WASHINGTON, D.C. - When Shashank Imarati and his partner moved in together, they did what most couples do: split everything 50/50. It seemed fair. It wasn't.
After their worst fight about money, the realization hit: equal and fair aren't the same thing. If both partners contribute the same percentage of their income rather than the same dollar amount, both feel the same financial pressure. That's actual fairness.
Shashank looked for an app that did this. Nothing existed. Every option forced an all-or-nothing choice: merge everything into joint accounts, or track expenses separately like roommates splitting a lease. Nothing let couples share what should be shared and keep private what should stay private. So he built Halfway.
The problem is bigger than one couple. Research backs this experience firsthand. 65% of married couples report frequent arguments about money. Couples who argue about money at least once a week are 30% more likely to divorce. Financial disagreements are the strongest predictor of divorce among all argument types studied. And a January 2026 Bankrate survey found that 40% of Americans in committed relationships admit to some form of financial infidelity with their current partner. Yet every major budgeting app on the market- Monarch Money, YNAB, Splitwise, Rocket Money- was designed for individuals. None of them address the core tension: when two people earn different amounts, splitting costs equally creates an invisible imbalance that builds resentment over time.
How Halfway works Halfway calculates a proportional split based on what each partner actually earns. If one partner makes $5,000 a month and the other makes $7,500, the app automatically splits every shared expense 40/60 instead of 50/50. Both partners contribute the same percentage of their paycheck. Both feel the same financial pressure.
Shared expenses are visible to both partners. Personal spending stays private. Couples get transparency where it matters and independence where they want it, without choosing between merging everything or tracking nothing together.
Free by design Halfway is free to use, with no credit card required and no ads. Shashank built it this way deliberately: budgeting should be accessible to everyone, not gated behind a paywall. The free plan includes income-based splitting at any ratio, shared and personal budgets, real-time settle up, subscription tracking, and net worth tracking. A premium tier adds automatic bank sync, an AI financial assistant called Penny, and free 1:1 sessions with a registered financial advisor, a feature no competing app offers at any price.
The app is available on iOS and Android in English, Spanish, and French.
Early traction Despite zero paid advertising and no outside funding, Halfway has grown organically to users in more than 30 countries. Couples who use the app report arguing about money 43% less, according to a Halfway user survey. Shashank Imarati, a serial entrepreneur who previously built and sold FlashFeed, built Halfway out of his own pocket.
Quote: "I use Halfway every single day with my partner," says Shashank. "It has to work. This isn't a side project. It's the most personal product I've ever built."
See your own fair split in seconds. Visit meethalfway.app to try the free calculator, no download or signup required. Halfway is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.
Contact Shashank Imarati,
Founder hello@meethalfway.app