Comparison

Expensa vs BudgetIQ

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://getexpensa.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://getexpensa.com/privacy.html

About

BudgetIQ

This app simplifies financial management by helping you track income and expenses, understand spending habits, and achieve financial goals. It offers insightful analytics and visualizations to motivate better financial habits.

Highlights
  • Track income and expenses
  • Customizable spending categories
  • Weekly, monthly, and yearly financial insights
  • Spending trend analysis
  • Visual charts and analytics
  • Expense logging with widgets
Read full description

BudgetIQ helps you build better financial habits by making budgeting simple, insightful, and motivating. Track your income and expenses, understand where your money goes, and stay on top of your financial goals with beautiful analytics and an intuitive experience. Features: • Track income and expenses • Create custom categories • Weekly, monthly, and yearly insights • Spending trends and analytics • Beautiful charts and visualizations • Build spending streaks • Widgets for quick access • Fast and easy expense logging • Secure and private Whether you're budgeting for the first time or looking for a better way to manage your finances, BudgetIQ helps you stay in control. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Expensa4 screens
BudgetIQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BudgetIQ at 5.0 against Expensa's 3.9. BudgetIQ also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days). Expensa's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. BudgetIQ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BudgetIQ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Expensa ships an update every 11 days, BudgetIQ every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Expensa versus BudgetIQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExpensaBudgetIQ
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (10 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size91 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrii SeredaKarim Abdallah

Customer experience

Expensa

All ratings10 ratings
Positive70.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative0.0%

BudgetIQ

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
None

BudgetIQ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Expensa free?
Expensa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BudgetIQ free?
BudgetIQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Expensa or BudgetIQ?
BudgetIQ is rated higher. Expensa averages 3.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while BudgetIQ averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Expensa or BudgetIQ have ads?
Neither Expensa nor BudgetIQ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Expensa or BudgetIQ?
Expensa ships an update every 11 days, and BudgetIQ every 4 days. Most recently, Expensa was updated on October 31, 2026 and BudgetIQ on October 31, 2026.

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