YNAB vs NerdWallet
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
YNAB
This app helps users gain control of their finances by creating flexible spending plans, tracking expenses, and managing debt. It aims to reduce financial stress and empower users to reach their goals. Features include account linking, manual transaction entry, and collaborative planning for multiple users.
- Create and share unlimited spending plans
- Automatically import transactions
- Manually add transactions
- Loan Planner for debt paydown
- Visualize progress towards goals
- Real-time updates for shared plans
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Have you ever worried about money? You are not alone. Download YNAB, get good at money, and never worry about money again. “We started YNAB January 1st with $37 saved and ended the year with $42,000. Plus we paid $14,000 cash for a new roof.” -Kyle, YNAB user since 2020 Start your free 30-day trial and stop feeling like you’re bad at money. “YNAB has removed the stress of money from my life and in doing so has helped make me a better husband. It's like I got to remove a personal flaw I had never been able to fix." -Kyle, again. We didn’t even pay him to say this, but maybe we should. Why YNAB? -92% of YNAB users report feeling less stressed about money since starting. -The average user saves $600 in the first month, and $6,000 in the first year. “A year of YNAB costs less than a massage and is a heck of a lot better for reducing stress.” -Kat, YNAB user since 2016 Benefits and Features STOP ARGUING ABOUT MONEY …and start planning your life, together -Create and share unlimited plans with up to six people with one subscription -Real time updates between devices make it easy to keep everyone informed -Cheaper than couples counseling STOP DROWNING IN DEBT …and start seeing progress with your paydown -Make a plan to pay down debt by calculating time and interest saved with the Loan Planner -Avoid new credit card debt with YNAB’s clever built-in spending categorization feature STOP FEELING DISORGANIZED …and start feeling totally in control -Securely link financial accounts to automatically import transactions -Easily add transactions manually, if you prefer -Ask Siri to update your plan or provide expense category balances on the go START REACHING MORE GOALS …and stop thinking your future is limited -Keep your priorities and goals in focus -Visualize progress as you go -Watch your net worth climb START SPENDING CONFIDENTLY …and stop feeling guilt, doubt, and regret -Calculate your “Cost to Be Me” -Make a flexible, proactive spending plan -Always know how much you have to spend START FEELING SUPPORTED …and stop feeling like you’re alone in this -Talk to our “freakishly nice” award-winning support team (don’t tell them we called them freakish) -Become part of our community of genuine, amazingly supportive people who get it -Attend one of our live events to learn, share, play, and grow with like-minded getting-good-at-money people The first step of never worrying about money again is starting a free 30-day trial. Are you ready to get good at money? (You seem ready! And we already really like you, so please join us.) Free for 30 Days, then Monthly/Annual Subscriptions Available Subscription Details -YNAB is a one-year auto-renewable subscription, billed monthly or annually. -Payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. -Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. -Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. -Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. -Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. YNAB is an agent of Plaid Financial Ltd., an authorised payment institution regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (Firm Reference Number: 804718). Plaid provides you with regulated account information services through YNAB as its agent. Terms of Use: https://www.ynab.com/terms/?isolated Privacy Policy: https://www.ynab.com/privacy-policy/?isolated U.S. State Privacy Notice: https://www.ynab.com/privacy-policy/state-privacy-notice?isolated
NerdWallet
This app helps you manage your finances by tracking spending, monitoring bills, and providing insights into your credit score and cash flow. It also offers opportunities to earn interest on cash, invest in Treasury Bills, and automate investments.
- Track cash, investments, credit cards, loans, and property
- Monitor and cancel recurring bills and subscriptions
- Actionable financial insights on credit score and cash flow
- Earn APY on cash accounts
- Invest in U.S. Treasury Bills
- Automated investing with direct indexing
- Learn about financial news and its impact
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The free NerdWallet app is your money’s smartest friend – with easy budgeting tools, 24/7 credit monitoring, and personalized opportunities to save. BUDGET LIKE A PRO Get an easy-to-follow budget that automatically organizes your spending across needs, wants, and savings – so you always know what your money's up to. STAY ON TOP OF YOUR CREDIT We'll let you know about important changes, explain what's affecting your score, and help you understand what it all means – so you can build healthier credit habits. SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE Bring your accounts together to understand your spending, review your transactions, and know exactly where your cash goes each month. FIND WAYS TO SAVE From forgotten subscriptions to banking and savings options, we’ll help you uncover opportunities to put more money back in your pocket. MAKE SMARTER MONEY MOVES Whether you're looking for a new credit card, bank account, or loan, compare trusted ratings and reviews to find an option that fits your goals. EARN MORE ON YOUR CASH When you open a Cash Account offered by Atomic Brokerage and deposit funds within 14 days, you can earn a boosted 4.00% APY on balances up to $250,000 for the first 6 months. Disclosures: NerdWallet privacy policy: https://www.nerdwallet.com/p/privacy-policy NerdWallet terms: https://www.nerdwallet.com/p/terms-of-use An introductory 0.50% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) boost is available on up to $250,000 in deposits for the first 6 months when you open a Cash Account offered by Atomic Brokerage LLC and deposit funds. Balances above $250,000 will earn the standard 3.50% APY. After the 6 month introductory period, all balances earn the standard 3.50% APY. The introductory APY boost of 0.50% is available through NerdWallet’s promotional program. APYs are accurate as of 10/27/2026 and are subject to change without notice. Paid Non-Client Promotion for the Cash Account: NerdWallet has engaged Atomic Brokerage LLC ("Atomic"), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC, to bring you the opportunity to open a brokerage account (“Cash Account”) in which cash is swept into unaffiliated bank deposit accounts opened for you by, and in the name of Atomic Brokerage as agent and custodian. NerdWallet is a promoter of Atomic. Atomic shares fees from the cash sweep program banks with NerdWallet for each referred client who opens a Cash account, which creates a conflict of interest. Atomic and NerdWallet are not under common ownership and are not related entities. You will not be charged any fee or incur any additional costs for being referred to Atomic by the Promoter. For more details about Atomic Brokerage, please go to https://www.atomicvest.com/atomicbrokerage. You can check the background of Atomic Brokerage on FINRA’s BrokerCheck at https://brokercheck.finra.org/. See important Cash Account disclosures at https://www.atomicvest.com/legal/disclosures/7d9c31dd-bf97-46ae-9803-1774b97187af. You should not expect cash deposited in an Atomic Brokerage account used solely for the purpose of accessing the Cash Sweep to be protected by SIPC or FDIC insurance, and cash is only protected by FDIC insurance (subject to coverage limits and eligibility requirements) once deposited by Atomic Brokerage in the unaffiliated bank deposit accounts. If you prefer your cash to be invested in a Money Market Fund eligible for SIPC coverage, you must send an email to support-brokerage@atomicvest.com to discuss your options.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NerdWallet at none against YNAB's 4. NerdWallet also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). YNAB's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (51% vs 34%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. YNAB sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. NerdWallet asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for YNAB against 4.8 for NerdWallet. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 62K and 125K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of YNAB's written reviews are positive against 34% of NerdWallet's.
YNAB ships an update weekly, NerdWallet fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | YNAB | NerdWallet |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (62K ratings) | 4.8 (125K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews — better | 33.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 62K | 125K — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #6 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 157 MB | 104 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | You Need A Budget LLC | NerdWallet |
Customer experience
YNAB
NerdWallet
User reviews
YNAB
From 62K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💰 Helps save money
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient budgeting system
- 🤝 Helpful for couples/families
- 🧠 Changes financial mindset
Room to improve
- 🔍 Steep learning curve
- 🔌 Connectivity issues with some banks
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🕰️ Reconciliation process could be improved
- 📱 Mobile app lacks some features of web version
NerdWallet
From 125K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Helpful financial insights
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Comprehensive account tracking
- 💡 Personalized recommendations
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent connection issues
- 🐛 Inaccurate account balances
- 🐛 Unreliable account linking
- 🐛 Inconsistent transaction categorization
Bugs and requests
YNAB
Reported bugs
2 issues- Frequent disconnections from bank accounts
- Syncing issues between mobile and web versions
Requested features
5 requests- Fortnightly budgeting options
- Improved reporting and analytics
- Ability to upload files/documents
- Undo/redo functionality
- Biometric login for mobile app
NerdWallet
Reported bugs
3 issues- Accounts randomly unlinking
- Incorrect credit score reporting
- Delayed transaction updates
Requested features
4 requests- Custom spending categories
- Manual transaction entry
- Detailed budgeting tools
- Improved account synchronization
In-app purchases
YNAB
- YNAB Subscription1 Month trial$14.991 Month
- YNAB Subscription$14.991 Month
- YNAB Subscription1 Month trial$109.001 Year
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- YNAB Subscription$109.001 Year
NerdWallet
No in-app purchases






