I typed “Splitwise alternative” the same way you might: on the road, trying to split coffee, taxis, and snacks without running into paywalls.
To keep this simple, here’s a straight‑talk comparison of just Splitwise and FlyRacoons — what each is good at and where FlyRacoons aims to be friendlier for travelers.
TL;DR
- Splitwise: widely used and feature‑rich. For free users, many report a 3 expenses/day limit and interruptions that nudge upgrades. Great if your friends already use it.
- FlyRacoons: free, cute, and travel‑first. No daily cap, quick adds, clear settle‑ups (mark partial or full payments), and built for a light, joyful trip flow.
How I judge
- Free or free‑first basics with no lock‑in.
- Fast setup, invite friends easily.
- Uneven splits for real‑world purchases.
- Multi‑currency without headache.
- Clear settle‑up math; ability to mark partial or full payments.
- Phone‑friendly and not fragile on bad wifi.
Why look beyond Splitwise
Splitwise recently added daily expense limits and interruptions for free users, which many redditors call out as frustrating and a “cash grab,” prompting moves to alternatives or workarounds. See discussions: Splitwise Pro (r/ynab), Recommendations for Splitwise alternative (r/MoneyDiariesACTIVE), Splitwise Workaround (r/personalfinance), Alternative to Splitwise App? (r/IPhoneApps), Splitwise should find a better way to monetize (r/ProductManagement).
Splitwise vs FlyRacoons: the direct comparison
Price & limits
- Splitwise (free): commonly reported 3 expenses/day limit; Pro removes restrictions.
- FlyRacoons (free): no daily cap on adding trip expenses.
Trip flow & ease
- Splitwise: robust and familiar; can feel heavier for quick travel adds.
- FlyRacoons: cute, simple UI tuned for fast on‑the‑go entries.
Settle‑ups
- Splitwise: shows balances and who owes whom.
- FlyRacoons: clear settle‑up math; mark partial or full payments.
Multi‑currency
- Splitwise: supports multiple currencies for travel groups.
- FlyRacoons: built to keep cross‑currency trips simple while you’re moving.
Sharing
- Splitwise: many friends already have it; adoption can be easier in existing groups.
- FlyRacoons: share a link, invite quickly, and keep the core free for travelers.
Why we built FlyRacoons
We watched friends pinch‑zoom giant spreadsheets mid‑trip and thought: travel shouldn’t feel like homework. FlyRacoons is our small, kind tool for fair splitting on the road.
Open the app: https://app.flyraccoons.com
Origin note: /blog/why-we-built-flyraccoons/
Bottom line
- Prefer the familiar and your group already uses it? Splitwise is fine.
- Want a free, travel‑first app with no daily cap and joyful settle‑ups? FlyRacoons.