# Buddy vs Budget app

Buddy and Budget app both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of Budget app's written reviews are positive against 49% of Buddy's. Budget app also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buddy sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Budget app sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 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 — 4.7 for Buddy against 4.7 for Budget app. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.6K and 16K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Buddy's written reviews are positive against 79% of Budget app's.

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Budget app every 4 days. Both last shipped on November 9, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | Budget app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews) | **[4.7 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-spending-tracker/id1525179720/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9.6K | **16K** |
| Positive reviews | 48.7% of reviews | **79.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #68 | **#63** |
| Size | 173 MB | 247 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buddy Budgeting AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/936422954) | [InnerGrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828382777) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #68 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

Manage your finances by creating budgets, tracking expenses, and viewing detailed overviews of your income and savings. Collaborate on shared budgets with friends and family, and easily settle up any shared costs.

**Highlights:** Budget creation and tracking, Expense and income monitoring, Shared budgets for groups, Bank account transaction import, Detailed spending overviews, Transaction splitting and settlement

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| 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 | $49.99 | per year |

**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


### Budget app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-spending-tracker/id1525179720)

**Currently charting:** #63 Top Grossing · Finance, #202 Top Free · Finance (US App Store)

This personal finance app helps you track spending, plan budgets, and save money to achieve financial freedom. It offers features like AI-powered tracking, shared budgeting, and detailed stats to understand your financial habits.

**Highlights:** Budget Planner, Spending Tracker, Money Management, Recurring Transactions, Shared Budgeting, AI Tracking, Stats & Charts

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Budget Premium Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $6.99 | per year |
| Financial Empowerment | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium Sale | $4.99 | one-time |
| Budget Lifetime Member | $8.99 | one-time |
| lifetime member sale | $14.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Global | $19.99 | one-time |
| Family Premium | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Straightforward and intuitive
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase
- 🎨 Customizable categories and colors
- 🗓️ Helpful calendar and transaction views

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring bills/payments not working as expected
- 🔍 Lack of advanced reporting and analytics
- 🤝 Sharing/collaboration features not reliable
- 🇨🇦 Limited support for Canadian banks/accounts
- 🔀 Difficulty moving money between budgets

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues between devices
- Transactions not always loading correctly
- Upgrade/premium features not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to carry over surplus/deficit between months
- Option to view remaining budget instead of just spent
- Multiple savings account/ledger support
- Automatic recurring bill/subscription tracking
- Web/desktop app version for easier data entry


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is Budget app free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Buddy or Budget app?

Budget app is rated higher. Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.6K ratings, while Budget app averages 4.7 from 16K ratings.

### Do Buddy or Budget app have ads?

Neither Buddy nor Budget app shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buddy or Budget app?

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Budget app every 4 days. Most recently, Buddy was updated on November 9, 2026 and Budget app on November 9, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Buddy or Budget app?

Buddy currently peaks at #68 in the App Store charts, and Budget app at #63. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*