# Buddy vs Expense Tracker

Buddy and Expense Tracker both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Expense Tracker's written reviews are positive against 48% of Buddy's. Expense Tracker also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Buddy's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Expense Tracker sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Expense Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.6K and 3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Buddy's written reviews are positive against 90% of Expense Tracker's.

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Expense Tracker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | Expense Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews) | **[4.9 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-money-note/id1320730220/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.6K** | 3K |
| Positive reviews | 48.5% of reviews | **89.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#76** | — |
| Size | 169 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buddy Budgeting AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/936422954) | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #76 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-money-note/id1320730220)

This app offers a straightforward way to track your income and expenses without requiring account registration or bank connections. It prioritizes local data storage for speed and security, with a familiar interface for instant budgeting. Customize themes, export data, and secure your finances with a passcode.

**Highlights:** Simple and easy to use, No account registration, Local data storage, Budget settings by category, Monthly, yearly, and cumulative reports, CSV and PDF export, Passcode lock with Face ID/Touch ID

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Removing Ads | $12.99 | one-time |
| Premium Service (Lifetime) | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and understand
- 🎨 Customizable interface with icons and colors
- 📊 Clear visual representation of expenses and income
- 🔍 Detailed expense tracking and categorization
- 🗓️ Convenient calendar view for daily expenses

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗓️ No option to lock or protect past months' data
- 💳 Lacks support for tracking credit card payments
- 🔍 Search function could be improved
- 💱 Limited currency options

**Reported bugs**

- Data loss after uninstalling and reinstalling the app
- Issues with date synchronization after updates

**Requested features**

- Ability to set budgets for expense categories
- Option to mark expenses as 'paid'
- Sync data across multiple devices
- More detailed reporting and analytics
- Support for multiple accounts/wallets


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is Expense Tracker free?

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

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

Expense Tracker is rated higher. Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.6K ratings, while Expense Tracker averages 4.9 from 3K ratings.

### Do Buddy or Expense Tracker have ads?

Expense Tracker shows ads; Buddy does not.

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

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Expense Tracker every 3 weeks. Most recently, Buddy was updated on November 1, 2026 and Expense Tracker on October 29, 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.*