7 Best Bill Splitting Apps for Roommates, Trips and Couples (Free)

A good bill splitting app keeps a running tab of who paid for what, works out who owes whom, and tells everyone the fewest payments needed to get even. Whether you share rent with roommates, run a group trip or split groceries with a partner, the right app ends the awkward “so who owes what?” conversation.

We checked each app below on its official site or app store listing: what the free version includes, what the paid upgrade adds, which currencies it handles and how you actually pay each other back. Apps whose free limits we could not confirm were left out.

Quick answer: For most groups, Tricount is the easiest free pick (no ads, no expense limits). Splitwise is the best known and links to Venmo and PayPal in the US, but its free plan limits daily expenses and shows ads. Settle Up suits travellers who want offline use and every currency. If your whole group already uses Venmo, Venmo Groups tracks and settles in one app. For one-off dinners, PayPal or Apple Cash can split a single bill in a few taps.

Bill splitting apps compared

How bill splitting apps work

Most of these apps follow the same simple pattern:

1. Create a group for your apartment, trip or partner and invite people.
2. Add each expense as it happens: the amount, who paid and who it was for. You can split equally, by exact amounts, or leave someone out of a single item.
3. Check the balances. The app nets everything out, so instead of ten small debts you see one figure per person.
4. Settle up. The app suggests the fewest payments to clear the group. You pay through a linked payment app, or pay in cash or by bank transfer and mark it as paid.

The key difference is where the money moves. Tracker apps such as Splitwise, Tricount, Settle Up and Spliit only keep the record, and you pay each other with whatever you like. Payment apps such as Venmo, PayPal and Apple Cash both track the split and move the money.

1. Splitwise: best for roommates and long-running groups

Splitwise (external site) is the best-known expense sharing app and a natural fit for shared homes, where bills, rent and groceries pile up month after month. You add expenses, IOUs or informal debts in any of 100+ currencies, even offline, and Splitwise keeps a running balance with each person and each group.

• Free plan: you can keep using Splitwise for free, but the free version caps how many expenses you can add each day and shows ads. Splitwise Pro removes both.
• Splitwise Pro adds: receipt scanning with itemizing, cloud receipt storage, currency conversion, spending-by-category charts, full search and backups. It is a monthly or yearly subscription, priced by country.
• Settling up: record cash payments, or in the US pay back through the built-in Venmo and PayPal options (Paytm in India).
• Platforms: iPhone, Android and the web.

Watch out for: the daily expense cap. If you log a whole trip in one evening, the free plan can make you wait or upgrade.

2. Tricount: best free app with no ads and no limits

Tricount (external site) describes itself as “Free. No ads. No limits.”, which makes it the simplest choice if you just want to share costs without a paywall. Create a tricount, add who paid and who is included, and it shows who owes what.

• Free plan: free, with no ads and no expense cap.
• Currencies: multi-currency support with conversion included, which is handy for trips abroad.
• Settling up: see the balances, then send payment requests so friends know what they owe, and track who has paid their share.
• Extras: works offline. Tricount also promotes a card from the bank bunq that can add shared expenses automatically; that part is optional.
• Platforms: iPhone and Android.

3. Settle Up: best for travellers

Settle Up (external site) is built for group trips. It supports all currencies with real-time exchange rates, works offline and syncs when you are back online, and its settle-up step works out the fewest transfers, which also cuts down on transfer fees.

• Free plan: free to use with ads.
• Premium adds: no ads, receipt photos, recurring and future expenses (useful for rent or subscriptions), custom categories, Excel export and spending stats. You can buy Premium for yourself (monthly or yearly) or for one group, for example just for the length of a trip.
• Sharing: friends can view the group balance in a browser through a shared link without installing the app.
• Platforms: iPhone, iPad and Android.

4. Spliit: best free, no-account option

Spliit (external site) is an open-source expense splitter that is free forever, has no ads and needs no account. It is funded by donations and sponsors. Create a group, share the link, and everyone can add expenses; Spliit shows how much each person spent and suggests the fewest reimbursements to even things out.

• Free plan: everything is free.
• Best for: groups where not everyone wants to install an app or sign up.
• Platforms: works in any web browser, plus an iPhone app.

5. Venmo Groups: best when everyone uses Venmo

Venmo (external site) has a Groups feature that tracks shared costs and settles them in the same app. Members add expenses, Venmo splits each one into what the others owe, and you can change any person’s share or leave someone out of an expense. Venmo then works out balances so the group can pay with as few payments as possible.

• How to settle: open the group from your Groups hub on the Me tab and tap Pay. When everything is paid, the feed shows you are all paid up. If someone paid you in cash, use Group summary and Mark as paid.
• Fees: sending money from your Venmo balance, bank account or debit card is free; paying with a credit card costs 3%. Moving money to your bank is free with a standard transfer, while Instant Transfer charges a small percentage fee.
• Limits: Venmo is for the US, so it suits US roommates and friends, not international trips.

6. PayPal Bill Split: best for a single shared bill

PayPal (external site) has a Bill Split option for one-off costs like a group dinner or concert tickets. In the app or on the web, go to Pay & Get Paid, choose Get Paid, pick the people, select Split a bill and enter the total. PayPal sends each person a money request for their share.

• Fees (US): paying friends from your PayPal balance or bank account is free; paying with a card adds a percentage fee plus a fixed fee.
• Best for: quick splits with people who already have PayPal, not running balances over months. If friends often pay you, a PayPal.Me link makes it even easier.

7. Apple Cash Split Bill: best for iPhone users in the US

Apple Cash (external site) can split a bill right inside Messages. Open a conversation, tap +, choose Apple Cash, then Split Bill. Photograph the receipt, then split by item or tap Split Evenly, add a tip and send the request. Friends tap Pay, pick their items and confirm.

• Requirements: Apple Cash set up on an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch with the latest software. Receipt scanning needs a device with Apple Intelligence.
• Limits: only in the US, for users 18 and older (younger users through Apple Cash Family).
• Best for: restaurant bills among iPhone friends, where everyone pays for what they ordered.

What about Zelle and Cash App?

Zelle is a fast, free way to pay a share from one US bank account to another, and it pairs well with tracker apps: track the costs in Tricount or Splitwise, then pay your balance by Zelle. It has no group or split tracking of its own. See our guide on how to use Zelle step by step. Cash App and similar apps also work for paying your balance, but use a tracker app to keep the record.

Which bill splitting app should you pick?

• Roommates: Splitwise for long-term balances, or Settle Up Premium if you want recurring rent and bill entries. Tricount works too if you want no ads.
• Group trips: Tricount or Settle Up, both of which handle many currencies and work offline.
• Couples: Tricount or Splitwise for ongoing shared costs. If you want a full shared budget, see our picks of the best budgeting apps, including zero-based apps like YNAB.
• Friends who won’t install anything: Spliit, which runs in a browser with no sign-up.
• One dinner: PayPal Bill Split or Apple Cash Split Bill.
• Everyone already on Venmo (US): Venmo Groups.

Tips for splitting bills without arguments

• Agree on the rules first: equal split, by income, or by use (for example, the person with the bigger room pays more rent).
• Add expenses the same day, while the receipt is still in your pocket.
• Settle up regularly, such as monthly for roommates or on the last day of a trip.
• Avoid card fees: pay friends from a bank account or balance rather than a credit card on Venmo or PayPal.
• Only pay people you know. Payment requests from strangers are a common scam, and payments to friends usually can’t be reversed.
• Teach teens early: splitting costs with friends is a good money lesson; our budget apps for teens help with the basics.

FAQ

What is the best free bill splitting app?

Tricount is the best fully free option for most people: it has no ads and no expense limits. Spliit is also completely free and needs no account. Splitwise is free too, but its free version limits daily expenses and shows ads.

Is Splitwise still free?

Yes. You can keep using Splitwise for free, but free users have a cap on how many expenses they can add each day and see ads. Splitwise Pro removes the cap and ads and adds receipt scanning and currency conversion.

Can Venmo split bills?

Yes. Venmo Groups lets members add shared expenses, splits them automatically or by custom amounts, and lets everyone settle with as few payments as possible. It works in the US only.

Which bill splitting app works for international trips?

Tricount and Settle Up both handle multiple currencies and work offline, which makes them good for travel. Splitwise supports 100+ currencies, with currency conversion in Pro.

Do bill splitting apps charge fees?

Tracker apps like Tricount, Settle Up and Spliit charge nothing to track and settle; you pay friends however you like. Payment apps can charge fees for card payments or instant transfers, so paying from a bank account or balance is usually free.

This article is for general information about apps and is not financial advice. Features, fees and availability can change, so check each app before you rely on it.