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Loam vs Money Lover
Money Lover is a popular money manager where you log transactions yourself, with paid bank sync in some Asian markets. Loam records your spending from your bank’s text messages instead, and adds the bigger picture: net worth, runway and a long-term forecast.
Feature by feature
| Loam | Money Lover | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price | $30 a year or $3 a month | Free; Premium $19.99 once (US), plus optional add-on subscriptions |
| Free trial | 30 days, no payment details needed | 14 days of Premium; 7 days of bank sync |
| Free plan | No, the trial is the free part | Yes: one wallet, two budgets, with ads |
| Ads | None | Yes on the free plan |
| Privacy and your data | ||
| Account required | None, not even an email | Yes: email, Google or Apple sign-in |
| Bank login | Never | Optional paid add-on; you enter your bank username and password |
| Where your data lives | On your phone, plus your own iCloud or Google device backup | Money Lover’s servers on Google and Amazon cloud |
| AI and your finances | Never sees your finances. Only a bank text format Loam has never seen goes out, until Loam learns its pattern | AI receipt scanning and chat entry; provider not disclosed |
| Analytics and tracking | None | Yes; its App Store label lists data used to track you |
| App lock | Face ID, Touch ID or fingerprint | PIN, Face ID, Touch ID or fingerprint |
| Export | CSV or JSON | CSV and Google Sheets (Premium) |
| Getting transactions in | ||
| Bank sync | No, by design | Paid add-on, mainly Southeast Asian and Hong Kong banks |
| Bank text messages | Yes, read on the phone. Automatic on Android; a Shortcut on iPhone | No; Apple Pay and Google Pay logging instead (beta) |
| Manual entry | Yes | Yes, the core of the app |
| Voice entry | Siri, without opening the app | Siri (limited beta) and Apple Watch |
| Receipt scanning | No | Yes, AI scanning, up to 10 at once (beta) |
| Categorising | Merchant rules you set, suggested once you file a shop by hand twice | Categories you pick; AI suggests them in beta features |
| What it tracks | ||
| Credit cards | Yes, with statements and installment plans | Last statement balance, statement day and due day |
| Deposits and CDs | Yes: interest payouts, floating rates and maturity | No; savings goal wallets without interest |
| Stocks and ETFs | Yes, with average cost and gain | No |
| Crypto | Yes, priced for you | No; crypto wallets were discontinued in 2020 |
| Gold and silver | Gold by karat and silver by fineness, priced off spot | No |
| Property | Yes | No |
| Loans and mortgages | Mortgages, loans and installment plans | Debts and loans between people, with reminders |
| Currencies | 80, and totals also readable in a steadier one, such as USD | Multi-currency wallets at live rates |
| Planning | ||
| Budgets | Monthly category budgets, tagged needs or wants | Category limits, weekly to yearly |
| Spending insights | Per category, five months back, with what to do | Category charts and trends against a 3-month average |
| Net worth over time | No; the forecast looks forward instead | No dedicated chart |
| Long-term forecast | 5, 10 or 20 years of your deposits and investments, with your own return per holding | No; within-budget forecast only |
| Inflation-adjusted view | Consumer prices, monetary debasement and currency devaluation, filled in for you | No |
| Runway | Yes: months of your budget the assets you choose would cover | No |
| Savings goals | No goals; a monthly savings target and savings rate | Yes, goal wallets with a target and date |
| Recurring charges | Spots monthly charges, their yearly cost and when one goes up | Recurring transactions and bills |
| Everyday use | ||
| Apps | iPhone and Android | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Android |
| Web app | No | Yes, on desktop browsers |
| Sharing with a partner | No | Yes, shared wallets by email |
| Notifications | None, ever | Bill, budget, debt and due-date reminders |
| Languages | English and Arabic | 29 languages, including Arabic |
| Where it works | Anywhere, with banks that text in English or Arabic | Worldwide; bank sync in selected Asian markets |
Which should you pick?
| Money Lover is stronger at | Loam is stronger at |
|---|---|
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Pick Money Lover if you want a free app to log spending by hand across several devices. Pick Loam if you also hold savings, investments or gold and want to see them add up.
More comparisons
Try Loam free for 30 days.
In beta now on iPhone and Android. No account, no bank login, no payment details for the trial. Then $30 a year or $3 a month.
Money Lover details are taken from its own website and app store listings in September 2026 and may have changed since. Money Lover is a trademark of its owner; Loam is not affiliated with it.