Partly vs Tricount (2026): AI Scan, Payments & Free Tier Compared

Tricount, a Belgian app acquired by Bunq in 2022, has earned a loyal European following thanks to a brutally simple proposition: free, ad-free expense tracking with unlimited groups. For casual one-off groups — a weekend trip, a single dinner, a small party — Tricount is hard to beat on friction.

But Tricount's minimalism comes with trade-offs. There is no AI/OCR receipt scanning (you can attach receipt photos for reference only). Payment request links exist in supported EU countries (e.g. Bancontact, iDEAL, Sofort), but not Partly's breadth of IBAN/PayPal/Revolut/Wise methods. There is no recurring expense automation and no end-to-end encrypted messaging. For groups that meet repeatedly — roommates, ongoing households, business partners — these gaps add up quickly.

Partly was designed for the long haul. AI receipt scanning reads every line of a restaurant or grocery receipt in any language, so item-level splitting becomes practical. Integrated payments via IBAN, PayPal, Revolut, Bizum, Wise, Lydia and card mean money actually moves without copy-pasting bank details. Groups persist across months, with categories, analytics, recurring expenses, encrypted chat, files and notes.

Pricing: Tricount is genuinely free, supported by Bunq's banking ecosystem. Partly is freemium — the free tier covers light use (5 scans, 5 payment links and 3 groups per month), Premium at €19.99/year unlocks unlimited use and advanced features. For users who already have a Bunq bank account, Tricount fits naturally in that universe.

When Tricount wins: a single short-lived group, no need for scanning, no payment integration needed, you want zero accounts and zero friction.

When Partly wins: ongoing households, frequent restaurant splits, international groups (70+ currencies with live ECB rates), business teams, anyone who values automated scanning and in-app payments.

The fairest summary: Tricount is the best free, no-frills tracker. Partly is the best end-to-end app — scan, split, pay, repeat. Pick the one that matches your usage rhythm.