# Expensa vs BudgetIQ

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.

Both are free to download. Expensa sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. BudgetIQ asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Expensa | BudgetIQ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expensa-expense-tracker/id6758392205/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budgetiq-budget-tracker/id6789143554/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 91 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrii Sereda](https://appshunter.io/developer/1780402701) | [Karim Abdallah](https://appshunter.io/developer/1846410930) |

## What reviewers say

### Expensa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expensa-expense-tracker/id6758392205)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Expensa PRO Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Expensa PRO Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| 1 Espresso | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2 Espressos | $1.99 | one-time |
| 4 Espressos | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10 Espressos | $9.99 | one-time |
| Expensa Pro Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


### BudgetIQ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budgetiq-budget-tracker/id6789143554)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*