Bill splitting apps compared
Whether it is a holiday, a shared flat or bills with a partner, a bill splitting app does three things: it records who paid for what, works out who owes whom, and cuts the number of payments needed to settle up. Where they differ is the free plan’s limits, ads, currencies and where they run.
This page is written by FayrShare, one of the four apps, so we say that up front. Every fact about the others comes from their own websites, help centres and store listings, checked on 25 October 2026; the numbered sources are at the end.
The comparison at a glance
| Splitwise | Tricount | Settle Up | FayrShare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free with a daily expense limit; Splitwise Pro removes it [1][2]. US App Store lists Pro at $2.99 to $39.99 depending on plan [3] | Free, no limits; the old Premium was discontinued [5][7] | Free; Premium is $3.99 a month or $19.99 a year on the US App Store [10] | Free. No paid tier |
| Ads | Pro is described as “totally ad-free” [2] | The site says “No ads” [5]; the Google Play listing says “Contains ads” [8] | “Contains ads” on Google Play; Premium removes them [9] | None |
| Where it runs | iPhone, Android and the web [3][4] | iPhone and Android [6] | Android, iOS and the web, also offline [9] | In the browser, on any phone or computer |
| Ways to split | Equal, exact amounts, percentages, shares and more [11] | Equally, by amount or by custom shares [8] | Equally or by weights, with several payers [9] | Equally, exact amounts or percentages |
| Currencies | Any currency; converting everything into one is Pro [2][12] | One per tricount; expenses in other currencies are converted [7] | All currencies with live exchange rates [9] | One per group (pound, euro or dollar), no conversion |
| Everyone needs an account? | To log in and add expenses, yes [4] | Join by link in the app [7] | No: friends can view the balance in a browser [10] | Join by link in the browser; nothing to install |
| Paying back in the app | Venmo and PayPal in the US only [4] | Request links in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium only [13] | Reminds members to settle their debts [10] | No: settle by bank transfer, then mark it paid |
Splitwise
The best-known name, with apps and a website and the widest range of split types: equal, exact amounts, percentages, shares [11]. In the US it links to Venmo and PayPal for paying back [4]. The catch is the free plan’s daily expense limit: once you reach it, you wait for the reset, ask a friend to add it, or pay for Pro [1]. Pro also adds currency conversion, receipt scanning, charts and an ad-free app [2]. Splitwise does not publish the limit itself.
Good if you need unusual splits or itemised receipts, you are in the US and want Venmo built in, or the limit and subscription do not bother you. We go deeper in our Splitwise alternative comparison.
Tricount
Free with no limits, in a polished app for iPhone and Android [5][6]. It is owned by the Dutch bank bunq: new users are given a free bunq credit card that logs spending automatically, and signing up for it asks for your phone number, tax identification number and an identity check [7]. The old Premium tier was discontinued, and with it CSV and PDF export [14]. Its request links for getting paid back only work in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium so far [13].
Good if everyone already has it on their phone, you travel with several currencies, or the card is useful to you.
Settle Up
Runs on Android, iOS and the web, works offline, handles every currency with live rates and splits by weights; friends can view a group in the browser without downloading anything [9][10]. The free app shows ads; Premium removes them and adds receipt photos, categories and recurring expenses such as rent [9][10].
Good if you need several currencies or offline use and do not mind ads.
FayrShare
Free for real: no subscription, no ads and no limit on expenses or groups. It opens in the browser from an invite link, so nobody installs anything. It splits equally, by exact amounts or by percentage, and shows the fewest payments to settle up. Its limits, plainly: one currency per group with no conversion, no receipt scanning, no bank card, and no payments inside the app, so you settle by bank transfer and mark it paid.
It exists because Neil Stephenson, who built it, watched another bill splitting app put the basics behind a paywall in the middle of a trip with friends. The story is on our about page.
Which one to pick
- Trip abroad with several currencies: Tricount or Settle Up.
- Shared house, bills all year: something without a daily limit, so Tricount, Settle Up or FayrShare. Our rent split calculator handles unequal rooms.
- Someone refuses to install another app: FayrShare (browser) or Settle Up (web view).
- In the US and paying back by Venmo: Splitwise’s integration is the one genuine shortcut.
- Just one quick sum: the split bills calculator, no account needed.
To try FayrShare: start a group for free.
Questions
What is the best free bill splitting app?
It depends on your group. As of 25 October 2026: Tricount is free with no limits but lives in its phone app and is tied to the bank bunq; Splitwise is free with a daily expense limit; Settle Up is free with ads; FayrShare is free with no ads or limits and runs in the browser, but has one currency per group and no receipt scanning.
Is Splitwise still free?
Yes, but the free plan has a daily expense limit. When you hit it you wait for it to reset, ask a friend to add the expense, or upgrade to Splitwise Pro. Splitwise does not publish the exact number.
Does everyone in the group need to download the app?
Not always. Settle Up lets friends view a group in the browser, and FayrShare runs entirely in the browser from an invite link. Splitwise and Tricount work best when everyone has the app.
Which app can actually send the money?
Splitwise links to Venmo and PayPal in the US only. Tricount request links work in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium only. In the UK, most groups settle up by bank transfer whichever app they use.
How do these apps cut the number of payments?
They work out each person’s balance (what they paid minus their share), then match the biggest debtor with the biggest creditor until everyone is square. Our split bills calculator shows the working step by step.
Sources
- Splitwise: Why am I seeing an expense limit?, checked 25 October 2026
- Splitwise Pro, checked 25 October 2026
- Splitwise on the App Store (US), checked 25 October 2026
- Splitwise on Google Play (US), checked 25 October 2026
- tricount home page, checked 25 October 2026
- tricount download page, checked 25 October 2026
- tricount Help: How can I manage my tricounts and expenses?, checked 25 October 2026
- tricount on Google Play (US), checked 25 October 2026
- Settle Up on Google Play (US), checked 25 October 2026
- Settle Up on the App Store (US), checked 25 October 2026
- Splitwise: split types, checked 25 October 2026
- Splitwise: multiple currencies in a group, checked 25 October 2026
- tricount Help: request links, checked 25 October 2026
- tricount Help: What happened to tricount Premium?, checked 25 October 2026