Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BeanFlow
This app offers a flexible approach to personal finance management, supporting both simple daily tracking and structured double-entry accounting. It features OCR import from screenshots and videos to easily add transactions, and supports the Beancount data format for portability and integration.
- Simple and Beancount accounting modes
- OCR import from screenshots and videos
- Track daily income and expenses
- Double-entry accounting support
- Import and export .bean files
- Offline-first operation
Read full descriptionHide full description
BeanFlow is a personal finance and accounting app that combines simple everyday tracking with the structure of Beancount. Whether you only want to record daily income and expenses or already use double-entry accounting to manage accounts and assets, BeanFlow gives you a flexible way to organize your financial records. Simple Mode and Beancount Mode now both support OCR import from screenshots and videos, making it easier to turn large amounts of transaction history into usable records without entering everything manually. Import transactions from screenshots and videos Have a folder full of payment screenshots? Need to capture transactions from a recorded statement or scrolling transaction list? BeanFlow can use OCR to recognize transaction information from screenshots and videos and prepare it for import. This is especially useful when you need to process historical transactions, long lists, or many records at once. OCR import works in both Simple Mode and Beancount Mode, so you can use the same faster capture workflow regardless of how you prefer to manage your finances. Track everyday money Coffee, lunch, subscriptions, shopping, bills, or a new source of income — every transaction can become part of your financial history. Record income and expenses over time and build a clearer picture of where your money goes and how your finances change. Simple Mode for everyday tracking Managing your money shouldn’t require learning accounting before recording your first expense. Simple Mode provides an approachable workflow for everyday income and expense tracking, without forcing unnecessary accounting concepts into every transaction. If you just want a clean personal ledger, you can keep things simple. Beancount Mode when you need more structure For users who want greater control over their records, Beancount Mode provides a more structured accounting workflow. Organize transactions through accounts and use double-entry accounting to maintain clearer records of income, expenses, assets, and other financial activity. Built around Beancount Already using Beancount? BeanFlow supports .bean files, allowing you to continue working with a familiar and portable data format instead of moving your financial history into a completely closed system. Import and export .bean files Your financial records should remain yours. BeanFlow supports importing and exporting Beancount files, making it easier to back up your ledger, migrate your data, and continue using it as part of your existing Beancount workflow. Offline-first and portable BeanFlow is designed with local use in mind, so your ledger doesn’t need to depend on a constant internet connection. Open data formats and portable files help you stay in control of your financial records. Simple for everyday use. Structured when you need it. Recording a cup of coffee shouldn’t feel like completing an accounting assignment. At the same time, your finance app shouldn’t become limiting when you want to organize accounts, assets, and more detailed records. From a single payment screenshot to years of financial history, BeanFlow helps you capture, organize, and keep control of your data.
Expense Tracker
Effortlessly track expenses and manage budgets with this intuitive app. Log transactions in seconds, gain clear financial insights, and set spending limits to stay on track. Prioritizes privacy with local-first data storage and no account required.
- Fast transaction logging
- Scan receipts to log
- Monthly budget setting
- Clear financial insights
- Customizable categories
- iCloud backup
- Local-first privacy
Read full descriptionHide full description
Expense Tracker is a beautifully simple expense tracker and budget app. No sign-up, no account — just open it and log a transaction in 3 seconds. The app pre-fills your most recent category and account, so you capture every income and expense without the hassle. WHY BUDGET PLANNER - Scan to log: import a payment screenshot and the app reads the amount, date, and note on-device — confirm and save. No image is uploaded. - Fast entry: add an expense or income from the home screen in one tap, with common amounts a tap away. - Clear insights: monthly balance, income/expense trends, a category donut chart, and period-over-period comparison. - Monthly budget: set a spending cap and see used vs. remaining in real time. It also projects month-end spending from your current pace and warns you before you go over. - Records that stay tidy: grouped by day, searchable by note or amount, swipe to edit or delete. - Daily reminders: pick a time to build a daily logging habit, delivered via local notifications. - Accounts & categories: manage cash, bank cards, and wallets; fully customizable categories. - Themes & currency: choose an accent color; the currency symbol follows your region or can be set manually. Amounts are never converted. - iCloud backup: back up to your own iCloud and restore after a reinstall or a new device. A Home Screen widget is included. - Languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Malay and Hindi. PRIVACY FIRST - No accounts: no registration, no sign-in, no phone number or email collected. - Local-first: your records live on your device. Backups go to your own private iCloud space — we run no servers that store your ledger, and we cannot read it. - We never read your records for ads or profiling, and never sell your data. No ads. - Automatic backup can be switched off in Settings if you prefer manual only. Download Expense Tracker and start with today's first transaction.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Expense Tracker at 4.7 against BeanFlow's 4.0. Expense Tracker also leads on ratings volume (6 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). BeanFlow's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Expense Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BeanFlow asks for nothing beyond the download.
Expense Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 86% and 86% positive.
BeanFlow ships an update every 10 days, Expense Tracker fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BeanFlow | Expense Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (2 ratings) | 4.7 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | 85.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 昆 杨 | 献慧 陈 |
Customer experience
BeanFlow
Expense Tracker
In-app purchases
BeanFlow
No in-app purchases
Expense Tracker
- Pro (Lifetime Unlock)$1.99








