# PocketGuard vs Expense Tracker

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Expense Tracker at 90% against PocketGuard's 39%. Expense Tracker also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6). PocketGuard's advantage is chart position (#51 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PocketGuard sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Expense Tracker sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Expense Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.7K and 3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of PocketGuard's written reviews are positive against 90% of Expense Tracker's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PocketGuard | Expense Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (7.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketguard-budget-app/id949414211/reviews) | **[4.9 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-money-note/id1320730220/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.7K** | 3K |
| Positive reviews | 38.6% of reviews | **89.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#51** | — |
| Size | 167 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PocketGuard, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435880178) | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) |

## What reviewers say

### PocketGuard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketguard-budget-app/id949414211)

**Currently charting:** #51 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

This app helps you plan your budget, track expenses, and manage bills to know exactly what's safe to spend. It offers personalized debt payoff plans and identifies forgotten subscriptions. Securely connect your bank accounts for automatic transaction categorization and insights.

**Highlights:** Budget planning, Expense tracking, Bill management, Debt payoff plans, Subscription management, Spending prediction, Automatic transaction categorization

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly offer with 7 day trial | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| PocketGuard Plus | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscriptions | $12.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| PocketGuard Plus | $34.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient app that helps track spending
- 👍 Customizable budgeting categories
- 🚀 Real-time transaction updates
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🚀 Helpful for getting finances under control

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring issues with bank account syncing
- 🔒 Security concerns with 2FA/MFA requirements
- 🚫 Lack of support for certain banks/credit cards
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Buggy app performance and frequent crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent transaction syncing and labeling
- Inability to delete or manage connected accounts
- Budgeting data disappearing or not updating properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to carry over unspent budget to next month
- More advanced reporting and analytics
- Light/dark mode theme options
- Improved transaction categorization and learning
- Support for multiple users/family budgeting


### Expense Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expense-tracker-money-note/id1320730220)

This app offers a straightforward way to track your income and expenses without requiring account registration or bank connections. It prioritizes local data storage for speed and security, with a familiar interface for instant budgeting. Customize themes, export data, and secure your finances with a passcode.

**Highlights:** Simple and easy to use, No account registration, Local data storage, Budget settings by category, Monthly, yearly, and cumulative reports, CSV and PDF export, Passcode lock with Face ID/Touch ID

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Removing Ads | $12.99 | one-time |
| Premium Service (Lifetime) | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and understand
- 🎨 Customizable interface with icons and colors
- 📊 Clear visual representation of expenses and income
- 🔍 Detailed expense tracking and categorization
- 🗓️ Convenient calendar view for daily expenses

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗓️ No option to lock or protect past months' data
- 💳 Lacks support for tracking credit card payments
- 🔍 Search function could be improved
- 💱 Limited currency options

**Reported bugs**

- Data loss after uninstalling and reinstalling the app
- Issues with date synchronization after updates

**Requested features**

- Ability to set budgets for expense categories
- Option to mark expenses as 'paid'
- Sync data across multiple devices
- More detailed reporting and analytics
- Support for multiple accounts/wallets


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PocketGuard free?

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

### Is Expense Tracker free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PocketGuard or Expense Tracker?

Expense Tracker is rated higher. PocketGuard averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.7K ratings, while Expense Tracker averages 4.9 from 3K ratings.

### Do PocketGuard or Expense Tracker have ads?

Both PocketGuard and Expense Tracker show ads.

### Which is updated more often, PocketGuard or Expense Tracker?

PocketGuard ships an update every 3 weeks, and Expense Tracker every 3 weeks. Most recently, PocketGuard was updated on November 9, 2026 and Expense Tracker on November 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.*