# Buddy vs SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker at 100% against Buddy's 49%. SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Buddy's advantage is ratings volume (9.6K vs 5) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker 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 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Buddy's written reviews are positive against 100% of SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker's.

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplifypocket-expense-tracker/id6767071818/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.6K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 49.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#67** | — |
| Size | 169 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buddy Budgeting AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/936422954) | [Otis Kelley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896368341) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #67 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


### SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplifypocket-expense-tracker/id6767071818)

Track your personal finances without connecting to your bank. Log expenses via voice or tap, set custom budgets, and monitor recurring bills. Gain clear insights into your spending habits with detailed analytics and smart alerts.

**Highlights:** Voice-activated transaction logging, Manual transaction entry, Budget creation and tracking, Recurring transaction management, Spending analytics, Customizable alerts, No bank connections

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker free?

SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Buddy or SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker?

SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker is rated higher. Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.6K ratings, while SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Buddy or SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker have ads?

Neither Buddy nor SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buddy or SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker?

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker every 3 weeks. Most recently, Buddy was updated on October 21, 2026 and SimplifyPocket Expense Tracker on October 13, 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.*