Personal Finance · head to head
Simplifi vs Apple Pay
The short version
- Only Apple Pay has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Simplifi there is no free tier at all; 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: Simplifi covers Budget tracking, Apple Pay covers Digital wallet.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Simplifi and Apple Pay actually diverge.
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 Simplifi
- Budget tracking
- Spending analysis
- Goal tracking
- Cash flow insights
- Web support
- Android support
Only in Apple Pay
- Digital wallet
- Secure payments
- Contactless transactions
- P2P money transfers
- Debit cards
- WatchOS support
- MacOS support
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
- IOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Simplifi
- Personal budgeting with automatic bank transaction importnot Apple Pay
- Tracking spending, savings goals and net worth in one placenot Apple Pay
Apple Pay
- Contactless in store payment from iPhone and Apple Watchnot Simplifi
- Paying in apps and on the web without entering card detailsnot Simplifi
- Sending money between Apple users with Apple Cash and Tap to Cashnot Simplifi
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Simplifi
- There is no free tier at all
- The advertised $3.99 a month requires annual billing, against $6.99 paying monthly
- The subscription auto renews yearly at the then current price, which the terms state is subject to change rather than fixed
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
Simplifi
On request- Monthly$5.99/month
- Budget tracking
- Spending insights
- Goal setting
- Annual$59.99/month
- All monthly features
- Discounted rate
Apple Pay
Free- FreeFree
- Secure payments
- P2P transfers
- Transit passes
Which should you pick?
Choose Simplifi if
- You need budget tracking.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want spending analysis.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Simplifi or Apple Pay better?
- Neither clearly leads. Simplifi starts at On request and Apple Pay at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Simplifi or Apple Pay?
- Apple Pay has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Simplifi and Free for Apple Pay.
- Does Simplifi or Apple Pay run on more platforms?
- Simplifi runs on Web, IOS, Android. Apple Pay runs on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS.
- Can I use Apple Pay for free?
- Yes. Apple Pay has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Simplifi starts at On request.
- What is Simplifi best used for?
- Simplifi is most often used for personal budgeting with automatic bank transaction import, tracking spending, savings goals and net worth in one place. Of those, personal budgeting with automatic bank transaction import and tracking spending, savings goals and net worth in one place are not what Apple Pay is typically brought in for.
- What can Simplifi do that Apple Pay cannot?
- Simplifi covers Budget tracking, Spending analysis, Goal tracking, Cash flow insights. Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Secure payments, Contactless transactions, P2P money transfers. Both handle Bank accounts, Credit cards, IOS support.