Comparison

YNAB vs Dollarwise

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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

About

Dollarwise

Effortlessly manage your finances with automatic account syncing and AI-powered insights. See your available spending money at a glance, track bills, debt, and savings, and gain actionable advice to improve your financial habits without complex charts.

Highlights
  • Automatic account syncing
  • Real-time spending overview
  • AI-enhanced financial suggestions
  • Debt and savings tracking
  • Categorized spending (Needs, Wants, Debt/Savings)
  • Stress-free budgeting interface
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Dollarwise is your path to stress-free budgeting. See your spending at a glance, stay on budget with ease, and break free from overwhelming charts and scary alerts. Dollarwise automatically syncs with your accounts, so you can stay on top of your spending, debt, and savings without the anxiety of manual tracking (unless you prefer to!). But that's just the start. Dollarwise goes further than showing you where your money went. When you open the app, you'll instantly see how much money you're free to spend while staying on track with your bills, debt, and savings. (Let's be honest, that's the main reason you need a budgeting app in the first place.) Know when you'll be debt-free. Debt Goals puts every credit card, car loan, student loan, and personal loan in one place, linked or added by hand. See your projected debt-free date, what your debt costs you in interest each month, and a timeline of every balance heading to zero. Not sure whether to go after the smallest balance or the highest rate first? Compare snowball and avalanche side by side on your own numbers, then pick the plan that fits you. Add a little extra each month and watch your date move. Five minutes a week, with a nudge. Pick your check-in day and Dollarwise will remind you when it's time. You'll also hear from us when transactions are ready to review or a bank connection needs a quick fix. You choose what you get, nothing goes out late at night, and your balances never show on your lock screen. Dollarwise Insights spot patterns in your money habits and turn them into gentle, actionable nudges, like where your spending is creeping up or how far ahead you are on a debt, so you can make better choices for you instead of being forced into a one-size-fits-all box. When it's time to review your spending, simply swipe transactions into basic buckets like Needs, Wants, and Debt/Savings. Need more flexibility? Create custom categories, split a purchase across categories, and add notes and tags to any transaction. Dollarwise makes it easy to see your money clearly and takes the anxiety out of budgeting. Ready to find your financial zen? Try Dollarwise FREE, then unlock 3 months for just $9.99/month.

Screenshots

YNAB4 screens
Dollarwise4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: YNAB at 4.8 against Dollarwise's 3.8. YNAB also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 20%) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Dollarwise's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. YNAB sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Dollarwise sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

YNAB holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: YNAB has 62K ratings behind it against 3.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of YNAB's written reviews are positive against 20% of Dollarwise's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

YNAB ships an update weekly, Dollarwise monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
YNAB versus Dollarwise: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYNABDollarwise
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (62K ratings) — better3.8 (3.9K ratings)
Positive reviews50.9% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings62K — better3.9K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#4 — better#49
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size156 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYou Need A Budget LLCHammer Media LLC

Customer experience

YNAB

All ratings61,959 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews1,679 reviews
Positive50.9%
Neutral9.5%
Negative39.6%

Dollarwise

All ratings3,942 ratings
Positive64.9%
Neutral6.9%
Negative28.2%
Written reviews1,226 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral15.9%
Negative64.1%

User reviews

YNAB

From 62K App Store ratings

What 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

Dollarwise

From 3.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🚀 Intuitive interface
  • 💡 Customizable budget categories
  • 🚀 Straightforward budgeting experience
  • 👍 Helpful for gaining financial control

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent log-out issues
  • 🐛 Inconsistent transaction categorization
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🐛 Connectivity problems with bank accounts
  • 🐛 Lack of advanced features

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

Dollarwise

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Accounts disappearing after app use
  • Inability to add/remove linked accounts
  • Transactions not syncing properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to stay logged in
  • Improved transaction categorization
  • More visualization options (charts, graphs)
  • Savings goal tracking
  • Recurring bill management

In-app purchases

4 purchases

YNAB

Subscriptions4
  • YNAB Subscription1 Month trial$14.991 Month
  • YNAB Subscription$14.991 Month
  • YNAB Subscription1 Month trial$109.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • YNAB Subscription$109.001 Year
9 purchases

Dollarwise

Subscriptions9
  • Monthly Membership7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • DollarWise Monthly Membership3 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Quarterly Membership7 Days trial$39.993 Months
Show 6 more
  • DollarWise Quarterly Membership3 Days trial$39.993 Months
  • Yearly membership7 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • DollarWise Annual Membership3 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • DollarWise Central$149.993 Months
  • DollarWise Central Upgrade$149.993 Months
  • DollarWise Central Yearly$499.001 Year

Questions

Is YNAB free?
YNAB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dollarwise free?
Dollarwise is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, YNAB or Dollarwise?
YNAB is rated higher. YNAB averages 4.8 out of 5 from 62K ratings, while Dollarwise averages 3.8 from 3.9K ratings.
Do YNAB or Dollarwise have ads?
Neither YNAB nor Dollarwise shows ads.
Which is updated more often, YNAB or Dollarwise?
YNAB ships an update weekly, and Dollarwise monthly. Most recently, YNAB was updated on October 24, 2026 and Dollarwise on October 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, YNAB or Dollarwise?
YNAB currently peaks at #4 in the App Store charts, and Dollarwise at #49. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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