# Penni vs Basic Budget

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Basic Budget at none against Penni's 3. Basic Budget also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penni sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Basic Budget asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penni | Basic Budget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penni-expense-tracker/id6789282109/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 59 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [OTHMANE MDIDET](https://appshunter.io/developer/1837087586) | [Border networks Pte ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896329431) |

## What reviewers say

### Penni

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penni-expense-tracker/id6789282109)

Manage your finances with a calm, beautifully simple approach. Track spending, set gentle budgets, and grow savings without spreadsheets or account creation. Your data stays private on your device and synced via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Private by design, no sign-up required, Track expenses and income, Set gentle budgets, Manage savings goals, Financial health score, Home and Lock Screen widgets, iCloud sync and backup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| 3 Months | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


### Basic Budget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-budget-expense-tracker/id6810966965)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penni free?

Penni is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Basic Budget free?

Basic Budget is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Penni or Basic Budget have ads?

Neither Penni nor Basic Budget shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penni or Basic Budget?

Penni ships an update every 4 days, and Basic Budget every 4 days. Most recently, Penni was updated on October 2, 2026 and Basic Budget on October 8, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*