# Ace Budget 3 vs Budget app

The clearest difference is price: Budget app at Free against Ace Budget 3's $1.99. Budget app also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 51%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Ace Budget 3's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On ads, monetization model, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Budget app is free to download; Ace Budget 3 costs $1.99 up front. Budget app sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Ace Budget 3 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Budget app holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Budget app has 16K ratings behind it against 338, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Ace Budget 3's written reviews are positive against 79% of Budget app's.

Ace Budget 3 ships an update every 2 weeks, Budget app every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ace Budget 3 | Budget app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ace-budget-3/id937339797/reviews) | **[4.7 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-spending-tracker/id1525179720/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 338 | **16K** |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews | **79.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #125 | **#59** |
| Size | 14 MB | 247 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SVT Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/286029963) | [InnerGrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828382777) |

## What reviewers say

### Ace Budget 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ace-budget-3/id937339797)

**Currently charting:** #125 Top Paid · Finance (US App Store)

Easily track your spending and manage your finances with this intuitive personal finance app. Create custom budgets, schedule recurring transactions, and view insightful reports. Securely access your data with biometric authentication and sync across devices.

**Highlights:** Biometric authentication (Face ID/Touch ID), iCloud data synchronization, Customizable budget cycles, Recurring transaction scheduling, Photo receipt capture, Charts and reports, Data export (CSV/HTML)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and simple to use
- 👍 Straightforward budgeting tool
- 💯 Effective for tracking expenses
- 📊 Helpful monthly charts and data

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches with recent iOS updates
- ⚠️ Inability to edit past months' data
- 🔄 Inconsistent monthly budget cycle
- 🔗 Lack of sync with Accounts 3 app

**Reported bugs**

- iCloud sync issues causing data loss
- Recurring transactions not working properly
- Budget categories overlapping with UI elements

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually adjust budget cycle dates
- Option to view/edit past months' data
- Sync with Accounts 3 app
- Multi-user support for shared budgets
- More customization options (colors, graphs, etc.)


### Budget app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budget-app-spending-tracker/id1525179720)

**Currently charting:** #59 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

This personal finance app helps you track spending, plan budgets, and save money to achieve financial freedom. It offers features like AI-powered tracking, shared budgeting, and detailed stats to understand your financial habits.

**Highlights:** Budget Planner, Spending Tracker, Money Management, Recurring Transactions, Shared Budgeting, AI Tracking, Stats & Charts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Budget Premium Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $6.99 | per year |
| Financial Empowerment | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium Sale | $4.99 | one-time |
| Budget Lifetime Member | $8.99 | one-time |
| lifetime member sale | $14.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Global | $19.99 | one-time |
| Family Premium | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Straightforward and intuitive
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase
- 🎨 Customizable categories and colors
- 🗓️ Helpful calendar and transaction views

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring bills/payments not working as expected
- 🔍 Lack of advanced reporting and analytics
- 🤝 Sharing/collaboration features not reliable
- 🇨🇦 Limited support for Canadian banks/accounts
- 🔀 Difficulty moving money between budgets

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues between devices
- Transactions not always loading correctly
- Upgrade/premium features not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to carry over surplus/deficit between months
- Option to view remaining budget instead of just spent
- Multiple savings account/ledger support
- Automatic recurring bill/subscription tracking
- Web/desktop app version for easier data entry


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ace Budget 3 free?

Ace Budget 3 costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Budget app free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ace Budget 3 or Budget app?

Budget app is rated higher. Ace Budget 3 averages 4.4 out of 5 from 338 ratings, while Budget app averages 4.7 from 16K ratings.

### Do Ace Budget 3 or Budget app have ads?

Neither Ace Budget 3 nor Budget app shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ace Budget 3 or Budget app?

Ace Budget 3 ships an update every 2 weeks, and Budget app every 4 days. Most recently, Ace Budget 3 was updated on November 11, 2026 and Budget app on November 13, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Ace Budget 3 or Budget app?

Ace Budget 3 currently peaks at #125 in the App Store charts, and Budget app at #59. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*