Partly vs Splitwise (2026): Free Alternative with AI Receipt Scan

Bill splitting apps have gone from niche convenience tools to everyday essentials. For more than a decade, Splitwise has been the name most people think of when someone says 'bill splitting'. But 2026 has brought serious competition: Partly is built around AI receipt scanning, integrated payment processing, and natural language splitting — challenging the incumbent in nearly every dimension.

Splitwise was founded in 2011 and is available on iOS, Android, and the web. Its core function is expense tracking: you create groups, log shared expenses, and the app maintains a running balance showing who owes whom. It does not handle actual money transfers — settling up requires a third-party service like Venmo or PayPal. Splitwise's free tier includes ads; Splitwise Pro at roughly $4.99/month or $49.99/year unlocks receipt scanning, charts, currency conversion and removes ads.

Partly is a newer entrant with a different philosophy: handle the entire lifecycle of a shared expense — scan, split, collect — all in a single app. AI receipt scanning extracts every line item automatically, even from receipts in any language. Built-in payments support 12+ methods (IBAN/SEPA, PayPal, Revolut, Bizum, Wise, Lydia, Swish, TWINT, MB Way, Satispay, Pix, UPI, card via Stripe). Natural language splitting lets you describe a split in plain sentences. Groups handle ongoing group expenses. The free plan includes 5 AI scans/month, 5 payment links/month and 3 Groups. Premium is €0.99/week, €2.99/month or €19.99/year — undercutting Splitwise Pro by ~40% while offering more.

Receipt scanning is a key difference. Partly's AI scanner reads every individual item — dish names, quantities, prices, taxes, tips — on the free tier (with monthly limits). Each line is assignable to a person or split among several. Splitwise receipt scanning is Pro-only (not on free). On Pro, Splitwise can detect individual receipt items for assignment, though accuracy varies on complex or handwritten receipts.

Payments are Splitwise's structural weakness. Splitwise does not process payments in-app — it links out to third-party apps such as Venmo or PayPal (availability varies by country). Partly integrates IBAN/SEPA bank transfer, PayPal, Revolut, Bizum (Spain), Wise, Lydia (France), and card via Stripe. After a split, one tap sends a payment request and recipients pay without leaving the app.

Persistent Groups vs Splitwise's group model: both let you create long-running groups, but Partly's groups add encrypted chat, files, notes, recurring expenses and rich activity feeds. Splitwise has comments and a feed but no encryption.

Pricing: Partly Premium at €19.99/year is cheaper than Splitwise Pro ($49.99/year) and includes more features (unlimited AI scans, 70+ live currencies, advanced analytics, business CSV exports, iOS widget, no ads).

Verdict: Splitwise remains a reliable, cross-platform classic. Partly wins on AI scanning, integrated payments, value for money and richer collaboration features. If you split bills at restaurants, share groceries with roommates or travel internationally, the gap is meaningful.