Alternative
A free ET Money alternative worth trying
If you're weighing up ET Money, it helps to know exactly what it's good at and where it might not fit — before you switch.
This is an honest look at ET Money, followed by where Balance is a strong free alternative and where ET Money might still be the better call.
Free · No ads · 140+ currencies · Android (iOS coming soon)
Balance - Expense Tracker by Clarzen on Google Play
What ET Money is
An Indian investment platform that also offers expense tracking.
What ET Money does well
- Strong mutual-fund and investment features
- India-focused, rupee-native
- Expense tracking bundled with investing
Pricing model
Free app, monetized through investment and financial products.
Where it may fall short
- Expense tracking is a secondary feature to investing
- Has historically used SMS parsing for auto-tracking
- Investment upsell is central to the experience
Who should stick with ET Money
Users who want investing and expense tracking in one app.
Where Balance is a strong alternative
Balance is a free, ad-free expense tracker that works in 140+ currencies. Users who want a focused, private expense tracker without investment upsell, where SMS capture is optional.
It scans receipts and UPI screenshots, builds category and merchant analytics, never asks for a bank login, offers optional on-device SMS capture on Android, and works offline-first with an encrypted cloud backup.
Beyond Roast Mode's overspend nudges, you get a subscription and bill tracker with renewal reminders, home-screen widgets, multiple accounts and wallets, and one-tap CSV export.
Switching over
Balance doesn't import from ET Money directly. The practical path is to start fresh from the beginning of a month — set up your accounts and categories, and begin scanning or logging spends. Because most people track forward rather than backfill, this is usually a clean, quick switch.
| Feature | ET Money | Balance |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (monetized via investing) | Free to download and use |
| Ads | Investment-product prompts | None |
| Receipt / UPI screenshot scanning | ||
| Bank login / SMS access | Reads SMS (historically) | No bank login; SMS optional, on-device |
| Offline-first capture | ||
| Built for India (₹, UPI) |
Frequently asked questions
Is Balance a free ET Money alternative?
Yes. Balance is free to download and use, with no ads, which makes it a good alternative if cost or ads are why you're leaving ET Money.
Can I import my data from ET Money?
There's no direct importer. Most people switch by starting fresh at the start of a month, setting up accounts and categories, and tracking forward from there.
What are some apps like ET Money?
Popular apps like ET Money include Moneyview, axio (formerly Walnut). If you want something free with no ads, no bank login and UPI-screenshot scanning, Balance is built for exactly that.
Does Balance connect to my bank?
No. Balance never asks for a bank login or net-banking credentials, and it never links to your bank account. You add transactions by scanning a receipt or payment screenshot, entering them manually, or, on Android, letting Balance pick them up from bank SMS alerts if you turn that on.
Keep exploring
Track every expense. Ask anything.
Free to download, no ads, no bank login. Get Balance on Google Play and start tracking in minutes.
