Updated 2026-09-18
UPI expense tracker, without SMS access
OwnFi tracks UPI spending without reading your SMS: on Android it turns your bank's own notifications into transactions on the phone, and on any phone it imports PhonePe and Google Pay statements, UPI screenshots and password-protected bank PDFs from SBI, HDFC, ICICI and Axis.
SMS-reading trackers see every message on the phone. A notification listener sees only the alerts from the banking apps you allow, and OwnFi never sends any of it anywhere.
How it compares
| OwnFi | axio (Walnut) | Money Manager (Realbyte) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-capture on Android | Bank notifications, parsed on the phone | Reads transaction SMS | Optional SMS parsing |
| Auto-capture on iPhone | Statement PDFs, UPI screenshots, share sheet | None (SMS reading is not possible on iOS) | None |
| Asks for SMS permission | Never | Yes | Optional |
| Password-protected bank PDFs | Yes (iPhone, and Android 15 or newer) | No | No |
| Loans or Pay Later inside the app | No | Yes | No |
| Price | Free, no tier | Free | Free, paid ad-free version |
Competitor facts were checked against their public Play Store and App Store listings on 18 September 2026. Tell us if something is out of date.
How it works
- Turn on bank alert capture (Android)
Choose which banking apps OwnFi may read notifications from. It is off by default, needs no SMS permission, and each alert is parsed on the phone.
- Import the statement (any phone)
PhonePe and Google Pay statements, UPI and passbook screenshots, and SBI/HDFC/ICICI/Axis PDFs, including password-protected ones.
- See the month
Categories, recurring payments, the daily safe-to-spend number, and a tax-year export that follows the 1 April fiscal year.
Questions
Why not just read SMS like other trackers?
SMS access is all or nothing: the app sees every message, including OTPs. Notification capture is limited to the banking apps you pick, and OwnFi processes it on the phone.
Does it work on iPhone?
Yes. iPhone has no way to read SMS or notifications, so OwnFi uses statement PDFs, PhonePe and Google Pay statements and UPI screenshots instead.
Which Indian banks parse?
SBI, HDFC, ICICI and Axis statements, PhonePe and Google Pay exports, CDSL and KFintech CAS files for investments, and Zerodha and Angel One spreadsheets.
Is my data uploaded?
No. There is no server. Data stays on the phone, encrypted at rest.
Is it free?
Yes, with no subscription and no loans or Pay Later offers inside the app.
About OwnFi
OwnFi is a free budgeting app that imports your bank statements instead of logging into your bank. Nothing leaves your phone. Free on iPhone and Android, with a sample-data mode so you can look before importing anything. See everything it does or read the privacy proof.