Truly Simple Envelopes vs chestnut
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Truly Simple Envelopes
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Managing money is stressful, and modern budgeting apps usually make it worse. They connect to your bank, download hundreds of transactions you don't recognize, bombard you with confusing pie charts, and charge you a hefty monthly subscription for the privilege. Truly Simple Envelopes is the opposite. It’s a digital version of the classic "cash stuffing" envelope method, built to be visually calm, completely manual, and intentionally friction-free. It never links to your bank accounts or automatically pulls in data. Instead, it asks you to mindfully put money into digital envelopes, and manually subtract it when you spend. By stripping away the bloat and focusing entirely on how much money you have left for different priorities, it brings peace of mind back to your finances while helping you develop healthy and sustainable financial habits. The core app, including iCloud syncing between your devices, is entirely free. If you find it useful, a one-time, lifetime $4.99 fee unlocks unlimited envelopes. Features: • The Main Wallet: A central holding bucket for all unallocated income. Add your paycheck here, then distribute the cash to your categories. • Custom Envelopes: Create dedicated folders for Groceries, Rent, Vacation, etc. Customize them with tactile, earthy colors and native Apple icons. • iCloud Sync: Built natively for Apple devices. Your balances and transactions sync instantly and privately across your Mac, iPhone, and iPad. • Accessible: Designed strictly to WCAG AA accessibility standards. Enjoy high-contrast text, large touch targets, and full support for Apple's Dynamic Type text scaling. • Complete Control: Swipe to delete a mistaken transaction, use the built-in Reconcile tool to clean up duplicate sync records, or hit the "Reset App Data" button to completely wipe your slate clean at any time. • Proudly Subscription-Free: We hate recurring billing as much as you do. Stick with the free version, or pay once and use the software forever. No ads, no trackers, no hidden fees.
chestnut
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chestnut is a calming envelope budgeting companion-not another finance dashboard. money can feel heavy. chestnut helps you feel emotionally safe, organized, and in control without turning your life into a spreadsheet. split your money into warm, identity-based envelopes, check safe-to-spend in a few seconds, and log spending in moments-not minutes. WHY ENVELOPE BUDGETING give every euro a job before you spend it. fixed envelopes cover what you need (rent, subscriptions). flexible envelopes hold the joy (eating out, self care, little treats). savings envelopes grow hope (vacation, emergency fund). when it's time to spend, you only ask one question: is there money in this envelope? HOME - "AM I OKAY?" open chestnut and see your safe-to-spend number front and center-so you know you can enjoy today without guessing. ENVELOPES - "WHERE IS MY MONEY?" a clear, cozy view of fixed, flexible, and savings envelopes. identity-based names and soft colors-not accounting jargon. LOG SPENDING IN SECONDS add an expense with minimal taps. keyboard-friendly, remembered merchants, instant feedback. no mandatory notes, no lecture. ACTIVITY a gentle timeline of what happened recently-so you stay aware without doom-scrolling your finances. CALENDAR see what's coming up: bills and reminders, so surprises feel smaller. GOALS & SAVINGS watch progress on what matters. soft encouragement-not gamified pressure. PAYDAY RITUAL look forward to payday planning: refill envelopes, rebalance with kindness, and start the next stretch with clarity. DESIGNED TO FEEL DIFFERENT warm cream palette and rounded cards-not cold fintech white. PRIVACY & ACCOUNT sign in to sync your envelopes across devices. your budget stays yours-we're here to help you feel capable, not to sell your attention. --- a paid subscription is required to use chestnut. all budgeting features, envelopes, spending tracking, goals, calendar planning, payday rituals, and device syncing require an active subscription. you can choose between a monthly and yearly subscription. with a yearly subscription, you get a 3-day trial. subscriptions are managed directly by apple. you can manage and cancel your subscription at any time within your iphone settings. questions or feedback? use the support link in the listing-we read every note. enjoy life. stay in control. stash a little calm with chestnut. privacy policy: https://getchestnut.app/privacy terms and conditions: https://getchestnut.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: chestnut at weekly against Truly Simple Envelopes's every 2 weeks. Truly Simple Envelopes's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Truly Simple Envelopes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and chestnut sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Truly Simple Envelopes ships an update every 2 weeks, chestnut weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Truly Simple Envelopes | chestnut |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 75 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Colin Wright | Thjis |
In-app purchases
Truly Simple Envelopes
- Unlock Pro$4.99
chestnut
- chestnut pro monthly$3.991 Month
- chestnut pro monthly$5.991 Month
- chestnut pro yearly3 Days trial$39.991 Year
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- chestnut pro yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
Questions
Is Truly Simple Envelopes free?
Is chestnut free?
Do Truly Simple Envelopes or chestnut have ads?
Which is updated more often, Truly Simple Envelopes or chestnut?
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