Stub44 vs Paycheck Buddy
Paycheck Buddy is a $1.99 iPhone paycheck estimator for 12 listed states, last updated in 2023. See how it compares with Stub44 on states, W-4 and price.
Disclosure: Stub44 is our app. It is listed on the App Store as “Salary Calculator +” (id 6762491263). This comparison is written honestly, including the places where Paycheck Buddy is the better fit. Ratings and pricing are from the US App Store and Google Play as of September 2026.
Quick answer
Paycheck Buddy by Money Calendar App LLC is a $1.99 paycheck estimator for iPhone and iPad that has been on the App Store since 2023. The catch is coverage and age: its description lists 12 states, and its last update shipped in December 2023.
Stub44 works out take-home pay on iPhone, iPad and Android, with federal and state income tax for all 50 states plus DC, W-4 inputs, Social Security and Medicare, and deductions. It is a free download with no ads, and it sells Pro at $2.99 a week or $29.99 a year.
If you work in one of Paycheck Buddy’s 12 listed states and want to pay once, pick Paycheck Buddy. If you work anywhere else, use Android, or want to enter your full W-4, pick Stub44.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Stub44 | Paycheck Buddy |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS + Android (iPhone, iPad, Android) | iOS (iPhone and iPad) |
| US App Store rating | No App Store ratings yet | 4.5 (13 ratings) |
| Google Play rating | 4.8, 1K+ installs | No Google Play listing |
| Last updated | August 2026 | December 2023 |
| Free-tier limits | Free download. What Pro adds is not stated on the listing | No free tier. $1.99 upfront |
| Paid plans | Pro at $2.99 a week or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day trial | $1.99 one time. No in-app purchases |
| Take-home pay estimate | Yes, with a full gross-to-net breakdown | Yes, with a Detail page added in April 2023. What it shows is not stated |
| Federal income tax | Yes. The listing names no tax year | Yes. The newest brackets in the release notes are 2024 (“Added 2024 Federal Tax bracket”, December 2023) |
| State income tax | Yes, all 50 states + DC | 12 listed states: AK, AL, AR, AZ, MA, RI, FL, NV, SD, TN, TX, WY. The December 2023 notes say “2024 State tax still in process” |
| State payroll items (SDI, PFL) | Yes, CA SDI, NY PFL and more | Not stated |
| Social Security and Medicare | Yes, with year-to-date wage-base capping and the additional Medicare surtax | Not stated |
| W-4 inputs | Yes, post-2020 and pre-2020 forms, plus state allowances | Not stated |
| Filing statuses | 5 | Not stated |
| Pay periods | 8: daily, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, yearly | 3 named: weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly |
| Hourly, salary and overtime | Yes, hourly with multiple overtime entries, or annual salary | Yes, hours-based pay and salary. Double time added in March 2023 |
| 401(k), HSA and FSA deductions | Yes, pre-tax and Roth retirement, HSA, FSA and custom buckets | Not stated |
| Garnishments | Yes, child support, IRS levy, creditor garnishment | Not stated |
| Multiple jobs / profiles | Yes, saved profiles for jobs, offers and what-ifs | Not stated |
| Export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Languages | 1 (English) | 1 (English) |
| Ads | No | No, none declared on the listing |
| Account required | No, works offline | Not stated |
| Data stays on device | Yes, calculations stay on the device, with no account | Not stated. The privacy label declares Data Not Collected |
| Privacy label | Identifiers used to track you and linked to you. Purchases, Usage Data, Diagnostics not linked to you | Data Not Collected |
Where Paycheck Buddy wins
You pay once and you are done. Paycheck Buddy costs $1.99 upfront, with no subscription and no in-app purchases. Stub44 is free to download but sells Pro at $2.99 a week or $29.99 a year. If you end up on Pro, a year of Stub44 costs about fifteen times what Paycheck Buddy costs for good.
Its privacy label declares no data collected. Paycheck Buddy’s App Store label declares Data Not Collected, with the line “The developer does not collect any data from this app.” Stub44’s label declares Identifiers used to track you and linked to you, plus Purchases, Usage Data and Diagnostics not linked to you.
It has a rating on the App Store. Paycheck Buddy averages 4.5 from 13 US ratings. That is a small sample, but Stub44 has no App Store ratings yet. Its only rating so far is 4.8 on Google Play.
Where Stub44 wins
It covers your state, wherever you work. Paycheck Buddy’s description reads: “Current States are AK, AL, AR, AZ, MA, RI, FL, NV, SD, TN, TX, WY, with more to come.” That leaves out California, New York, Illinois and every other state not on the list. Stub44 covers federal and state income tax for all 50 states plus DC, and it itemizes state payroll items such as CA SDI and NY PFL.
It has been updated this year. Paycheck Buddy’s last version, 1.1.6, shipped in December 2023, and none has shipped since. Its notes for that version say “Added 2024 Federal Tax bracket” and “2024 State tax still in process.” Stub44 was last updated in August 2026.
It asks for the inputs that change your check. Paycheck Buddy’s listing and release notes cover hours, salary, double time and three pay frequencies: weekly, bi-weekly and semi-monthly. They do not mention W-4 details, filing status, Social Security and Medicare, or deductions. Stub44 takes the post-2020 and pre-2020 W-4, five filing statuses, 401(k), HSA and FSA deductions, and garnishments, across eight pay periods.
It runs on Android and saves profiles. We found no Google Play listing for Paycheck Buddy. Stub44 is on Google Play with a 4.8 rating and over a thousand installs, and it saves paycheck profiles for jobs and offers that you switch between with one tap.
Pricing
- Stub44 is a free download with no ads. Pro is $2.99 a week or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial. What Pro adds is not spelled out on the store page.
- Paycheck Buddy by Money Calendar App LLC costs $1.99 upfront on the US App Store. There is no free edition, no subscription and no in-app purchase.
Over a year, Paycheck Buddy costs $1.99 once and Stub44 Pro costs $29.99 on the annual plan. Stub44’s free download costs nothing, but its listing does not say which features it includes.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Paycheck Buddy if you work in one of the 12 states it lists, you use an iPhone or iPad, you would rather pay $1.99 once than subscribe, and a privacy label that declares Data Not Collected matters to you. Its last update, though, was in December 2023.
Pick Stub44 if you work in a state outside Paycheck Buddy’s list, you use Android, or you want W-4, filing status, deduction and garnishment inputs in an app updated in August 2026. It has been on the App Store since April 2026 and has no App Store ratings yet.
If you are weighing more than these two, our best salary calculator apps roundup covers the wider field. For a quick number with nothing to install, our free salary take-home pay calculator by state and paycheck by pay frequency calculator run in the browser.
Frequently asked questions
Which states does Paycheck Buddy cover?
Its App Store description says: 'Current States are AK, AL, AR, AZ, MA, RI, FL, NV, SD, TN, TX, WY, with more to come.' No version of Paycheck Buddy has shipped since December 2023. Stub44 covers federal and state income tax for all 50 states plus DC.
When was Paycheck Buddy last updated?
Version 1.1.6 shipped in December 2023, and no version has shipped since. Its release notes for that version say 'Added 2024 Federal Tax bracket' and '2024 State tax still in process.' Stub44, listed on the App Store as Salary Calculator +, was last updated in August 2026. The Stub44 listing does not name a tax year.
Is Paycheck Buddy free?
No. Paycheck Buddy costs $1.99 upfront on the US App Store, with no in-app purchases and no subscription. Stub44 is a free download that sells Pro at $2.99 a week or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial. The Stub44 listing does not say which features need Pro.
Is Paycheck Buddy available on Android?
We found no Google Play listing for Paycheck Buddy by Money Calendar App LLC. It runs on iPhone and iPad. Stub44 is on the App Store as Salary Calculator + and on Google Play, where it has a 4.8 rating.
Does Paycheck Buddy handle W-4 inputs and deductions?
Its listing does not say. The description and release notes mention hours and salary input, double time, weekly, bi-weekly and semi-monthly pay, and state withholding, but not W-4 details, filing status, Social Security and Medicare, or deductions. Stub44 takes post-2020 and pre-2020 W-4 inputs, five filing statuses, 401(k), HSA and FSA deductions, and garnishments.
What do the privacy labels for Paycheck Buddy and Stub44 say?
Paycheck Buddy's App Store privacy label declares Data Not Collected. Stub44's label declares Identifiers used to track you and linked to you, plus Purchases, Usage Data and Diagnostics not linked to you. Stub44 keeps its calculations on the device and needs no account.