Splitt vs Splitwise
Splitwise is the app your friends already have. That matters more than most feature lists. Here is where each of us is genuinely better.
Which should you choose?
Choose Splitwise if anyone in the group is on Android, you want a web app, you need bank transaction import or itemised receipt OCR, or you're keeping a long-running balance with a friend rather than splitting one trip. ChooseSplitt if you travel across currencies, want the receipt read for you, and don't want an app telling you to pay someone you never shared a bill with.
Side by side
| Splitt | Splitwise | |
|---|---|---|
| Android | Not yet | Yes |
| Web app | No | Yes |
| Free daily cap | None | 4 expenses |
| Ads on free | None | Yes |
| Full history | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Currency conversion | Automatic, free | Pro only, manual trigger |
| Receipt scanning | Total (Pro) | Itemised (Pro) |
| Expense search | Included | Pro only |
| Bank import | No | Yes (some countries) |
| Debts stay pairwise | Always | Optional toggle |
The daily limit
Splitwise's free tier allows four new expenses a day. Its own knowledge base is remarkably candid about the workaround: add more as soon as the limit resets, or ask a friend to add them for you. This single change is why most "Splitwise alternative" searches exist.
Splitt has no daily cap, no group cap and no history window. We should say that earlier versions did — briefly, and more tightly than Splitwise. We took the caps out on purpose. A shared ledger is only worth keeping if the whole group is in it and it remembers the whole trip; charging for either means charging for the thing that makes the app work. Paid features, when they arrive, will be export, search and statistics — tools for whoever keeps the books, not a toll on everyone else.
Currencies: the real gap
This is where the difference is largest and least discussed. Splitwise keeps balances in each currency separate by default, so after a trip through three countries you see something like "you owe $12.45 and you are owed £8.72" and have to reconcile it yourself. Changing an expense's currency only relabels it — the amount is not converted. Pro adds a converter, but it runs as a one-off action: expenses added after you convert are not converted.
Splitt converts on entry, across 44 currencies, on every tier. You put in what you actually paid and the balance is one number. For a group trip through the eurozone and out of it, this is the whole ball game.
Simplify Debts vs pairwise balances
Splitwise's Simplify Debts restructures who owes whom to minimise the number of payments, which can mean paying someone you never shared a bill with because routing through them saves a transfer. To its credit, Splitwise documents this clearly and lets any group member toggle it off — it's the only app in the category that does.
Splitt takes the other position and doesn't offer the choice: what you owe each person is tracked on its own and settling up produces one payment per pair. Occasionally one transfer more. Never a payment that needs explaining.
When Splitwise is the better pick
Two situations. If anyone in the group is on Android or needs a browser, Splitt has neither yet and simply won't serve you. And if you're keeping an open-ended balance with one friend over years rather than splitting a trip, Splitwise's friend-ledger model — plus bank import where it's supported — is built for exactly that.
Frequently asked questions
Is Splitt a free alternative to Splitwise?
Yes. Splitt has no daily expense cap, no limit on groups, group size or history, and no ads. Splitwise caps free users at four expenses a day and runs ads. The catch is coverage, not price: Splitt has no Android app yet, so if anyone in your group is on Android, Splitwise or Tricount is your answer.
Does Splitwise really limit you to 4 expenses a day?
Yes. Splitwise's help centre confirms free users can add up to four expenses each day and suggests waiting for the reset or asking a friend to add the expense for you. Pro removes the cap.
Which handles multiple currencies better?
Splitt. It converts automatically across 44 currencies on every tier. Splitwise keeps a separate balance per currency by default, and its converter is a Pro feature that runs once — expenses added afterwards are not converted.
Can I import my Splitwise history into Splitt?
Not today. There is no import tool. Most people start Splitt with a new trip rather than migrating an existing ledger.
Which one should I actually use?
Splitwise if you need bank import, itemised receipt OCR, a web app, Android support, or simply the app your friends already have. Splitt if you travel across currencies, want the receipt read for you, and want balances that never route through a third person.
Sources
- Splitwise: what is Pro — daily expense limit and gated features
- Splitwise: multiple currencies
- Splitwise: what is Simplify Debts