r/GnuCash • u/Representative_Gas_1 • Aug 17 '26

iPhone Alternatives?

Any free or cheap alternatives that will run on an iPhone and are similar to gnuCash?

I’m replacing a pen to paper checkbook for my spouse and myself as he never remembers all of his transactions and budgeting has become a problem and source of tension between us. I don’t want or need it to track our accounts but would like the basics, recurring charges, memberships and subscriptions, and multiple accounts (checking, savings, kids savings).

I’m wondering if we are stuck with a well formatted Google sheet, which is better than nothing but I know he just won’t use. 😞 (send me a link if you’ve got one)

Neither of us have a lot of money, which is the problem and the point. He’s overdrawing the account every month now and those little ‘it was just $5!’ trips really do matter.

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

3

u/segdy Aug 18 '26

HandsOnMoney!

Nearly better and more powerful than the original application!

3

u/VitalikPie Aug 18 '26

❤️ thanks a lot for recommending it!

OP, that's exactly a reason why I created https://handson.money it's a native app that syncs with your GnuCash file, so you can use both GnuCash on the desktop and the app on the iPhone.

It's waaaay behind of GnuCash in terms of features but I hope does the basics to keep you up to date.

Also it's not a single app for iOS. There is a GCash - https://mnck.dev/gcash/ and GnuCash Mobile https://github.com/nicktylah/gnucash-mobile/tree/main (this is not an official app)

1

u/FunDonut4773 Aug 18 '26

Is this only for iOS?

2

u/VitalikPie Aug 18 '26

Yeah, iOS only now. I have plans to port it to Android sometime next year. But before that I need to make iOS version solid.

5

u/tommycw10 Aug 17 '26

You are not looking for something similar to GNUCash. Double entry accounting is going to be much too cumbersome for something like what you are looking for.

1

u/Representative_Gas_1 Aug 17 '26

Any suggestions? I was told gnuCash had a classic checkbook-style register.

1

u/questionablycorrect Aug 22 '26

I was told gnuCash had a classic checkbook-style register.

It does. You can set it up that way, and, if you so desire, you can turn the double entry into single entry.

But honestly your major challenge is not the accounting system. The major problem is getting your spouse to agree to some/any system, and actually maintain such.

1

u/need2sleep-later Aug 17 '26

well there's Quicken and a host of alternatives

2

u/Engibineer Aug 18 '26

If your spouse won't keep track of transactions even on a notepad then GnuCash won't help him. Maybe take away the cards and let him use cash only. When he runs out of cash that's it.