Free shared expenses template
Three ready-made spreadsheets —trip, flatshare and couple— with the formulas already built in: add the expenses and the sheet tells you how much each person paid, what their share is and who pays whom. For Excel and Google Sheets.
Download the templates
Direct download: no sign-up, no email, no macros. .xlsx file, about 40 KB, no macros.
Trip expenses template
Up to 8 people. Each expense records who paid and who shares it (double or half shares too, for example for kids). Each person's balance and a who-pays-whom table.
Flatshare expenses template
Up to 6 people. Monthly bills, split equally or by percentage according to the room, the balance for any month you pick and a running balance.
Couple expenses template
Split 50/50, in proportion to income (the percentage is worked out for you) or with the one you agree on. «Half and half» or «all for the other» when needed. One sentence tells you who pays how much.
What it looks like inside (trip template)
Four friends, six expenses: fuel, an apartment, a dinner Paul skipped, groceries, a museum and a boat trip where Paul counts double because he brings his son. This is what the «Balances» tab works out with the sample data:
| Person | Paid | Share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna | 116.00 | 191.74 | −75.74 |
| Leo | 480.00 | 179.74 | +300.26 |
| Maria | 96.50 | 191.74 | −95.24 |
| Paul | 54.30 | 183.58 | −129.28 |
Who pays whom
- Anna pays Leo 75.74
- Maria pays Leo 95.24
- Paul pays Leo 129.28
These are the same numbers you see when you open the file. The sample names and expenses take seconds to delete.
How to use the template
- Type the names in the «People» tab (in the couple template, in «Settings»).
- Add each expense on its own row: date, description, amount and who paid, picked from a drop-down. In the trip template type 1 under everyone who shares it; in the flatshare and couple templates you pick the type of split.
- Check the balance: positive means they are owed; negative means they owe. In the flatshare and couple templates you type the year and month to see just that month.
- Make the payments shown in the «Who pays whom» table and start a new sheet or a new month.
The grey columns are formulas, so leave them alone. If the «Warning» column shows something, that row is missing data. Every file has a «How to use it» tab with all of this.
Using it in Google Sheets
There is no «make a copy» button because the template is a file, not a Google sheet. Moving it to Google Sheets takes a minute:
- Download the .xlsx file.
- Open Google Sheets and go to File → Import → Upload.
- Pick the file and create a new spreadsheet with it.
You can also upload it to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. Then share it with the group using the «Share» button. The formulas are the basic ones (SUM, SUMIF, IF, ROUND), which Google Sheets also has.
Template or app: when to use each
A spreadsheet works well when one person keeps the accounts and the rest trust them. It falls short when everyone wants to add their own expenses, when there are several currencies or when bills repeat every month.
| Excel / Sheets template | Cuentas Claras app | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free (optional Premium, €5.99/year) |
| Who adds expenses | Whoever has the sheet | Everyone from their own phone, or from the browser with nothing to install |
| Who pays whom | Yes, with formulas | Yes, with the fewest payments, to the cent |
| Ways to split | The ones in each template | Equally, percentage, exact amounts or shares, expense by expense |
| Several currencies | By hand | 26 currencies with automatic conversion |
| Rent, power, Netflix… | Copy the rows every month | «Repeat every month» adds them by itself |
| Closing the month | Change the month in the sheet | Monthly wrap-up: who pays whom and «Settle up now» |
| Long receipts | Type them line by line | Scan the receipt with AI and let each person tick their items (Premium) |
| Paying | Ask for bank details by message | Copy the IBAN of whoever gets paid with one tap |
If you switch to the app, note that it does not import the sheet: the quickest way is to create the group and add whatever is pending as one expense, or start from the next expense.
Rather not download anything?
For a one-off bill there is the expense splitting calculator (in Spanish), which runs in the browser with nothing to install. And for monthly bills, see our guide to shared monthly expenses (in Spanish).
Frequently asked questions
Is the shared expenses template really free?
Yes. It downloads directly, with no sign-up and no email, and it has no macros and nothing to install.
Can I use it in Google Sheets?
Yes: in Google Sheets go to File, Import, Upload and choose the .xlsx file, or upload it to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. It only uses basic formulas.
How many people does it hold?
The trip template takes up to 8 people and 200 expenses; the flatshare one, up to 6 people and 300 expenses; the couple one, 2 people and 300 expenses.
How do I split couple expenses 60/40?
In the couple template, under «Settings», choose «Manual percentage» and type 60, or choose «Proportional to income» and enter both incomes: the percentage is worked out for you.
Can I move the sheet data into the app?
No: the app does not import spreadsheets. If you switch, create the group and add what is pending as one expense, or start from the next one.
Why is there sometimes a cent too many or too few?
Each balance is rounded to the cent separately, so now and then the total is off by one cent. That is rounding, not a mistake in the maths.
When the sheet falls short
The app is free, runs on Android, iPhone and in the browser, and everyone adds their own expenses from their phone.
Keep reading: Split travel expenses · Shared flat expenses · Shared expenses for couples · Expense splitting calculator · Home · Help