Finances vs Lunch Money

Updated 14 September 2026 · Lunch Money prices as advertised in September 2026

Lunch Money is an indie web app for budgeting with strong multi-currency and crypto support, sold as a pay-what-you-want annual subscription. Finances is a native Mac app that keeps your data on your computer.

Download Finances free 30-day trial. macOS. No sign-up.

Finances vs Lunch Money at a glance

Feature	Finances	Lunch Money
Platform	✓ Native macOS desktop app	✓ Web (mobile-friendly)
Where your data lives	✓ On your Mac, in an encrypted SQLite database	✗ Lunch Money's cloud
Price	✓ One-time 1.x licence, or a monthly subscription	✗ From $60/year (pay what you want); $10/month
Free trial	✓ 30 days, no sign-up	✓ 14 days
Bank sync	✓ Australian banks via Redbark (CDR), Up Bank direct, US banks via Plaid, AMEX	✓ Plaid: US, Canada, UK and parts of Europe
File import	✓ CSV, OFX/QFX and JSON with auto-detected columns	✓ CSV import
Views and charts	✓ List, bar, pie, Sankey, calendar, map, subscriptions	✓ Overview, trends, net worth, Sankey
Subscription detection	✓ Automatic recurring-charge detection	✓ Recurring detection
Auto-categorisation	✓ Bundled merchant database, optional cloud categorisation	~ Via rules
Custom rules	✓ Match on text, amount, date or merchant	✓ Rules engine
Encryption	✓ AES-256 at rest, Touch ID unlock, idle lock	~ Encrypted on their servers
Works offline	✓ Fully offline (sync and cloud categorisation are opt-in)	✗ Needs an internet connection
Multi-currency	✓ Original amount and currency preserved	✓ Full multi-currency and crypto
Receipts and attachments	✓ Attach receipts and files to transactions	✗ No
Budgeting	✗ Not yet	✓ Category budgets
Investments and net worth	✗ No	~ Balances and crypto
Mobile app	✗ No	~ Web app only
Shared / household access	✗ Single user	✓ Collaborators
Data export	✓ CSV export; the database is a standard SQLite file	✓ CSV and a public API
AI	✓ Open SQLite file your AI assistant can query	✗ No

✓ Yes ~ Partly or with caveats ✗ No

Where Lunch Money wins

True multi-currency budgeting and crypto tracking.
A public API and collaborators.
Pay-what-you-want pricing.

Where Finances wins

Native Mac app with local, encrypted storage.
Australian bank sync via the Consumer Data Right.
Calendar and map views, receipts on transactions.
A one-time licence.

Which should you choose?

Choose Lunch Money if you live across currencies or want an API for your own scripts.

Choose Finances if you want a fast desktop app and you do not want your transactions on a server.

How Finances works

Finances is a native macOS app. Import CSV, OFX or JSON statements from any bank, or sync Australian accounts through Redbark (Consumer Data Right) and Up Bank directly. Transactions are categorised by a bundled merchant database and your own rules, then explored as a list, bar and pie charts, a Sankey diagram, a calendar, a map, or a subscriptions view. Everything is stored in an encrypted SQLite database on your computer, unlocked with Touch ID.

Frequently asked questions

Does Finances handle multiple currencies?

Finances keeps the original amount and currency on every transaction and can convert using ECB rates. Lunch Money goes further with per-currency budgets.

Can I get my data out of Finances?

Yes. Export any view or all accounts to CSV, or open the SQLite database directly with any tool.

Try Finances free for 30 days

No account, no card. Your data stays on your Mac.

Download for macOS

Other comparisons

Lunch Money is a trademark of its respective owner and is not affiliated with The Finances App. Competitor details are based on public information as of September 2026 and may change; check the vendor's site for current pricing. Spotted a mistake? Let us know.