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Personal Finance · head to head

Banktivity vs Venmo

Banktivity logo

Banktivity

Personal Finance

Personal finance for Mac and iOS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Venmo logo

Venmo

Personal Finance

Money transfer and social payments

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Venmo 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; Venmo instant transfer costs 1.75 percent with a minimum fee of 0.25 USD and a maximum of 25 USD, while the free standard transfer takes 1 to 3 business days
  • They diverge on capability: Banktivity covers Account tracking, Venmo covers Money transfers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Banktivity and Venmo actually diverge.

Attributes where Banktivity and Venmo differ
AttributeBanktivityVenmo
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsMac, IOSWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20072009

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
  • Investment accounts
  • Mac support

Only in Venmo

  • Money transfers
  • Bill splitting
  • Social feed
  • Transaction history
  • Debit cards
  • 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.

Banktivity

  • Personal budgeting and money management on a Macnot Venmo
  • Investment and net worth trackingnot Venmo
  • Retirement planning projectionsnot Venmo
  • Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot Venmo

Venmo

  • Splitting bills and reimbursing friends in the United Statesnot Banktivity
  • Accepting payments through a Venmo business profilenot Banktivity
  • Buying and holding cryptocurrency inside the payments appnot 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

Venmo

  • Instant transfer costs 1.75 percent with a minimum fee of 0.25 USD and a maximum of 25 USD, while the free standard transfer takes 1 to 3 business days
  • Sending money funded by a credit card carries a 3.00 percent fee
  • Cryptocurrency fees are tiered by trade size, from 2.20 percent on purchases of 1.00 to 74.99 USD down to 1.50 percent above 1,000 USD
  • Business profile payments cost 1.9 percent plus 0.10 USD, and Tap to Pay costs 2.29 percent plus 0.09 USD

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

Venmo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • P2P transfers
    • Bill splitting
    • Mobile app

Which should you pick?

Choose Banktivity if

  • You need account tracking.
  • You work on Mac, IOS.
  • You also want bill management.
Banktivity review

Choose Venmo if

  • You need money transfers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want bill splitting.
Venmo review

Questions people ask

Is Banktivity or Venmo better?
Neither clearly leads. Banktivity starts at On request and Venmo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Banktivity or Venmo?
Venmo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Banktivity and Free for Venmo.
Does Banktivity or Venmo run on more platforms?
Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS. Venmo runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Venmo for free?
Yes. Venmo 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 Venmo is typically brought in for.
What can Banktivity do that Venmo cannot?
Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Investment tracking, Budget forecasting. Venmo covers Money transfers, Bill splitting, Social feed, Transaction history. Both handle Bank accounts, IOS support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Banktivity: Does Banktivity offer a free trial?

Yes. Banktivity offers a 30-day free trial at any subscription level with no credit card required. This allows you to test the platform before committing.

Source
Venmo: Is there a monthly fee for the Venmo Debit Card?

No, the Venmo Debit Card has no monthly fee or minimum balance requirement.

Source
Banktivity: What devices does Banktivity support?

Banktivity is available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad with cross-device sync. Data is encrypted end-to-end across all devices.

Source
Venmo: Is there an annual fee for the Venmo Credit Card?

No, the Venmo Credit Card has no annual fee.

Source
Banktivity: How many banks does Banktivity connect to?

Banktivity connects to 14,000+ banks, allowing direct connections to most major financial institutions.

Source
Venmo: Are there fees when buying or selling cryptocurrency on Venmo?

Yes, when buying or selling crypto on Venmo, the company discloses an exchange rate and fees for each transaction. For non-stablecoin currencies, the exchange rate includes a spread that Venmo earns on each purchase and sale.

Source
Banktivity: What financial planning tools does Banktivity include?

Banktivity includes budgeting, financial reporting, investment portfolio tracking, retirement planning tools, and net worth tracking across all your accounts.

Source
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