We live in a world of driverless cars and robot vacuum cleaners, yet splitting a bill still involves manual labour? Make it make sense. From swapping sort codes to sifting through spreadsheets, sharing expenses can feel like a part-time job. The good news is that there’s a new wave of bill-splitting apps here to fix that. But some do it far better than others. Here’s a look at the top three bill-splitting apps in the UK that actually make life easier.
Cino (pronounced CHEE-NO) is the new kid on the block and offers something no other bill-splitting app does – it splits the bill for you. Automatically. How? Cino works by linking your personal bank cards to shared group Cino cards. When you pay with Cino, everyone’s share comes out of their own bank account so there’s no need to settle up later. No swapping bank details or sending payment requests. All shared expenses are sorted on the spot. This is Cino’s biggest selling point, but it’s not the only one! It also boasts 0% conversion fees for sharing travel expenses, and it lets you control how you want to split each payment. Let's get into it.
How it works
✅ Automatic bill-splitting. It all happens in real time, at checkout, so it can save you alot of time and unnecessary admin.
✅ Totally free. No subscription fees, no annoying ads, no daily limits, no features hidden behind a paywall.
✅ Zero FX fees. Cino even waives currency conversion fees when you’re abroad, even if your linked bank charges them.
✅ No admin. You don’t need to record expenses manually or upload receipts. It tracks expenses automatically.
✅ Flexible Splits. You can split bills by amount or percentage so you only pay your fair share.
❌ Limited to groups of 8 (so not ideal if you're planning on sharing expenses with very large groups
Perfect bill-splitting app for:
Couples, flatmates, or friends who want an instant, seamless way to share expenses— whether it’s rent, dinners, taxis, or travel.
Splitwise has been around a lot longer than Cino, and is one of the most popular expense-sharing apps worldwide. It lets you create groups (for housemates, trips, etc.) and manually log every expense. You can split evenly or by percentage or amount, and it keeps a running balance of who owes who.
However, it doesn’t actually process payments — it’s more like a digital ledger. Once you’ve logged everything, you still need to “settle up” via bank transfer.
✅ Works globally
✅ Good for tracking long-term group expenses
✅ Integrates with PayPal for easy settlements
❌ Manual admin: You have to type in every transaction yourself.
❌Fronting the costs: Someone always has to front the bill upfront, which can be scary when it’s a large bill, and mess up your finances while you wait to be paid back.
❌ Limited free plan: You can only add 3 expenses per day before you’re forced to upgrade.
❌ Paywalls key features: Currency conversion, receipt scanning, and ad-free use are locked behind Splitwise Pro (£4.99/month).
❌ Not ideal for travel: You’ll hit daily limits quickly on holidays or group trips.
Perfect bill-splitting app for
Friends or housemates who want to log expenses over time — and don’t mind a bit of admin.
Similar to Splitwise, Tricount is a simple group expense tracker. You create a “tricount” (e.g. “Ibiza 2025”), invite your friends, and each person manually adds their expenses. The app calculates who owes who and suggests the simplest way to settle up.
Like Splitwise, Tricount doesn’t automate payments — you still have to transfer money yourself afterward.
Pros
✅ Free to use for basic features
✅ Works offline (great for travel)
✅ Handles multiple currencies
Cons
❌ Manual input: You still need to log each expense.
❌ No automatic payments: It tracks, but doesn’t transact.
❌ Premium features locked behind a paywall (like advanced exports).
Perfect for
Groups on holiday who want a simple way to keep score — as long as someone doesn’t mind doing the data entry.
Final Thoughts: Which Is the Best Bill-Splitting App in the UK?
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