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Personal Finance · head to head

Money Manager vs Apple Pay

Money Manager logo

Money Manager

Personal Finance

Personal and household finance tracker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apple Pay logo

Apple Pay

Personal Finance

The easier way to pay and send money

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Money Manager databases created by version 1.4.x are not readable by current releases and produce the error MMEX database version 13 doesn't work with this MMEX version, requiring a manual conversion procedure; Apple Pay apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets
  • They diverge on capability: Money Manager covers Expense tracking, Apple Pay covers Digital wallet.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Money Manager and Apple Pay actually diverge.

Attributes where Money Manager and Apple Pay differ
AttributeMoney ManagerApple Pay
Pricing modelopen-sourcefree
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, IOS, AndroidIOS, WatchOS, MacOS
Founded20052014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Money Manager

  • Expense tracking
  • Budget tracking
  • Reporting
  • Multi-currency support
  • Import/Export
  • CSV
  • Windows support
  • Mac support

Only in Apple Pay

  • Digital wallet
  • Secure payments
  • Contactless transactions
  • P2P money transfers
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • Bank accounts
  • WatchOS support

Both cover

  • IOS support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Money Manager

  • Free desktop personal finance tracking on Windows, macOS and Linuxnot Apple Pay
  • Running a portable personal accounts file from removable media on Windowsnot Apple Pay
  • Categorising spending and reporting on personal accounts without a subscriptionnot Apple Pay

Apple Pay

  • Contactless in store payment from iPhone and Apple Watchnot Money Manager
  • Paying in apps and on the web without entering card detailsnot Money Manager
  • Sending money between Apple users with Apple Cash and Tap to Cashnot Money Manager

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Money Manager

  • Databases created by version 1.4.x are not readable by current releases and produce the error MMEX database version 13 doesn't work with this MMEX version, requiring a manual conversion procedure
  • Linux is supported only through Flatpak builds for aarch64 and x86_64
  • The download page states no system requirements, deferring them to a separate compatibility page
  • There is no vendor support contract; the project is distributed as open source with no paid tier

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Money Manager

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Expense tracking
    • Budget management
    • Reports

Apple Pay

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Secure payments
    • P2P transfers
    • Transit passes

Which should you pick?

Choose Money Manager if

  • You need expense tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android.
  • You also want budget tracking.
Money Manager review

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.
Apple Pay review

Questions people ask

Is Money Manager or Apple Pay better?
Neither clearly leads. Money Manager starts at Free and Apple Pay at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Money Manager or Apple Pay?
Money Manager starts at Free and Apple Pay at Free.
Does Money Manager or Apple Pay run on more platforms?
Money Manager runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android. Apple Pay runs on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS.
Can I use Money Manager for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Money Manager best used for?
Money Manager is most often used for free desktop personal finance tracking on windows, macos and linux, running a portable personal accounts file from removable media on windows, categorising spending and reporting on personal accounts without a subscription. Of those, free desktop personal finance tracking on windows, macos and linux and running a portable personal accounts file from removable media on windows are not what Apple Pay is typically brought in for.
What can Money Manager do that Apple Pay cannot?
Money Manager covers Expense tracking, Budget tracking, Reporting, Multi-currency support. Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Secure payments, Contactless transactions, P2P money transfers. Both handle IOS support.
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