# Buddy vs Cost Split Payments

Buddy and Cost Split Payments both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Cost Split Payments's written reviews are positive against 49% of Buddy's. Cost Split Payments also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Buddy's advantage is ratings volume (9.5K vs 11) and chart position (#72 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Cost Split Payments sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. 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 Cost Split Payments. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buddy has 9.5K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Buddy's written reviews are positive against 75% of Cost Split Payments's.

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Cost Split Payments fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | Cost Split Payments |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews) | [4.7 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cost-split-payments-settle-up/id6541750436/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.5K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 48.9% of reviews | **75.0% 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 | **#72** | — |
| Size | 152 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buddy Budgeting AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/936422954) | [Nadiia Martyniuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1757187452) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #72 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


### Cost Split Payments

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cost-split-payments-settle-up/id6541750436)

Effortlessly manage shared expenses with friends, roommates, or travel buddies. This app automates calculations, tracks debts, and categorizes spending, making financial coordination simple and stress-free. Enjoy offline functionality for tracking expenses anytime, anywhere.

**Highlights:** Create and manage groups, Log expenses with details, Automatic expense calculations, Track and settle debts, Customizable expense categories, Offline expense tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| 6 Month | $8.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Plan | $17.99 | per year |
| 1 Month | $31.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is Cost Split Payments free?

Cost Split Payments is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Buddy or Cost Split Payments?

Buddy and Cost Split Payments are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9.5K and 11 ratings respectively.

### Do Buddy or Cost Split Payments have ads?

Neither Buddy nor Cost Split Payments shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buddy or Cost Split Payments?

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Cost Split Payments fortnightly. Most recently, Buddy was updated on September 24, 2026 and Cost Split Payments on September 11, 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.*