Personal Finance · head to head
Banktivity vs Expense Manager
The short version
- Only Expense Manager has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Banktivity runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version; Expense Manager the Internet Archive's capture from 23 January 2022 shows expensemanagerapp.com already redirecting to a Dan.com 'domain name is for sale' listing rather than a product page, confirming the app's original domain has been abandoned and offered for resale.
- They diverge on capability: Banktivity covers Account tracking, Expense Manager covers Expense tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Banktivity and Expense Manager actually diverge.
| Attribute | Banktivity | Expense Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Mac, IOS | IOS, Android |
| Founded | 2007 | 2011 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).
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 Banktivity
- Account tracking
- Bill management
- Investment tracking
- Budget forecasting
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- Mac support
Only in Expense Manager
- Expense tracking
- Shared expenses
- Bill splitting
- Budgeting
- Cloud backup
- Android support
Both cover
- IOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Banktivity
- Personal budgeting and money management on a Macnot Expense Manager
- Investment and net worth trackingnot Expense Manager
- Retirement planning projectionsnot Expense Manager
- Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot Expense Manager
Expense Manager
- Budget Managementnot Banktivity
- Expense Trackingnot Banktivity
- Investment Trackingnot Banktivity
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Banktivity
- Runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version
- Pricing is not shown on the product page and sits behind a separate plans page
Expense Manager
- The Internet Archive's capture from 23 January 2022 shows expensemanagerapp.com already redirecting to a Dan.com 'domain name is for sale' listing rather than a product page, confirming the app's original domain has been abandoned and offered for resale.
Pricing, plan by plan
Banktivity
On request- Monthly$4.99/month
- Full feature access
- Cloud sync
- Annual$39.99/month
- All monthly features
- Discounted rate
Expense Manager
Free- FreeFree
- Expense tracking
- Shared expenses
- Pro$2.99/month
- Budget tracking
- Analytics
- CSV export
Which should you pick?
Choose Banktivity if
- You need account tracking.
- You work on Mac, IOS.
- You also want bill management.
Choose Expense Manager if
- You need expense tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on IOS, Android.
- You also want shared expenses.
Questions people ask
- Is Banktivity or Expense Manager better?
- Neither clearly leads. Banktivity starts at On request and Expense Manager at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Banktivity or Expense Manager?
- Expense Manager has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Banktivity and Free for Expense Manager.
- Does Banktivity or Expense Manager run on more platforms?
- Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS. Expense Manager runs on IOS, Android.
- Can I use Expense Manager for free?
- Yes. Expense Manager has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Banktivity starts at On request.
- What is Banktivity best used for?
- Banktivity is most often used for personal budgeting and money management on a mac, investment and net worth tracking, retirement planning projections, connecting to over 14,000 financial institutions. Of those, personal budgeting and money management on a mac and investment and net worth tracking are not what Expense Manager is typically brought in for.
- What can Banktivity do that Expense Manager cannot?
- Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Investment tracking, Budget forecasting. Expense Manager covers Expense tracking, Shared expenses, Bill splitting, Budgeting. Both handle IOS support.
Related pages
More on Expense Manager
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