# Buddy vs Cashews

The clearest difference is monetization model: Buddy at free with in-app purchases against Cashews's subscription. Buddy also leads on ratings volume (9.5K vs 69) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Cashews's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Cashews sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buddy has 9.5K ratings behind it against 69, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of Buddy's written reviews are positive against 50% of Cashews'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, Cashews every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | Cashews |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (9.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews)** | [4.4 (69 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cashews/id1582436070/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.5K** | 69 |
| Positive reviews | 48.9% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#64** | — |
| Size | 152 MB | 76 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) | [Cashews Finance LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1582436072) |

## 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


### Cashews

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cashews/id1582436070)

This app analyzes your income and expenses to tell you how much you can safely spend. It offers a unique approach to budgeting by focusing on your current financial health rather than rigid categories. Make informed decisions with a 'Can I afford it?' widget and achieve your financial goals.

**Highlights:** Connect to bank accounts, Analyze income and expenses, Predictive cash flow algorithm, Spendable money calculation, Financial goal setting, 'Can I afford it?' widget, Automated account syncing

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cashews Finance Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Quarterly | $13.49 | per 3 months |
| Quarterly | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Cashews Finance Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $69.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is Cashews free?

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

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

Buddy is rated higher. Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.5K ratings, while Cashews averages 4.4 from 69 ratings.

### Do Buddy or Cashews have ads?

Neither Buddy nor Cashews shows ads.

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

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Cashews every 3 days. Most recently, Buddy was updated on September 24, 2026 and Cashews on September 10, 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.*