# ZenExpenses review > Statement-upload expense tracker with category rules and monthly category budgets Source: https://budgetingapps.org/apps/zenexpenses (researched 2026-10-16). Research-based review, not hands-on testing. ## Summary ZenExpenses is a web app for tracking personal spending by uploading bank statements (CSV, Excel or QuickBooks) or entering transactions by hand. It categorizes transactions with rules, shows spending charts and a heatmap, and has recently added monthly budgets per category. It also includes a calculator for splitting shared expenses with partners or roommates. It is free for now, with paid pricing planned later. **Best for:** People who prefer uploading statements once a month over linking a bank account, and want expense tracking with light budgets ## Key facts - Website: https://zenexpenses.com/ - Price: Free for now per the vendor; future pricing not announced. A July 2026 directory entry lists $8/month, which the vendor's own pages do not confirm.; Free for now per the vendor; future pricing not announced. - Rating: 2.3/5 - Free plan: yes - Free trial: n/a - Platforms: Web - Budgeting method: Expense tracking, Financial management - Bank sync: No; statement file upload only - Mobile apps: No - Import: CSV, Excel, QuickBooks (QBO/QFX) per the vendor; one help page also says PDF statements work, another lists only CSV/Excel/QuickBooks. Export to CSV/Excel. - Multiple budgets: Not confirmed - Team: Solo developer (per vendor site) - Privacy: Policy states no sale or sharing of data, TLS in transit, encrypted database, CSV export and account deletion (backups age out in 30 days). No MFA or independent audit documented. ## Features - Envelope budgeting: not confirmed - Automatic bank sync: no - Manual transaction entry: yes - Goal tracking: not confirmed - Debt payoff tools: not confirmed - Investment tracking: not confirmed - Bill reminders: not confirmed - Reports & charts: yes - Multi-currency: not confirmed - Shared / household budgets: not confirmed - Separate logins for shared budgets: not confirmed ## Pros - Works with any bank that offers CSV, Excel or QuickBooks export; no bank credentials shared. - Rules and automatic categorization, subcategories and tags reduce repeated sorting. - Per-category monthly budgets show what's left and warn before overspending. - Separate split-expense calculator for couples and roommates. - Data can be exported to CSV/Excel and the account deleted, per the FAQ. ## Cons - No bank sync; relies on periodic statement uploads. - The vendor's pages disagree: the home page shows envelope-style category budgets, while its comparison page says there are no envelopes or budgeting method. - Web only; no mobile app. - Pricing after the free period is undisclosed; a third-party directory lists $8/month, which the vendor does not confirm. - Interface offered only in English and French. - Little independent feedback found; the public mentions we saw are the developer's own posts. No MFA or independent security audit documented. ## Our review ### Short version ZenExpenses is a web app for tracking personal spending by uploading bank statements (CSV, Excel or QuickBooks) or entering transactions by hand. It categorizes transactions with rules, shows spending charts and a heatmap, and has recently added monthly budgets per category. It also includes a separate calculator for splitting shared expenses with partners or roommates. The vendor says it is free for now, with pricing to come later. **Research-based profile, not hands-on testing.** Updated 2026-10-06 from the vendor's site, help pages, privacy policy and public listings. I did not sign up, start a trial or connect a bank. ### How it works You export statements from your bank and upload them; columns are detected, overlapping date ranges are de-duplicated, and rules (keyword to category) sort recurring merchants. Each category can get a monthly limit, and the app shows what is left and warns before you overshoot. A recurring-charge finder lists subscriptions, and there are subcategories and tags. Because nothing links to a bank, it works with any institution that offers a file export, at the cost of a manual upload step, roughly monthly. ### Cost The vendor's home page and FAQ say it is free for everyone while it gets started, with notice before pricing changes. A July 2026 directory entry lists a $8/month subscription plus a limited free version; I could not find that on the vendor's own pages, so treat future cost as unknown. ### Privacy The privacy policy states that data is not sold or shared for marketing, that traffic uses TLS and the database is encrypted, and that you can export everything and delete your account (backups age out within 30 days). It names no MFA option and no independent audit. Sign-in is through Google. ### What is distinct The angle is upload-only, tracking-first and simple: no bank login, little method, plus a shared-expense calculator and a calendar heatmap. The vendor markets it partly as a lighter alternative to larger budgeting tools, and the newer budget feature is still young. ### Not confirmed Founding year; last release date; future pricing (vendor vs directory conflict); whether PDF statements are supported (one help page says yes, the FAQ lists only CSV, Excel and QuickBooks); multi-currency beyond locale formatting; multiple budgets; any native mobile app (none found in the Apple App Store search); independent user reviews. ### Notes The vendor's pages disagree on method: the home page shows envelope-style category budgets, while its comparison page says there are no envelopes. Ratings are set separately against a shared rubric; this refresh did not change the score. ## Sources - [Vendor home page (features, FAQ, pricing statement)](https://zenexpenses.com/) (retrieved 2026-10-16) - [Vendor release notes](https://zenexpenses.com/release-notes) (retrieved 2026-10-16) - [Vendor privacy policy](https://zenexpenses.com/safety-and-privacy) (retrieved 2026-10-16) - [Vendor terms of service](https://zenexpenses.com/terms-of-service) (retrieved 2026-10-16) - [Vendor comparison and workflow page](https://zenexpenses.com/budget-app-alternative) (retrieved 2026-10-16) - [AlternativeTo directory entry (July 2026; price conflicts with vendor)](https://alternativeto.net/software/zenexpenses/about/) (retrieved 2026-10-16)