# Buddy vs Budget Boost

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Budget Boost at 100% against Buddy's 48%. Budget Boost also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Buddy's advantage is ratings volume (9.6K vs 2) and chart position (#87 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, 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 Budget Boost sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Budget Boost 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Buddy's written reviews are positive against 100% of Budget Boost's.

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Budget Boost fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | Budget Boost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-boost/id6447471406/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.6K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 48.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#87** | — |
| Size | 169 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buddy Budgeting AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/936422954) | [Gary Cox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1083086974) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #87 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


### Budget Boost

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-boost/id6447471406)

Manage your money effectively with this personal finance tool. Track expenses, monitor income, and work towards your financial objectives. Features enhanced security with Face ID and Touch ID for privacy.

**Highlights:** Expense tracking, Income monitoring, Financial goal setting, Face ID/Touch ID security, Private data handling

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Unlock | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is Budget Boost free?

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

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

Budget Boost is rated higher. Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.6K ratings, while Budget Boost averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Buddy or Budget Boost have ads?

Neither Buddy nor Budget Boost shows ads.

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

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Budget Boost fortnightly. Most recently, Buddy was updated on October 30, 2026 and Budget Boost on October 6, 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.*