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

Track expenses privately without linking bank accounts. This app automatically logs card taps via Shortcuts and uses AI to build budgets. It supports over 150 currencies and syncs securely via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Automatic transaction logging via Shortcuts
  • AI-powered budget creation
  • Supports 150+ currencies
  • Private iCloud sync
  • Separate wallets for different budgets
  • Recurring transaction tracking
  • Data import/export
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://getexpensa.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://getexpensa.com/privacy.html

About

Control

Effortlessly manage your money with an intuitive and visually appealing budgeting app. Track expenses, monitor investments, and gain financial insights with AI assistance. Features include automatic transaction import, bill splitting, and customizable reports.

Highlights
  • Automatic transaction import
  • AI-powered financial insights
  • Bill splitting
  • Investment tracking
  • Customizable budgets
  • Receipt scanning
  • Travel and business expense tracking
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 • 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 4.4 against Expensa's 3.9. Control also leads on review sentiment (97% vs 78%) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days). 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 7 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, 4.4 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Expensa's written reviews are positive against 97% of Control's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Expensa ships an update every 11 days, Control every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Expensa versus Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExpensaControl
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (10 ratings)4.4 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews96.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1013 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB57 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperAndrii SeredaAlex Patrick Palacean

Customer experience

Expensa

All ratings10 ratings
Positive70.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%

Control

All ratings13 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive96.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.4%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Expensa

Subscriptions2
  • Expensa PRO Monthly14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Expensa PRO Yearly14 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time5
  • 1 Espresso$0.99
  • 2 Espressos$1.99
  • 4 Espressos$4.99
Show 2 more
  • 10 Espressos$9.99
  • Expensa Pro Lifetime$79.99
2 purchases

Control

Subscriptions1
  • Control Monthly$3.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime payment$17.99

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 3.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Control averages 4.4 from 13 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 every 11 days, and Control every 4 days. Most recently, Expensa was updated on November 10, 2026 and Control on November 13, 2026.

Other comparisons