Comparison

Lode vs Penni

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Lode

Effortlessly track your finances using natural language input and AI-powered categorization. Manage budgets, bills, and savings goals with receipt scanning and multi-currency support. Ideal for those seeking a fast and intuitive budgeting experience without complex forms.

Highlights
  • AI transaction entry via natural language
  • Receipt scanning and data extraction
  • Budgeting and bill management
  • Multi-currency tracking
  • Savings goals and debt tracking
  • Home screen widgets and Siri Shortcuts
  • Shared financial spaces
Features
Read full description

Lode is an AI expense tracker that turns plain language into clean personal finance records. Type "coffee 5" or just say what you spent — Lode creates the transaction for you. No long forms, no menu diving. AI detects the category, amount, date, note, and currency, then keeps your money organized. SMART, EFFORTLESS ENTRY - Natural language: write or speak a few words, get a ready transaction - Scan receipts — AI reads the amount, store, and date - Learns your habits for faster, more accurate categorizing ASK LODE ANYTHING - Chat with Lode about your money — "How much did I spend on coffee this month?" - Get plain-language answers about balances, budgets, and trends - Ask hands-free with Siri, too SEE WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES - Income and spending statistics, side by side - Daily cost and daily income, trends, and category breakdowns - Smart insights that explain your numbers in plain words PLAN AHEAD - Budgets with alerts before you overspend - Bills and reminders so nothing slips - Savings goals with progress tracking - Debts — who owes whom, and how much is left BUILT FOR REAL LIFE - Multiple currencies with live exchange rates and a built-in converter - Shared accounts for family or partners, synced across devices - Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Control Center widgets - Siri Shortcuts to add transactions, check balances and budgets, or hear a monthly report - Smart import from CSV, Excel, or other finance apps — AI maps your data automatically PRIVATE BY DESIGN - Your data syncs securely through iCloud - No ads, no selling your data Start with a few words. Lode does the rest. Terms of Use (EULA): https://lodeapp.framer.website/term-of-use Privacy Policy: https://lodeapp.framer.website/privacy-policy

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

Lode4 screens
Penni4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Lode at 8 against Penni's 1. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Lode sells 3 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Lode against 5.0 for Penni. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lode has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Lode versus Penni: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLodePenni
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (8 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings8 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB59 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKyrylo SvystunOTHMANE MDIDET

Customer experience

Lode

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Penni

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

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Lode

Subscriptions2
  • Lode Premium$3.991 Month
  • Lode Premium3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$59.99
3 purchases

Penni

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

Questions

Is Lode free?
Lode 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, Lode or Penni?
Lode and Penni are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Lode or Penni have ads?
Neither Lode nor Penni shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lode or Penni?
Lode ships an update every 4 days, and Penni every 4 days. Most recently, Lode was updated on October 12, 2026 and Penni on October 18, 2026.

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