TapSheet and Lumi answer different questions: TapSheet builds you a savings plan from a questionnaire and shows one number — what's left to spend — while Lumi captures what you actually spend with voice, Apple Pay auto-import, and receipt scanning. The bigger practical difference is the paywall: in TapSheet, even adding transactions requires a subscription after the 3-day trial; Lumi's core logging is free.

Quick comparison

	Lumi	TapSheet
Core idea	Capture-first: log everything effortlessly, budget from real data	Plan-first: income − fixed expenses − savings = remaining to spend
Entry methods	Voice, Apple Pay auto-import, receipt scan, manual	Manual, subscription-gated
Free tier	Voice input, Apple Pay import, 10 AI scans/mo, 2 budgets	3-day trial; transactions require a paid plan
AI	Speech parsing, receipt vision, month-end forecast	None
Bank login	Never	No
Setup	None — start logging	Questionnaire builds the plan
Price	Free / $4.99/mo ($39.99/yr)	Subscription (monthly or yearly) required for core use
App Store rating	—	~4.6 (small review base; launched Jan 2026)

Where TapSheet wins

The onboarding insight is real: most people don't want fifty categories, they want one number — "how much can I still spend this month?" TapSheet's questionnaire gets a beginner from zero to that number in minutes, and the single-figure display is genuinely calming. If you've never budgeted and want to be told the answer, it's an appealing front door.

Where Lumi wins

A "remaining to spend" number is only as honest as the expenses behind it — and TapSheet relies on you manually typing every purchase into a subscription-locked form. Lumi gets the same answer from data that collects itself: say "coffee five euros", let Apple Pay taps import automatically, scan receipts. The AI forecast then projects your month-end balance from three months of real spending — the same "what's left" answer, computed instead of estimated. And the free tier is a real product, not a trial.

Which one should you pick?

Complete beginner who wants a guided plan and doesn't mind paying before trying properly: TapSheet's approach may click. Anyone who's ever abandoned a tracker because manual entry got old: Lumi — the capture methods are the difference between week two and month twelve. For the plan itself, the 50/30/20 calculator builds the same needs/wants/savings split for free.

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FAQ

Is TapSheet free?

Effectively no — there's a 3-day trial, after which adding transactions requires a monthly or yearly subscription. This is the most common complaint in its reviews.

What is TapSheet's method?

Income minus fixed expenses minus savings goal equals "remaining to spend" — a simplified zero-based approach showing one headline number. The same logic is described in what is zero-based budgeting.

Does Lumi show a "safe to spend" number like TapSheet?

Lumi's AI forecast goes further: it projects your month-end balance from your actual 3-month spending rate (excluding outliers) with a confidence score — so the number reflects your real behavior, not just your plan.

Which is better for a first budgeting app?

If you'll genuinely type in every purchase, either works. Realistically, retention decides it: logging that takes seconds survives; forms behind a paywall usually don't. See how to track spending so it sticks.