SUM+= Simple Expense Tracker vs Barely Spent
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SUM+= Simple Expense Tracker
This finance app simplifies expense tracking with AI assistance, allowing for quick data entry and powerful analysis through large language models. It prioritizes user control and privacy with local data storage and a minimalist design.
- AI-assisted data entry
- LLM analysis and forecasting
- Minimalist and beautiful design
- Local data storage and privacy
- User-controlled database
- Subscription options with free trial
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There are hundreds of expense tracker apps and they all do more or less the same thing. But oddly enough, not a single one suited my needs, so I developed my own. Through small but targeted adjustments, I've developed the app to become my preferred solution: • Control stays with the user while data entry is greatly simplified: The time between "open app" and "entry saved" has been reduced to a minimum. AI can support this process so that in many cases you wouldn't even need to open the app • AI analysis through LLMs: Instead of developing custom analysis logic, the app prepares your data so it can be used directly in Large Language Models like ChatGPT or Claude: for analysis, forecasts and recommendations • Minimalist design: The app is designed to look beautiful and works without distracting extras • Full control & privacy: No login, no account. Data stays locally on your device. You have complete control over your own database. If you want to share your data with an AI, you decide that yourself Financial barriers shouldn't stand in the way of your personal financial planning with Sum. Contact us for individual solutions via the support form. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Barely Spent
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Barely Spent is a daily spending tracker with one job: show you how much you spent today. Open the app. Type a number. Done. Under three seconds. No budgets. No categories. No bank linking. No judgment. Just one number and the awareness that comes with it. YOUR WEEK Seven days of spending, then it's gone. Barely Spent keeps a rolling week of daily totals so you can see the shape of your spending without drowning in data. Share your week with a tap. WIDGETS Small and medium widgets show today's total on your home screen. The large widget has a full interactive keypad. Add expenses without opening the app. Lock screen widgets keep your number visible at a glance. 10 THEMES Five tones shift the mood: Mint, Paper, Ink, Graphite, and Carbon. Unlock five Bokashi color palettes in one purchase: Sakura, Matcha, Sumi, Kumo, and Akatsuki. Japanese gradients for your numbers. BRAUN-INSPIRED Graphite and Carbon themes draw from Dieter Rams and the Braun ET 66 calculator. Round keypad buttons. Warm cream and charcoal. An orange checkmark that feels right. FREE TO USE The full spending tracker is free: keypad, daily total, weekly surface, undo, and three themes. Pro unlocks all ten themes and the large interactive keypad widget for a one-time purchase of $4.99. No subscription. Ever. PRIVACY Your data stays on your device. No accounts. No analytics. No servers. No ads. Nothing leaves your phone. Apps that do barely enough. Exactly right.
Screenshots
Verdict
SUM+= Simple Expense Tracker and Barely Spent are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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. SUM+= Simple Expense Tracker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Barely Spent sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SUM+= Simple Expense Tracker ships an update every 3 days, Barely Spent weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SUM+= Simple Expense Tracker | Barely Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | 26.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jonas Zimmermann | Ashley Cornette |
In-app purchases
SUM+= Simple Expense Tracker
- SUM Pro1 Month trial$3.991 Month
- SUM Pro1 Month trial$22.991 Year
- 7-day TrialFree
- Sum Premium$6.99
Barely Spent
- Bokashi Spent Pro$3.99
Questions
Is SUM+= Simple Expense Tracker free?
Is Barely Spent free?
Do SUM+= Simple Expense Tracker or Barely Spent have ads?
Which is updated more often, SUM+= Simple Expense Tracker or Barely Spent?
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