BlackBird vs Rilio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
BlackBird
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Build better money habits, starting today. BlackBird is the budgeting app that builds real financial habits. Manually track transactions, set savings goals, and monitor your net worth without bank logins. Most budgeting apps automate everything and hand over your data. BlackBird puts you in the driverβs seat. The act of logging your own spending is where financial awareness actually begins. Your data stays on your device. Optional encrypted iCloud backup when you want it. Nothing sent to servers. Nothing sold. Download free. Build the habit. Own your finances. ZERO-BASED BUDGETING Give every dollar a job. Create budgets by category, monitor spending in real time, and let unspent balances roll over each month. Stay in control without the spreadsheet headaches. When you overspend in one category, BlackBird helps you fix it by reallocating from another. Every dollar is accounted for, every month. ALL YOUR ACCOUNTS, ONE PLACE View checking, savings, credit cards, loans, mortgages, assets, and more. See your complete net worth at a glance with historical trend charts that show how your wealth changes over time. Group accounts by type and monitor balances across your entire financial picture. GOALS THAT KEEP YOU MOTIVATED Set savings targets with deadlines, assign accounts to fund them, and watch your progress grow. Whether it's an emergency fund, a vacation, or a down payment, BlackBird keeps you on track. See how much you need to save each month and how close you are to reaching your target. CASH FLOW CLARITY Visualize your income vs. expenses month by month. Understand where your money goes and spot trends before they become problems. Clear bar charts break down your spending so you always know if you're living within your means. TRANSACTIONS MADE SIMPLE Log transactions with categories, notes, and recurring schedules. Swipe to edit or delete. Filter and search to find anything instantly. Set up repeating transactions for bills and subscriptions so nothing slips through the cracks. TRANSFERS BETWEEN ACCOUNTS Move money between your accounts and keep balances accurate without creating phantom income or expenses. Whether you're moving money from checking to savings or making a credit card payment, transfers keep everything in sync. PRIVATE BY DESIGN - All data stored locally on your device - No bank credentials required - No account creation needed - Optional encrypted iCloud backup - Face ID / biometric lock to keep your finances private Unlike other finance apps, BlackBird will never ask you to connect your bank. You enter what you want, when you want. No syncing errors, no broken connections, no third parties with access to your accounts. A clean dark interface with no ads. Just your finances, presented clearly. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS BlackBird is free to use. Core features like budgeting, tracking, and goals are always free. An optional subscription unlocks data export and backup features, billed monthly or annually. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel subscriptions in your Account Settings. Privacy Policy: https://blackbirdplanning.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://blackbirdplanning.com/terms
Rilio
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Rilio logs your spending for you. Pay with Apple Pay and the expense is saved before you put your phone away, with the amount, merchant and category already filled in. Bank SMS alerts are picked up the same way. A notification on your Lock Screen confirms each one, and a single tap fixes anything you want to change. No bank login. No spreadsheets. No end-of-month catch-up. LOGGED AUTOMATICALLY β’ Apple Pay: every tap is logged the moment you pay β’ Bank SMS alerts from supported banks are read and saved for you β’ One payment, one transaction: a tap and its matching bank alert never double up β’ Refund alerts are matched to the original purchase β’ One-time setup with Apple Shortcuts, guided step by step in the app OR JUST SAY IT β’ Type or speak "12 for lunch at Chipotle" and AI fills in the amount, merchant and category β’ Double-tap the back of your iPhone to log an expense without opening the app β’ Import a bank statement PDF to bring in your past transactions KNOW WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES β’ Income, spending and savings rate for the month at a glance β’ A forecast of where the month will land β’ Daily spending, biggest purchases, top categories and weekend habits β’ Ask Rilio anything, like "How much did I spend on food this month?" β’ A monthly recap you can share STAY ON BUDGET β’ Set limits by category and see what's on track and what's close β’ Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets for this month's spending and budgets SPLIT WITH FRIENDS β’ Groups for trips, roommates and dinners, with invites by link β’ See who owes what and settle up in a tap YOUR DATA, YOUR CALL β’ Rilio never asks for your bank password β’ Only messages that match your payment keywords are sent to Rilio β’ Delete your account and data from Settings at any time SUBSCRIPTION Rilio requires a Rilio Pro subscription. New subscribers start with a free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple ID when you confirm the purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel it in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://getrilio.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://getrilio.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: BlackBird at every 4 days against Rilio's every 3 weeks. BlackBird also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. BlackBird sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Rilio sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
BlackBird ships an update every 4 days, Rilio every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BlackBird | Rilio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days β better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 β better | 17.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 83 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BlackBird Planning Inc. | Raja Niketh Reddy Nallapareddy |
In-app purchases
BlackBird
- Monthly Subscription$2.491 Month
- Annual Subscription$19.991 Year
Rilio
- Rilio Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Rilio Pro Yearly7 Days trial$44.991 Year









