Off Finance vs a spreadsheet for tracking expenses
I also tried spreadsheets. On a computer, they worked well. The hard part was keeping one sheet up to date together with my girlfriend, and using it on a phone. I also had to teach her how the sheet worked. I built Off Finance so nobody needs a tutorial: open the app, add the expense, done.
Spreadsheets are still great for a lot of things. This page is about one job: keeping track of everyday spending, alone or with a partner.
| What you need | Off Finance | Spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Adding an expense on your phone | Type the amount, pick a category, save. Or use free Expense automation on Android: Google Wallet purchases with category and payment-method rules add themselves; anything else waits for review. | Small cells on a small screen, and it’s easy to type in the wrong row. |
| Monthly and yearly totals | The month opens with income, spending, and what’s left. Performance shows how the months and the year add up. | SUM and other formulas you write and keep working, even after someone adds a row in the wrong place. |
| Recurring bills | Set the amount and the day once. Each month gets its entry, and you can pause or stop it. | Copy the rows every month, or build formulas for it. |
| Installments | Enter the total and the number of payments. Each one shows up in its own month. | One row per payment, or formulas you set up. |
| Budgets | Monthly budgets by category and payment method, with what’s left to spend. | More formulas and conditional formatting. |
| Sharing with a partner | A shared vault by invitation. You see who added what, and only the vault’s owner pays for sync. | Share the file. Both of you need to follow the same structure. |
| Without internet | Everything on your phone works offline. Sync catches up when you’re back online. | Depends on the app. Excel opens files saved on the device. Google Sheets needs you to make a file available offline ahead of time. |
| Learning to use it | No tutorial. Open the app, add the expense, done. | You build the sheet, and anyone who shares it has to learn how it works. |
| Price | Free on your phone. Sync is $3.00 a month, and only a shared vault’s owner pays. | Google Sheets is free. Excel comes with Microsoft 365, and its phone app is free on small screens. |
Spreadsheet app details checked on October 4, 2026.
Why choose Off Finance
- Add an expense in seconds, right on your phone.
- Monthly totals without formulas.
- Works without internet.
- Share a vault with your partner by invitation.