dvup vs Splitwise
The category default. A decade old, and the app the people you split with probably already have.
dvup covers both halves of splitting money, which most head-to-heads skip past. There's the ongoing running tab for the people you split with every month, with recurring rent and balances that never reset, and there's the quick one-off tonight, where your friends pay from a link without installing anything. You don't keep one app for the trip and another for the household.
Feature by feature
Everything below was checked against Splitwise's own pages and store listing in July 2026. Where Splitwise wins or ties, the row says so.
| Feature | dvup | Splitwise |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt scanning (AI) | 5 free, then a quick ad each | Pro only |
| Guests can pay without the app | Share a link, no install | No share-link guest flow |
| Per-item split, incl. per-item tax | Yes | Itemising is Pro only |
| Daily cap on adding expenses (free) | No cap | Yes, number undisclosed |
| Settlement rails | Interac, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, PayPal | PayPal/Venmo US, Paytm India |
| Balance visualisation | Animated bubbles + debt arrows | Lists; charts are Pro |
| Simplify / fewest transfers | Yes, free | Yes, free |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple currencies | Yes | Free to record, Pro to convert |
| Recurring expenses (rent) | Yes, free | Yes, free |
| Ads on the free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Price to remove limits | $29.99/yr | $4.99/mo · $39.99/yr |
| Bank / card import | No | Pro, US only |
| Platforms | iOS, Android | iOS, Android, web |
Last reviewed July 2026. Prices are US App Store and vary by region. Free-plan limits change often, so check Splitwise's current terms before you switch. This is what each app documents, not an endorsement.
What Splitwise does better
Credit where it's due. These are real reasons to pick Splitwise over dvup, and pretending otherwise would just make the rest of this page less believable.
- Everyone already has it. That network effect is real and dvup can't match it.
- Simplify debts, recurring bills, and uneven splits by percentage or shares are all free.
- Connect a card and split recent purchases with a tap. dvup has no equivalent at all, though it's US-only.
- Free CSV export and JSON backups. No paywall on getting your data out.
- Settling through PayPal, Venmo or Paytm costs no Splitwise fee.
Where dvup wins
- You keep everything you use Splitwise for: the ongoing group, the running balance that never resets, recurring rent, uneven splits by percentage or shares. dvup does all of that. What it adds is the one-off night where your friends pay from a link without installing anything, so you're not running two apps for the two situations.
- Your friends never install anything. Scan the bill, share one link, and each person taps what they had and pays. The tab closes itself after a day. Splitwise has no share-link guest flow at all.
- You never pay to scan. 5 free to start, then a quick ad earns you another, about one a day, and it reads every line including tax and tip. Splitwise puts receipt scanning behind Pro entirely, so you can't scan without paying at all.
- Balances you can read without reading. Each person is a bubble that moves and breathes, sized by what they owe, with the arrows drawn between who pays who. Splitwise gives you a list, and puts its charts behind Pro.
- No daily cap on logging expenses. Splitwise's own helpdesk suggests you wait for the reset or ask a friend to log it for you.
- Per-item splitting with per-item tax. Splitwise paywalls itemising and has no per-item tax.
- Rails beyond PayPal and Venmo, which you both have. dvup adds Interac e-Transfer, Zelle and Cash App, and the Tabs link can pay out over Pix or UPI. Splitwise stops at PayPal and Venmo in the US, Paytm in India.
- Search, currency conversion and default splits are each Pro on Splitwise. dvup's free tier isn't as bare.
- dvup+ is cheaper than Splitwise Pro. dvup+ is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year; Splitwise Pro is $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year.
What it costs
Free, with a daily cap on how many expenses you can add. Splitwise Pro is $4.99 a month, or $39.99 a year. dvup+ comes in under that at $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.
dvup is free to split, track and settle, with no cap on how much you log. AI scanning is the one thing with a cap, and even then you never have to pay: you get 5 free to start, then a quick ad earns you another, about one a day. dvup+ drops the ads and the daily wait for $2.99/month or $29.99/year.
Choose dvup if: You want one app for both the one-off and the every-month group, so you keep the running tab and recurring rent you'd use Splitwise for and gain the guest-friendly night out. You'd rather scan tonight's bill and have everyone pay from one link than talk five people into making accounts. You get 5 AI scans free and keep scanning free with a quick ad after that, where Splitwise won't let you scan at all without Pro, and nothing caps how much you log. And the balances actually move: living bubbles with the arrows drawn between who pays who, not another column of numbers.
Try it without switching
You don't have to migrate anything to kick the tires. Settle a group right now with the free who owes who calculator, or work out the household with the rent split calculator. No sign-up.
Questions
Do my friends need to download dvup to pay me?
Not for a one-off. Scan the bill and share a link — each person taps what they had and pays their share without installing anything, and the tab closes itself after a day. Splitwise has no share-link flow like that. For an ongoing group like roommates it's still worth everyone having the app so the balance carries over.
Is dvup free?
Splitting bills, tracking balances and settling up are free, with no cap on how much you log. AI receipt scanning has a limit, but you never have to pay to keep using it: you get 5 free scans to start, then watching a quick ad earns you another, roughly one a day. dvup+ removes the ads and the daily wait. The free tier shows ads either way.
Can dvup scan receipts like Splitwise Pro?
Yes. Point your camera at the bill and dvup reads each line, tax and tip included. The difference is you never have to pay for it: 5 scans free to start, then a quick ad earns you another, about one a day, or dvup+ to skip the ads. Splitwise keeps receipt scanning behind Pro entirely, so there's no free version of it at all.
Does Splitwise limit how many expenses you can add?
Yes. Splitwise's own helpdesk confirms the free plan has a daily limit on adding expenses, and suggests waiting for the reset or asking a friend to log it for you. They don't publish the exact number, so we won't quote one. dvup has no daily cap.
What does Splitwise Pro cost?
Splitwise Pro is $4.99 a month, or $39.99 a year (US pricing, it can vary by region). For comparison, dvup+ is cheaper at $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.
Is Splitwise better than dvup at anything?
A few things, honestly. Everyone already has it, which dvup can't match. It has free CSV export, and in the US you can connect a card and import transactions, which dvup doesn't do at all. It also has a web app; dvup is phone-only.
Give dvup a try
Scan tonight's bill and everyone pays their share from one link, before the coats are on. Your first 5 scans are free, and a quick ad keeps them coming after that. On iOS and Android.