My wife asked me a simple question in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“How much did we spend on eating out last month?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I opened my HDFC bank statement. Scrolled through 47 transactions. Tried to mentally add up Swiggy, Zomato, restaurants, cafes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gave up after 10 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Around 15,000 I think?” I guessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wasn’t impressed. “You worked at tech startups for 15 years and can’t track basic expenses?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fair point. I had worked at places like HappyFox and Druva. Built marketing systems. Tracked every metric that mattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But my own money? Total blind spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s when I started looking for apps that actually helped track spending. Not just show transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I found Niyo<\/a> and Jupiter<\/a> around 2020. Both promised smart expense tracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ve been using both for nearly four years now. My elder son uses Jupiter. I use Niyo for travel expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After tracking over \u20b940 lakh in expenses across both platforms, here’s what actually works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Niyo started as a travel focused fintech in 2015. They built their reputation on zero forex cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But expense tracking? That came later. And honestly, it’s basic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I got my Niyo Global card<\/a> in 2019. Mainly for international travel to avoid forex charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The app shows your transactions. Categorizes them automatically. You can see spending by category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No deep insights. No spending trends. No alerts when you overspend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s functional. Gets the job done. But nothing special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I use Niyo primarily for one thing. Tracking my international spending separately from domestic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I travel, every transaction is on Niyo. When I come back, I know exactly what the trip cost. Clean separation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to how I manage money across countries<\/a>, keeping travel expenses separate helps with budgeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quick note: If expense tracking is your main priority, Niyo might disappoint you. It’s built for forex savings, not expense intelligence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jupiter launched in 2020 with expense tracking as a core feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The founder, Jitendra Gupta, previously built Citrus Pay. He understood that people needed better spending visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I opened my Jupiter account in early 2021. Took 8 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The expense tracking impressed me immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Automatic categorization. Monthly spending reports. Comparisons with previous months. Alerts when you’re overspending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My younger son got his first salary in 2023. Put it in Jupiter. Within a month, he knew exactly where his money was going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Dad, I’m spending 18% of my salary on food delivery. That’s crazy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He cut it down to 8% next month. The visibility alone changed behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s the power of good expense tracking. It’s not just data. It’s actionable insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you’re planning finances after moving back<\/a>, understanding spending patterns is critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me show you what matters for actual expense tracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is Niyo for Expense Tracking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is Jupiter for Expense Tracking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Head to Head Comparison<\/h2>\n\n\n\n