Software · head to head
Spendee vs GnuCash
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Spendee the free Basic plan allows one cash wallet and one budget; GnuCash desktop only, with no mobile application
- They diverge on capability: Spendee covers Expense tracking, GnuCash covers Double-entry bookkeeping.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Spendee and GnuCash actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Spendee
- Expense tracking
- Budget management
- Shared wallets
- Financial analytics
- Bank accounts
- Web support
- IOS support
- Android support
Only in GnuCash
- Double-entry bookkeeping
- Multi-currency support
- Reports and graphs
- Budget tracking
- Import/Export
- OFX format
- Windows support
- Mac support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Spendee
- Tracking personal spending across cash and bank accountsnot GnuCash
- Sharing a budget or wallet with a partner or householdnot GnuCash
GnuCash
- Personal finance tracking with a checkbook register interfacenot Spendee
- Double-entry bookkeeping for a small businessnot Spendee
- Tracking stocks, bonds and mutual fund accountsnot Spendee
- Importing transactions via QIF, OFX or HBCInot Spendee
- Scheduled recurring transactions and financial reportsnot Spendee
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Spendee
- The free Basic plan allows one cash wallet and one budget
- Shared wallets are excluded from the free plan
- Premium at $5.99 a month is triple the $1.99 Plus plan, and the pricing page does not quantify what separates them beyond shared wallets
- Bank sync depends on a supported bank list rather than being universal
GnuCash
- Desktop only, with no mobile application
- Version 3.11 is the last release supporting Windows 7 and macOS 10.12 and earlier
- Uses strict double-entry accounting, so every transaction needs two sides
Pricing, plan by plan
Spendee
Free- FreeFree
- Expense tracking
- Budget creation
- 3 wallets
- Premium$6.99/month
- Unlimited wallets
- Advanced analytics
- Investment tracking
GnuCash
Free- Open SourceFree
- Double-entry bookkeeping
- Multi-currency support
- Reports and graphs
Which should you pick?
Choose Spendee if
- You need expense tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want budget management.
Choose GnuCash if
- You need double-entry bookkeeping.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Mac, Linux.
- You also want multi-currency support.
Questions people ask
- Is Spendee or GnuCash better?
- Neither clearly leads. Spendee starts at Free and GnuCash at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Spendee or GnuCash?
- Spendee starts at Free and GnuCash at Free.
- Does Spendee or GnuCash run on more platforms?
- Spendee runs on Web, IOS, Android. GnuCash runs on Windows, Mac, Linux.
- Can I use Spendee for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Spendee best used for?
- Spendee is most often used for tracking personal spending across cash and bank accounts, sharing a budget or wallet with a partner or household. Of those, tracking personal spending across cash and bank accounts and sharing a budget or wallet with a partner or household are not what GnuCash is typically brought in for.
- What can Spendee do that GnuCash cannot?
- Spendee covers Expense tracking, Budget management, Shared wallets, Financial analytics. GnuCash covers Double-entry bookkeeping, Multi-currency support, Reports and graphs, Budget tracking.