Splitwise review
At a glance
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Free; Pro $3/mo or $30/yr |
| Our rating | 8/10 |
| Category | Shared Expenses |
| Best for | Anyone splitting bills or costs with roommates, partners, or travel groups. |
| Not for | Users whose main problem is subscription overlap or optimisation. |
| Verdict | The category-defining expense-split app — great for shared bills, silent on subscription optimisation. |
Data last updated 2026-08-13. Checked by the LemSubs research team.
Splitwise has become the default vocabulary for shared expenses. IOUs, group balances, and settle-up flows all work the way you expect, on every platform. For roommates and couples who share subscriptions like Netflix Family or Spotify Duo, it is a natural place to log 'my half.' That is also where Splitwise stops.
It is a ledger of shared debts, not a subscription tracker. There is no vendor catalog, no renewal calendar, no arbitrage detection, no overlap flags between similar tools. Recurring expenses can be entered, but they are just amounts on a schedule.
Strengths: unbeatable at the specific job of tracking and settling shared costs, generous free tier, works everywhere, and integrations with settlement rails in several countries. Weaknesses: entirely wrong shape if the problem is 'do I have too many subscriptions?' rather than 'who owes whom this month?' Use Splitwise alongside a real subscription tracker — one job each.
What works
- Category-defining shared-expense UX
- Cross-platform and reliable
- Generous free tier
- Real settlement integrations in some regions
What does not
- Not a subscription tracker in any real sense
- No vendor catalog or renewal calendar
- No intelligence beyond a ledger
- Ads on free tier
Scores by area
| Area | What we found | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Split accuracy | The gold standard | 10/10 |
| Cross-platform | Works everywhere | 9/10 |
| Free-tier scope | Generous | 8/10 |
| Vendor catalog | None — it's a ledger | 2/10 |
| Renewal calendar | None | 2/10 |
| Subscription intelligence | None | 2/10 |
Best for
Anyone splitting bills or costs with roommates, partners, or travel groups.
Not for
Users whose main problem is subscription overlap or optimisation.
Frequently asked questions
Can Splitwise track subscriptions?
Only as recurring shared expenses. It has no concept of vendors, renewals, or overlap.
Do I need Pro?
Only if you want to remove ads and add richer categories — the free tier covers most groups.
How does it compare to LemSubs?
Splitwise splits shared bills; LemSubs tracks and optimises your subscription portfolio. Different tools, both worth having.