# Buddy vs Spendar

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Buddy at 48% against Spendar's 0%. Buddy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (9.6K vs 1). Spendar's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 and Spendar sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Spendar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buddy has 9.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of Buddy's written reviews are positive against 0% of Spendar'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, Spendar every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | Spendar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendar-expense-tracker/id1639150541/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **48.5% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 169 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buddy Budgeting AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/936422954) | [Mehmet Saltan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639150543) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #73 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


### Spendar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendar-expense-tracker/id1639150541)

This app helps you track your spending, organize bills, and plan your finances. It provides insights into where your money goes, helping you save and budget effectively with reminders and visual charts.

**Highlights:** Spending tracking, Bill organization, Expense management, Budget planning, Spending reminders, Category-based spending analysis, Historical spending charts

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spendar Premium - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Spendar Premium - Yearly | $23.99 | per year |
| Spendar Premium - Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is Spendar free?

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

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

Spendar is rated higher. Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.6K ratings, while Spendar averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Buddy or Spendar have ads?

Spendar shows ads; Buddy does not.

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

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Spendar every 3 days. Most recently, Buddy was updated on November 1, 2026 and Spendar on October 15, 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.*