Shared Household Calculators
Who owes whom.
Enter what each person paid and, if shares are not equal, what each should have paid. You get net balances and the fewest payments that settle the group. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Who paid what
Result
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
Alex paid 120.00, Jo 45.00 and Kim 60.00 for shared costs; Sam and Lee paid nothing. The total is 225.00, so an equal share of five is 45.00. Balances are Alex +75.00, Kim +15.00, Jo 0.00, Sam -45.00 and Lee -45.00. The fewest payments is 3: Lee pays Alex 45.00; Sam pays Alex 30.00; Sam pays Kim 15.00.
How it works
Balance = paid - fair share. People with a positive balance are owed money; negative balances owe. The fewest payments equals the number of people with a balance minus the largest number of groups that net to zero among themselves. The tool finds that exactly by checking every grouping (up to 8 people), then pays each group from the largest debtor to the largest creditor. Everything is in whole cents, so nothing is lost to rounding. If you enter fair shares yourself they must add up to the total paid.
Sources and basis (checked 2026-10-08): arithmetic on the numbers you enter, with no external constants or published figures. Amounts are in whatever currency you enter. This is a calculation aid, not legal, tax or financial advice.
FAQ
How do I work out who owes whom in a group?
Add up what each person paid, subtract their fair share, and the difference is their balance. People with a positive balance are owed; people with a negative balance pay. This tool then finds the smallest set of payments.
Is the number of payments really the minimum?
Yes for up to 8 people. The tool checks how the balances can be grouped into sets that cancel out and uses the grouping with the most sets, which gives the fewest payments.
What if shares are not equal?
Untick the equal share box and enter each fair share. The shares must add up to the total paid, and the tool tells you if they do not.
Does it handle currencies or tax?
No. Use one currency and enter the final amounts. It only nets balances and suggests payments.
Can I use it instead of Splitwise or Venmo?
It does the same simplify-debts arithmetic, but it does not store anything or send money. You make the payments yourselves.