Comparison

Basic Checkbook vs TrueForecasting

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

Head to head
About

Basic Checkbook

This personal finance app helps you track your real-time balance by logging every transaction as it happens. It supports various account types, offers detailed spending insights, and provides tools for managing bills and credit cards. Enjoy a private, secure register that works like a traditional checkbook but with enhanced digital features.

Highlights
  • Log all transaction types in real-time
  • Accurate running balance updates
  • Credit card and debt tracking
  • Monthly spending insights
  • Scheduled bill payments and reminders
  • Account reconciliation tools
  • Quick Add widget and Siri integration
Features
Read full description

Your bank app shows what cleared. Basic Checkbook shows what's real. Most banking apps only show transactions that have already posted, not the check you wrote yesterday, the bill that hits Friday, or the withdrawal you made this morning. Basic Checkbook is a personal register where you log every dollar as you spend it, across checking, savings, credit cards, and brokerage accounts, so your running balance is always accurate, up to date, and yours. No bank logins. No credentials on anyone's server. Just a fast, private register that works the way a checkbook always has, only better. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Log purchases, deposits, bills, withdrawals, checks, credits, and transfers as they happen • Watch your true running balance update with every entry • See every account's combined total at the top, with card debt subtracted • See any month at a glance, free: money in, money out, your net, and your biggest expense • Track credit cards alongside your bank accounts: what you owe, the credit you have left, your APR, and the day payment is due • See how much of a card's limit you are using, so you know when a balance is creeping up • Decide what interest costs you: your card shows a projected charge on its due day, and you accept, adjust, or skip it • Add a transaction from your home screen with the Quick Add widget • Add a transaction hands-free with Siri, the Shortcuts app, or Spotlight • Mark items cleared one at a time, fly through a statement with Quick Reconcile, or balance a statement step by step • Void a canceled or torn-up check and keep it on the record while the money returns to your balance • Tag transactions with as many labels as you like, and reuse any tag with one tap • Filter by type or status and search your whole register by payee, amount, memo, or tag • Schedule bills and income every 1 to 4 weeks, twice a month, monthly by date or weekday, quarterly, or yearly, with reminders, and skip one • Set a low balance warning and get a notice two days before a scheduled bill takes the balance under it • Earn interest on savings: choose the day it posts each month, and see the total at a glance • Track a brokerage account, 401(k) or IRA by its value: type it, paste it, scan a screenshot, or ask Siri, and Checkbook writes the gain or loss, shows your return, and reminds you to update it • Scan a check or receipt to fill in the details automatically • Track a different currency per account • Keep every account in sync across your devices with iCloud, free • Back up your entire register to a file and restore it anytime • Bring your history from another checkbook app: import its QIF or CSV file, free • Lock the app with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode BASIC CHECKBOOK PREMIUM Two ways to upgrade: Lifetime Premium, one purchase that never renews or expires, or a yearly plan. Both unlock: • Unlimited accounts: keep checking, savings, credit cards, brokerage, and more in one place • Your accounts over time: tap the total and see how they have moved, month by month, with a tile for each one • Full Monthly Recap: the tags and payees you spent the most on, plus save any month as a PDF • Payoff plan: set a monthly payment on any credit card and see the payoff date and what the interest will cost • Projected balance: where your balance is headed from your scheduled and recurring activity • Receipt photos: attach a receipt to the transaction it belongs to • Spending analytics: charts, trends, budgets, and period comparisons • Monthly PDF statements: clean, bank-style statements for any date range • CSV export: take your history anywhere • Color themes and app icons: premium palettes and home-screen icons Basic Checkbook doesn't connect to your bank or your brokerage. It never reads your transactions or stores your credentials anywhere. It's your ledger: private, accurate, and completely yours. Privacy Policy: https://basicapps.tech/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

TrueForecasting

This app projects your future checking account balance day by day, helping you anticipate low points and plan accordingly. It allows manual input of income, bills, and goals without linking to your bank for enhanced privacy.

Highlights
  • Day-by-day balance forecasting
  • Low balance alerts
  • Recurring transaction management
  • Goal tracking
  • Spending budget envelopes
  • Cash flow trends
Features
Read full description

TrueForecasting shows you what your balance will be — not just what it is today. Most money apps look backward. TrueForecasting looks forward: it projects your checking balance day by day, so you can see a low point coming weeks before it happens and plan around it. NO BANK LINKING. You add your income, bills, and goals once — we do the math. Your financial data stays tied to your account, not pulled from your bank. Private by design. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Forecast — scroll day by day into your future balance. Tap any item to mark it paid, skip it, or reschedule. • See it coming — get a heads-up before your balance runs low. • Recurring made easy — paychecks, rent, subscriptions, debt payments, quarterly and annual bills, custom schedules. Set it once. • Goals — cap a category's spending, reach a savings balance, or pay off debt, and watch your progress. • Allowances — give a category a budget envelope that drains as you spend. • Trends — rolling cash flow, where it's headed, and tap any day to see what made it move. PRO TrueForecasting is free to start. Pro unlocks the full forecast and planning tools. • Monthly: $2.99 / month • Yearly: $19.99 / year • Includes a 7-day free trial. TrueForecasting Pro is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. It renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged within 24 hours prior to renewal. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use: https://api.trueforecasting.app/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://api.trueforecasting.app/legal/privacy

Screenshots

Basic Checkbook4 screens
TrueForecasting4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TrueForecasting at 5.0 against Basic Checkbook's 4.7. Basic Checkbook's advantage is ratings volume (9 vs 3). On price, review sentiment, 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. Basic Checkbook sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $23.99 per year and TrueForecasting sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TrueForecasting holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Basic Checkbook versus TrueForecasting: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBasic CheckbookTrueForecasting
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (9 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSean TrapaniBryan Babb

Customer experience

Basic Checkbook

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

TrueForecasting

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Basic Checkbook

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Premium$23.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$59.99
2 purchases

TrueForecasting

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Pro Annual7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Basic Checkbook free?
Basic Checkbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TrueForecasting free?
TrueForecasting is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Basic Checkbook or TrueForecasting?
TrueForecasting is rated higher. Basic Checkbook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while TrueForecasting averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Basic Checkbook or TrueForecasting have ads?
Neither Basic Checkbook nor TrueForecasting shows ads.

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