Yes, if privacy and no-account simplicity matter to you. Who-Owes keeps your ledger on your devices and syncs it end-to-end encrypted between peers, with no ads or paywall.
Splitwise is the default expense splitter for most groups, but it's a centralized service: your ledger lives on its servers, behind an account, alongside ads and a Pro paywall. Who-Owes keeps the same job-to-be-done but removes the middleman.
Who-Owes syncs ledgers directly between group members' devices over an end-to-end-encrypted P2P mesh — no accounts, no cloud, no servers holding who you split with. Here's how the two compare.
| Feature | Who-Owes | Splitwise |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Peer-to-peer mesh (iroh-gossip), no servers | Centralized cloud service |
| Accounts | None | Required |
| Ads / paywall | None | Ads + Pro subscription |
| Data custody | On your devices (local-first) | On Splitwise's servers |
| Sync | Direct device-to-device, end-to-end encrypted | Cloud sync |
| Offline-first | Yes | Limited |
| Settle-up | Hand off to your own payment app | Integrated payments (region-dependent) |
| Cost | Free | Free + Pro subscription |
Choose Who-Owes if you want your group's balances to stay private, ad-free, and on your own devices. Choose Splitwise if you need a mature web client and don't mind a cloud account and ads.
Yes, if privacy and no-account simplicity matter to you. Who-Owes keeps your ledger on your devices and syncs it end-to-end encrypted between peers, with no ads or paywall.
No. Who-Owes is local-first and peer-to-peer — ledgers sync directly between group members' devices, and no server holds your data.
No account is required. Groups are formed device-to-device over an encrypted mesh.