Software · head to head
PocketGuard vs Wally
The short version
- Each has a real cost: PocketGuard every budgeting feature requires a paid subscription, with only a 7 day trial rather than a free tier; Wally the Internet Archive's capture of wally.me on 2 January 2019 stated the app is free ('Control your money seamlessly. And, it's free.'), and claimed rankings as the #1 finance app in 22 countries and top 10 in 52 countries at that time.
- They diverge on capability: PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts, Wally covers Receipt OCR scanning.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PocketGuard and Wally actually diverge.
| Attribute | PocketGuard | Wally |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, IOS, Android | IOS, Android |
| Founded | 2012 | 2009 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 PocketGuard
- Real-time spending alerts
- Budget tracking
- Goal setting
- Spending insights
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
- Web support
Only in Wally
- Receipt OCR scanning
- Expense tracking
- Receipt storage
- Category management
- Cloud storage
Both cover
- IOS support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
PocketGuard
- Tracking spending and bills against a personal budgetnot Wally
- Finding and cancelling recurring subscriptionsnot Wally
Wally
- Budget Managementnot PocketGuard
- Expense Trackingnot PocketGuard
- Investment Trackingnot PocketGuard
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
PocketGuard
- Every budgeting feature requires a paid subscription, with only a 7 day trial rather than a free tier
- Paying monthly is $12.99 against an effective $6.25 on the annual plan, so the flexible option costs roughly double
- The lifetime option is not offered to everyone and is described as available only inside the app
Wally
- The Internet Archive's capture of wally.me on 2 January 2019 stated the app is free ('Control your money seamlessly. And, it's free.'), and claimed rankings as the #1 finance app in 22 countries and top 10 in 52 countries at that time.
Pricing, plan by plan
PocketGuard
Free- FreeFree
- Expense tracking
- Budget creation
- Premium$9.99/month
- Advanced insights
- Goal tracking
- Bill negotiation
Wally
Free- FreeFree
- Receipt scanning
- Expense tracking
- Basic reports
- Premium$9.99/month
- Advanced analytics
- Unlimited storage
- Cloud sync
Which should you pick?
Choose PocketGuard if
- You need real-time spending alerts.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want budget tracking.
Choose Wally if
- You need receipt ocr scanning.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on IOS, Android.
- You also want expense tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is PocketGuard or Wally better?
- Neither clearly leads. PocketGuard starts at Free and Wally at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PocketGuard or Wally?
- PocketGuard starts at Free and Wally at Free.
- Does PocketGuard or Wally run on more platforms?
- PocketGuard runs on Web, IOS, Android. Wally runs on IOS, Android.
- Can I use PocketGuard for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is PocketGuard best used for?
- PocketGuard is most often used for tracking spending and bills against a personal budget, finding and cancelling recurring subscriptions. Of those, tracking spending and bills against a personal budget and finding and cancelling recurring subscriptions are not what Wally is typically brought in for.
- What can PocketGuard do that Wally cannot?
- PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts, Budget tracking, Goal setting, Spending insights. Wally covers Receipt OCR scanning, Expense tracking, Receipt storage, Category management. Both handle IOS support, Android support.