Tabby vs Splitwise

Last reviewed June 4, 2026

Splitwise has been the default name in expense splitting for over a decade, and for good reason — it’s reliable, flexible, and almost everyone has heard of it. But over the last couple of years its free tier has changed: a daily limit on adding expenses, ads, and core features like receipt scanning and currency conversion moved behind Splitwise Pro.

Tabby takes the opposite approach — the essentials (including search) stay free and ad-free, and AI does the tedious parts instead of charging you for the privilege. More than that, Tabby is AI-first: instead of tapping through forms, you can just talk to it. “Bob got the chicken nuggets, I got the salad on this receipt — add it and split it” and it does the whole thing. Ask it who owes you, have it create a group, add a friend, edit an expense or settle up — all in plain language.

The verdict

If your friends already use Splitwise and you only split the occasional bill, sticking with it is perfectly reasonable — it works, and the network effect matters. But if you’re an active splitter (frequent trips, roommates, ongoing groups) and you’re tired of hitting a daily cap, dodging ads, paying Pro just to search, or being upsold for basics, Tabby gives you those essentials for free — and adds an AI assistant that can split a receipt, answer questions about your balances, and run your groups for you, just by asking.

Pricing and free-tier limits for other apps change often. This page was last reviewed in June 2026 — check each app’s store listing for the latest before deciding.

Feature comparison

Feature Tabby Splitwise
Daily expense limit (free tier) None — add as many as you like Yes — free accounts are capped per day
Ads Never Shown on the free tier
Search your expenses Free — search everything from day one Pro-only (search is paywalled)
AI assistant (natural language) Yes — talk to it: "split this receipt", "who owes me?", "make a Tahoe group" None — no AI, every action is manual taps
AI receipt scanning Built in — snap a receipt, it reads the items Receipt scanning is Pro-only (no AI line-item reading)
Automatic currency conversion Included Pro-only (free can enter currencies, no live conversion)
Spending insights & charts Included Pro-only
Flexible splits (equal, %, shares, exact) Yes Yes
Debt simplification / settle up Yes Yes
Web app Coming soon (mobile first) Yes — iOS, Android and web
Pricing Everyday splitting, search, no ads & no daily limits — all free. Tabby Pro is $7.99/mo, and it's spent on the AI assistant & receipt scanning. Free tier has ads + a daily expense limit; Splitwise Pro is $7.99/mo — but it goes toward features like search that Tabby gives you for free.

Why switch to Tabby

  • It's AI-first: just talk to it. "Bob got the nuggets, I got the salad — split this receipt" and Tabby adds it, prices it, and splits it for you.
  • Ask it anything about your money — "who owes me?", "what did we spend in Tahoe?" — and it can also create groups, add friends, edit expenses and settle up on command.
  • No daily expense limit — log every coffee, cab and grocery run without hitting a wall.
  • Zero ads, ever — the free tier isn't a funnel to a paywall.
  • Search is free — find any expense from day one, instead of paying Pro for it.
  • Currency conversion and spending insights are included, not paywalled.
  • A modern, genuinely pleasant interface designed in 2026, not bolted onto a decade-old app.

Where Splitwise is strong

  • It's the app your friends most likely already have — the network effect is real.
  • Mature and battle-tested, with years of reliability behind it.
  • Well-liked debt simplification and flexible splitting options.
  • A real web app today, which Tabby hasn't shipped yet.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tabby free?

Yes. Tracking, splitting, settling up and search are all free — with no ads and no daily limit on how many expenses you can add. The optional Tabby Pro plan ($7.99/mo) only adds the AI assistant and receipt scanning, which you can ignore entirely.

How does the price compare to Splitwise Pro?

They're the same — both Tabby Pro and Splitwise Pro are $7.99/mo. The difference is what you get for it: Splitwise Pro mostly unlocks things Tabby already gives you free (search, currency conversion, insights, removing ads), while Tabby Pro is spent on its AI assistant and receipt scanning — features Splitwise doesn't offer at any price.

Does Splitwise limit how many expenses you can add?

On its free tier, Splitwise applies a daily expense limit. Splitwise confirms the limit exists but doesn't publish the exact number, and third-party reports of it vary. Tabby has no daily limit.

Does Splitwise show ads?

The free tier shows ads; Splitwise Pro removes them. Tabby has no ads on any tier.

Can I search my expenses for free?

Yes — search is free in Tabby from day one. On Splitwise, searching your expenses is a Pro-only feature.

Does Splitwise have AI?

The official Splitwise app has no built-in AI features as of 2026. Tabby is AI-first: it includes AI receipt scanning plus a natural-language assistant that can add and split expenses, answer questions about your balances and groups, create groups, add friends, and settle up — just by asking.

Compare with other apps

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