Splitwise Pro vs Free (2026): What's Locked Behind Paywall?

Splitwise has quietly tightened its free tier over the past years. If you are deciding between Splitwise Free and Splitwise Pro in 2026, here is exactly what changes when you pay — and whether a modern alternative makes more sense.

Splitwise Free includes: unlimited groups, basic expense entry, balance tracking, comments and settlement reminders. You will see ads, hit daily expense entry limits on busy days, and cannot scan receipts with itemization. Currency conversion charts and advanced search are Pro-only.

Splitwise Pro ($4.99/month or ~$49.99/year) removes ads, raises limits, adds receipt scanning with line-item detection, currency conversion at historical rates, charts and CSV export. It still does not process payments in-app — you link out to Venmo, PayPal or regional equivalents.

The receipt scan paywall is the pain point for restaurant groups. On Splitwise Free you type every item manually or split equally — unfair when one person orders salad and another orders steak. Pro unlocks scan, but at nearly $50/year many users search for Splitwise alternatives.

Partly takes the opposite approach: AI receipt scanning is available on the free plan (5 scans per month, line-by-line in any language). Free also includes 3 groups, 5 payment links/month and all split modes. Premium at €19.99/year removes ads and unlocks unlimited everything — about 40% cheaper than Splitwise Pro.

Is Splitwise Pro worth it in 2026? If you live in the US, already use Venmo for every settlement and want Splitwise's charts, maybe. If you split restaurant bills in Europe, need IBAN/SEPA or PayPal in-app, or want scan without Pro pricing, Partly's free tier is more generous.

How do Splitwise free plan limits work? Expect ads and throttled entry on heavy days — exact limits vary by platform version. Does Splitwise Free include receipt scan? No — scanning with itemization requires Pro.

Migration tip: start your next group expense in Partly, run one AI scan at dinner, send a payment link — most groups never go back to manual entry. Splitwise Pro vs Partly Premium is not close on price; Partly wins on payments breadth and scan-on-free.