Comparison

The Box App vs TakeControl

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

Head to head
About

The Box App

Gain financial clarity with a streamlined budgeting and expense tracking tool. Easily record spending, set monthly budgets, and monitor categories in real-time without mandatory bank synchronization. Enjoy a clean, iOS-designed interface focused on simplicity.

Highlights
  • Monthly budgeting with projection
  • Fixed expense tracking
  • Category analysis
  • Quick expense logging
  • iOS-native design
  • No bank synchronization
Features
Read full description

O The Box foi construído para quem quer clareza financeira sem complexidade desnecessária. Registre gastos em segundos, defina seu orçamento mensal e acompanhe cada categoria em tempo real. Nada de sincronização bancária obrigatória, nada de tela cheia de números que você não pediu. O que você encontra no The Box: - Orçamento mensal com projeção do mês - Controle de contas fixas com status de vencimento - Análise por categoria com percentual do orçamento - Registro rápido com Back Tap (toque duplo na traseira do iPhone) - Design feito para iOS, do jeito que o iOS deveria ser Sem anúncios. Sem vender seus dados. Seu dinheiro é seu. Termos de Uso: https://caioogenaroo.github.io/thebox-legal/termos.html

About

TakeControl

Easily manage shared expenses with friends and family. Track group spending, calculate who owes what, and simplify payments. Supports multiple currencies and customizable categories.

Highlights
  • Group expense tracking
  • Automatic debt calculation
  • Simplified payment settlement
  • Multi-currency support
  • Customizable expense categories
  • Receipt scanning
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Splitting expenses as a couple or on a trip should not turn into an argument. TakeControl helps couples, friends, families, and groups split bills, track shared expenses, and see who owes whom. Add an expense and the app calculates each person’s share, updates balances instantly, and shows the simplest way to settle up. PERFECT FOR COUPLES AND TRIPS Traveling with friends? Track hotels, flights, gas, restaurants, groceries, activities, and travel expenses, then split the cost without spreadsheets. Living together or managing money as a couple? Use TakeControl to split rent, groceries, delivery, pharmacy, utilities, household bills, subscriptions, and shared expenses. Split couple expenses equally, by percentage, or by exact amount. Also great for: - Roommates and shared housing - Dinners, parties, birthdays, and events - Family expenses, school, and healthcare - Group funds and loans between friends HOW IT WORKS 1. Create a group and add the people involved 2. Add expenses as they happen 3. See everyone’s balance update instantly 4. Settle up with the fewest payments possible Not everyone needs to download the app. Add local members and manage the split yourself, ideal for couples, trips, or groups where not everyone wants another app. SPLIT EVERY EXPENSE FAIRLY Not every bill should be split 50/50. With TakeControl, you can split expenses: - Equally between everyone - By percentage - By exact amount - With more than one person paying the same expense DEBT SIMPLIFICATION Instead of everyone paying everyone, TakeControl reorganizes group balances and calculates the fewest transfers needed to settle all debts. Everyone pays the right amount, with fewer transfers. GROUP INSIGHTS Understand your money without opening a spreadsheet: - Spending trends over time - A financial overview of the group - Balance between members and who is covering more - Recent group activity - More insights to understand where the money is going MORE THAN 130 CURRENCIES Record every expense in the currency it was paid in. Balances stay separated by currency, so amounts are never mixed. Turn on currency conversion whenever you want to see balances in your preferred currency. CATEGORIES YOUR WAY Create categories and custom subcategories for each group. Choose icons and colors, and disable anything you do not use. A travel group can have different categories from your household or couple expenses. MORE CONTEXT FOR EVERY EXPENSE - Attach receipts directly to expenses - Add notes explaining each purchase - Leave group notes for everyone - Browse the group receipt gallery - See what changed, who changed it, and when LESS TYPING - Scan a receipt and let TakeControl fill in the expense - Add expenses using your voice - Use the built-in calculator - Create recurring and installment expenses automatically - Add expenses offline and sync when connected again AND MORE - Group budgets with spending progress - Home Screen widget with balance and budget - Real-time activity notifications - Send reminders when someone still needs to settle up - Import your Splitwise groups in minutes - Import contacts from your phone - Biometric lock - CSV export - Available in 6 languages FREE TO GET STARTED Create up to 6 groups and add up to 8 expenses per day for free. No ads. TAKECONTROL PRO - Unlimited groups and expenses - Unlimited receipt scanning and voice expense entry - Convert balances into the currency you choose - Set custom exchange rates for each group - Advanced expense search filters A Lifetime option is also available: pay once and keep access forever. Your PRO subscription is charged to your App Store account and renews automatically unless auto- Terms of Use: https://gettakecontrol.app/en/legal/terms-of-use/ Privacy Policy: https://gettakecontrol.app/en/legal/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

The Box App3 screens
TakeControl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TakeControl at none against The Box App's 3. The Box App's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and monetization model 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. The Box App sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. TakeControl asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Box App ships an update weekly, TakeControl every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
The Box App versus TakeControl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Box AppTakeControl
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews83.8% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB131 MB
Age rating+4+4
DeveloperAlexsandra ChioratoHello Design & Tecnologia LTDA

Customer experience

The Box App

Written reviews37 reviews
Positive83.8%
Neutral8.1%
Negative8.1%

TakeControl

Written reviews8 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

The Box App

Subscriptions3
  • The Box Premium Mensal$1.991 Month
  • The Box Premium Anual (Fundador)$11.991 Year
  • TheBox Premium Anual$14.991 Year
None

TakeControl

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Box App free?
The Box App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TakeControl free?
TakeControl is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do The Box App or TakeControl have ads?
TakeControl shows ads; The Box App does not.
Which is updated more often, The Box App or TakeControl?
The Box App ships an update weekly, and TakeControl every 9 days. Most recently, The Box App was updated on October 9, 2026 and TakeControl on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons