Buddy is a popular budgeting app from Sweden, best known for shared budgets with a partner and splitting costs with friends. But it isn't for everyone. Some people don't want to create another account or connect their bank. Others find Buddy Premium expensive, or want an app that logs spending faster with Siri, Apple Pay, and Apple Watch. If that sounds like you, here's an honest look at how Fineyo compares, what each app does better, and how to switch.
Quick answer: Choose Fineyo if you use an iPhone and want a fast, private budget app with no account, no bank login, shared budgets over iCloud, and deep Apple integration: Siri, Apple Pay automation, widgets, and a full Apple Watch app, for less than half of Buddy's yearly price or a one-time purchase. Choose Buddy if you want transactions pulled from your bank automatically, need an iPad or Mac app today, want to split costs and settle up with friends, or track debts and net worth.
Fineyo vs Buddy at a glance
| Fineyo | Buddy | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Private, fast tracking on iPhone and Apple Watch, alone or together | Shared budgets and splitting costs, with bank sync |
| Platforms | iPhone and Apple Watch (iPad and Mac coming soon) | iPhone, iPad, Mac with Apple silicon, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro |
| Account needed | No, no sign-up | Yes, a Buddy account |
| Where your data lives | Your iPhone and your own iCloud | Buddy's servers, mainly in the EU |
| Bank sync | No | Yes, through Plaid and Salt Edge |
| Automatic logging | Apple Pay and bank notification automations, read on your iPhone | Bank sync |
| Voice input | Yes, Fineyo AI on your iPhone | No |
| Siri and Shortcuts | Add expenses and ask about spending | No |
| Apple Watch app | Yes, with complications | Yes |
| Budgets | Overall or per category, by day, week, month, year, or trip | Budget plan with categories |
| Shared budgets | Spaces over iCloud, unlimited members, joining is free | Shared budgets with a partner or roommates |
| Split and settle up | No, but you see who spent what | Yes, with Split |
| Debts and net worth | No | Yes |
| Recurring payments | Yes, logged automatically, with reminders | Bills and subscriptions tracking |
| Currencies | 80+, travel currency, multi-currency accounts | Multiple currencies |
| App languages | 30+ | 13 |
| Paid plan (US) | $3.99/month, $24.99/year, or $44.99 lifetime | $9.99/month or $49.99/year |
| CSV import and export | Import free, export with Pro | No import, export with Premium |
Prices and features are from the App Store and each app's website in October 2026. Prices vary by country.
Why people look for a Buddy alternative
Buddy is a well-made app with a friendly design. People who switch usually want something different, not just something better:
- Price. Buddy Premium costs $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year in the US. Fineyo Pro costs $24.99 a year, or $44.99 once.
- No account and no bank login. Buddy stores your budget on its servers and connects to banks through Plaid and Salt Edge. Some people would rather keep their finances only on their own devices.
- Less tracking. Buddy's App Store privacy label lists location, identifiers, and other data as used to track you across other companies' apps and websites.
- Faster logging on iPhone. Fineyo is built around adding an expense in seconds, with Siri, Shortcuts, Apple Pay, the Action Button, voice, and Apple Watch.
- Bank sync that doesn't fit. Bank connections depend on your bank and country, and they can break or need logging in again. Some people prefer logging each expense themselves, because it helps them notice what they spend.
Privacy and your data
This is the biggest difference between the two apps.
Fineyo has no account, no sign-up, and no server storing your finances. Your transactions stay on your iPhone and, if you turn on sync, in your own iCloud. Shared spaces use Apple's iCloud sharing, so even a shared budget never passes through a Fineyo server. Fineyo AI and the notification automation run on your iPhone with Apple Intelligence, so nothing you say or receive is sent to Fineyo. See how Fineyo handles your data.
Buddy uses a Buddy account and keeps your budget on its servers, which is what lets it sync between members and devices. Buddy is based in Sweden and says it stores and processes personal data mainly within the EU. If you connect a bank, your account names, balances, and transactions come in through Plaid or Salt Edge. Its privacy policy also lists an AI provider that processes data for its AI features, and some providers may process data in the US. Buddy says it doesn't sell personal data, but its App Store privacy label lists location, identifiers, and other data as used to track you.
Neither approach is wrong. Buddy trades some privacy for bank sync and cross-device access. Fineyo keeps everything with you and Apple, so you add transactions yourself or let your iPhone do it.
Shared budgets for couples and families
Sharing is why many people choose Buddy, so it's worth a close look.
Buddy lets you invite a partner, roommate, or friends to a shared budget, and your transactions sync between members. Its Split feature works out who paid what and how to settle up, which is handy for trips with friends or a household that splits bills.
Fineyo uses Spaces. Create a shared space for your household, partner, or a trip, and invite anyone with a link over iCloud. Everyone sees and edits the same accounts, budgets, and transactions in real time. The Overview shows how much each person spent or earned, and every transaction shows who added it. You can have several spaces, like one for home and one for a holiday, while your Personal space stays private. Creating a space needs Fineyo Pro, but people who join don't need it, and there's no limit on members or spaces.
The difference: Fineyo shows who spent what, but doesn't calculate who owes whom. If settling up with friends matters most, Buddy does it better. If you want a private shared budget where only one person pays, Fineyo is built for it.
Adding transactions
Buddy can import transactions from your bank, through Plaid and Salt Edge. You can also add transactions by hand.
Fineyo has no bank sync, so it makes logging as fast as possible instead:
- Manual entry in seconds. A minimal flow for expenses, income, and transfers.
- Apple Pay automation. A Shortcuts automation logs every tap-to-pay purchase. See Apple Pay automation.
- Bank notification automation. Fineyo reads payment notifications from your bank app on your iPhone, so it also catches online and card payments.
- Voice with Fineyo AI. Say "Groceries 32 at Lidl" and it becomes a transaction. See voice input.
- Siri and Shortcuts. Log an expense without opening the app. See Siri and Shortcuts.
- Back Tap, the Action Button, and Control Center. See Quick add.
- Apple Watch. Log from your wrist, even when your iPhone isn't nearby.
If your bank works with Buddy and you want every transaction imported for you, Buddy does that better. If you want logging that's quick and stays on your phone, Fineyo is built for it.
Budgets and planning
Buddy helps you set up a budget plan with categories and see your spending, income, and savings. It also tracks spending, savings, and debt accounts, shows your net worth, and helps you keep an eye on bills and subscriptions.
Fineyo lets you set an overall budget or one per category for a day, week, month, year, or trip. You see your progress live, how much you can still spend each day, and past periods. Recurring payments like rent and subscriptions log themselves, with a reminder the day before. Insights compare months, break down categories, and project your spending. A monthly report sums up where your money went. See budgets and recurring transactions.
Buddy goes further if you also want to track debts and net worth. Fineyo focuses on spending, income, and budgets.
Currencies and travel
Fineyo supports 80+ currencies, with daily exchange rate updates and a travel currency on Pro, so new expenses on a trip default to the local currency while your totals stay in your main one. A shared trip space plus a travel currency makes group holidays easy to track. See currencies and travel.
Buddy supports budgets in different currencies and is available in 13 languages. Fineyo is available in 30+.
Apple Watch, widgets, and Siri
Both apps have an Apple Watch app. Fineyo goes deeper on Apple features:
- Apple Watch app with spending, budgets, balances, and logging from your wrist, plus complications for your watch face.
- Widgets for the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Control Center. See widgets.
- Ask Siri how much you spent this week or what's left in a budget. See Ask Siri.
Platforms
Buddy runs on iPhone, iPad, Macs with Apple silicon, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Like Fineyo, it's made for Apple devices, and its website links only to the App Store.
Fineyo is for iPhone and Apple Watch. iPad and Mac versions are coming soon. It works offline, and syncs over iCloud when you're back online. See offline use.
Pricing
Both apps are free to download.
Buddy is free to try, and Buddy Premium unlocks its full feature set. In the US App Store it costs $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year.
Fineyo's free plan includes 1 account, 1 budget, up to 10 categories, and 3 recurring transactions. Siri and Shortcuts logging, the Apple Pay and bank notification automations, CSV import, and multiple currencies are free for everyone. Fineyo Pro removes the limits and adds Spaces, the spending map, receipt photos, all widgets, the full Apple Watch app, iCloud backup, and CSV export. In the US App Store it costs $3.99 a month, $24.99 a year, or $44.99 once for lifetime access, and works with Family Sharing. See Fineyo Pro.
Over two years, Buddy Premium yearly costs about $100. Fineyo Pro costs $50 on the yearly plan, or $44.99 once and never again. And for a shared budget, only one person in a Fineyo space needs Pro.
Where Buddy is the better choice
Fineyo isn't the right app for everyone. Buddy is a better fit if you:
- Want transactions imported automatically from your bank.
- Want to split costs with friends and see who owes whom.
- Need an iPad, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro app today.
- Track debts and net worth alongside your budget.
Who should choose Fineyo
Fineyo is a better fit if you:
- Use an iPhone, and maybe an Apple Watch.
- Don't want to create an account or connect your bank.
- Want to share a budget with a partner or family privately, over iCloud.
- Want to log spending in seconds with a tap, your voice, Siri, or Apple Pay.
- Spend in several currencies, for travel or living abroad.
- Want to pay less, or pay once instead of subscribing.
How to switch from Buddy to Fineyo
You can bring your history with you if you can get it out of Buddy as a spreadsheet. It takes about 15 minutes once you have the file.
- Get your data from Buddy. Buddy doesn't advertise a CSV export. Look for an export option in Buddy's settings, or email Buddy at hello@buddy.download and ask for a copy of your transactions. Buddy is based in the EU, so under the GDPR you have the right to a copy of your data.
- Tidy up the file. Open it in Numbers, Excel, or Google Sheets. Make sure there's one row per transaction with a Date and an Amount, with expenses as negative numbers. Category, Description, Account, and Payee columns are optional but useful.
- Export the sheet as CSV.
- Import into Fineyo. In Fineyo, go to Settings → Import data, select the file, match the columns, then tap Validate and Import.
- Recreate your shared budget. If you shared Buddy with a partner, create a space in Fineyo and invite them. They join for free.
A few things to know:
- Transfers between your own accounts come in as plain income or expenses. You may want to remove them before importing.
- Recurring payments come in as one-off transactions. Set them up again in Fineyo.
- Categories, accounts, and payees that don't exist yet are created for you.
- Bank connections don't carry over. Set up the Apple Pay and bank notification automations to keep logging automatic.
The import guide explains every column, date formats, foreign currencies, and fixes for common errors.
FAQ
Is Fineyo a good alternative to Buddy?
Yes, if you use an iPhone and want a private budget app with no account and no bank connection. Fineyo keeps your data on your iPhone and in your own iCloud, shares budgets with a partner through Spaces, and logs spending with Siri, Apple Pay, bank notifications, voice, and Apple Watch. If you need automatic bank sync, an iPad or Mac app today, or a way to split costs and settle up with friends, Buddy is the better fit.
Can I share a budget with my partner in Fineyo, like in Buddy?
Yes. With Spaces, a Fineyo Pro user creates a shared space and invites anyone over iCloud. Everyone in the space sees and edits the same accounts, budgets, and transactions, and you can see who spent what. People who join don't need Fineyo Pro, and there's no limit on members.
Does Fineyo connect to banks like Buddy?
No. Fineyo has no bank connections. Instead, Shortcuts automations can log Apple Pay purchases and payment notifications from your bank app automatically, read on your iPhone. You can also add transactions by tapping, by voice, with Siri, or by importing a CSV file.
Is Fineyo cheaper than Buddy?
Yes. In the US App Store in October 2026, Buddy Premium costs $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year. Fineyo Pro costs $3.99 a month, $24.99 a year, or $44.99 once for lifetime access. Both apps are free to download, and prices vary by country.
Do I need an account to use Fineyo?
No. Fineyo has no sign-up and no Fineyo account. Your data stays on your iPhone and syncs through your own iCloud. Buddy uses a Buddy account, which you can link with Apple or an email address.
Can I move my data from Buddy to Fineyo?
Yes, if you can get your transactions out of Buddy as a spreadsheet. Ask Buddy for a copy of your data, put it in a CSV file with a date, amount, and category for each transaction, then import it in Fineyo under Settings → Import data. Import is free.
Does Fineyo split expenses with friends like Buddy?
Not in the same way. In a shared Fineyo space, everyone sees who added each transaction and how much each person spent, but Fineyo doesn't calculate who owes whom. Buddy's Split feature does.
Buddy is a trademark of Buddy Budgeting AB. Fineyo is not affiliated with Buddy. Details about Buddy come from its App Store listing, website, and privacy policy, checked in October 2026. Spot something out of date? Email info@fineyo.app.