Search for "expense tracker app" and you get hundreds of options, most of which want your e-mail address before you have typed a single number. This guide helps you pick one with a few clear criteria instead of installing and deleting ten apps.
Four common approaches and their catch
| Approach | Strength | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Notebook or phone notes | Simple, nothing to learn | Manual totals, no reports, no budgets |
| Spreadsheet | Fully flexible | Awkward on a phone; most people stop after two weeks |
| Banking app | Automatic | Sees one bank only; misses cash, a second card and money lent to friends |
| Dedicated expense tracker | Reports, budgets, categories | Many require an account, a subscription or send your data to a server |
The fourth option is the right one, as long as you choose the app carefully.
Eight criteria for a good expense tracker
1. Privacy: where does your data go?
Financial data is the most revealing data you have: salary, rent, debts, habits. An app that asks you to sign up stores all of it on its own servers. Prefer an app that works without an account and keeps the data on your device.
2. Works offline
On the train, abroad or with no signal, you should still be able to log an expense at the moment it happens. If you have to wait, you forget.
3. Recording takes less than 10 seconds
The simplest test of all. If adding a coffee takes longer than ten seconds, you will give up within a month. See how to build a daily tracking habit.
4. One currency per account
A bank account in francs, a card in euros, cash, maybe savings in dollars. Each account should keep its own currency, and net worth should use exchange rates you control.
5. Budgets and savings goals
Recording is only half the job. A monthly budget per category ("Groceries 450") and a savings goal with a deadline ("Summer trip, 2,000 by June") turn a log into actual money management. The 50/30/20 rule is a good starting point.
6. Debts and money lent
"I lent Sam 200" has no place in a banking app. A good tracker keeps a running balance per person.
7. Recurring entries with reminders
Rent, insurance, subscriptions. Enter them once and confirm each month, ideally with the option to pay early, late or a different amount.
8. A backup you own
If your phone is lost, you need a backup file that lives in your iCloud Drive or Google Drive, ideally protected with a password, and restores on a new phone in one step.
How RizKharj fits
RizKharj was built around this list: free, no account, fully offline, one currency per account (156 currencies), monthly and weekly budgets per category, savings goals with deadlines, debts per person, recurring entries with reminders, receipt photos, a PIN lock and password-protected JSON backups plus CSV export. It is available on the App Store and as a web app you install from the browser. English, German and Persian, with the Gregorian and Persian calendars.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free expense tracker trustworthy?
It depends on how it makes money. Free with ads or data sales: no. RizKharj shows no ads, collects no data and is built and maintained by one developer in Switzerland.
Isn't my banking app enough?
For a single account, maybe. It does not see cash, a second bank, debts between friends or accounts in other currencies, so you never get the full picture.
Should I record every small purchase?
At the start, yes, so you can see your real spending pattern. After two or three months you can give small purchases a fixed "Miscellaneous" budget instead.