# Buddy vs SpendWise

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SpendWise at none against Buddy's 15. SpendWise also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Buddy's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (9.6K vs 3). On price, update cadence 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. SpendWise asks for nothing beyond the download.

SpendWise 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 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, SpendWise every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | SpendWise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendwise-budget-tracker/id6742374660/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.6K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 48.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#71** | — |
| Size | 169 MB | 33 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) | [Vishalbhai Vaghasiya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512628511) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #71 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


### SpendWise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendwise-budget-tracker/id6742374660)

Easily track daily expenses, manage budgets, and maintain digital khata records. This secure app offers custom categories, multi-currency support, and daily reminders to help you take control of your finances.

**Highlights:** Expense and budget tracking, Digital khata and ledger management, Secure iCloud sync, Passcode lock for privacy, Multi-currency support, Daily expense reminders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is SpendWise free?

SpendWise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

SpendWise is rated higher. Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.6K ratings, while SpendWise averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Buddy or SpendWise have ads?

SpendWise shows ads; Buddy does not.

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

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and SpendWise every 8 days. Most recently, Buddy was updated on October 31, 2026 and SpendWise on October 28, 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.*