# Buddy vs Expense Tracker & Manager

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Expense Tracker & Manager at none against Buddy's 15. Expense Tracker & Manager also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 48%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). Buddy's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 months). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Expense Tracker & Manager asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Buddy against 4.6 for Expense Tracker & Manager. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buddy has 9.6K ratings behind it against 484, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of Buddy's written reviews are positive against 82% of Expense Tracker & Manager's.

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Expense Tracker & Manager every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | Expense Tracker & Manager |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews)** | [4.6 (484 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-and-manager/id1127767681/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.6K** | 484 |
| Positive reviews | 48.5% of reviews | **82.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#80** | — |
| Size | 169 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buddy Budgeting AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/936422954) | [Alin Sorin Cuc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1127767680) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955)

**Currently charting:** #80 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

This app helps you create and manage personal or shared budgets. Track expenses, connect your bank account for automatic transaction import, and gain a clear overview of your spending, income, and savings. It also features tools to split costs and settle up with others.

**Highlights:** Create personal budgets, Shared budgeting for couples/groups, Connect bank accounts for transaction import, Detailed spending and income overview, Expense splitting and settlement tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buddy Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Buddy Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Buddy Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Buddy Premium | $16.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlimited | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Visually appealing
- 💡 Customizable categories
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 👍 Helps with budgeting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring transactions not working properly
- 🐛 Balance not carrying over to next month
- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
- 🐛 Transactions disappearing or resetting
- 💸 Expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Recurring transactions not working as expected
- Balance not carrying over to next month
- Syncing issues between devices
- Transactions disappearing or resetting
- Inability to edit categories without creating new ones

**Requested features**

- Calendar view for transactions
- Bill reminders and due date tracking
- Ability to hide/exclude certain transactions
- Savings/investment tracking
- Multi-currency support


### Expense Tracker & Manager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-and-manager/id1127767681)

This app offers a straightforward way to track expenses, manage budgets, and organize spending. It helps users gain control over their finances with simple tools for recording income and outgoings, analyzing spending patterns, and setting reminders. The application aims to bring order to financial life without unnecessary complexity.

**Highlights:** Simple expense and income tracking, Monthly transaction overview, Integrated calculator, Interactive spending charts, Customizable reports, Transaction reminders, PIN code protection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Practical and efficient
- 💡 Customizable categories
- 🚀 Simple and straightforward
- 👍 Helpful for managing finances

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes or stops working
- 🐛 Data loss after device change or app reinstall
- 🔋 Excessive ads that interfere with usage
- 🐛 Inability to edit or delete entries
- 🐛 Calendar/date issues and inconsistencies

**Reported bugs**

- App not opening or showing a blank screen
- Incorrect date display or navigation
- Inability to recover lost data or history

**Requested features**

- Ability to set up recurring expenses or income
- Option to carry over balance to next month
- Sync across devices and backup functionality
- Export data to Excel, PDF, or other formats
- More detailed analytics and reporting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is Expense Tracker & Manager free?

Expense Tracker & Manager is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Buddy or Expense Tracker & Manager?

Buddy is rated higher. Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.6K ratings, while Expense Tracker & Manager averages 4.6 from 484 ratings.

### Do Buddy or Expense Tracker & Manager have ads?

Expense Tracker & Manager shows ads; Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Buddy or Expense Tracker & Manager?

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Expense Tracker & Manager every 5 months. Most recently, Buddy was updated on October 30, 2026 and Expense Tracker & Manager on October 23, 2026.

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