Overview

Settle Up is a group expense tracker for shared trips, homes, couples and events. It is best for groups that need unequal splits and a clear route to settling balances. Choose it for flexible accounting across mobile, web and Windows; look elsewhere if your priority is a dedicated payment service rather than tracking shared expenses.

Key features

Expenses can be divided into weighted shares, attributed to multiple payers, or recorded as incomes and itemized bills. That range suits groups whose costs do not divide neatly per person, though it may be more than a group needs for occasional equal splits. Settle Up also indicates who should pay next and minimizes the number of transfers needed between members, turning a running balance into a more practical settlement plan.

Groups can be shared by link or QR code, and the app supports all currencies with real-time exchange rates. Offline entry is useful when traveling or otherwise without a connection; changes sync when internet returns. Users can also settle a debt directly to a group member’s Lightning address, with no Settle Up fee beyond network fees.

The free tier includes transaction filters and statistics, CSV export by email, read-only access, backup and synchronization, widgets and shortcuts. Premium adds ad-free use, receipt photos, recurring transactions, expense categories, Excel export and group colour choices. The public API documentation says mobile capabilities are accessible through the API and identifies Firebase Realtime Database as the backend.

Pricing

The Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and covers core expense tracking, CSV export and group sharing, with ads. It is a sensible starting point for groups that can live without the Premium conveniences. Monthly Premium costs 3.99 USD per month; Yearly Premium costs 19.99 USD per year. Both include ad-free use, receipt photos, recurring and future expenses, custom categories, Excel export and statistics. The annual option has a lower stated price than twelve monthly payments, while requiring a year’s commitment.

Group Premium enables Premium features for everyone in one group: 5.99 USD per once for one week, 9.99 USD per once for two weeks, 14.99 USD per month for one month, 29.99 USD per once for two months, or 39.99 USD per year for one year. This is the relevant route when a group needs shared access to the paid features rather than one member upgrading alone. Premium, Group Premium and Lifetime Group Premium are also offered with custom pricing.

The cheaper Free plan gives up receipt photos, recurring expenses, custom categories and Excel export, and retains ads. No seat cap or trial term is stated for these plans, so the practical distinction is whether the group needs paid conveniences and shared Premium access.

Platforms

Settle Up runs on Android, iOS, web and Windows, making it suitable for groups whose members do not all use the same device type. Offline use with later synchronization helps preserve continuity when internet access is unavailable. The privacy policy says data are stored in Google Cloud Platform services Firebase and Google App Engine in the United States, transmitted over HTTPS, and handled in compliance with regulations such as GDPR. Group members can see a user’s name, email, profile pictures, entered transactions and other group data. Android offers built-in CSV export for individual groups; users can contact the company for more extensive exports.

Who it's for

Settle Up fits travelers, flatmates, couples, event organizers and friends who share costs but do not always contribute equally. Its weighted splits and multiple-payer support are especially useful when bills mix individual and shared items. It is less compelling for someone seeking only a way to send money: its core strength is expense tracking and settlement planning, although Lightning payments provide one direct settlement option.

Pros and cons

Pro: flexible expense accounting. Weighted shares, multiple payers, incomes and itemized bills cover more than simple equal division.
Pro: fewer settlement steps. The app identifies who pays next and minimizes transfers between group members.
Pro: works across contexts. Offline entry, later sync, four platforms and all-currency support suit travel and mixed-device groups.
Con: useful conveniences are paid. Receipt photos, recurring expenses and Excel export require Premium.
Con: group access has its own price. Group Premium has separate terms, so a group wanting paid features for everyone must weigh that against an individual subscription.
Con: group data are visible to members. Names, email addresses, profile pictures and entered group data are shared within the group.

Alternatives

Splitwise is worth comparing if its freemium model, Android, iOS, web and API platforms, or its Individual + Trip Pass and Duo + Trip Pass plans better match your group; Settle Up instead emphasizes offline use, weighted splits and Lightning settlement.

tricount is a free Android and iOS option with no ads or limits, a straightforward alternative if those terms matter more than Settle Up’s listed features.

Wise is a freemium Android, iOS and web service with no subscription or plan and free account registration; choose it when that account-and-transfer model is a better fit than group expense tracking.

PhonePe is a free Android and iOS option, with a Standard Plan stating no hidden, setup or annual maintenance charges; consider it when those terms suit your needs better.

Remitly is a paid Android and iOS service with a free bank-deposit example for a US-to-France transfer and a 2.99 USD cash-pickup example; it is the more relevant comparison when the task is sending money across borders.

Venmo is a free Android, iOS and web option whose business profile has no monthly or setup fees but does charge transaction fees; consider it when that payment model is a better match.

Lydia is a free Android and iOS option for online money pots, with free creation and participation and withdrawal fees dependent on contribution source.

MobilePay is a free Android and iOS option whose Get paid service charges 0.99% of transaction value, with no monthly subscription price.

For broader browsing, see Peer-to-Peer Payment Apps and Personal Finance Software.

Verdict

Choose Settle Up if your group needs flexible expense splits, offline entry and a practical way to reduce settlement transfers across different platforms. Its strongest reason to buy is the combination of detailed group accounting and settlement guidance; its main reason to look elsewhere is that receipt and recurring-expense conveniences, plus Premium access for a whole group, add separate cost.

	Actual Budget	Settle Up
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	Free
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Android, iOS, Web, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Budgeting tools	Yes
Bill tracking	Yes
Net-worth tracking	Yes
Account sync	both
Report export	Yes
Split payments		Yes
Instant transfer		Yes

Actual Budget vs Settle Up

Actual Budget

Settle Up