Comparison

Expensa vs Penni

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

Penni

Manage your finances with a calm, beautifully simple approach. Track spending, set gentle budgets, and grow savings without spreadsheets or account creation. Your data stays private on your device and synced via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Private by design, no sign-up required
  • Track expenses and income
  • Set gentle budgets
  • Manage savings goals
  • Financial health score
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
  • iCloud sync and backup
Features
Read full description

Penni is a calmer way to manage your money. Track what you spend, set gentle budgets, and watch your savings grow — in an app that feels warm, unhurried, and beautifully simple. No spreadsheets, no clutter, and no account to create. Just open Penni and start. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No sign-up, no login, no account. Ever. • Your data is stored on your device and synced privately through your own iCloud — it never touches our servers, because we don't have any. • Lock the app behind Face ID or Touch ID for an extra layer of privacy. SEE YOUR MONEY AT A GLANCE • A clean home dashboard with your total balance, income, and spending for the month. • Beautiful wallet cards for cash, bank accounts, cards, savings, and more. • A simple financial-health score that tells you how you're doing. TRACK EVERY TRANSACTION • Log expenses and income in seconds. • Organize with tidy, colorful categories and per-day grouping. • Search and filter by date range to find anything fast. BUDGETS THAT GUIDE YOU • Set gentle limits for the categories you care about. • Always know exactly where you stand — without the guilt. REACH YOUR GOALS • Save for an emergency fund, a new phone, or a dream trip. • Watch each goal fill up as you set money aside. INSIGHTS • Spending trends and category breakdowns that actually make sense. WORKS WHERE YOU DO • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets keep your balance and budgets a glance away. • A Live Activity keeps an eye on your budget while you spend. ICLOUD SYNC & BACKUP • Turn on iCloud Sync and your wallets, transactions, budgets, and goals stay up to date across your iPhone and iPad automatically — and are safely backed up to your iCloud account. Penni is a personal bookkeeping tool to help you understand your own money. It does not connect to your bank, move money, or give financial advice. — PENNI PRO Penni is free to use. Penni Pro unlocks everything: unlimited wallets, unlimited budgets and goals, unlimited transactions, iCloud sync, dark mode, advanced insights, and custom categories. • Penni Pro Monthly — $3.99 / month • Penni Pro (3 Months) — $9.99 / 3 months • Penni Pro Yearly — $29.99 / year Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically for the same price and duration unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your Apple Account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial, if offered, is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://penni.cc/privacy

Screenshots

Expensa4 screens
Penni4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Penni at 5.0 against Expensa's 3.6. Penni also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%). Expensa's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 1). On price, update cadence, 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 Penni sells 3 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

Penni holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Expensa has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Expensa's written reviews are positive against 100% of Penni's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Expensa ships an update weekly, Penni every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Expensa versus Penni: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExpensaPenni
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (8 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB59 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAndrii SeredaOTHMANE MDIDET

Customer experience

Expensa

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

Penni

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
3 purchases

Penni

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • 3 Months$9.993 Months
  • Yearly$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Expensa free?
Expensa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Penni free?
Penni is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Expensa or Penni?
Penni is rated higher. Expensa averages 3.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Penni averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Expensa or Penni have ads?
Neither Expensa nor Penni shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Expensa or Penni?
Expensa ships an update weekly, and Penni every 4 days. Most recently, Expensa was updated on September 12, 2026 and Penni on September 20, 2026.

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