Comparison

Expensa vs Control

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

Head to head
About

Expensa

This app offers a private way to track expenses and manage budgets without linking bank accounts. It uses AI to automatically categorize transactions and build budgets, with support for over 150 currencies and iCloud syncing for privacy.

Highlights
  • Automatic transaction tracking via Wallet Shortcuts
  • AI-powered budget creation and categorization
  • Multi-currency support for travelers
  • Private iCloud sync, no bank linking
  • Shared budgets for family and partners
  • Customizable budget cycles and alerts
Features
Read full description

Track money without handing over your bank password. Expensa is a private budget and expense tracker built for iPhone. Set up one Shortcut and every card tap lands in your budget automatically. AI builds your first budget in seconds. Works in 150+ currencies. Syncs via iCloud — and only iCloud. No bank linking. No data brokers. Your money stays on your devices. ------------------------------------------------- WALLET + SHORTCUTS — AUTOMATIC TRACKING ------------------------------------------------- Set up one Shortcut; every card tap in Wallet logs a transaction Works with Apple Card and any card you've added to Wallet Auto-categorized from your history, with AI Alerts if a purchase pushes you over a category limit No polling a bank, no waiting for statements ------------------------------------------------- BUDGETS THAT ACTUALLY WORK ------------------------------------------------- Always know what's left — live progress bar on your dashboard A limit for every category (groceries, dining, transport…) Alerts before you overspend, not after Monthly, weekly, or custom cycles — auto-rollover each cycle Smart Allocation: tell Expensa your budget, AI splits it across categories based on your region and spending habits ------------------------------------------------- SEPARATE WALLETS FOR SEPARATE LIVES ------------------------------------------------- Keep personal, household, business, and trip budgets fully isolated. Switch spaces with one tap. Invite family or your partner to shared spaces — real-time sync via iCloud, no extra accounts to create. ------------------------------------------------- BUILT FOR TRAVELERS & EXPATS ------------------------------------------------- 150+ currencies with live exchange rates Original amount + converted amount both stored Per-transaction historical rates — accurate reporting forever ------------------------------------------------- PRIVATE BY DEFAULT ------------------------------------------------- No bank login, no Plaid, no third-party aggregators iCloud sync on your Apple ID — that's it Offline-first: log now, sync later Works on iPhone ------------------------------------------------- EVERYTHING ELSE ------------------------------------------------- Recurring transactions (rent, subscriptions, salary) Tags, categories, folders, custom merchant rules CSV, PDF, TXT import/export — move in from any app, out anytime Net worth across accounts and currencies Dashboard, calendar heatmap, category/tag analytics Optional receipt scanning for the rare paper moment Dark mode, Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, localized (EN, UK) ------------------------------------------------- FREE, OR GO PREMIUM ------------------------------------------------- Free: 1 space, 2 accounts, 3 recurrences, 5 receipt scans Premium: unlimited spaces & accounts, 30 scans/mo, AI categorization, category budgets, analytics, shared spaces, multi-currency entry. Your money. Your rules. Your devices. Terms of Use: https://expensa.andrewsereda.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://expensa.andrewsereda.com/privacy.html

About

Control

An elegant budgeting app designed for clarity and control over your finances. It offers features like voice transaction entry, bill splitting, and AI-powered financial insights. Track expenses, manage multiple jobs, and monitor investments with beautiful reports.

Highlights
  • Apple Pay transaction import
  • Voice transaction entry
  • Split bills
  • AI-powered financial insights
  • Investment tracking
  • Shared budgets
  • Receipt scanning
Features
Read full description

Control is an elegant budgeting app designed for clarity without complexity. Its beautifully crafted interface makes managing finances feel magical. • Apple Pay transaction import • Bank notification transaction import • Add transactions by voice • Split bills when adding a transaction • Groceries list with Live Activity • Travel Mode for trip expense tracking • Work page to track hours, shifts, and pay across multiple jobs • Net worth and portfolio tracking, with prices you update yourself • Live Activities and Dynamic Island support • Ask AI - instant financial insights powered by AI • Apple Watch • Business page • Credit cards • Debt tracker • Past trips page • Wishlist shopping page • Quit Tracker for breaking habits • Interest rate for your bank deposits • Receipt scanning with camera • Add transactions by sharing a receipt, email, or webpage • Monthly/weekly/yearly and category budgets with visual progress • Investments transactions • Beautiful reports and spending insights • Wrapped - your year in review summary • Recurring payments and installment tracking • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets • Multiple currency support with conversion • Tags for organizing transactions • Siri Shortcuts • Custom budget start day • Rollover budget • Photos for transactions • Custom budget start day • Variable recurring payments amount • Appearance customization with themes and gradients • Shared Budgets via iCloud • iCloud backup • Face ID • No ads, no tracking, no data collection Take control of your finances today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Expensa4 screens
Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Control at 4.0 against Expensa's 3.6. Control also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium) and review sentiment (95% vs 80%). On price, ratings volume, 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. Expensa sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Control sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Control holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Expensa's written reviews are positive against 95% of Control's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Expensa ships an update weekly, Control every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Expensa versus Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExpensaControl
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (8 ratings)4.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews94.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings88
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrii SeredaAlex Patrick Palacean

Customer experience

Expensa

All ratings8 ratings
Positive62.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

Control

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.3%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Expensa

Subscriptions2
  • Expensa PRO Monthly14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Expensa PRO Yearly14 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time4
  • 1 Espresso$0.99
  • 2 Espressos$1.99
  • 4 Espressos$4.99
Show 1 more
  • 10 Espressos$9.99
2 purchases

Control

Subscriptions1
  • Control Club$3.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime payment$11.99

Questions

Is Expensa free?
Expensa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Control free?
Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Expensa or Control?
Control is rated higher. Expensa averages 3.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Control averages 4.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Expensa or Control have ads?
Neither Expensa nor Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Expensa or Control?
Expensa ships an update weekly, and Control every 3 days. Most recently, Expensa was updated on September 12, 2026 and Control on September 25, 2026.

Other comparisons