Software · head to head
Wally vs Google Pay
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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.; Google Pay limited to Android devices and Chrome browser; lacks native support for iOS devices
- They diverge on capability: Wally covers Receipt OCR scanning, Google Pay covers Digital wallet.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Wally and Google Pay actually diverge.
| Attribute | Wally | Google Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | IOS, Android | Android, Chrome browser |
| Founded | 2009 | 2015 |
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 Wally
- Receipt OCR scanning
- Expense tracking
- Receipt storage
- Category management
- Cloud storage
Only in Google Pay
- Digital wallet
- Contactless payments
- Online shopping
- P2P money transfers
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- Bank accounts
Both cover
- IOS support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Wally
- Budget Managementnot Google Pay
- Expense Trackingnot Google Pay
- Investment Trackingnot Google Pay
Google Pay
- Android users making contactless payments at supported retailersnot Wally
- Chrome browser users utilising payment autofill at checkoutnot Wally
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
Google Pay
- Limited to Android devices and Chrome browser; lacks native support for iOS devices
- International money transfer through third-party provider (Wise Inc.) with limited details on coverage
Pricing, plan by plan
Wally
Free- FreeFree
- Receipt scanning
- Expense tracking
- Basic reports
- Premium$9.99/month
- Advanced analytics
- Unlimited storage
- Cloud sync
Google Pay
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Google Pay review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Wally if
- You need receipt ocr scanning.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on IOS, Android.
- You also want expense tracking.
Choose Google Pay if
- You need digital wallet.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Android, Chrome browser.
- You also want contactless payments.
Questions people ask
- Is Wally or Google Pay better?
- Neither clearly leads. Wally starts at Free and Google Pay at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Wally or Google Pay?
- Wally starts at Free and Google Pay at Free.
- Does Wally or Google Pay run on more platforms?
- Wally runs on IOS, Android. Google Pay runs on Android, Chrome browser.
- Can I use Wally for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Wally best used for?
- Wally is most often used for budget management, expense tracking, investment tracking. Of those, budget management and expense tracking are not what Google Pay is typically brought in for.
- What can Wally do that Google Pay cannot?
- Wally covers Receipt OCR scanning, Expense tracking, Receipt storage, Category management. Google Pay covers Digital wallet, Contactless payments, Online shopping, P2P money transfers. Both handle IOS support, Android support.