Splitwise alternatives: 4 free & open-source picks
Compare recorded free and open-source options, their capabilities and operating requirements. Source dates are shown below; licenses, hosted limits and project activity can change.
Share a link, split, settle. No accounts, no ads. Use their instance or run your own.
Around since 2011, proudly boring, in declared maintenance mode; use their free instance or one docker run.
Splitwise for people who already run Nextcloud; pairs with the MoneyBuster Android app.
Free and huge in Europe; closed source and bunq-owned, new signups get a bunq account, and CSV export left with the old Premium.
latest recorded source check 2026-08-11 · check current terms at the source
SplidOffline, account-free and genuinely nice, but the free tier caps your groups and locks exports behind a one-time 4.99 USD unlock.
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spliit | open source | they host it | web, self-hosted | 2,700 | 2025-12 |
| IHateMoney | open source | they host it | web, self-hosted | 1,400 | 2026-05 |
| Cospend | open source | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 283 | 2026-06 |
| Tricount | free (closed) | they host it | ios, android | — | — |
Splitwise sits where the friction is lowest: everyone already has an account, the apps are polished, and the balance quietly nags people so you do not have to. Pro mostly sells relief from the free tier's daily expense cap and the ads, plus receipt scanning and automatic currency conversion for trips. The subscription monetizes the fact that the group, not you, picks the tool. The recorded subscription totals $60 a year before any costs of an alternative.
Questions about these alternatives
Is there a free alternative to Splitwise?
Yes: Spliit, IHateMoney, Cospend and 1 more. These are recorded free or open-source options. Compare their feature limits, licenses, hosting costs and current availability before choosing.
Should I just build my own Splitwise?
Our verdict is KINDA. The ledger and the debt math are a solved problem; a link-shared DIY version covers a household or one trip in a single sitting, no accounts needed. The gap is not code, it is adoption: Splitwise works because the whole group already has it installed, and nobody downloads your homebrew app for one weekend away. Build it for the people who share your fridge; for everyone else, the moat is other people's phones. Review the scope, implementation prompt and trade-offs in the Splitwise build guide.
