the free splitwise alternative that lives in your whatsapp group
if you found this page mid-trip, you already know the problem: splitwise's free plan caps how many expenses you can add per day - right when the group is spending all day - and the fix is a pro subscription that runs about $40 a year. receipt photos and charts sit behind the same paywall.
teresa takes the other exit. it is not another app for everyone to install and sign up for: it's a contact you add to the whatsapp group you already have. everyone keeps texting like they were going to anyway; the book keeps itself.
side by side
| splitwise free | splitwise pro | teresa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| daily expense limit | yes | no | no - unlimited |
| lives in the group chat | — | — | yes, whatsapp |
| everyone installs an app + makes an account | yes | yes | no - the chat is the app |
| receipt photos on expenses | — | included | included |
| who paid what, who owes who, settle-up | yes | yes | yes |
| budget with alerts at 80% and 100% | — | — | included, per tab |
| live web page + csv, xlsx, pdf | partial | yes | included, no login |
| price | free with limits | ~$40/year | free trial, then $5/month per group |
what switching looks like
- add teresa to the group - like adding any contact. it introduces itself on the first message and asks the only question that matters: split, or plain shared ledger?
- text expenses as they happen. "paid 600 for dinner" gets a 💸 reaction and nothing else - the chat stays a chat. uneven splits in plain words: "just milo and me".
- close the tab when the trip ends. teresa posts the final who-owes-who and the fewest transfers to settle. the tab freezes so the numbers stay true.
milo: @teresa close the tab
teresa: tab 'mexico city trip' closed 💸
ann is owed 2,100
milo owes 1,100 · ale owes 1,000
to settle:
- @milo → ann 1,100
- @ale → ann 1,000
what teresa doesn't do
- whatsapp only. if your group lives on imessage or telegram, it can't help you (yet).
- no bank connections. you text what you spent; nothing reads your accounts. most people count that as a feature.
- it never moves money. it tells you who owes who; the paying is between you.
the full walkthrough lives at how to track group expenses in whatsapp, every feature is in the docs, and the faq answers the "is it really free" question honestly, and pricing has the full picture.
somebody has to keep the tab
she never forgets a cent, and she's already in your whatsapp.
text teresa on whatsappfirst message says hi · the 💸 does the rest