Splitwise Alternative: Expense Split Compared

If you want a Splitwise alternative for the basics, Expense Split does the core job for free. You make a group and add each cost. You can split a cost four ways, and the app shows the fewest payments that settle everyone. It works offline and installs from your browser. Splitwise is still the better pick if your friends already use it, or if you want receipt scanning, currency conversion or spending charts. This guide compares the two so you can decide.

This comparison is based on what each product is built to do. Splitwise changes its plans and what the free version includes, so check Splitwise's own site for current details and prices.

The short version

	Expense Split	Splitwise
Built for	Friends, flatmates, couples, families	Friends, flatmates, couples, families
Split equally, by shares, percent, exact	Yes	Yes
Fewest-payments settle up	Yes	Yes
Record repayments	Yes	Yes
Shared group everyone edits	Yes, by invite link (sign-in needed)	Yes, each person has an account
Receipt scanning	No	Yes, on Pro
Currency conversion	No; one currency per group	Yes, on Pro
Spending charts	No	Yes, on Pro
Works offline	Yes	Check their site
Install	Free, from your browser	App stores and the web
Price	Free to use; a paid plan raises limits	Free version with limits and a paid Pro tier; check their site

Why people look for a Splitwise alternative

Splitwise is one of the best-known bill-splitting apps, and for many groups it works well. People start looking elsewhere for a few common reasons:

• Some features are only on Pro. Splitwise keeps several features for its paid Pro tier, and the free version has limits. Check their site for the current rules.
• They only need the basics. Many groups never use receipt scanning or charts. They want to add costs, split them fairly and see who owes whom.
• They want their data on their own device. Some people would rather not create an account just to track one trip.

If those match you, Expense Split is worth a try. If you rely on Pro features, read the section on what Splitwise does better first.

Who each one is for

Choose Splitwise if your friends already have it and keep their own accounts there. Splitwise is widely used, so it is often the easiest choice for a group that has used it for years. It also fits people who want to scan a receipt and assign items to friends, convert costs between currencies on one trip, or see charts of spending by category.

Choose Expense Split if you want the core splitting job for free with no app store. One person can keep the group alone and nobody else needs to install anything. Or you can share the group so everyone adds their own costs. It suits trips with patchy signal, shared flats with a running list of bills, and couples who want a simple balance.

What Expense Split does well

• Four ways to split. Split equally between the people you tick, by shares, by percentage or by exact amounts. The app shows how much is still left to assign before you save.
• Fewest payments. Balances shows what each person owes or is owed. It also gives a short list of payments that settles the whole group.
• Exact to the cent. Amounts are kept in whole cents, or the smallest unit of the group's currency. Every split adds up to the full cost.
• Dates and notes. Each expense and repayment has a date and an optional note, so you can see later what a cost was for.
• Works offline. Add expenses on a train or abroad with no signal. They save on your device.
• Shared groups. Sign in and share a group by link. Each person you invite can edit or only view, and everyone adds costs on their own phone.
• A weekly reminder. Signed in, you can turn on a weekly "time to settle up" reminder on the day and time you choose.
• A summary to paste. Copy or share a plain summary of who owes whom into your group chat.
• Private by default. Your groups stay on your device unless you choose to sync them to your EveryApp account. They are never sold, and you can download or delete them any time.

The free version keeps up to 3 groups and limits how many people can join a shared group. A paid plan raises those limits and adds CSV export. You never need it to split a bill.

What Splitwise does better

Be clear about where Splitwise is ahead:

• Your friends may already use it. Everyone keeps their own account and their own history across groups.
• Receipt scanning and itemization. On Pro, you can photograph a receipt and assign items to people. Expense Split has no receipt scanning.
• Currency conversion. On Pro, Splitwise can convert costs into one currency. Expense Split uses one currency per group and doesn't convert.
• Charts and search. On Pro, Splitwise adds spending charts and search across past expenses. Expense Split has neither charts nor categories.
• Native apps. Splitwise has apps in the App Store and Google Play. Expense Split is a web app you add to your home screen.

Expense Split is not a payments app. It tells you who owes what, and you pay each other however you like.

How to switch from Splitwise

Expense Split doesn't import Splitwise data, so the cleanest switch is a fresh start:

1. Settle up in Splitwise first if you can. Then every group starts at zero.
2. If you can't settle yet, write down each person's balance in Splitwise before you leave it.
3. Open Expense Split, make a group, pick the currency and add the same people.
4. Carry over old balances as one expense. Call it "Balance from before". Set the person who is owed as the payer and choose exact amounts. Enter what each other person owes them. Repeat for anyone else who is owed.
5. Open Balances and check that the numbers match what you wrote down.
6. From here, add new costs as they happen.

To get the app on your home screen, follow our guide to installing Expense Split on iPhone and Android. For more on how the splitting works, read the free expense split app guide.

If you only need to split one restaurant bill, you may not need either app. The free tip calculator splits a bill with tip and tax between any number of people.