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YNAB alternatives: 7 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 30, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave YNAB: no free tier once the trial ends, and $109 a year is at the high end of the category. We ranked 7 alternatives by how directly each one replaces YNAB, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Actual Budget currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1EveryDollar logoEveryDollarFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android5 of 574.4
2Monarch Money logoMonarch MoneyPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android5 of 574.0
3Goodbudget logoGoodbudgetFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android5 of 573.4
4Hunter Vault logoHunter VaultFree plan + paidNoiOS, Android6 of 671.0
5Copilot Money logoCopilot MoneyPaidNoiOS, macOS, Web5 of 555.9
  1. EveryDollar logo

    1. EveryDollarTop pick

    Best for: People following the Ramsey debt snowball who want a simple monthly zero-based plan

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    74.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from YNAB

    Also zero-based, with a free manual version you can use indefinitely and bank import on premium.

    Pros

    • Free version can be used indefinitely
    • Simple zero-based monthly plan with unlimited categories
    • Shared household budget with separate logins
    • Premium includes coaching and a debt snowball tracker

    Cons

    • Free version has no bank import; all entry is manual
    • $17.99 a month if not paying yearly
    • Tied to the Ramsey approach and its other products
    Visit EveryDollar Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is EveryDollar a good YNAB alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free version
    Free with no time limit
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ramseysolutions.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium price
    $79.99/year or $17.99/month
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ramseysolutions.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days of premium, new users only
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ramseysolutions.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Bank connect
    Premium only, via Mastercard Connect and Plaid
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ramseysolutions.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Method
    Zero-based budgeting
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ramseysolutions.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Monarch Money logo

    2. Monarch Money

    Best for: Couples and households who want every account, budget and goal in one shared, automatic view

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    74.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from YNAB

    A full-picture tracker with flexible budgets, investments and partner sharing, for people who want less of a strict method.

    Pros

    • Links to 13,000+ institutions through several data providers
    • Partner or financial professional included at no extra cost
    • Budgets, recurring bills, net worth and goals in one place
    • Works on web, iOS and Android
    • No ads; revenue comes from subscriptions

    Cons

    • No free tier after the one-week trial
    • Relies on bank connections, which can need relinking
    • Forecasting and deeper investment tools need the Plus tier
    Visit Monarch Money Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.1561
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Monarch Money a good YNAB alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Price
    $99.99/year or $14.99/month
    Checked Oct 29, 2026monarch.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    First week free
    Checked Oct 29, 2026monarch.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Refunds
    No-questions-asked money-back guarantee
    Checked Oct 29, 2026monarch.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Institutions
    13,000+
    Checked Oct 29, 2026monarch.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Collaboration
    Partner or professional at no extra cost
    Checked Oct 29, 2026monarch.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Goodbudget logo

    3. Goodbudget

    Best for: Households who like envelope budgeting and want a shared budget on everyone's phone

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    73.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from YNAB

    Envelope budgeting with a free plan, and manual entry that keeps you close to every transaction.

    Pros

    • Permanent free plan, not a time-limited trial
    • Shared budget syncs across a household's devices
    • Envelope method makes spending limits concrete
    • Debt tracking and saving ahead for big expenses

    Cons

    • Free plan limits envelopes, accounts, devices and history
    • Bank sync is Premium only and US banks only
    • Mostly manual entry, which takes regular effort
    Visit Goodbudget Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.1577
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Goodbudget a good YNAB alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    10 regular + 10 more envelopes, 1 account
    Checked Oct 29, 2026goodbudget.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan limits
    2 devices, 1 year of history
    Checked Oct 29, 2026goodbudget.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium price
    $10/month or $80/year
    Checked Oct 29, 2026goodbudget.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Bank sync
    Premium only, US banks only
    Checked Oct 29, 2026goodbudget.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Web, Android and iPhone
    Checked Oct 29, 2026goodbudget.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Hunter Vault logo

    4. Hunter Vault

    Best for: People who like games and want a private, offline budget without linking a bank account

    Free plan + paidiOS, Android

    71.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from YNAB

    Free to start with no bank login: budgets, bills and debt payoff wrapped in quests, XP and ranks.

    Pros

    • Core budgeting is free, with a one-time upgrade instead of a subscription
    • No account, no bank login and no ads; works fully offline
    • Quests, XP and ranks reward logging and debt payments
    • Safe to Spend, bills, debt payoff and savings goals in one app
    • Leaderboard is opt-in and never shows amounts

    Cons

    • No bank sync: every transaction is entered or imported by hand
    • The anime and RPG framing won't suit everyone
    • AI coach, statement import and cloud backup are extra subscriptions
    • Phone only; there's no web or desktop version
    Visit Hunter Vault Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.1590
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Hunter Vault a good YNAB alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    Price
    Free; optional $15.99 one-time upgrade
    Checked Oct 29, 2026huntervault.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Bank connection
    None; you enter or import transactions
    Checked Oct 29, 2026huntervault.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Account
    Not needed to start
    Checked Oct 29, 2026huntervault.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Hunter Pass
    Optional subscription with 100 Hunter Credits a month
    Checked Oct 29, 2026huntervault.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Ranks
    E-Rank to S-Rank
    Checked Oct 29, 2026huntervault.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Leaderboard
    Opt-in; scored on habits, never amounts
    Checked Oct 29, 2026huntervault.app(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Copilot Money logo

    5. Copilot Money

    Best for: iPhone and Mac users who want automatic, low-effort spending tracking with a polished design

    PaidiOS, macOS, Web

    55.9

    score / 100

    Why switch from YNAB

    Automatic categorization and a polished Apple-first design, for people who'd rather review than plan every dollar.

    Pros

    • One plan with everything included, no tiers or add-ons
    • Connects to 16,000+ institutions
    • Itemizes Amazon orders and shows Venmo notes
    • Assistant suggests budget changes and asks before acting

    Cons

    • No Android app
    • Partner sharing isn't available yet
    • No free tier
    Visit Copilot Money Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.357
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Copilot Money a good YNAB alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Price
    $109/year (limited-time, normally $119)
    Checked Oct 29, 2026copilot.money(opens source in a new tab)
    Plans
    One plan, no tiers or add-ons
    Checked Oct 29, 2026copilot.money(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    iPhone, Mac, iPad and web
    Checked Oct 29, 2026copilot.money(opens source in a new tab)
    Institutions
    16,000+
    Checked Oct 29, 2026copilot.money(opens source in a new tab)
    Amazon detail
    Shows what each Amazon charge was for
    Checked Oct 29, 2026copilot.money(opens source in a new tab)

The best YNAB alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Actual Budget logo

Best YNAB alternative for most people

Actual Budget

Open-source envelope budgeting in the same spirit as YNAB, free to self-host, with a built-in importer for YNAB data.

Firefly III logo

Best YNAB alternative for a free option

Firefly III

Free and self-hosted, so your financial data stays on your own server.

EveryDollar logo

Best YNAB alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

EveryDollar

Also zero-based, with a free manual version you can use indefinitely and bank import on premium.

Actual Budget logo

Best YNAB alternative for open source

Actual Budget

Open-source envelope budgeting in the same spirit as YNAB, free to self-host, with a built-in importer for YNAB data.

Actual Budget logo

Best YNAB alternative for self-hosting

Actual Budget

Open-source envelope budgeting in the same spirit as YNAB, free to self-host, with a built-in importer for YNAB data.

Copilot Money logo

Best YNAB alternative for Mac

Copilot Money

Automatic categorization and a polished Apple-first design, for people who'd rather review than plan every dollar.

Actual Budget logo

Best YNAB alternative for Windows

Actual Budget

Open-source envelope budgeting in the same spirit as YNAB, free to self-host, with a built-in importer for YNAB data.

Actual Budget logo

Best YNAB alternative for Linux

Actual Budget

Open-source envelope budgeting in the same spirit as YNAB, free to self-host, with a built-in importer for YNAB data.

Monarch Money logo

Best YNAB alternative for iPhone and Android

Monarch Money

A full-picture tracker with flexible budgets, investments and partner sharing, for people who want less of a strict method.

Goodbudget logo

Best YNAB alternative for working in the browser

Goodbudget

Envelope budgeting with a free plan, and manual entry that keeps you close to every transaction.

YNAB alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to YNAB?

Actual Budget ranks first right now. Open-source envelope budgeting in the same spirit as YNAB, free to self-host, with a built-in importer for YNAB data. EveryDollar and Monarch Money follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to YNAB?

Yes. Actual Budget (open source), EveryDollar (free plan + paid), Goodbudget (free plan + paid) and Hunter Vault (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to YNAB?

Yes: Actual Budget. Actual Budget can also be self-hosted.

Which YNAB alternatives work on Linux?

Actual Budget runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from YNAB?

The complaints we hear most: no free tier once the trial ends; $109 a year is at the high end of the category; takes time to learn and regular attention to keep up.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces YNAB, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.