Settle Up

Overview

Settle Up is a shared-expense and IOU tracker for groups managing costs across trips, homes, relationships or events. It is best for groups that need uneven splits and a clear path to settling balances, rather than a payment app alone. Its flexible accounting is a strong fit for collaborative spending, though some useful record-keeping tools require Premium.

Key features

Expenses can be divided by weighted shares, paid for by multiple members, or recorded as incomes and itemized bills. That range helps when contributions differ or one charge covers several people unevenly; it is more capable than a ledger built only around equal splits. Settle Up also indicates who should pay next and minimizes the number of transactions needed to resolve group balances, so it can turn a running tab into a practical settlement plan.

Groups can be shared by link or QR code, and the app supports all currencies with real-time exchange rates. Offline entry is especially useful for travel or other situations with unreliable access: records synchronize when the connection returns. Members can also pay a debt directly to another member’s Lightning address, with no Settle Up fee beyond network fees.

The free feature set includes transaction filters and statistics, CSV export by email, read-only access, backup and synchronization, widgets and shortcuts. Premium adds ad-free use, receipt photos, expense categories, recurring transactions, Excel export and group colour choices. Those additions suit groups that want better documentation or repeated expense tracking, but the free tier already covers the core task.

Settle Up’s API documentation says mobile app capabilities are accessible through its public API and identifies Firebase Realtime Database as its backend. Data are stored in Google Cloud Platform services Firebase and Google App Engine in the United States. The privacy policy says data are transmitted over HTTPS and that the company complies with privacy regulations such as GDPR. Group members can see a user’s name, email, profile picture, transactions and other group data, so participation entails sharing those details with the group. Android users can export individual groups to CSV; broader export requests can be made to the company.

Pricing

The Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and provides core expense tracking, CSV export and group sharing, with ads. It is the sensible starting point for occasional or straightforward use, but it gives up receipt photos, recurring expenses and Excel export.

Monthly Premium costs 3.99 USD per month, while Yearly Premium costs 19.99 USD per year. Both include ad-free use, receipt photos, recurring and future expenses, custom categories, Excel export and statistics. The annual option costs less than twelve monthly payments at the stated rates, while monthly billing avoids committing for a year.

For shared access to Premium features, Group Premium costs 5.99 USD once for 1 week, 9.99 USD once for 2 weeks, 14.99 USD per month for 1 month, 29.99 USD once for 2 months, or 39.99 USD per year for 1 year. This is aimed at groups that want the benefits for everyone in one group rather than just an individual account. Premium, Group Premium and Lifetime Group Premium are also named plans with custom pricing; Group Premium and Lifetime Group Premium enable Premium features for everyone in one group. No trial or free-plan cap is stated.

Platforms

Settle Up is available on Android, iOS, web and Windows. Separate feedback contacts are provided for each platform. The built-in individual-group CSV export is specifically an Android capability.

Who it's for

Settle Up is a good choice for travelers, flatmates, couples, event organizers and friends who share expenses but do not always split them evenly. Its offline support, currency handling and shareable groups suit people coordinating across changing settings. Groups that mainly need to send money, or that do not need expense accounting, may prefer a dedicated payment service instead.

Pros and cons

• Flexible splits and settlement guidance: Weighted shares, multiple payers and itemized bills handle more than equal divisions, while the suggested next payer can reduce the number of repayments.
• Useful offline and currency support: Groups can keep entering expenses without a connection and work across currencies with real-time exchange rates.
• Free tools cover ongoing records: Filters, statistics, read-only access, synchronization and CSV export by email are included without Premium.
• Some record-keeping conveniences cost extra: Receipt photos, recurring entries and Excel export require a Premium plan.
• Group data are visible to members: Names, emails, profile pictures and entered group information are shared within the group, which may not suit users seeking private records.

Alternatives

Choose Splitwise instead if you want to compare another freemium shared-expense service that runs on Android, iOS, web and API, with plans including individual and two-person options. Choose Wise when the priority is a personal account and transfers rather than shared group expense tracking; account registration is free and usage is pay-as-you-go. Lydia is another free option for online money pots, with creation and participation free and withdrawal fees dependent on contribution source. MobilePay suits readers focused on accepting payments through MobilePay, Visa or Mastercard; its Get paid app has no monthly subscription price and charges 0.99% of transaction value.

PhonePe, Remitly, Venmo and BHIM are other listed payment alternatives. For broader browsing, see Peer-to-Peer Payment Apps or Personal Finance Software.

Verdict

Choose Settle Up if your group needs to track uneven shared costs and wants help reducing the work of settling up, including when members are offline or using different currencies. Its strongest advantage is the combination of flexible splits and settlement guidance; look elsewhere if you need a payment service first or do not want group members to see your contact and transaction details.