Comparison
Skimp vs PennyWise
Last verified 6 October 2026
PennyWise is the closest app to Skimp, and for many people the better one: open source, on Google Play, F-Droid and the App Store, with more banks, more currencies and an on-device AI assistant. Skimp's case is narrower. It has no internet permission at all, a review queue, an udhaar ledger, and no paid upgrade.
This page is written by the developer of Skimp, so read it with that in mind. Every statement about PennyWise links to where it comes from, and the section on when to choose PennyWise is not there for show.
What PennyWise is
PennyWise is a free, open-source (AGPL-3.0) expense tracker that reads bank SMS and processes them on the phone, with no account. It lists 54 Indian banks and services among 159 across 25 countries, supports multiple currencies, and includes an AI assistant that runs on the device. An optional paid upgrade, PennyWise Pro, supports its developer.
- Made by
- An independent developer; open source on GitHub
- Gets transactions from
- Bank SMS, read automatically and as messages arrive; PDF statements in Pro
- Price
- Free and open source. PennyWise Pro unlocks unlimited rules, PDF statement imports, CSV export, account merging and scheduled backups for ₹149 a month, ₹699 a year or ₹2,000 once. The F-Droid build includes every Pro feature free.
- Runs on
- Android (Google Play, F-Droid) and iPhone
- Website
- github.com
Side by side
“Not verified” means we found no source that settles it either way. It does not mean PennyWise lacks the feature.
| Feature | Skimp | PennyWise |
|---|---|---|
| Reads bank SMS automatically | YesOn the device, with a review queue for uncertain ones | Yes54 Indian banks and services listed |
| No internet permission | YesAndroid blocks any network connection | NoDeclares INTERNET; lists every use |
| Works without an account | YesNo sign-up, phone number or email | Yes |
| Every feature free | YesNo paid tier, no in-app purchases | PartialFree core; optional paid Pro on Play |
| No ads | Yes | Yes |
| No loans or cards sold in the app | Yes | Yes |
| Budgets with alerts | YesOverall and per category, at 80% and 100% | Yes |
| Recurring and subscription tracking | YesRecurring rules plus detected subscriptions | YesDetects recurring payments |
| Lend and borrow (udhaar) ledger | Yes | Not verified |
| Export to CSV or PDF | YesBoth | PartialCSV; unlimited export is a Pro feature |
| Encrypted backup | YesAES-256-GCM, your passphrase | PartialBackup and restore; encryption not verified |
| Sync across devices | NoNo server; move data with a backup file | Not verified |
| iPhone app | NoiOS does not let apps read SMS | Yes |
| Multiple currencies | NoRupees only | Yes |
| Investments and net worth | No | Not verified |
| Open source | NoProprietary | YesAGPL-3.0 |
The differences that matter
Source code
PennyWise publishes its code under the AGPL-3.0 licence, so its privacy claims can be checked by reading it. Skimp's source is proprietary. The one claim Skimp makes that needs no source to verify is the missing internet permission, which Android shows on the app's permissions screen.
Network access
PennyWise declares the internet permission, and its README lists every call the app can make: Google Play services in the Play build, exchange rates, an optional download of the AI model, and a report-a-parsing-problem flow. That is unusually candid, and none of it uploads your ledger. Skimp declares no internet permission, so the list is empty and Android enforces it. PennyWise also requests contacts and incoming-SMS access; Skimp requests neither.
Breadth
PennyWise recognises far more banks, handles multiple currencies, runs an AI assistant on the device, has a biometric app lock, and is available on iPhone. Skimp is rupees only, Android only, and has no assistant and no app lock.
What costs money
In the Google Play build of PennyWise, unlimited CSV export and scheduled backups are part of the paid Pro upgrade. Skimp includes CSV and PDF export and encrypted backup for everyone, and has no upgrade to buy.
Choose PennyWise if
- You want open-source software whose code you can read or build yourself
- You install apps from F-Droid, or you use an iPhone
- Your bank is not one Skimp recognises, or you bank outside India
- You spend in more than one currency
- You want an on-device AI assistant or a biometric app lock
Choose Skimp if
- You want an app that has no internet permission, with nothing to audit
- You want uncertain transactions held in a review queue until you confirm them
- You track udhaar: money lent to and borrowed from people
- You want CSV and PDF export and encrypted backup without a paid upgrade
Skimp is in a closed test ahead of a public release. Join the waitlist to be told when there is a build to install, or read what it does and does not do.
Sources
Read on 6 October 2026. Apps change their pricing, permissions and policies, so check the source if a detail matters to you.
What Skimp itself does is documented in its privacy policy and Data Safety answers. Found something wrong or out of date? Tell us at support.skimp.rabugotra.com and it will be corrected.