Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Splitwise · 💰 personal finance
Splitwise vs Cospend
Splitwise for people who already run Nextcloud; pairs with the MoneyBuster Android app. Here is how Cospend ($0/mo open source) stacks up against Splitwise ($5/mo) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.
Splitwise vs Cospend Specification Matrix
| Dimension | Splitwise (Paid) | Cospend (Replacement) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $5 / mo | $0 / mo |
| 1-Year Cost (1 seat) | $60 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $60) |
| 1-Year Cost (5 seats) | $300 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $300) |
| 1-Year Cost (10 seats) | $600 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $600) |
| Source & License | Proprietary SaaS | open source |
| Where It Runs | Vendor Cloud | Self-hosted or Cloud |
| Platforms | Web / Cloud | webself-hostedself-host, real ops |
| GitHub Stars | — | ★ 283 (active jun 2026) |
Deep Dive: Switching from Splitwise to Cospend
Trade-offs, installation & data architecture
Why fork Cospend instead of vibe-coding a Splitwise clone?
The ledger and the debt math are a solved problem; a link-shared DIY version covers a household or one trip in a single sitting, no accounts needed. The gap is not code, it is adoption: Splitwise works because the whole group already has it installed, and nobody downloads your homebrew app for one weekend away. Build it for the people who share your fridge; for everyone else, the moat is other people's phones.
Splitwise vs Cospend FAQ
Is Cospend a good free alternative to Splitwise?+
Yes. Cospend is a verified open-source (FOSS) replacement for Splitwise. Splitwise for people who already run Nextcloud; pairs with the MoneyBuster Android app.
How much do you save switching from Splitwise to Cospend?+
Splitwise costs $5/mo ($60/yr) per seat, whereas Cospend is $0/mo. Switching saves $60/yr for a solo user, $300/yr for a 5-person team, and $600/yr for a 10-person team.
