Comparison

Truly Simple Envelopes vs Budget Envelope Planner

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

Head to head
About

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: β€’ The Main Wallet: A central holding bucket for all unallocated income. Add your paycheck here, then distribute the cash to your categories. β€’ Custom Envelopes: Create dedicated folders for Groceries, Rent, Vacation, etc. Customize them with tactile, earthy colors and native Apple icons. β€’ iCloud Sync: Built natively for Apple devices. Your balances and transactions sync instantly and privately across your Mac, iPhone, and iPad. β€’ 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. β€’ 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. β€’ 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.

About

Budget Envelope Planner

Features
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Give every dollar a job β€” before you spend it. Budget Envelope Planner brings the proven cash envelope method (cash stuffing) to iPhone and iPad. Split your monthly income into virtual envelopes β€” Rent, Groceries, Gas, Eating Out, Savings, Debt Payoff β€” and always know exactly what's left to spend. When an envelope runs low, you see it before you overspend, not after. ZERO-BASED BUDGETING MADE SIMPLE β€’ Enter your monthly income in US dollars β€’ Assign every dollar to an envelope until "Left to Assign" reads $0.00 β€’ A budget where income minus envelopes equals zero β€” every dollar has a job TRACK SPENDING IN SECONDS β€’ Log an expense with two taps: amount, envelope, done β€’ Add notes like "Walmart" or "Electric bill" so you remember every purchase β€’ Clear progress bars show spent vs. remaining for each envelope ROLLOVER THAT BUILDS A BUFFER β€’ Leftover money can roll into next month automatically β€’ Perfect for sinking funds: car repairs, travel, holiday gifts β€’ Start each new month with your plan copied and carryover applied REPORTS THAT MAKE IT CLICK β€’ Spending by envelope with a beautiful donut chart β€’ Budget vs. actual for every envelope β€’ Month-to-month spending trend PRIVATE BY DESIGN β€’ No account, no sign-up, no bank login β€’ All data stays on your device β€” nothing is uploaded β€’ Export your budget as CSV anytime BUDGET ENVELOPE PLANNER PRO (subscription required) This app requires a Budget Envelope Planner Pro auto-renewable subscription to use: β€’ Pro Yearly: $29.99/year with a 3-day free trial β€’ Pro Monthly: $3.99/month The subscription unlocks the complete app: unlimited envelopes, monthly rollover, reports and charts, and CSV export. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase (no charge during the free trial if cancelled at least 24 hours before it ends). Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://appios432.blogspot.com/p/privacy-policy_0317922850.html Take control of your money the simple way β€” plan it, spend it, and know where it went. Download Budget Envelope Planner and give every dollar a job today.

Screenshots

Truly Simple Envelopes3 screens
Budget Envelope Planner4 screens

Verdict

The call

Truly Simple Envelopes and Budget Envelope Planner are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters β€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them β€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Truly Simple Envelopes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Budget Envelope Planner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Truly Simple Envelopes versus Budget Envelope Planner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTruly Simple EnvelopesBudget Envelope Planner
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size1 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperColin WrightMD Shahariar Nazim Joy

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Truly Simple Envelopes

One-time1
  • Unlock Pro$4.99
2 purchases

Budget Envelope Planner

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Truly Simple Envelopes free?
Truly Simple Envelopes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Budget Envelope Planner free?
Budget Envelope Planner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Truly Simple Envelopes or Budget Envelope Planner have ads?
Neither Truly Simple Envelopes nor Budget Envelope Planner shows ads.

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