Splitwise Changed Their Free Plan: Best Alternatives for Couples (2026)

June 28, 2026 · By Alejandro Macías Bonet, CEO of Splitt · 6 min read

If you've been using Splitwise for free and suddenly found key features locked behind a Pro subscription, you're not alone. Thousands of couples are in the same position right now — and searching for what to use instead.

This article gives you an honest answer: what changed, who the best alternatives are, and which one makes sense for a couple specifically.

What changed with Splitwise's free plan

Splitwise introduced Splitwise Pro (currently around $3.99/month or $39.99/year), moving several previously free features to the paid tier:

• Receipt scanning
• Charts and spending reports
• Currency conversion
• No ads

The core features — adding expenses, splitting bills, tracking balances — remain free. But the free experience now includes ads and lacks features that many users had come to rely on.

For groups splitting a vacation or a house of roommates, the paid tier might make sense. For a couple tracking everyday shared expenses, paying $4/month for a tool that was never designed for two people feels like the wrong trade.

The real problem with Splitwise for couples

Beyond the pricing change, Splitwise has a more fundamental mismatch for couples: it was built for groups.

The interface is optimized for managing multiple group trips, tracking who owes whom across 8 people, and reconciling complex debt chains. That complexity is exactly what you don't need when you're two people sharing rent, groceries, and Netflix.

Couples don't need groups, trips, or complex debt settlement. They need: log an expense quickly, see who owes what, done.

Best Splitwise alternatives for couples in 2026

App	Best for	Free?	No install?	Speed
Splitt Recommended	Couples — ongoing shared expenses	✓ 100%	✓ Browser	<10 sec/expense
Tricount	Groups on trips	✓ Core free	✗ App required	~20 sec/expense
Honeydue	Couples with joint bank accounts	✓ Free	✗ App required	~30 sec/expense
Splitwise Pro	Groups + receipt scanning	Limited	✗ App required	~20 sec/expense
Spendee	Personal budgeting	Limited free	✗ App required	~25 sec/expense

Detailed breakdown: top 3 for couples

1. Splitt — best for couples tracking everyday expenses

Splitt was designed specifically for two people sharing ongoing expenses: rent, groceries, utilities, subscriptions, dining out. The entire interface is oriented around a single shared balance between two people.

• No installation — works from the browser on any phone, no app download required
• Speed — amount, description, save. Under 10 seconds per expense
• Real-time balance — both partners see who owes what, always updated
• Completely free — no feature limitations, no subscription tier
• Push notifications — get notified when your partner logs an expense

Best for: Couples who want the fastest possible way to track who paid what without managing groups, trips, or categories.

2. Tricount — best for groups and trips

Tricount is the strongest free alternative for groups. If you're splitting a vacation with friends or tracking house expenses with roommates, Tricount handles multi-person splits cleanly. For couples only, it's more complex than you need.

3. Honeydue — best for couples with linked bank accounts

Honeydue lets couples link their bank accounts and see all transactions in one place. It's more powerful for financial transparency, but requires more setup and is US-focused. If you want to manually log expenses quickly, the friction is higher than Splitt.

Which one should you pick?

Simple framework:

• Two people, ongoing shared expenses → Splitt
• Groups of friends, occasional trips → Tricount
• Couples who want linked bank accounts → Honeydue (US)
• Need receipt scanning or multi-currency → Splitwise Pro is still worth it

How to switch from Splitwise to Splitt

1. Open splitt-app.com on your phone — no download required
2. Create an account (takes 30 seconds)
3. Share the link with your partner — they join your shared balance
4. Start logging expenses: amount → description → save

You don't need to export anything from Splitwise. Most couples find it easier to start fresh — the ongoing balance is what matters, not historical data.

Frequently asked questions