Buddy: Budget Planner App

Buddy has been around since 2014 and its longevity shows in the polish. At its core it is a shared budget tracker, meaning you can invite a partner or travel companion and watch a single budget update in real time as both of you log spending. Bank import cuts down on manual entry, and the split feature handles the classic 'who owes whom' problem without a separate app. At 151 MB it is not featherweight, but the 4.71 store rating across 9,000 reviews suggests most users find it worth the space.

Shared Budgeting Is the Real Draw

Most budget apps treat finance as a solo sport. Buddy leans hard into the collaborative angle, letting multiple people contribute to one budget and showing a clear per-person spending breakdown. For couples splitting household costs or friends settling a group trip, that visibility is genuinely useful rather than a marketing bullet point. The split feature works alongside the budget rather than replacing it, so you get both a running total and a settlement summary in one place.

Subscription Cost Deserves Scrutiny

The free tier gets you through the door, but the premium wall sits at $9.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Bank import, which is arguably the feature that makes manual logging tolerable long-term, likely sits behind that paywall. For a household where two people share the subscription the yearly price is more defensible, but solo users should weigh $50 a year against free alternatives before committing.

Who Actually Benefits Here

Buddy fits couples and small groups who want a shared financial picture without building spreadsheets. It is less compelling for a single user who just wants expense categories, since the premium price is harder to justify at that scale. Regular updates, with the app last touched in June 2026, indicate active development, which matters for a finance app where bank connection reliability is everything.