Why not just use a free spreadsheet?

For a simple two-person split it works, but spreadsheets break on currency conversion, manual formulas, and getting people to actually pay.

Does Make It Even handle currencies better than a sheet?

Yes. It supports 14 currencies and locks each expense's exchange rate to its date, so you never maintain rates by hand.

Can I get my data out?

Yes. Pro includes CSV export, and any account can request a full GDPR export or deletion.

Will it catch my math mistakes?

Splits are always calculated to sum exactly to the total, so there's no stray formula to throw the numbers off.

Yes. The free tier covers 3 active groups and 5 friends with no ads and no daily limits.

Make It Even vs a Spreadsheet

Plenty of groups start with a shared Google Sheet or an Excel file. It is free and flexible, and for two people splitting rent it can be enough. The trouble starts when the group grows, the currencies multiply, or someone fat-fingers a formula and the totals quietly go wrong.

Make It Even handles the parts a spreadsheet makes you do by hand. Splits are calculated to the cent and always sum to the total. Multiple currencies each lock their own day's exchange rate, so you never have to maintain a rate column or re-key conversions. Debt simplification figures out the fewest payments to square everyone up.

A sheet doesn't nudge anyone to pay, doesn't fit a phone screen, and doesn't catch the row you deleted by accident. The comparison below is about where automation earns its keep.

Feature	Make It Even	a spreadsheet
Free tier & ads	Free: 3 active groups, 5 friends, no ads	Free with a Google/Microsoft account
Pricing model	Free, with Pro at $3.99/mo or $29.99/yr	Free, or bundled with an office suite
Split types	Equal, exact, percentage, shares; itemized on Pro	Whatever you build by hand
Multi-currency & FX	14 currencies; each expense locks that day's rate	Manual rate columns; easy to get stale
Receipt scanning	AI receipt scan on Pro	Type every line yourself
Debt simplification	Yes, fewest payments	Build the netting logic yourself
Group budgets	Monthly group budgets included	Possible, but you maintain it
Settle-up & payments	PayPal / Venmo / Cash App links	None; copy figures manually
Error safety	Splits always sum to the total	One broken formula skews everything
Data export / privacy	GDPR export and delete; CSV on Pro	You own the file
Platform & setup	Hosted, installable PWA, mobile-first	Editable on phone, but clunky

Why people switch to Make It Even

No broken formulas

Make It Even computes every split so the parts always add up to the total. There is no cell to overwrite and no SUM range to forget.

Exchange rates handled for you

Each expense locks its own day's FX rate. You never maintain a rate column or worry that an old trip silently re-converts.

Actually gets people to pay

A spreadsheet records debts but can't collect them. Make It Even shows who owes whom and links out to PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App to settle.

Made for the table, not the desk

Adding an expense the moment it happens is a few taps on your phone, instead of pinch-zooming into a tiny cell.

Scan instead of type

With Pro, snap a receipt and let the scanner pull the amount, date, and items, rather than transcribing them row by row.

Try Make It Even free

Questions

Why not just use a free spreadsheet?: For a simple two-person split it works, but spreadsheets break on currency conversion, manual formulas, and getting people to actually pay.
Does Make It Even handle currencies better than a sheet?: Yes. It supports 14 currencies and locks each expense's exchange rate to its date, so you never maintain rates by hand.
Can I get my data out?: Yes. Pro includes CSV export, and any account can request a full GDPR export or deletion.
Will it catch my math mistakes?: Splits are always calculated to sum exactly to the total, so there's no stray formula to throw the numbers off.
Is it free to start?: Yes. The free tier covers 3 active groups and 5 friends with no ads and no daily limits.