Tricount is the better app overall, scoring 8.4 to 8.1. Tricount wins on 4 of the 5 scores, PayPal on 1.
Friends, roommates and couples who share costs and want it simple
Online shoppers who want buyer protection and a quick, card-free checkout
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Tricount | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Money & Investing | Money & Investing |
| Category rank | #9 of 16 | #15 of 16 |
| Developer | bunq | PayPal |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Tricount better than PayPal?
Tricount is the better app overall, scoring 8.4 to 8.1. Tricount wins on 4 of the 5 scores, PayPal on 1.
Which is cheaper, Tricount or PayPal?
Tricount: Free and unlimited, with no subscription, ads or daily expense cap. PayPal: Free to send from balance or bank in the US; cards cost 2.9% plus 30 cents. On value for money, Tricount scores higher.
Do Tricount and PayPal work on the same devices?
Only PayPal runs on Web.
Which is more private, Tricount or PayPal?
Tricount scores higher on privacy (7.4/10). App Store label: identifiers may be used to track you; contact info, identifiers and diagnostics may be linked to you. Google Play lists device IDs shared for advertising.
Strengths and weaknesses
Tricount
- Free with no ads or daily expense cap
- Handles uneven splits and foreign currencies
- Friends can see what they owe without the app
- Promotes its owner bunq's bank account
- Identifiers are used for tracking
Tricount does one job well: keeping a group trip, a shared flat or a couple's spending fair. Everyone logs what they paid, Tricount works out who owes whom, even across currencies and uneven splits, and payment requests show who has settled. It's free with no ads or expense caps, works offline, and can import your old Splitwise groups. It belongs to the bank bunq, so expect a few nudges toward a bunq account.
Full Tricount review
PayPal
- Accepted at a huge number of online stores
- Purchase Protection when eligible orders go wrong
- Free to send to US friends from balance or bank
- Sending with a card costs 2.9% plus 30 cents
- Sending abroad costs 5% (up to $4.99) plus currency fees
- App Store label lists usage data used for tracking
PayPal is still one of the easiest ways to pay online without typing your card number, and Purchase Protection helps if an eligible order never shows up. Sending money to friends in the US is free from your balance or bank, while cards cost 2.9% plus 30 cents. The app also covers Pay in 4, savings, crypto and cash back offers. It tracks a lot, and sending abroad or converting currency gets pricey.
Full PayPal review
