Comparison

Payoff vs SteadyStep

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

Head to head
About

Payoff

Features
Read full description

What if paying off debt didn't have to feel so lonely? Most debt apps hand you a spreadsheet and say "good luck." Payoff is different. It pairs you with an AI coach that actually knows your debts, a plan that adapts to your life, and a savings planner that shows you what freedom looks like on the other side. Whether you're juggling credit cards, student loans, car payments, medical bills, or buy-now-pay-later debt — Payoff creates a personalised debt payoff plan in minutes. No bank access needed. No judgement. Just a clear path forward. __________________________________ AI DEBT COACH — YOUR SMARTEST FINANCIAL FRIEND "I got a $600 bonus — what should I do with it?" Your AI coach analyses your actual balances and tells you exactly where that money does the most damage. It's like texting a financial advisor who never sleeps and never judges. 7 SMART PAYOFF STRATEGIES + BABY STEPS - Debt Snowball — smallest balance first for quick wins and motivation - Debt Avalanche — highest interest first to save the most money - Hybrid — AI-recommended blend of both approaches - Plus 4 more: Cash Flow Index, Deadline, Highest Balance & Custom Order - Built-in Baby Steps guide — follow Dave Ramsey's proven framework from emergency fund to debt freedom to investing - Not sure which? Take our 60-second personality quiz — we'll match you A DEBT TRACKER THAT ACTUALLY MOTIVATES YOU - Beautiful dashboard with progress ring, streak counter, and debt-free countdown - What-if scenarios — slide to see how one extra payment changes your payoff date - Log payments, hit milestones, earn streaks — every step celebrated - Smart Import — snap a photo of your statement, AI extracts everything - Payment reminders and calendar sync so you never miss a due date FOCUS MODE — FOR THE HARD DAYS Feeling overwhelmed by the numbers? One tap hides every balance. You see only your progress percentage and one simple action: "Pay $180 to Visa." Trust the plan. Breathe. LIFE AFTER DEBT — BECAUSE THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT Most debt apps stop the moment you're debt-free. We think that's where life starts: - See exactly how much monthly cash you'll free up from debt payments - Set savings goals — emergency fund, dream holiday, first home - Investment tracker — plan compound growth for retirement, index funds & more - Money timeline maps every milestone from debt payoff to savings to investments - Watch your debt-free date, savings targets, and investment goals on one screen PARTNER MODE — TACKLE DEBT AS A TEAM Share debts with your partner, split payments, track who's contributed what, and chat with a shared AI coach together — all synced in real-time. Because money conversations are easier with the right tools. EVERY DEBT TYPE. EVERY CURRENCY. EVERY LANGUAGE. Credit cards, student loans, auto loans, mortgages, personal loans, medical debt, BNPL (Klarna, Afterpay), tax debt — all supported. 9 languages. Multi-currency. Works worldwide. Your data stays on your device. __________________________________________ FREE TO START — NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED - Track 2 debts for free - Snowball & Avalanche strategies included - Dashboard with debt-free countdown timer - Payment reminders & milestone celebrations - 5 AI coach messages per month PREMIUM — UNLOCK YOUR FULL POTENTIAL - Unlimited debts & unlimited AI coaching - All 7 strategies + personality quiz recommendation - Focus Mode, savings planner & investment tracker - What-if scenarios, smart import & CSV import - Partner/Household mode for couples - Expense tracker & custom accent colours __________________________________________ The average person with a plan pays off debt 2-3 years faster than someone paying minimums. Your plan starts today. You've got this. END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

SteadyStep

Organize your debts, expenses, and repayments in a private workspace. Understand your cash flow, compare repayment strategies, and track your progress with deterministic calculations and clear plans.

Highlights
  • Organize debts and expenses
  • Track repayments and cash flow
  • Compare repayment strategies
  • View repayment schedules
  • Generate educational reports
  • Private and secure workspace
Read full description

SteadyStep helps you organize debts, expenses and repayments in one calm, private workspace. Enter your own information, understand your monthly cash flow and follow a clear repayment plan without judgment or pressure. PLAN WITH DETERMINISTIC CALCULATIONS - Record debts, required payments, interest rates and expenses. - Choose whether essential expenses come from a monthly estimate or your itemized records. - Compare interest-first and small-balance-first repayment strategies. - Preview extra monthly payments for free, compare projected payoff timing and interest, and explicitly save your chosen amount. - Review estimated payoff timing, interest and monthly milestones. - See a twelve-month repayment schedule based on the information you entered. TRACK WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED - Record real repayments by date and debt. - Keep payment history separate from projected payments. - Update a balance only when you provide a statement balance. - Follow monthly progress using recorded payments rather than a simple completion switch. OPTIONAL COMPLETE REPORTS Preview personalized takeaways for free, then unlock a complete educational report when you want a deeper explanation of your current plan. Reports combine SteadyStep's deterministic calculations with calm explanatory text, practical actions, risk reminders and assumptions. Complete reports are generated on your device, remain available in your private report history and can be exported as a PDF. A single-report purchase unlocks one complete report. An active monthly or annual subscription provides unlimited on-device report refreshes plus report comparison and ongoing progress summaries. Prices shown in the app come directly from the App Store for your storefront. PRIVACY BY DESIGN Free planning does not require a SteadyStep account. Sign in with Apple is used only for purchases, restoring paid access and unlocking complete reports. Your debt names, balances, rates, income, plan and completed reports remain in the app's private device and iCloud storage. Report entitlement confirmation never includes financial values or your financial snapshot. SteadyStep provides planning and educational information only. It is not a lender, debt-relief service, credit-repair service, financial adviser or legal adviser. Estimates depend on the information you enter and may differ from lender statements or actual results.

Screenshots

Payoff4 screens
SteadyStep4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SteadyStep at every 2 weeks against Payoff's every 6 weeks. Payoff's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Payoff sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and SteadyStep sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Payoff ships an update every 6 weeks, SteadyStep every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Payoff versus SteadyStep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPayoffSteadyStep
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJONATHAN DOUGLAS LAI航杭 虞

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Payoff

Subscriptions4
  • Premium Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Household Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Household Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
3 purchases

SteadyStep

Subscriptions2
  • SteadyStep Plus Monthly$2.991 Month
  • SteadyStep Plus Annual$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Single Debt Planning Report$1.99

Questions

Is Payoff free?
Payoff is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SteadyStep free?
SteadyStep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Payoff or SteadyStep have ads?
Neither Payoff nor SteadyStep shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Payoff or SteadyStep?
Payoff ships an update every 6 weeks, and SteadyStep every 2 weeks. Most recently, Payoff was updated on October 25, 2026 and SteadyStep on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons