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Reviewed · Updated 2026-10-04

YNAB (You Need A Budget)

YNAB is a zero-based budgeting app for people who want to plan every dollar, at $14.99 a month or $109 a year after a 34-day free trial.

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team ·
Try YNAB
Pricing
Free Trial
Best for
Hands-on zero-based budgets
Category
Finance, Billing & Accounting

YNAB (You Need A Budget) is a personal budgeting app that has you give every dollar a job before you spend it. It costs $14.99 a month or $109 a year, with a 34-day free trial and no card needed when you sign up on ynab.com. One subscription covers up to six people.

The bottom line

A strong pick for hands-on budgeters; overkill if you only want passive tracking.

6.4
Our score
6.4 / 10
Conversion Gems editorial verdict
$109/yr or $14.99/mo after 34-day trial
Features7/10
7 - budgeting, bank import, targets, reports and a loan calculator on web, iOS and Android, per ynab.com features.
Value6/10
6 - $109 a year or $14.99 a month with no free plan, offset by a 34-day trial and sharing with up to six people.
Ease of use6/10
6 - the app is simple to set up, but the 'What's it for?' method needs regular check-ins to work.
Ecosystem6/10
6 - bank import through MX and Plaid in the US, Canada, the UK and select European countries; few other named integrations.
Support7/10
7 - a detailed help centre at support.ynab.com plus human support, per ynab.com features.
What it really is

A zero-based personal budgeting app with bank import and household sharing.

Our take

YNAB is less a tracker than a habit: you decide what each dollar is for, then adjust when life changes. That approach is why people stick with it and why others quit after the trial. The price is higher than some budgeting apps, but sharing with up to six people softens it for households. Use the 34-day trial to see whether the routine fits.

Why we rate it

A proven budgeting method, solid bank import in its supported regions, and household sharing on one plan.

The catch

No free plan after the trial, and the method only works if you keep up with it.

Best for
Households budgeting together
Paying down debt with a plan
People who like hands-on control of spending
Not good for
Passive spending tracking
Detailed investment tracking
Banks outside the US, Canada, the UK and select European countries
Friction report
Time to value
Under an hour to link accounts and build a first budget; weeks to settle into the routine.
Scale breakpoint
No tiers: the same plan serves one person or six.
Walled garden
Moderate: your budget lives in YNAB's app; bank data comes in through MX and Plaid.

YNAB pricing

OptionPriceDetails
Monthly$14.99/moFull app on web, iOS and Android; share with up to 6 people
Annual$109/yr (about $9.08/mo)Same features, billed once a year
Free trial$0 for 34 daysNo card when you sign up on ynab.com; app-store sign-ups may ask for one
Students$0 for 365 daysProof of college enrollment required

From YNAB's pricing page, checked 4 October 2026. Prices exclude tax. Existing YNAB 4 users get 10% off annual for life.

Frequently Asked Questions

YNAB (You Need A Budget) alternatives

Other personal finance apps to compare:

Monarch Money: Budgeting with investment tracking and tools for managing money as a household.
Tiller: Bank feeds into your own Google Sheets or Excel budget spreadsheets.
Rocket Money: Finds and tracks subscriptions, with budgeting and bill negotiation on its paid tier.
Quicken Simplifi: Quicken's app for tracking spending, bills and a monthly spending plan.
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Tags

#Budgeting#PersonalFinance#MoneyApp

Conversion Gems independently reviews every tool. We may earn a commission if you sign up through our links — it never affects our verdict or ranking.