YNAB vs My Budget Assistant
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
YNAB
This app helps you gain control over your finances by creating a proactive spending plan, paying down debt, and reaching your financial goals. It offers real-time updates for shared plans and securely links to financial accounts for automatic transaction import.
- Proactive spending plan creation
- Debt paydown planning
- Automatic transaction import
- Real-time updates for shared plans
- Goal tracking and visualization
- Manual transaction entry
- Siri integration
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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
My Budget Assistant
Take control of your finances with this app that uses the envelope method to help you plan every dollar. Track spending, visualize trends with charts, and gain confidence in your financial future. It offers a free trial and aims to help users save money and reduce financial stress.
- Envelope-style budgeting categories
- Real-time spending trend charts
- Debt and investment tracking
- Cash-flow forecasting
- Secure one-tap sign-in
- Ad-free experience
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Where does your money go? From today, exactly where you decide. “Hidden gem, does everything and saves me money” —ishan If you're like the average My Budget Assistant user, you'll take control of your spending within the first two month—and start making progress on your financial goals in the second. You'll save $500 in first two months. And around $6000 in first year. Many users report saving $500-$600 in just the first two months simply by cutting wasteful expenses they didn’t realize were adding up. But what you gain might be worth even more than money: Over 90% of our early users say they feel more confident and less stressed about their finances after using the app. My Budget Assistant turns the classic envelope method into a clear, mobile plan. Plan every dollar at the moment it arrives, watch your spending trends in real time, and feel the calm that comes with control. WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE MY BUDGET ASSISTANT - Envelope-style categories that stop overspending before it happens - Instant pie and bar charts to spot habits and trends at a glance - Debt dashboard to track where you stand - Investment tracker for retirement, brokerage, or crypto accounts - Cash-flow forecast so you’re never surprised before payday - Secure one-tap sign-in with Apple or Google—no extra passwords - Fresh light-and-dark design, with zero ads or data selling - Friendly human support and live onboarding sessions FREE 34-DAY TRIAL Use the app for a complete pay cycle, risk-free. Cancel anytime; SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS After the 34-day trial, continue with a monthly or annual plan billed to your iTunes account. Auto-renewal occurs unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Terms of Use: https://www.mybudgetassistant.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://www.mybudgetassistant.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: My Budget Assistant at 100% against YNAB's 51%. My Budget Assistant also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). YNAB's advantage is chart position (#4 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 and My Budget Assistant sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
YNAB ships an update weekly, My Budget Assistant every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | YNAB | My Budget Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (62K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 62K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #4 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 157 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | You Need A Budget LLC | BRUXKEY PRIVATE LIMITED |
Customer experience
YNAB
My Budget Assistant
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
My Budget Assistant
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
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
My Budget Assistant
- Monthly Plan$1.991 Month
- Annual Plan$9.991 Year







