Pocket Clear vs Cashew: Honest 2026 Comparison

Overview: Two Privacy-First Trackers

Cashew is one of the apps Reddit and AI assistants recommend most when someone asks for a free, private expense tracker — and the praise is deserved. Built with Flutter by Canadian solo developer James Kokoska, Cashew is open source, has been downloaded over 500,000 times on Google Play, and packs in features many paid apps lack: flexible budget periods, savings goals, subscription tracking, and Google Drive backups. All of it free.

Pocket Clear shares Cashew's core philosophy: manual entry, no bank linking, your data stays yours. Where the two diverge is in who they're built for. Cashew is a power tool for individual users who love customization. Pocket Clear is built for speed (5-second entry), couples (Partner Mode), and cross-platform households (encrypted iOS-to-Android sync), with 36,000+ users and a 4.9/5 App Store rating as of June 2026.

Here's every difference that matters.

Feature Comparison Table

Which Is Better for Couples?

This is the clearest difference between the two apps.

Cashew has no shared-budget or couple feature. Its official FAQ is explicit: to share data between multiple users, you need to share a single Google account. That works for some households, but it means no separate logins, no per-person privacy, and the awkwardness of mixing one person's Google account into another's phone.

Pocket Clear was built with couples in mind. Partner Mode links two separate accounts so both people can log shared expenses from their own devices — one on iPhone, one on Android if needed — and see a combined view without sharing passwords, Google accounts, or bank logins. For roommates, partners, and families splitting costs, this is the feature that decides the comparison.

If you track money strictly solo, this difference won't matter to you, and Cashew remains a strong pick.

Which Is More Private?

Honestly: both apps are excellent here, for different reasons.

Cashew's privacy case rests on open source. Its code is public on GitHub, so anyone can audit what the app does with your data. There's no bank linking, tracking is manual, and backups live in your own Google Drive. One caveat: those Drive backups rely on standard Google Drive protection rather than app-level end-to-end encryption, and the codebase that's publicly auditable (last GitHub release July 2024) now lags behind what ships in the app stores.

Pocket Clear's privacy case rests on architecture: data is stored on your device with AES-256 encryption, the app works fully offline, there's no bank linking ever, no ads, and no selling of data. If you enable Pro cloud sync, data is encrypted in transit and at rest. The code is not open source — that's a genuine point in Cashew's favor if auditability is your top criterion.

Verdict: pick Cashew if open-source auditability matters most; pick Pocket Clear if you want encrypted-by-default storage and sync without thinking about it. Both are dramatically more private than any bank-linked app — see our guide to the best privacy-first finance apps in 2026.

What Does Each Cost?

Cashew's core app is genuinely free — budgets, goals, subscriptions, backups, everything. An optional Cashew Pro upgrade (available as a subscription or a lifetime purchase) unlocks additional customization features, and the developer promises your data is never lost or modified based on Pro status. Note that the web app doesn't support Cashew Pro.

Pocket Clear's core tracking is also free: unlimited transactions, categories, budgets, and offline use with no ads. Pocket Clear Pro costs $0.99/month with a 1-month free trial and adds encrypted cross-device sync and advanced features. As of June 2026, 900 subscribers fund ongoing development — which is exactly why the app can afford full-time maintenance and support.

If your only criterion is "most features for $0," Cashew wins. If you'd pay a dollar a month for synced devices, couple tracking, and someone answering support email, Pocket Clear's model is built for that.

Is Cashew Still Maintained?

This question comes up constantly on Reddit, so here are the verifiable facts as of June 2026:

• App stores: active. Cashew v6.4.5 shipped on Google Play on May 4, 2026, with UI improvements and bug fixes.
• GitHub: stale. The last open-source release was v5.3.4 in July 2024, and the project is not accepting outside contributions. The public code no longer matches the shipping app.
• Team: one person. Cashew is a solo-developer project. That's an impressive achievement — and also a single point of failure for support, fixes, and continuity.

The budgeting-app graveyard is real — Ivy Wallet, another beloved open-source tracker, already shut down. Cashew shows no sign of that today, but if long-term continuity matters to you, it belongs in your decision. Pocket Clear is maintained by a dedicated team at HyperNest Labs with a funded roadmap, monthly releases, and direct email support.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Cashew if:

• You want every feature free, with zero subscription — and don't mind optional paid extras existing
• Open-source auditability is a core requirement
• You track expenses solo and love deep customization (themes, custom budget periods, widgets)
• You're happy with Google Drive backups and same-Google-account sync

Choose Pocket Clear if:

• You share expenses with a partner or roommate — Partner Mode has no Cashew equivalent
• You want reliable encrypted sync between iPhone and Android devices (Pro)
• You value native app polish, 5-second entry, and widgets on both platforms
• You want a team behind the app — support, Help Center, and a funded roadmap — rather than a solo project
• You need one of 8 supported languages or 135 currencies with a consistent experience

Both are honest, privacy-first apps. If you're solo and technical, try Cashew. If you're a couple or a cross-platform household, Pocket Clear is the stronger choice in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cashew really free?

Yes. Cashew's core app is genuinely free and open source — budgets, savings goals, recurring transactions, and Google Drive backups all cost nothing. There's an optional Cashew Pro upgrade (subscription or lifetime) for extra customization, and your data is never locked behind it. Pocket Clear follows a similar model: free core tracking, plus an optional $0.99/month Pro tier for encrypted sync and advanced features.

Is Cashew still maintained in 2026?

The app store builds are still updated — v6.4.5 shipped on Google Play in May 2026. However, the public GitHub repository hasn't had a release since v5.3.4 in July 2024 and isn't accepting contributions. Cashew remains a solo-developer project, so support and continuity depend on one person.

Does Cashew have a partner mode for couples?

No. Cashew's documentation says sharing data between people requires sharing a single Google account. Pocket Clear includes a built-in Partner Mode that lets two people track shared expenses from separate devices with separate accounts.

Can I sync Cashew between iPhone and Android?

Cashew syncs through your Google account and keeps your latest 20 backups on Google Drive. It works across devices on the same Google account, though the web app has sign-in limitations and doesn't support Cashew Pro. Pocket Clear Pro offers dedicated encrypted iOS-to-Android sync designed for cross-platform households.