PennyFi vs Pace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
PennyFi
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PennyFi β your money, in your pocket, on your terms. Pay once, own it forever. No subscriptions, no bank logins, no ads. Your finances stay on your device β and PennyFi's smart features run on Apple's on-device AI, so nothing you enter ever leaves your hands. KNOW WHAT YOU CAN SPEND β’ Safe to Spend: one number that answers "can I buy this?" β what's left after bills, budgets, and goals β’ Cash flow forecast: see your balance weeks ahead, before the bills hit β’ A customizable Home dashboard: net worth, cash on hand, upcoming bills, top expenses, and more BUDGET YOUR WAY β’ Guided Budget Builder: answer a few questions, get a working budget β’ Classic methods (50/30/20 and friends) or fully custom categories β’ Budget calendar, spending pace, and gentle alerts before you overshoot β’ Budget together: share accounts and budgets with your partner over iCloud β you both view and edit, no extra account needed EVERY ACCOUNT IN ONE PLACE β’ Cash, savings, credit cards, loans, and investments β in any mix of currencies β’ Savings interest tracking, debt payoff strategies (avalanche or snowball), and loan payments with an adjustable interestβprincipal split β’ Investment portfolios with live prices and performance history EFFORTLESS ENTRY β’ Scan a receipt β amount, payee, and line items are filled in by on-device AI β’ Import bank statements from CSV or PDF, with smart duplicate detection β’ Rules auto-categorize as transactions arrive; PennyFi even suggests the rules β’ Split one purchase across categories, tag anything, log by voice with Siri β’ Review: sweep new transactions in a quick card session β and note how the spending felt UNDERSTAND YOUR MONEY β’ Ask PennyFi anything about your spending β answered privately, on your device β’ Smart Insights that stay calm: snooze them or dismiss them for good β’ Spending anomaly alerts, subscription detection, weekly recap, no-spend streaks, age of money β’ Reflect: beautiful reports on where it all went, month by month and year by year LIFE ADMIN, HANDLED β’ Recurring bills with reminders, calendar sync, and a Live Activity for the next bill due β’ Shared expenses with friends and settle-up math done for you β’ Savings goals with target dates and progress you can see PRIVATE BY DESIGN β’ No bank connections β that's a feature: nothing to breach, no credentials to hand over β’ Face ID / Touch ID app lock β’ iCloud sync across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac; local backups and full CSV export any time β your data is yours to keep AT HOME ON EVERY DEVICE β’ Built natively for iPhone, iPad, and Mac β’ Widgets for Safe to Spend, net worth, and more β’ Siri Shortcuts, global search, and full keyboard support on Mac β’ Available in 30 languages One price. Every feature. Forever. That's the deal.
Pace
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Most budgeting apps show you a balance. Pace shows you the truth: one honest number that tells you what's actually safe to spend today - after your bills, savings, and goals are already accounted for. No more mental math. No more "I thought I had more than that." No more overdraft surprises three days before payday. THE DAILY SAFE-TO-SPEND NUMBER Every morning, Pace looks at what's coming - rent, subscriptions, that annual renewal you forgot about, the money you're setting aside for your goals - and quietly subtracts it first. What's left is yours to spend today, guilt-free. It's the difference between hoping you're okay and knowing you are. SEE YOUR MONTH BEFORE IT HAPPENS Cash-flow projections show the shape of your month ahead - the tight weeks, the safe weeks, the day a big bill lands. Plan around real life instead of reacting to it. BUDGETS & ENVELOPES THAT ACTUALLY FIT Create unlimited budgets and envelopes for groceries, gas, dining, kids, travel - however your money really moves. Give every dollar a job and watch each category breathe through the month. SMART REVIEW, NOT BUSYWORK Pace flags the transactions worth a second look and lets you clear them in seconds. Stay on top of your spending without living in a spreadsheet. CALENDAR VIEW See bills and income laid out by date, so payday and due dates never sneak up on you again. BUILT PRIVATE, BUILT TO TRUST Pace is local-first and encrypted. Start tracking in minutes with no bank login required - your numbers stay yours. Add multi-account sync and encrypted backup when you want them, and share a household budget with a partner without handing over your logins. WHY PEOPLE STAY WITH PACE - One clear safe-to-spend number, every single day - Bills and goals funded first, automatically - Cash-flow projections that see the month ahead - Unlimited budgets and envelopes - Smart review of flagged transactions - Calendar view for bills and income - Multi-account sync + encrypted backup - Private, local-first, no bank login to start - Household sharing for couples and families The real cost of budgeting by vibes isn't the latte - it's the overdraft fee, the surprise renewal, the quiet stress of never quite knowing. Pace replaces the guessing with one number you can trust. Download Pace and see your safe-to-spend today. MEMBERSHIP Pace offers a 7-day free trial, then $19.99/month or $79.99/year. Your subscription unlocks unlimited budgets, cash-flow projections, multi-account sync, encrypted backup, and household sharing. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://arioapps.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://arioapps.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Pace at Free against PennyFi's $4.99. Pace also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 27.0). PennyFi's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On update cadence and ads 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
Pace is free to download; PennyFi costs $4.99 up front. Pace sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. PennyFi asks for nothing beyond the download.
PennyFi ships an update weekly, Pace every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PennyFi | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free β better |
| Update frequency | Weekly β better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No β better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac β better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 27.0 | 17.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | VALENTINA MARIANA FARCASANU | Cricket Live Line |
In-app purchases
PennyFi
No in-app purchases
Pace
- Pace Pro (Monthly)$19.991 Month
- Pace Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$79.991 Year









