Best Free App Like Splitwise to Split Expenses in 2026

Splitwise is the most well-known app for splitting expenses with friends and family, but it introduced paid features for even basic use in recent years. If you want a free alternative that handles shared expenses without a subscription, you have several solid options in 2026. Wuzzio is one of them, with shared expenses built into a broader household coordination app.

Why Splitwise users are looking for alternatives

Splitwise used to be entirely free. That changed when they moved core features like unlimited expense history, receipt scanning, and currency conversion behind a Splitwise Pro paywall. The basic version still works, but the friction of hitting paid walls for standard use cases has pushed many users to look elsewhere.

The core need has not changed: you pay for something the group shares, you record it, and the app tells everyone what they owe. That is a simple problem and it does not need to cost money.

What every good expense splitting app must do

Before comparing apps, it helps to be clear about what you actually need.

Add expenses in seconds. The app should let you enter the amount, who paid, and who is splitting it in three taps. Anything more complex than that and people stop using it.

Support unequal splits. Sometimes costs split evenly. Often they do not. A shared rental car where only two of four people drove, a dinner where one person ordered wine and another did not: the app needs to handle percentage splits, fixed amounts, and custom shares.

Running balances per person. You should always be able to see what each person owes or is owed across all expenses, not just the last one.

Settle up. At the end of a trip or month, the app should calculate the minimum number of transfers to clear all debts. Paying back is a natural end to the process and the app should make it easy.

Multiple groups. You probably split expenses with your flatmates separately from your travel friends separately from your partner. The app needs to support multiple independent groups with their own expense histories.

Free. There is no technical reason basic expense splitting should cost money. If an app charges for the core loop of add, split, settle, it is the wrong app for this job.

No sign-up or open source: two specific asks

Two flavours of "Splitwise alternative" deserve a direct answer. If you want no accounts at all, Tricount lets a group start splitting from a shared link with nobody registering; Wuzzio keeps the sign-up but reduces joining to one tap on a group link, which in practice removes the friction people are trying to avoid. If you want open source, Spliit (web-based) and Tricount's open alternatives cover the basics, with the usual trade-off: you may host it yourself and the mobile experience is thinner.

The main options in 2026

Splitwise

Still the most popular option. Wide adoption means many people you need to split with already have it. The free version covers the basics: unlimited group expenses, running balances, settle-up reminders. You hit limits with receipt scanning, expense history exports, and some reporting features. If your group is already on Splitwise and the free tier covers your use case, it remains a reasonable choice.

Tricount

Tricount is a clean, genuinely free expense splitting app popular in Europe. It handles trips and one-off events well. You create a group, add expenses, and see who owes what at the end. The interface is simple and works well for occasional use. The limitation is that it is more trip-oriented than ongoing household use: it lacks recurring expenses, project categories, and integration with other tools.

Spliit

An open-source Splitwise alternative. Fully free, no account required for guests to view a group. Handles even and unequal splits, multiple currencies, settlement calculation. It is a focused tool that does one thing well. It does not integrate with calendars, tasks, or shopping lists. If you just want expense splitting and nothing else, Spliit is worth a look.

Settle Up

Available on iOS and Android, Settle Up handles multi-currency trips, custom splits, and running balances. The free tier has a limit on the number of expenses per group before you need to upgrade. For short trips it is fine; for ongoing household use it becomes restrictive.

Wuzzio

Wuzzio includes shared expense tracking as part of a broader household coordination app. You can add expenses, split them equally or with custom amounts, track running balances, and settle up. Unlike the pure expense splitting tools above, Wuzzio also gives you a shared calendar, task lists, and shopping lists in the same app.

The advantage: if your group already coordinates daily life in Wuzzio, adding expense tracking does not require anyone to download another app. The limitation: if you only want expense splitting and nothing else, a focused tool like Spliit or Tricount is simpler.

Choosing the right app for your situation

For a holiday with friends: Tricount or Spliit. Both are fast to set up, require no long-term commitment, and close cleanly when the trip ends.

For ongoing flatmate expense splitting: Splitwise free tier or Wuzzio. You need recurring expense tracking, categories, and a history that stretches across months.

For a couple managing household finances: Wuzzio, because shared expenses in a couple rarely happen in isolation. The same app that tracks expenses can hold the shopping list, the shared calendar, and the task list.

For a family tracking contributions: Wuzzio. Kids' activities, school costs, household maintenance, food: all of these can be categorised and tracked in one place.

For a group that already uses Splitwise: Stay on Splitwise unless you hit the paid wall. Migration friction is real, and a known tool your group already uses beats a better unknown tool they might not adopt.

How to split expenses in Wuzzio

1. Create a household or group and invite members.
2. When someone pays for something shared, open Wuzzio and tap "Add expense".
3. Enter the amount, who paid, and who shares it. Choose equal split or custom amounts.
4. The balance for each person updates immediately.
5. At the end of the month or trip, view the settlement screen to see the minimum transfers needed to clear all debts.

The whole flow takes under a minute per expense. For shopping trips in particular, the expense can be added immediately after checkout while the receipt is still in hand.

See our shared shopping list guide for how to connect grocery purchases to your shared expense tracking in one workflow.

The bottom line

Splitwise built the category but is no longer fully free for most users. Tricount and Spliit cover the basic case at no cost. Wuzzio covers expense splitting alongside the rest of your household coordination, free for groups of any size.

If you want a single app for daily household life and expense splitting is one part of that, Wuzzio is worth trying. If you only need expense splitting with no other coordination features, Spliit is the leanest free option available today.