Splitwise is the global standard but throttles multi-currency on the free tier. Tricount is European and wins on simple UX. Settle Up has the best settlement algorithm. Google Sheets wins when the group has a nerd. Notion is where projects go to die. We did the math with six friends in Tokyo, ¥ + US$ + EUR, and there's a right tool for each kind of group.
13 min read
The problem no one wants to admit
TL;DRGroup travel dies for three reasons: someone snores, someone is always late, and no one wants to talk about money. The third one kills more friendships than the other two combined. You leave home with six friends to spend ten days in Tokyo. Someone paid for the airport taxi in yen.
Group travel dies for three reasons: someone snores, someone is always late, and no one wants to talk about money. The third one kills more friendships than the other two combined.
You leave home with six friends to spend ten days in Tokyo. Someone paid for the airport taxi in yen. Someone else put the Airbnb on a card in dollars. A third paid for dinner in yen with a 5% FX fee. On day four, someone orders ramen and two people leave first. On day six, you split a US$ 360 dinner where two people only had a starter. On day nine, no one remembers who paid for what anymore.
The wrong app, or worse, no app, turns the trip home into an Excel sheet with passive-aggressive tone in the WhatsApp group. I've seen one night's bill in Lisbon break a 15-year friendship.
This is the real-life test. Splitwise, Tricount, Settle Up, Google Sheets and Notion, with a group of six people, three currencies (¥, US$, EUR), ten days of mixed expenses, and the final reconciliation that always hurts.
For the currency side itself, it's worth reading How much cash to bring per country before packing.
What a split app actually needs to do
TL;DRAlmost everyone tests an app by what it does prettily. Wrong. Evaluate by what it does under pressure: Real-time multi-currency: international travel has ¥, US$, EUR, BRL in the same day. Does the app convert at the day-of-expense rate, not the day-of-settlement rate?
Almost everyone tests an app by what it does prettily. Wrong. Evaluate by what it does under pressure:
- Real-time multi-currency: international travel has ¥, US$, EUR, BRL in the same day. Does the app convert at the day-of-expense rate, not the day-of-settlement rate?
- Split by shares or %: a dinner where two only ordered a starter must be split by shares (weight) or %, not equally.
- Per-participant exclusion: someone missed the tour? Does the app let you mark "this expense doesn't include X" in 2 taps?
- Settlement algorithm: in the end, does the app calculate the minimum transfers between people, or does it ask everyone to pay everyone?
- Export: can you download CSV or PDF for the group to verify before transferring?
- Bank/PIX/Wise integration: does the app have a button to generate a payment link or Wise transfer directly?
Splitwise nails 4 of 6, but real-time multi-currency became paid. Tricount nails 5 of 6, missing bank integration. Settle Up nails all 6, but requires a learning curve.
Splitwise: the standard, but more fragile in 2026
TL;DRSplitwise is the app everyone already has. Since 2011, it has dominated the niche. It has web, iOS, Android versions, and was the first to popularize the concept of "balance" instead of individual transactions. How it works: you create a group, add people (by email or link), and each expense enters with who paid and how to split.
Splitwise is the app everyone already has. Since 2011, it has dominated the niche. It has web, iOS, Android versions, and was the first to popularize the concept of "balance" instead of individual transactions.
How it works: you create a group, add people (by email or link), and each expense enters with who paid and how to split. The app keeps each person's balance and, at the end, suggests who should pay whom.
What changed since 2024: the free tier got tight. Today you have a limit of 3 expenses/day on the free plan. In real travel, that breaks on day one in Tokyo (breakfast, lunch, dinner, taxi, ticket — 5 expenses in 12 hours).
Splitwise Pro: US$ 4/month or US$ 40/year. Unlocks unlimited expenses, automatic real-time currency conversion, charts, receipt OCR and backup. On a 10-day trip, it's worth it if you're the group treasurer.
Where it wins: a mixed group where some people have never used an expense app. UX is the cleanest on the market, onboarding takes 30 seconds.
Where it loses: a large group (8+ people) where no one wants to pay Pro. The free tier will throttle, someone will forget to log, and the final balance will be wrong.
About the author
Curadoria Voyspark
2 years in the Voyspark editorial team
Time editorial da Voyspark — escritores, repórteres, fotógrafos e fixers em Lisboa, Tóquio, Nova York, Cidade do México e Marrakech. Coletivo. Sem voz corporativa. Cada peça com checagem cruzada por um editor regional e um chef ou curador local.
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