Privacy First
A private expense tracker that asks for as little as possible
Most finance apps ask for sweeping access, like bank credentials or a live feed of your accounts, in the name of convenience. Balance is built the other way round.
It never asks for a bank login. Automatic capture from bank SMS is optional, runs on your phone and keeps only the transaction details. Your data is encrypted, and nothing is sold to anyone.
Free · No ads · 140+ currencies · Android (iOS coming soon)
Balance - Expense Tracker by Clarzen on Google Play
Privacy by design, not as a setting
- No bank login or net-banking credentials, ever
- SMS capture is opt-in: bank alerts are read on your phone, and personal messages and OTPs are ignored
- The full text of your messages never reaches our servers
- Encrypted at rest and in transit
- No ad SDKs and no third-party trackers
- Export or delete everything from within the app
What 'private' honestly means here
Balance does use a free account so your data can sync across devices and stay backed up. It isn't a fully anonymous, device-only app, and it's fair to be clear about that. What it doesn't do is reach into your bank or upload your inbox.
If you turn on SMS capture, Balance keeps only the amount, merchant, date and account from each bank alert. Prefer not to grant SMS access at all? Scanning receipts and adding spends manually work just as well.
Your spending history is encrypted, used only to power your own analytics and nudges, and deletable at any time, with a full wipe of transactions, receipts and backups within 30 days.
How we chose
Rather than rank on brand, it's more useful to judge these apps on what actually affects daily use:
- Works without SMS permission; if SMS is used, it's read on the device
- No bank login or account aggregation
- Encryption at rest and in transit
- No ads, trackers or data selling; easy data deletion
Apps worth considering
Each of these fits a different kind of user — there's no single winner for everyone:
- Balance — no bank login, SMS optional and on-device, encrypted, no ads, deletable data
- Money Manager — local-first manual entry; minimal permissions
- Monefy — manual entry, low permissions; some features need Pro
Where Balance fits
Balance is designed around asking for as little as possible: no bank login, and SMS capture only if you turn it on, read on your phone. Without it, receipt and screenshot scanning keep logging fast.
Frequently asked questions
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.
Does Balance read my SMS?
Only if you turn on automatic capture (Android). Balance then reads bank transaction alerts on your phone and ignores personal messages, OTPs and promotions. The full message text never leaves your device; only the amount, merchant, date and account are saved. You can turn it off anytime, and the app works fully without it.
Where is my data stored?
Your data is stored in your account, encrypted at rest and in transit, and used only to power your own tracking and insights. You can export it to CSV or delete it and all backups from the app.
Which expense tracker is most private?
The most private ones avoid bank logins and keep anything sensitive on your phone. Balance never asks for a bank login, reads SMS only if you turn capture on (on the device, ignoring personal messages and OTPs), encrypts your data, and lets you delete everything from the app.
Are there ads?
No. Balance shows no ads and uses no advertising SDKs or third-party trackers. Your spending data is never sold.
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.
