Personal Finance · head to head
Money Manager vs MoneyWiz
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; MoneyWiz there is no free tier; every plan requires a subscription
- They diverge on capability: Money Manager covers Budget tracking, MoneyWiz covers Budget management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Money Manager and MoneyWiz actually diverge.
| Attribute | Money Manager | MoneyWiz |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | freemium |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android | Web, IOS, Android |
| Founded | 2005 | 2011 |
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
- Budget tracking
- Reporting
- Import/Export
- CSV
- Windows support
- Mac support
- Linux support
Only in MoneyWiz
- Budget management
- Financial analytics
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
- Web support
Both cover
- Expense tracking
- Multi-currency support
- IOS support
- Android 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 MoneyWiz
- Running a portable personal accounts file from removable media on Windowsnot MoneyWiz
- Categorising spending and reporting on personal accounts without a subscriptionnot MoneyWiz
MoneyWiz
- Tracking personal accounts, budgets and bills across iOS, macOS, Windows and Androidnot Money Manager
- Syncing one finance database across multiple devices through MoneyWiz Cloudnot Money Manager
- Automatically importing transactions through bank syncnot 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
MoneyWiz
- There is no free tier; every plan requires a subscription
- Bank sync with over 40,000 banks is Premium only, at 59.99 USD a year or 5.99 USD a month
- The Standard plan at 29.99 USD a year provides only cloud sync between devices, with no bank sync
- Subscriptions cap usage at 15 devices and two MoneyWiz Cloud accounts
- Priority support is restricted to the Premium tier
Pricing, plan by plan
Money Manager
Free- Open SourceFree
- Expense tracking
- Budget management
- Reports
MoneyWiz
Free- FreeFree
- Basic expense tracking
- Multiple accounts
- Premium$4.99/month
- Advanced analytics
- Budget forecasting
- Custom categories
Which should you pick?
Choose Money Manager if
- You need budget tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android.
- You also want reporting.
Choose MoneyWiz if
- You need budget management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want financial analytics.
Questions people ask
- Is Money Manager or MoneyWiz better?
- Neither clearly leads. Money Manager starts at Free and MoneyWiz at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Money Manager or MoneyWiz?
- Money Manager starts at Free and MoneyWiz at Free.
- Does Money Manager or MoneyWiz run on more platforms?
- Money Manager runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android. MoneyWiz runs on Web, IOS, Android.
- 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 MoneyWiz is typically brought in for.
- What can Money Manager do that MoneyWiz cannot?
- Money Manager covers Budget tracking, Reporting, Import/Export, CSV. MoneyWiz covers Budget management, Financial analytics, Bank accounts, Credit cards. Both handle Expense tracking, Multi-currency support, IOS support, Android support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Money Manager: How much does MoneyManager Ex cost?
MoneyManager Ex is completely free and open source software with no charges, subscriptions, or hidden fees of any kind.
SourceRelated pages
More on Money Manager
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