A Splitwise alternative for roommates who need more than bill splitting
Updated
Short answer
If all you need is to split costs, Splitwise is a solid choice. If your shared house also argues about chores, the washer, and plans, hausync puts bill splitting next to rotating chores, a laundry tracker, house chat, and a calendar (14 days free, then a subscription per house). Its balances are private between the two people involved, and Pay opens a housemate's Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, or Zelle.
Splitwise is the default answer to "how do we split costs," and for a trip or a dinner it's hard to beat. A shared house is different. The bills are only one of the things you coordinate every week, next to chores, groceries, the laundry machines, and plans. If you're running the house from Splitwise plus a chore app plus a group chat, here's what one app for all of it looks like, and when you should keep Splitwise.
When Splitwise is the right choice
- Your group is mostly about money: trips, dinners, one-off shared purchases.
- You split across several groups and currencies and want one running total per friend.
- You want a mature native app from the App Store or Google Play.
Note that Splitwise's free plan limits how many expenses you can add each day, and Splitwise Pro removes the limit. Check their site for the current terms.
When a house needs more than a bill splitter
Most shared-house friction isn't about the internet bill. It's whose turn the trash is, whose clothes are in the dryer, and whether anyone saw the message about the landlord coming Thursday. A roommate app puts those next to the money so the house runs from one place.
hausync and Splitwise, side by side
| hausync | Splitwise | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | One shared house: roommates, housemates, floors | Splitting costs in any group |
| Price | 14 days free, then $8/month per house (up to 6 people); no expense limit | Free plan with a daily expense limit; paid Pro plan |
| Split types | Equal, exact amounts, or shares | Equal, exact, percentages, shares and more |
| Who sees an expense | Only the people in it; balances kept between each pair of people | Everyone in the group |
| Paying back | Pay shows the housemate's Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, or Zelle | Records payments; some payment integrations depending on region |
| Chores | Rotating chores between people or floors, with reminders | No |
| Laundry | Status for each washer and dryer, via a QR label | No |
| Chat and calendar | House chat, floor channels, DMs, shared calendar with quiet hours | Comments on expenses |
| Install | Runs in the browser; installs to the home screen | Native iOS and Android apps |
How bills work in hausync
- Log an expense: what it was, how much, who paid, and who it's split between.
- Split it equally, by exact amounts, or by shares (handy when one room is bigger).
- Each person sees only the expenses they're part of, and a balance with each housemate.
- When you owe someone, tap Pay to see their saved Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, or Zelle, pay them there, and record the settlement.
Money never moves through hausync. It keeps track; you pay each other the way you already do.
What hausync doesn't do (yet)
- No native App Store or Google Play app; it's a web app you add to your home screen.
- No importing history from Splitwise. Settle up there and start fresh.
- No receipt scanning.
If your house's problem really is just money, a bill splitter is enough. If it's everything else too, create a house on hausync, free, and invite your housemates with a link. For a wider look at the options, see the best apps for roommates.
Questions people ask
Is hausync free?
14 days free for every new house, no card needed. Then one subscription per house: $4 a month (or $30 a year) if it's just you, $8 a month (or $60 a year) for 2–6 people, $12 for 7–12, $16 for 13+. There is no limit on how many expenses you add.
Does hausync move money?
No. Like most roommate apps, it tracks who owes who. You pay each other however you normally do; Pay shows the housemate's saved Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, or Zelle so it's one tap away.
Can everyone in the house see every expense?
No. Only the people in an expense see it, and balances are kept between each pair of people rather than pooled across the whole house.
Can I import my Splitwise history?
Not at the moment. Settle up in Splitwise, then start fresh in hausync.