Penny Pilot vs Budget Planner
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Penny Pilot
This app offers private, offline expense tracking without requiring accounts or bank linking. It provides detailed spending breakdowns, budget setting, and optional advanced features like multi-currency support and AI-powered insights.
- Private, offline expense tracking
- No account or bank linking required
- Detailed spending breakdowns
- Budget setting and tracking
- Multi-currency support
- On-device AI insights
- Card expiration reminders
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Some apps need to know everything about you before they can help with anything. Penny Pilot doesn’t. Most people don't need another app tracking them to understand their money better. They need one that just shows them the truth, quietly, without asking for anything in return. That's what this is! No account to create. No bank to link. No server sitting between you and your own money. Every transaction, every wallet, every budget you set up stays right there on your device, and it stays there because that was the whole point from the start. We didn't bolt privacy onto an existing app. We built the app around it. Set a limit and hold yourself to it. Pull up your full spending history whenever curiosity strikes or ask the on-device Apple Intelligence to summarize your spendings and give you insights. That's the whole app, and it's fast enough that you'll actually use it. What you get for free: • Real privacy. No cloud, no account, no one watching. Lock things down with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. • No ads. Not one. Not ever! • As many transactions as you want, each one able to carry notes, a photo and even a location if you want the full picture. • Up to two wallets in your default currency, whenever you're ready to set them up. • A clear and complete monthly breakdown of where your money actually went. • A heads up before your card expires, so you're never caught off guard. When you're ready for more, there's Penny Pilot Pro: Everything above, plus the tools for people who want to go deeper. • Apple Intelligence summaries that quietly turn your transactions into insights, generated privately, right on your phone. • Multi-currency support, so wallets in different currencies live comfortably side by side. • Budgets with real limits and real-time tracking, so staying on target actually feels manageable. • As many wallets as you need, each one customizable with it’s own colors and designs. • Yearly statistics, so you can pull up any year and see the whole story, not just one month at a time. Try Penny Pilot Pro free for 7 days. No pressure, just see if it fits how you actually manage money. Terms of Use: https://www.getpennypilot.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://www.getpennypilot.app/privacy.html Contact Us: support@getpennypilot.app
Budget Planner
Manage your finances without linking bank accounts. Track credit cards, build debt payoff plans, set budgets, and monitor goals. All your financial data is stored locally for privacy.
- Track credit cards and purchases
- Build debt payoff plans (snowball/avalanche)
- Set category budgets and track spending
- Monitor financial goals and net worth
- Private, local data storage
- Biometric access protection
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Plan your spending before you spend. Organize your budget by category, move budget amounts as priorities change and track savings goals. Keep cards, installments and upcoming bills in view without connecting your bank. Cards and installments Add your cards and credit limits. Track installment purchases, review monthly totals and see statement and payment dates. Set reminders to keep your dates in view. Ctrl Xpenses helps you plan and record payments; it does not make bank payments. A budget for your month Log expenses and income manually, set category budgets and review your spending and remaining amounts. You do not need to share bank login details. From receipt to record Scan a receipt and review the extracted details before saving. Correct the fields or enter the transaction manually. Debt payoff planning Compare snowball and avalanche strategies. Simulate extra payments and review estimated payoff dates and interest. Goals, accounts and net worth Track savings goals and record assets, debts and investments to review your net worth. Work with multiple currencies when needed. Your financial records on your device Log and review transactions offline. No Ctrl Xpenses account or bank connection is required. Use your device's biometric protection when available. No ads or advertising tracking. Start free Start with transaction tracking and tools for budgets, cards and debts. Pro expands the limits for accounts, categories and tags. Ctrl Xpenses Pro Expand your limits and access data export, backup and restore. Choose a monthly plan, annual plan or lifetime purchase. Check the purchase screen for current prices, terms and any trial available to your account. Backups are manual files; there is no automatic sync between devices. Pro purchases, market quotes and exchange rates require an internet connection. Simulations are informational estimates, not financial advice. Purchase, diagnostic and analytics services are described in the privacy policy. TERMS OF USE (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Budget Planner at 17.0 against Penny Pilot's 26.0. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Penny Pilot sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Budget Planner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Penny Pilot against 5.0 for Budget Planner. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
| Parameter | Penny Pilot | Budget Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | — | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 81 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Babak Ramazanilar | JUAN CONRADO A DE LAROSA |
Customer experience
Penny Pilot
Budget Planner
In-app purchases
Penny Pilot
- Pro Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Large Tip$9.99
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- Pro Lifetime$69.99
Budget Planner
- Ctrl Xpenses Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
- Ctrl Xpenses Pro Annual7 Days trial$16.991 Year
- Ctrl Xpenses Pro Lifetime$49.99








