A Tricount alternative for group trips: when Cobote fits better
Tricount and Splitwise are the best-known apps for splitting costs, and for good reason: they work. If you're after an alternative, it's usually for one of these reasons: you don't want the whole group to install an app, you've hit the limits of Splitwise's free version, or your trip has something they don't handle well, like people not being there every day.
Here's what each one does, checked in October 2026, and when Cobote may fit better.
What Tricount and Splitwise do well
- Tricount (by bunq) is free, with no ads or limits, and you join a group with a link, no account needed. It runs on its iPhone and Android app.
- Splitwise is great for costs that never end: a shared flat, a couple, household bills. It needs an account. According to several 2026 reviews, its free version limits how many expenses you can add per day and shows ads; Splitwise Pro removes those limits for $4.99 a month.
For a shared flat or a couple's money, they'll probably suit you better than Cobote: Cobote is built for a group with dates (a month at most).
When Cobote fits better
| Cobote | Tricount | Splitwise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free with limits; paid Pro |
| Account needed | No | Not to join a group | Yes |
| App to install | No, it's a website | Yes | Has a web version, with an account |
| Split by meals and nights | Yes | No | No |
| Shopping list in the balance | Yes | No | No |
| Games (pot, poker) in the balance | Yes | No | No |
In short, Cobote fits if:
- Not everyone is there for everything. Everyone ticks their meals, the house is split by nights and each meal among those who come. See the numbers in how to split when not everyone is there every day.
- You also want to sort out the shopping: a list by meal, who buys each thing and its price, in the same balance. More in the group shopping list.
- There's a game: a pot or poker with rebuys goes into the same balance. More in poker night with friends.
- You don't want to ask anyone to install anything: it's a website. Share the link on WhatsApp and everyone joins from their phone.
What Cobote doesn't do
So you can choose well: Cobote doesn't move money, doesn't scan receipts, has no user accounts and isn't real-time (others' changes show up when you come back to the screen). It's meant to be very simple: one link, the plan, the shopping, the costs and who pays whom.