The best free Splitwise alternative for share houses in 2026 (no daily limit, no ads)
Splitwise's free tier now caps how many expenses you can add per day and shows ads. Here is the best free Splitwise alternative for a share house in 2026: no daily limit, no ads, with chores, shopping and budget alongside the splits.
If you are here because Splitwise started blocking you after a few expenses a day, that throttle is the reason most people switch. As of 2026 the Splitwise free tier limits how many expenses you can add per day (reports put it at 3, with a short cooldown between entries) and shows banner ads, so a busy house hits the wall fast. The free, no-cap, share-house-native answer is Flatmate Flow: every feature free, no daily limit, no ads (a free account is required). If you only need splitting, Tricount is the other genuinely free pick.
The proof (first-party): Flatmate Flow holds nothing back behind a paywall and adds no daily expense cap. Custom per-person splits, recurring bills, multi-currency, an AI receipt scanner, chores, and a household budget are all in the free tier. You do create a free account to use it. The screenshots below are the real product:
Why Splitwise started limiting your expenses#
Splitwise used to let you log expenses freely. As of 2026 the free tier caps how many you can add in a day and puts banner ads in the app, and several of the nicer features sit behind the Pro plan. For a house of four logging groceries, utilities, and the odd takeaway, the cap arrives on a normal week, not a busy one. That is the moment "free" stops being free, and the search for an alternative begins.
(Splitwise's exact limits and pricing change. Check their current pricing page before you decide.)
The free options, judged the same way#
Four questions for each: split depth, breadth beyond bills, daily friction (caps and ads), and what "free" actually means.
| Option | Splitting | Beyond bills | Daily cap / ads | Genuinely free? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flatmate Flow | Custom, recurring, multi-currency | Chores, shopping, budget, calendar, polls, notices | No cap, no ads | Yes, every feature; free account required |
| Tricount | Good, strong multi-currency | Nothing | No cap | Yes, no signup (as of 2026) |
| Splitwise free | Strong, clean | Nothing | Capped per day + banner ads (as of 2026) | Partly, Pro $4.99/mo (as of 2026) |
| OurHome | Basic, no custom splits | Chores, shopping, calendar | No cap | Free tier + paid Premium (as of 2026) |
| Spreadsheet | As deep as you build | As much as you build | None | Yes, if someone maintains it |
Where each one fits#
Flatmate Flow is the broadest free option for an actual share house. It splits properly (equal, percentage, or fixed per person), handles recurring utility bills, and goes past money into chores, a self-updating shopping list, and a budget you can export at tax time. No daily expense cap and no ads. Best when you want one free app instead of three. The honest gaps: you do need to create a free account, the user base is smaller than Splitwise, there are no in-app payments yet, and there is no native iOS App Store build yet (it installs as a web app and is on Google Play). It is also a newer product.
Tricount is genuinely free and clean, with the best multi-currency handling, and as of 2026 it needs no signup. It is built for trips, though, so recurring monthly bills take manual work and there is nothing beyond splitting. Good for a travel group, thin for a permanent house.
Splitwise (free tier) is still the smoothest pure splitter, and your housemates probably already have it. But as of 2026 the free tier is capped per day and shows ads, and the nicer features need Pro ($4.99/mo), so "free" has an asterisk. Worth it if splitting is all you need and you will pay to lift the cap.
OurHome gives you free chores and shopping, but as of 2026 it is built for families with kids, so the gamified, reward-point framing feels off in a house of adults paying their own rent, and the bill splitting is basic.
Spreadsheet is free and infinitely flexible, and honestly the best system in this list if one person will genuinely maintain it forever. Most won't, and it quietly rots.
Quick decision#
- Switching off Splitwise because of the daily cap and want everything free in one app then Flatmate Flow (free account needed).
- Only splitting, travel-focused, multi-currency then Tricount.
- Only splitting and your housemates already use it then Splitwise (and you will pay to clear the cap).
- Family with kids, want chore gamification then OurHome.
- One person loves spreadsheets and will keep it alive then the spreadsheet.
Honest reality#
No free app wins on every axis. Splitwise still owns the friend-graph, Tricount owns travel, and a well-kept spreadsheet can beat all of them. Flatmate Flow's case is breadth with no daily cap and no ads, for nothing: it is the one that replaces several tools without throttling you or charging a card. You do sign up for a free account. For most share houses leaving Splitwise because the free tier got squeezed, that is the deciding factor.
Frequently asked questions#
Why is Splitwise limiting my expenses to 3 per day?#
As of 2026, Splitwise applies a daily expense cap on its free tier and shows banner ads, with a short cooldown between entries; reports put the limit at 3 expenses per day. It is how they push heavier users toward the paid Pro plan. The exact number and rules change, so check Splitwise's current pricing page, but a share house logging groceries and bills does tend to hit the cap on a normal week.
Is there a free Splitwise alternative with no daily limit?#
Yes. Flatmate Flow is free with every feature included and no per-day expense cap and no ads: custom per-person splits, recurring bills, multi-currency, plus chores, a shopping list with an AI receipt scanner, a household budget, calendar, polls, and notices. You do need to create a free account, with no credit card. A Pro tier is planned, but the current features stay free.
What's the best app for splitting rent and bills in a share house?#
For a permanent share house, Flatmate Flow handles recurring rent and utility bills, custom per-person splits, and multi-currency, then adds chores, shopping, and a budget, all free. Tricount is great for one-off or travel splitting but weak on recurring bills. Splitwise free splits cleanly but is capped per day and shows ads as of 2026. OurHome adds chores but its splitting is basic and it is built for families.
Do I need an account to use Flatmate Flow?#
Yes. Flatmate Flow needs a free account to set up your household and sync everyone, but there is no credit card and no charge. That is different from Tricount, which as of 2026 lets you start without signing up. The trade is that an account is what lets housemates share the same bills, chores, and budget in real time.
Can I import my Splitwise data?#
No, there is no one-click Splitwise import. You create your household in Flatmate Flow and start fresh: add your housemates, set up your recurring bills and splits, and go from there. Most houses do this once at setup in a few minutes. If a Splitwise balance is outstanding, settle it there first, then carry only the open balances over manually.
Leaving Splitwise because of the daily cap? Sign up free, no credit card, no ads, no per-day limit. A free account sets up your household. See the full feature list first if you like.
By Dan Kilkelly, Flatmate Flow. Last updated 2026-06-23.