YNAB

Zero-based personal budgeting app

Best for: Individuals wanting to take active control of spending with zero-based budgeting

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4.7/5Editorial score 88/100ynab.com

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Editorial score88/100

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The editorial note

What to know about YNAB

YNAB (You Need A Budget) is a personal finance app based on zero-based budgeting — every dollar of income gets assigned a job before it's spent. Unlike passive tracking apps (Mint, which just categorizes spending), YNAB requires proactive budget assignment, which studies show reduces spending by $600 in the first month on average. With 4 million users, YNAB is the most popular active budgeting methodology app.

Is it right for you?

Who YNAB suits

Choose it if

Individuals wanting to take active control of spending with zero-based budgeting

Look elsewhere if

People wanting passive expense tracking without behavioral change

What you get

Key features

Zero-based budgeting
Bank account sync
Goal tracking
Reports
Loan calculator
Age of money metric
Mobile app

Works with

Integrations4

Bank accounts (direct import)PlaidApple PayAlexa

The trade-off

Pros and cons

Pros

Zero-based budgeting method
Bank sync
Goal tracking
Loan calculator
Education resources
Mobile app

Cons

Annual subscription fee
Learning curve for new budgeters
No investment tracking

Quick read

At a glance

Category: Finance & Business Services
Pricing model: Subscription
Free plan: Not listed
Free trial: Available
Website: ynab.com

The verdict

Our take on YNAB

Best budgeting app for people who want to change their relationship with money. YNAB's zero-based method is proven to reduce overspending — it's an investment that pays for itself.

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