Partly vs Tricount — The Honest Comparison for 2026

Tricount, a Belgian app acquired by Bunq in 2022, has earned a loyal European following thanks to a brutally simple proposition: completely free, no ads, no account required to participate. 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 at a cost. There is no AI receipt scanning. There is no integrated payment processing. There is no recurring expense automation. There is no 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. Shared Spaces 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 spaces per month), Premium at €39.99/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.