When does Rachou make sense?
Rachou is an alternative to Splitwise for friends who want to track shared spending, check a receipt and see what is left to settle. You can use it for a trip, a dinner, a couple's expenses or a shared home.
Both apps help you record costs and work out who owes whom. The useful question is which one makes that easier for your group. This article is written by the Rachou team. The comparison draws on Splitwise's official documentation, checked on October 8, 2026.
What both apps do
Rachou and Splitwise track group expenses, support uneven splits and let you record settle-ups. Both have free and paid options. In either app, a calculated balance is only as accurate as the amount, payer and participants you entered.
Restaurant bills: split the total or each item?
An equal split works when everyone ordered about the same amount. Otherwise, Rachou lets you photograph the receipt, review the items found by AI and assign them to the right people. Two friends can share a starter while each pays for their own main.
Quick Split is for a single bill you want to sort out now. An event keeps several expenses together over a trip or weekend. Receipt scanning and Quick Split have limits on the free plan, so check the app before relying on them for a busy week.
Splitwise also advertises receipt scanning and itemization as Pro features. These are not exclusive to Rachou. Try the review process in each app and compare what the plans include.
Free plans have limits
Splitwise's free tier has a daily expense limit, which Pro removes. Rachou has limits per event and allowances for features such as receipt scanning and Quick Split. The current limits are shown in the app; free use is not unlimited.
Rachou Pro is an individual subscription. Event Pro adds benefits to one event for the group, under the terms shown before purchase. Splitwise also offers group benefits, including Trip Pass. Compare the duration, people covered, features and final store price. Offers can change.
Separate currencies or automatic conversion?
Rachou supports 20 currencies and keeps their balances separate. It does not convert them automatically. That suits a group that wants to settle each currency on its own or agree on an exchange rate themselves.
Splitwise lists currency conversion among its Pro features. If your group needs every expense converted into one currency inside the app, that is a meaningful difference. With Rachou, agree on any conversion outside the app. A dollar balance and a euro balance cannot simply be added together.
Everyone can help keep the record up to date
Any participant in a Rachou event can add and edit expenses and settle-ups for the group. Creating the event does not make someone its permanent bookkeeper. The activity history shows who made changes.
You can also add someone by name before they install the app. They can claim their participation through an invitation later. That lets you start recording costs without waiting for everyone to sign up. Still check the participants on each expense.
Try it without losing your old history
Start with a new dinner or your next trip. Use Quick Split for one bill, or create an event for several. Try the complete process with a small group: enter the costs, review the split and settle up.
If you already have balances in Splitwise, check and settle those first. Keep the old history for reference and agree on a date when new spending moves to Rachou. This guide does not provide an automatic import from Splitwise.
If you test both apps at once, choose which record you will use for the actual settle-up. Recording the same bill twice should never mean paying it twice.
Which should your group choose?
A useful test is one real bill, from entering it to recording the final settle-up. If Rachou makes that easier for your friends, you have a practical reason to use it.
- Try Rachou if reviewing receipt items and using Quick Split would make your everyday bills easier.
- Consider Event Pro when you want extra features for one event. Check the current terms before buying.
- Staying with Splitwise can make sense if everyone already uses it and a switch would add work.
- Compare currency handling if automatic conversion matters to you.
- Check free limits and store prices instead of assuming either app is free without restrictions.