# Buddy vs Paymaster

The clearest difference is rating: Buddy at 4.7 against Paymaster's 4.0. Buddy also leads on ratings volume (9.5K vs 4) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). Paymaster's advantage is review sentiment (63% vs 49%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, 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 Paymaster sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buddy has 9.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of Buddy's written reviews are positive against 63% of Paymaster's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Paymaster monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | Paymaster |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (9.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paymaster-my-spending-tracker/id1462048413/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.5K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 48.9% of reviews | **62.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#64** | — |
| Size | 152 MB | 135 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buddy Budgeting AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/936422954) | [Sergey Kolyoskin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462048412) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #64 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


### Paymaster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paymaster-my-spending-tracker/id1462048413)

Take control of your finances with this app. Track expenses and income across multiple currencies, plan budgets, and analyze spending patterns. It offers features like SMS transaction import and payment reminders to help you manage your money effectively.

**Highlights:** Expense and income tracking, Budget planning, Multi-currency support (170+), Transaction creation from SMS, Scheduled payment reminders, Graphical reports, Configurable categories

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "SAVE UP" monthly plan | $2.99 | per month |
| "MANAGE" monthly plan | $5.99 | per month |
| "SAVE UP" yearly plan | $17.99 | per year |
| "MANAGE" yearly plan | $35.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is Paymaster free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Buddy or Paymaster?

Buddy is rated higher. Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.5K ratings, while Paymaster averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Buddy or Paymaster have ads?

Neither Buddy nor Paymaster shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buddy or Paymaster?

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Paymaster monthly. Most recently, Buddy was updated on September 24, 2026 and Paymaster on September 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.*