Software · head to head
Apple Pay vs Spendee
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Apple Pay apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets; Spendee the free Basic plan allows one cash wallet and one budget
- They diverge on capability: Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Spendee covers Expense tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apple Pay and Spendee actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Apple Pay
- Digital wallet
- Secure payments
- Contactless transactions
- P2P money transfers
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- WatchOS support
- MacOS support
Only in Spendee
- Expense tracking
- Budget management
- Shared wallets
- Financial analytics
- Web support
- Android support
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- IOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apple Pay
- Contactless in store payment from iPhone and Apple Watchnot Spendee
- Paying in apps and on the web without entering card detailsnot Spendee
- Sending money between Apple users with Apple Cash and Tap to Cashnot Spendee
Spendee
- Tracking personal spending across cash and bank accountsnot Apple Pay
- Sharing a budget or wallet with a partner or householdnot Apple Pay
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Apple Pay
- Apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets
- Apple Cash is available only in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
- Apple Cash Family accounts and Tap to Cash transactions are each capped at 2000 USD within a rolling seven day period
- Mac support requires a Touch ID equipped model
- A card works only if the issuing bank supports Apple Pay, and banks may charge their own overseas usage fees
Spendee
- The free Basic plan allows one cash wallet and one budget
- Shared wallets are excluded from the free plan
- Premium at $5.99 a month is triple the $1.99 Plus plan, and the pricing page does not quantify what separates them beyond shared wallets
- Bank sync depends on a supported bank list rather than being universal
Pricing, plan by plan
Apple Pay
Free- FreeFree
- Secure payments
- P2P transfers
- Transit passes
Spendee
Free- FreeFree
- Expense tracking
- Budget creation
- 3 wallets
- Premium$6.99/month
- Unlimited wallets
- Advanced analytics
- Investment tracking
Which should you pick?
Choose Apple Pay if
- You need digital wallet.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS.
- You also want secure payments.
Choose Spendee if
- You need expense tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want budget management.
Questions people ask
- Is Apple Pay or Spendee better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apple Pay starts at Free and Spendee at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Apple Pay or Spendee?
- Apple Pay starts at Free and Spendee at Free.
- Does Apple Pay or Spendee run on more platforms?
- Apple Pay runs on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS. Spendee runs on Web, IOS, Android.
- Can I use Apple Pay for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Apple Pay best used for?
- Apple Pay is most often used for contactless in store payment from iphone and apple watch, paying in apps and on the web without entering card details, sending money between apple users with apple cash and tap to cash. Of those, contactless in store payment from iphone and apple watch and paying in apps and on the web without entering card details are not what Spendee is typically brought in for.
- What can Apple Pay do that Spendee cannot?
- Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Secure payments, Contactless transactions, P2P money transfers. Spendee covers Expense tracking, Budget management, Shared wallets, Financial analytics. Both handle Bank accounts, IOS support.