--- title: "Expense & receipt apps in the Philippines, compared (2026) | Spenti" description: "Lista, Money Lover, Wallet and Spendee compared: where the AI runs, receipt uploads, accounts, offline use and price in pesos, with sources." url: "https://spenti.app/ph/blog/philippines-expense-apps-compared/" lang: "en" --- [Spenti](https://spenti.app/ph/)[Get the app](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/id6792967375) [← all posts](https://spenti.app/ph/blog/) The facts about other apps come from their public listings and policies as indexed on 25 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? [hello@spenti.app](mailto:hello@spenti.app) COMPARED 7 min read by Spenti 25 October 2026 # Expense and receipt apps in the Philippines, compared In the Philippines, the receipt you actually keep is often a GCash screenshot. Four expense apps a Filipino user is likely to find, Lista, Money Lover, Wallet and Spendee, all scan paper receipts, but none of them documents reading a GCash or Maya receipt. We compared them on where the AI runs, whether receipts are uploaded, accounts, offline use and price, from their store listings, help pages and privacy policies. Where a document is silent we say "Not disclosed", which is not the same as "no". ## GCash, Maya and the screenshot as receipt A GCash success screen carries the amount, the reference number and the recipient, which is why people screenshot it as proof of payment. Maya is the second wallet, and the two now scan each other's QR codes through QR Ph ([NoypiGeeks](https://www.noypigeeks.com/tech-news/scan-gcash-qr-ph-codes-maya)); the GCash receipt's invoice number matches the QR Ph payment notification ([Maya developer docs](https://developers.maya.ph/docs/qrph-payment)). Bank-to-wallet transfers run on InstaPay, and each bank app shows its own confirmation. GCash's own transaction history helps you look back ([Globe blog](https://www.globe.com.ph/blog/budgeting-apps-money-management)), but it covers one wallet and has no documented budget categories. An expense app has to bring every wallet, bank and paper receipt into one place. | What we compared | [Lista](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/lista-ph/id1580527951) | [Money Lover](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/money-lover-expense-manager/id486312413) | [Wallet by BudgetBakers](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/wallet-budget-money-manager/id1032467659) | [Spendee](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleevio.spendee) | [Spenti](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/id6792967375) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Receipts & GCash screenshots | [**Partly** — scans receipts; Android SMS parsing from verified senders; GCash and Maya screenshots not disclosed](https://www.lista.com.ph/) | [**Receipts, including batch scans** — GCash and Maya screenshots not disclosed](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/money-lover-expense-manager/id486312413) | [**Receipts** — GCash and Maya screenshots not disclosed; no PH bank sync found](https://budgetbakers.com/en/products/wallet/download/) | [**Receipts via Magic AI Scan (Premium)** — local payment screens not disclosed](https://help.spendee.com/article/248-magic-ai-scan) | [**Yes** — paper receipts, GCash, Maya and bank screenshots; bank alerts on general rules](https://spenti.app/ph/#features) | | Where the AI / OCR runs | [**Not disclosed**](https://www.lista.com.ph/privacy-policy) | [**Not disclosed**](https://moneylover.me/policy/) | [**Cloud** — OCR and AI models from OpenAI](https://budgetbakers.com/en/privacy/) | [**Cloud** — AI models run by its processor, CLEEVIO s.r.o.](https://spendee.com/privacy-policy) | [**On your phone by default** — scanning and chat; Pro can use your own AI under your own account](https://spenti.app/your-own-ai/) | | Uploads & cloud storage | [**Partly** — no sharing without explicit consent; AdMob receives device data; receipt-image route not disclosed](https://www.lista.com.ph/terms-of-use) | [**Partly** — App Store label lists photos or videos linked to you; receipt-image handling not disclosed](https://moneylover.me/policy/) | [**Receipt photos stored on servers and sent to OpenAI** — not used for training, the policy says](https://budgetbakers.com/en/privacy/) | [**Receipt images sent to the processor** — only after you choose the feature](https://spendee.com/privacy-policy) | [**Never to Spenti** — receipt text only if you connect your own AI; personal cloud backup is opt-in](https://spenti.app/privacy/) | | Account | [**Required** — phone number and contact details for a profile](https://www.lista.com.ph/terms-of-use) | [**Required** — name and email](https://moneylover.me/policy/) | [**Required** — account-based sync](https://budgetbakers.com/en/privacy/) | [**Required** — sign-up needed](https://www.spendee.com/terms-of-use) | [**No Spenti account**](https://spenti.app/privacy/) | | Offline use | [**Not disclosed**](https://www.lista.com.ph/privacy-policy) | [**Not disclosed**](https://moneylover.me/policy/) | [**Not disclosed**](https://budgetbakers.com/en/privacy/) | [**Not disclosed**](https://spendee.com/privacy-policy) | [**Yes** — on this phone, after the initial download](https://spenti.app/privacy/) | | Filipino interface | [**Filipino on the website**; in-app Filipino not verified](https://www.lista.com.ph/) | [**English**; Filipino not listed](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/money-lover-money-manager/id486312413) | [**English**; Filipino not confirmed](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/wallet-budget-money-manager/id1032467659) | [**English**; Filipino not confirmed](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleevio.spendee) | [**English and Filipino interface** — chat on the phone in English or Thai; in Filipino with your own AI (Pro)](https://spenti.app/ph/#features) | | Platforms | [**iOS · Android**](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/lista-ph/id1580527951) | [**iOS · Android · Web**](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/money-lover-expense-manager/id486312413) | [**iOS · Android · Web**](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/wallet-budget-money-manager/id1032467659) | [**iOS · Android · Web**](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleevio.spendee) | [**iOS 16 or later**](https://spenti.app/ph/) | | Listed prices | [**Free** · in-app purchases, amounts not found · TransUnion report **₱610** · CIBI score **₱299**](https://www.lista.com.ph/faq) | [**Free** · Premium lifetime **₱1,290** · Budget Plus **₱145**/mo or **₱879**/yr · Linked Wallet **₱119**/mo · "Banks in the Philippines" **₱129** (snapshot varies)](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/money-lover-expense-manager/id486312413) | [**Free** · Premium **₱299** / **₱799** / **₱1,490** · 3-year **₱2,290** · Lifetime **₱2,990** (periods not labelled)](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/wallet-budget-money-manager/id1032467659) | [**Not read for the Philippine store**](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleevio.spendee) | [**Free**: 30 scans and 15 chat messages a month · Basic **$1.99**/month, Pro **$4.99**/month (US prices; your App Store shows the local price)](https://spenti.app/ph/#pricing) | As of 25 October 2026 · Each value links to its source · Scroll to see every app ## Four apps, compared **[Lista](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/lista-ph/id1580527951)** lets you "sync your accounts or scan your receipts", and on Android it parses SMS from verified financial senders ([lista.com.ph](https://www.lista.com.ph/)). Its [privacy policy](https://www.lista.com.ph/privacy-policy) says it shares nothing without explicit consent except with financial partners or as the law requires, while its [terms](https://www.lista.com.ph/terms-of-use) say a profile needs a phone number and contact details and that AdMob receives device data. Where receipts are read is not disclosed. Its website is partly in Filipino; the in-app language was not verified. Credit reports cost extra: [Free · in-app purchases, amounts not found · TransUnion report ₱610 · CIBI score ₱299](https://www.lista.com.ph/faq). **[Money Lover](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/money-lover-expense-manager/id486312413)** scans receipts, including several at once. Its [privacy policy](https://moneylover.me/policy/) collects your name and email and syncs through an account; it does not say where receipts are read. Filipino is not among its [listed languages](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/money-lover-money-manager/id486312413). Price: Free · Premium lifetime ₱1,290 · Budget Plus ₱145/mo or ₱879/yr · Linked Wallet ₱119/mo · "Banks in the Philippines" ₱129 (snapshot varies). **[Wallet by BudgetBakers](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/wallet-budget-money-manager/id1032467659)** lists receipt scanning among its [mobile features](https://budgetbakers.com/en/products/wallet/download/). Its [privacy policy](https://budgetbakers.com/en/privacy/) says receipt scans are processed by "OCR and AI models from OpenAI", that receipt photos are stored on its servers for sync and backup, and that they are not used to train OpenAI's public models. A [help-centre article](https://support.budgetbakers.com/hc/en-us/articles/26911037277586-OCR) says direct OCR is not supported for bank statements and documents, which sits awkwardly with the policy. We found no Philippine bank sync. Price: Free · Premium ₱299 / ₱799 / ₱1,490 · 3-year ₱2,290 · Lifetime ₱2,990 (periods not labelled). **[Spendee](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleevio.spendee)** reads receipts with Magic AI Scan on Premium ([help page](https://help.spendee.com/article/248-magic-ai-scan)). Its [privacy policy](https://spendee.com/privacy-policy) says receipt images are processed by AI models run by its data processor, CLEEVIO s.r.o., and its [terms](https://www.spendee.com/terms-of-use) require you to sign up. We did not read its Philippine store prices. ## The Data Privacy Act and your account The Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173), overseen by the National Privacy Commission, reaches processors abroad that handle the data of Filipinos where there is a Philippine link ([Section 6, privacy.gov.ph](https://www.privacy.gov.ph/data-privacy-act/); [DLA Piper](https://www.dlapiperdataprotection.com/?t=law&c=PH)). That protects you, but it starts from the data already being somewhere else. Every app above needs an account or a phone number, and two of them send receipt images to cloud AI. Spenti needs no account and keeps your records on the phone. ## What Spenti does differently Spenti reads paper receipts and GCash, Maya and bank screenshots with AI on your phone by default. There is no Spenti account and nothing goes to a Spenti server. After a one-time download of the receipt reader (about 230 MB), scanning works offline. Bank alerts become expenses on the phone too: the Philippines runs on Spenti's general rules, not rules tuned bank by bank, so check what it reads. On Pro you can choose [your own AI](https://spenti.app/your-own-ai/) (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or OpenRouter); then only the receipt text goes from the phone to that provider, under your own account. Two limits worth knowing: chat on the phone reads English and Thai only, so asking in Filipino needs your own AI (Pro); and Spenti records what a screenshot shows, it never checks that a payment arrived. The interface is available in Filipino. The Free plan gives you 30 scans and 15 chat messages a month and never expires. Planning for December? Our [13th month pay budget guide](https://spenti.app/ph/blog/13th-month-pay-budget/) puts this to work. More on the [Philippines page](https://spenti.app/ph/). ## Frequently asked questions Answered from the checked sources ### Which expense apps read GCash or Maya screenshots? None of the apps we checked (Lista, Money Lover, Wallet and Spendee) documents reading a GCash or Maya receipt screenshot. Spenti reads GCash, Maya and bank transfer screenshots, and paper receipts, on the phone by default. ### Which apps process receipts on the phone instead of the cloud? Spenti reads on the phone by default and sends nothing to a Spenti server. Wallet uses OCR and AI models from OpenAI, and Spendee uses its processor, CLEEVIO s.r.o. Lista and Money Lover do not disclose where receipts are read. ### Is there an expense tracker that needs no account or GCash login? Lista needs a phone number for a profile; Money Lover, Wallet and Spendee need an account. Spenti has no account and never asks for a bank, GCash or Maya login or OTP. ### How much do they cost in pesos? Money Lover: Free · Premium lifetime ₱1,290 · Budget Plus ₱145/mo or ₱879/yr · Linked Wallet ₱119/mo · "Banks in the Philippines" ₱129 (snapshot varies). Wallet: Free · Premium ₱299 / ₱799 / ₱1,490 · 3-year ₱2,290 · Lifetime ₱2,990 (periods not labelled). Spenti: Free: 30 scans and 15 chat messages a month · Basic $1.99/month, Pro $4.99/month (US prices; your App Store shows the local price). Prices as the Philippine App Store showed them on 25 October 2026. ## How this was checked Verified on 25 October 2026 from the linked documents' public extracts. Corrections to [hello@spenti.app](mailto:hello@spenti.app). - Lista: [listing](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/lista-ph/id1580527951) · [privacy policy](https://www.lista.com.ph/privacy-policy) · [pricing](https://www.lista.com.ph/faq) · [source (lista.com.ph)](https://www.lista.com.ph/) · [source (lista.com.ph)](https://www.lista.com.ph/terms-of-use) - Money Lover: [listing](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/money-lover-expense-manager/id486312413) · [privacy policy](https://moneylover.me/policy/) · [source (apps.apple.com)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/money-lover-money-manager/id486312413) - Wallet by BudgetBakers: [listing](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/wallet-budget-money-manager/id1032467659) · [privacy policy](https://budgetbakers.com/en/privacy/) · [source (budgetbakers.com)](https://budgetbakers.com/en/products/wallet/download/) - Spendee: [listing](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleevio.spendee) · [privacy policy](https://spendee.com/privacy-policy) · [source (help.spendee.com)](https://help.spendee.com/article/248-magic-ai-scan) · [source (spendee.com)](https://www.spendee.com/terms-of-use) [← all posts](https://spenti.app/ph/blog/)