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Tally Counter

Can a tally sheet app replace a Strichliste on paper?

Yes, for a small list on one phone: make a named counter per person or per drink and tap it each time someone takes one. The count is on the list at a glance and History keeps every tick with its time, but there is no export and no money column.

3 min read · Updated 2026-09-10

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A Strichliste is the German sheet of pencil strokes next to names, the one taped to the club fridge or scribbled on a beer mat: four lines and a strike for every five. The app can replace a beer-mat tally list for a group, with one big gap covered below.

Set up the list

  1. On Counters, tap + > New Counter and type a person's name, or a drink, in Name. Pick an Icon and Color so the rows are easy to tell apart.
  2. Keep the step size at 1: one tap, one stroke. Tap Save.
  3. Repeat for the other names. The list shows each name with its number, like a sheet without the strokes.
  4. Already have strokes on paper? Open that counter, long-press the big button, choose Enter Amount… and type the number.

To tick someone, open their counter and tap once. It took us about two seconds from unlocking the phone, which is slower than a pencil on a fridge but faster than finding the pencil.

Settling up after the weekend

The app counts; it does not know what a drink costs. Multiplying each count by 1.50 per bottle gives:

Three counters at the end of the weekend, 1.50 per drink
CounterCountOwes
Tom710.50
Anna46.00
Lukas913.50
All three2030.00

If Tom had 12 strokes on the old beer mat from before, type 12 into Enter Amount… before the weekend; History logs it as +12, and 7 new ones take him to 19, or 28.50 at the same price. Then swipe right on each row and tap Reset to start the next list at 0. The old ticks stay in History, grouped by day.

Where it falls short of paper

The gap: the list lives on one phone. Nobody else can tick themselves from their own iPhone, there is no iCloud sync, and there is no export, share or CSV. To settle with someone who wasn't there, a screenshot of the list is the way to do it. A sheet on the fridge everyone can reach still beats it for a busy clubhouse.

  • Free holds 3 counters. Watch Ad for +1 Counter gives a fourth slot until you close the app; the counter you made stays, but the next one needs another ad or Pro.
  • Pro comes as a weekly, monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase. It removes the counter limit and the ads and adds 8 more colours. A team list can easily run to 11 names, well past the free cap, which is when Pro becomes worth it.
  • No total across counters and no prices. Add up yourself, as above.
  • Counts stop at 0. Decrease takes a wrong tick back.

Where it beats paper: nobody can rub out a stroke without it showing. Every tap and every Decrease is in History with a time, so disputing "I only had three" is a quick look. For a small group, it is worth installing for that alone; for a busy clubhouse, paper may still be simpler.

Questions and answers

Is there a tally mark app for iPhone?
Tally Counter keeps tallies as numbers rather than drawn strokes: one named counter per item, one tap per mark. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Is the tally sheet app free?
Yes, with up to 3 counters and ads outside the counting screen. Pro is optional and adds unlimited counters, colours, the Home Screen widget and no ads.
Can I use it as a drink tally app?
Yes: one counter per person or per drink, one tap per drink. It does not handle prices or bills, so you multiply the counts yourself.
Can I share or export the tally list?
No. There is no export, share or sync. A screenshot of the list or of History is the way to pass it on.

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