Splitwise and Tricount are the two names that come up when a group needs to split expenses. They solve the same problem from opposite directions: Splitwise is the US-born category leader with the biggest install base; Tricount is the European challenger, now owned by BNP Paribas. This is an honest head-to-head on the five things that actually decide which one you should use — and where both leave a gap.
We make a competing product (NomadCrew), so treat our verdict with appropriate suspicion; the comparison facts below are independent of that.
The five things that matter
Feature lists are noise. On a real trip, five things decide whether the app helps or annoys:
- Cost on the free tier (limits, ads, paywalls)
- Multi-currency handling
- Settlement logic (debt simplification vs pairwise)
- Web app quality
- Privacy and ownership
Head to head
| | Splitwise | Tricount | | --- | --- | --- | | Free tier | Daily expense limit + ads since 2024 | Free, fewer artificial limits | | Multi-currency | Conversion is Pro-only; re-converts at current rate | Multi-currency on free; conversion present | | Debt simplification | Yes (free) | Yes | | Web app | Exists, feels dated | Web + mobile, decent | | Owner | Splitwise, Inc. | BNP Paribas (since 2022) | | Pricing | Pro ≈$3/mo or ~$30/yr | Free, optional paid extras |
Free tier
Splitwise changed the deal in 2024: the free tier now caps how many expenses you can add per day and shows banner ads. For a one-week trip that means hitting a wall mid-entry or paying to remove it. Tricount stays closer to genuinely free, without the daily ceiling — a real advantage for casual, one-trip groups.
Edge: Tricount.
Multi-currency
Both support foreign currencies, but Splitwise gates automatic conversion behind Pro and tends to re-convert at the current rate rather than locking the rate to the expense date — which quietly penalizes whoever fronted foreign charges. Tricount handles multi-currency on the free tier. Neither is perfect at pinning the per-date reference rate, which is the genuinely correct approach (see Splitwise and multiple currencies for why that matters).
Edge: Tricount for cost; neither fully nails per-date conversion.
Settlement logic
Both offer debt simplification — netting the tangle of who-owes-who down to the fewest transfers. This is table stakes and both clear the bar. If you want to understand what's happening under the hood, see settle a group trip in the fewest payments.
Edge: tie.
Web app
Splitwise has a web app but it feels older than it should; the product clearly prioritizes mobile. Tricount's web and mobile experiences are more even. If you do your reconciling on a laptop, Tricount is the more comfortable of the two.
Edge: Tricount.
Privacy and ownership
This is where personal comfort varies. Splitwise's privacy policy permits aggregated data sharing with partners. Tricount is owned by BNP Paribas, and since the acquisition, signup nudges you toward bank-affiliated payment flows (Lydia). Neither is disqualifying, but if you'd rather your expense data not sit inside a major bank's ecosystem, that's a real consideration.
Edge: personal call.
Verdict
For a casual, single-trip group that mostly stays in one currency, Tricount is the better free choice in 2026 — no daily limit, even web app, multi-currency without a paywall. Splitwise still makes sense if you already have years of history in it and don't want to migrate.
But both share the same blind spot: neither freezes the exchange rate to the date of each expense, so cross-currency groups lose money to FX drift. That's the gap we built NomadCrew for — per-date conversion across 38 currencies, both amounts stored, debt simplification, no daily limit, no ads, and no bank in the loop. For the full field beyond these two, see Splitwise alternatives in 2026; for the method itself, how to split expenses across multiple currencies.
FAQ
Is Tricount better than Splitwise? For free, casual, single-trip use in 2026, Tricount edges it — no daily expense limit and multi-currency without a paywall. Splitwise wins on familiarity and existing history.
Is Tricount really free? Yes, with fewer artificial limits than Splitwise's free tier. It's owned by BNP Paribas and steers you toward affiliated payment options.
Which handles multiple currencies better? Tricount allows multi-currency on free; Splitwise paywalls conversion. Neither pins the rate to the expense date, which is the fair approach for cross-currency groups.