Comparison

YNAB vs Vault

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

Vault

Features
Read full description

Vault is budgeting built around your payday, not the calendar. Your month starts the day you get paid. Log an expense or income in seconds — type it, speak it, or scan a till slip and let Vault read the amount and pick the place. Every bank account keeps its own running truth, so you always know what's really left to spend before the next payday. - Payday-first months that reset when your salary lands - Fast quick-log keypad, voice and receipt scanning - A live map of where you actually spend, with trip logging - Savings pots with real deposits and withdrawals - A daily WhatsApp recap so nothing slips Vault keeps your money honest without the spreadsheet. Start free, then keep everything for R59/month or R590/year. Vault Pro subscription: R59/month or R590/year. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends; manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

YNAB4 screens
Vault4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: YNAB at #4 against Vault's unranked. Vault's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. YNAB sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Vault sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

YNAB ships an update weekly, Vault every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
YNAB versus Vault: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYNABVault
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (62K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews51.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings62K — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
Best chart rank#4 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size157 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYou Need A Budget LLCMare Greyling

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

Vault

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
2 purchases

Vault

Subscriptions2
  • Vault Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Vault Pro (Yearly)$29.991 Year

Questions

Is YNAB free?
YNAB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Vault free?
Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do YNAB or Vault have ads?
Neither YNAB nor Vault shows ads.
Which is updated more often, YNAB or Vault?
YNAB ships an update weekly, and Vault every 2 weeks. Most recently, YNAB was updated on November 3, 2026 and Vault on October 25, 2026.

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