# Control vs Penni

The clearest difference is rating: Penni at 5.0 against Control's 4.0. Control's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and ratings volume (8 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Control sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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.

Penni holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Control has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Control's written reviews are positive against 100% of Penni's.

Control ships an update every 3 days, Penni every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Control | Penni |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control-budget-tracker/id6759602182/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penni-expense-tracker/id6789282109/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 94.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 58 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Alex Patrick Palacean](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879209041) | [OTHMANE MDIDET](https://appshunter.io/developer/1837087586) |

## What reviewers say

### Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control-budget-tracker/id6759602182)

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:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Control Club | $3.99 | per month |
| Lifetime payment | $11.99 | one-time |


### Penni

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penni-expense-tracker/id6789282109)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| 3 Months | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Control free?

Control 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, Control or Penni?

Penni is rated higher. Control averages 4.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Penni averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Control or Penni have ads?

Neither Control nor Penni shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Control or Penni?

Control ships an update every 3 days, and Penni every 4 days. Most recently, Control was updated on September 25, 2026 and Penni on September 20, 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.*