A Splitwise alternative for the people you live with
Splitwise vs The Margin for shared expenses at home: splits, settling up, debts, daily limits and price, from Splitwise's own pages. Checked Nov 8, 2026.
If you split costs with roommates, a partner or friends on a trip, Splitwise does that one job very well, and its free plan already simplifies debts and handles uneven splits. The Margin is for a household that wants the balances next to the rest of its money and its home life: the budget, the shopping list, allowances and the calendar, in one app that works with no signal. Its expenses and debts are free; splitting between household members is on the Family plan.
I make The Margin, so read this as one maker's comparison. Everything about Splitwise here comes from its home page, its help center on Splitwise Pro, its help page on simplify debts and its App Store listing, read on November 8, 2026.
Splitwise vs The Margin at a glance#
| Splitwise | The Margin | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Groups, equal or uneven splits, simplify debts, recurring expenses, 100+ currencies, offline entry | Expenses, income and debts in any currency, on every plan |
| Daily limit on free | "free users can add up to 4 expenses each day" | None |
| Splitting between people | Free | Family plan: evenly, by percentage or by exact amounts |
| Settling up | Simplify debts, free | Settlement suggestions on the Family plan's Balances tab |
| Money owed outside a group | Record debts with friends | Debts with anyone, on Margin or not, with payments and due-date reminders |
| Receipts | Scanning and itemizing on Pro | Attach a receipt on every plan; Margin Intelligence fills in the form from it |
| Budgets | Spending totals and categories; charts on Pro | Budgets set against what you earn, on paid plans |
| The rest of home | Not its job | Shopping list, calendar, chores, allowances and the meal plan |
| Price | No Pro price on splitwise.com; the App Store lists Pro purchases from $2.99 to $39.99 | Free; Family $25 a month or $20 a month paid yearly, up to six people |
Where Splitwise is the better pick#
- Trips and friends. Splitwise is built for groups that come and go, like a vacation or a shared apartment. The Margin's splits live inside one household.
- Splitting on the free plan. Splitwise splits for free, within the daily limit. The Margin's splits are part of the Family plan.
- Paying each other. Splitwise lists payment integrations. The Margin records money and never moves it.
- Everyone already has it. If your friends already use Splitwise, asking them to switch is a big ask.
Where The Margin is different#
Balances sit next to the rest of the household's money. The same month shows what went out, what came in and what is already committed, so "who owes whom" and "are we over on groceries" are one screen apart (expenses and money).
A debt works with anyone. Lend money to a brother, owe a landlord: a name is enough. If they are on The Margin and already a connection or in a workspace with you, you can send them the record. They agree or disagree with a reason, and it counts as settled only when both of you say so.
The shopping run turns into the split. When someone finishes a run on the shared list, it can become an expense split with the household (the shopping list).
There is no daily cap on recording, and every amount keeps the currency it was spent in, converted for the month's total at current rates.
Moving from Splitwise#
Settle the open balances in Splitwise first, so you start from zero. Past expenses you want to keep can come in from a spreadsheet: save it as CSV and import it into The Margin as expenses (importing your life).
Questions
What is the best app to track shared expenses and who owes whom in a household?
For splitting bills with roommates or on a trip, Splitwise is the specialist and its free plan covers groups, uneven splits and simplified debts. For a family that also wants the budget, the shopping list and allowances next to the balances, The Margin keeps all of it in one app. Its debts are free on every plan; splitting expenses between household members and the settle-up suggestions are on the Family plan.
Does Splitwise have a daily limit on the free plan?
Yes. On November 8, 2026 Splitwise's help center said free users can add up to 4 expenses each day. Splitwise Pro removes the limit. The Margin has no daily limit on recording expenses, on any plan.
Is there a free Splitwise alternative?
The Margin's free plan records expenses, income and money owed either way with no daily limit, in any currency. Splitting an expense between household members and the settle-up suggestions need the Family plan.
How does The Margin decide who pays whom?
The Balances tab keeps a running total for each person and suggests settlements that net the balances out, so fewer payments clear everyone. Recording a cash payment or a transfer takes it off the balance straight away.
Can I track a debt with someone who does not use The Margin?
Yes. A name is enough. Record payments as they happen, and when you want to show them where things stand, copy a plain statement of what was agreed, what was paid and what is left, or download it as a file. They need no account to read it.