Splitwise alternative
Splitwise tracks who owes who. Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle move money when someone decides to send it. Splice charges everyone's saved card for you and pays you back.
| App | What it does | Who has to act | Friends need | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Splice | Charges each person's saved card their share and pays the organizer | Only the organizer, once. Everyone can pause before the charge | A link. No app, no account for a one-time splice | Free to download. 3% + $0.20 per share plus card processing, paid by each member |
| Splitwise | Tracks shared expenses and balances | Everyone settles up on their own | Typically an account in the app | Free, with a paid Pro tier |
| Venmo | Sends and requests money person to person | Each person has to choose to pay | A Venmo account | Generally free to send. Fees apply to some payment types |
| Cash App | Sends and requests money person to person | Each person has to choose to pay | A Cash App account | Generally free to send. Fees apply to some payment types |
| Zelle | Bank-to-bank transfers | Each person has to send it | A US bank account that supports Zelle | Usually no fee. Check your bank |
Based on each product's public description. Features and pricing change, so check each provider for the latest.
Splitwise is a ledger. It keeps a running tally of who owes who, and it offers payment through partners like Venmo and PayPal in the US, but everyone still has to open the app and settle up. Splice skips the tally. The organizer fronts the cost once, and Splice charges each person's saved card and pays the organizer back. If you want a free log of small IOUs, Splitwise is a good fit. If you are the one always chasing people, Splice is built for that.
Venmo is great for sending money to someone you trust to send it back. The catch for group costs is that every person has to decide to pay, remember to pay, and pay the right amount, and the organizer still sends the reminders. Splice shows everyone their exact share first, then charges it automatically on the day you pick.
Cash App works the same way for this job. It moves money fast when someone sends it. For a group, that still means asking each person. With Splice, friends add a card from a link in about 30 seconds, with Apple Pay or Google Pay if they like, and nobody needs a Cash App account.
Zelle moves money between US bank accounts, and the sender has to start every transfer. It does not split anything or follow up. Splice works out each share, including when several people fronted different costs, and collects it for you.
Splice costs money. Each share carries a fee of 3% plus 20 cents plus card processing, folded into one number that people see before they are charged. It asks people to put a card on file, and the organizer uses the iPhone app. If your group already pays each other happily, or you only want a free tally of small IOUs, one of the apps above will serve you better. Splice is for the person who is always the group's bank and is tired of the chasing.
Splice, if you are the person who fronts the cost. Splitwise tracks who owes who and leaves everyone to pay on their own. Splice charges each person's saved card their share and pays you back automatically. Friends join from a link with no app and no account.
Those apps send money when a person decides to send it, so you still ask and remind. Splice pulls each person's share from a saved card at the time you choose, after everyone has seen their exact amount and had a chance to pause.
The app is free to download and the organizer pays nothing. Each person's share carries a Splice fee of 3% plus 20 cents, plus standard card processing, folded into one all-in amount they see before anything is charged.
If you just want a free running tally of small IOUs between close friends, Splitwise is a good fit. If everyone already sends money to each other happily, you may not need Splice.
Front the bill once. Splice charges everyone their share and pays you back.