Comparison

YNAB vs SimpleFi

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

SimpleFi

Features
Read full description

SimpleFi is a calmer way to stay on top of your money. No bank logins. No budgets to maintain. No endless transaction feeds. Just a quick, intentional daily check-in that keeps you genuinely connected to where you stand. Most finance apps aggregate everything automatically and leave you feeling more anxious, not less. SimpleFi takes the opposite approach: you enter your balances yourself, in under a minute a day. That small act of showing up is what builds real awareness — and a habit that lasts. HOW IT WORKS • Answer a few simple questions each day — did you spend, save, pay down debt? • Watch your net worth come into focus with a clean trend over time • Keep your streak going and feel the momentum build • Get a clear picture of cash, savings, credit cards, loans, mortgage, investments, and real estate — all in one place BUILT FOR REAL LIFE • Solo or couples — work together on one shared financial picture, at your own pace • Paying down debt? Dedicated tools show your progress and what paying a little extra could save you • Emotionally aware design that meets you where you are, whether you're thriving or rebuilding PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your financial data is yours. SimpleFi never connects to your bank accounts and never sells your data. You decide what to enter and when. INTENTIONAL, NOT OBSESSIVE SimpleFi isn't about tracking every penny. It's about the one minute a day that keeps you pointed in the right direction — and the quiet confidence that comes with it. SimpleFi is a subscription service. Manage your account anytime from Settings.

Screenshots

YNAB4 screens
SimpleFi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SimpleFi at none against YNAB's 4. SimpleFi 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 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. SimpleFi asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

YNAB ships an update weekly, SimpleFi every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
YNAB versus SimpleFi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYNABSimpleFi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (62K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews51.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings62K — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 11 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscription—
Best chart rank#4 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size157 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYou Need A Budget LLCMATTHEW KENNETH ARNOLD

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

SimpleFi

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

SimpleFi

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is YNAB free?
YNAB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SimpleFi free?
SimpleFi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do YNAB or SimpleFi have ads?
Neither YNAB nor SimpleFi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, YNAB or SimpleFi?
YNAB ships an update weekly, and SimpleFi every 11 days. Most recently, YNAB was updated on October 30, 2026 and SimpleFi on October 24, 2026.

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