Comparison

YNAB vs Keep the Diff

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

Keep the Diff

Features
Read full description

Keep the Diff gives you credit for money you decided not to spend. You talk yourself out of things all the time, and nothing keeps a record of those choices, so they never feel like progress. Keep the Diff keeps that record. PLANNED SPEND MINUS ACTUAL SPEND EQUALS THE DIFF It comes down to two numbers: 1. What you were ready to spend. The dinner you nearly ordered, the jacket in the tab you closed. 2. What you actually spent. Often nothing. There is a "Didn't buy it" button for the common case. The difference is yours. It adds up by week, by month, and toward whatever you are saving for. PLAN IT BEFORE YOU SPEND IT Plan a spend is the other way round: put in what you are ready to spend on something coming up, pick later today, tomorrow morning or in three days, and get on with your evening. When that time comes the app asks what you actually spent, and the Diff is the gap. Until then, a countdown on Home and on the Lock Screen shows when the question is coming. One switch in Settings turns the countdown off. Planning and answering are free. YOU DECIDE WHAT COUNTS There is no budget to keep and no challenge to pass. Keep the Diff never tells you what to spend, never links your bank account, and never shows you a red number. WHAT IS FREE Logging decisions is free. So is this week's total, your recent history, and the weekly recap you can share. So is choosing the currency you think in, fifteen of them, each in its own format. Your milestones are marked as you reach them, and you can share one. WHAT PREMIUM ADDS - Your full history, with CSV export - Categories and breakdowns - Goals, with a photo of the thing you are saving for, and a projected pace toward each one - Recurring Diffs, so a canceled subscription counts every month, for up to a year - Sync across every device you sign in on - Widgets, including one for each goal, Lock Screen entry, and the watch app - The Mac app - App Lock: Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode in front of your numbers NOW IN 21 LANGUAGES Keep the Diff speaks your language. YOUR MONEY STAYS YOURS TO KNOW ABOUT Keep the Diff does not connect to your bank. You never link an account, hand over a bank password, or share a transaction feed. An account is optional, and logging never needs one. If you sign in and turn on sync, your ledger is encrypted on your device before it leaves, so we never see anything you write down. No analytics, no tracking. PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION Keep the Diff Premium is $31.99 per year paid now, $39.99 per year starting with a 7 day free trial for new subscribers, or $4.99 per month. Premium Lifetime is a one-time purchase of $89.99. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage the subscription, or turn off auto-renew, in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Privacy policy: https://keepthediff.com/privacy Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

YNAB4 screens
Keep the Diff4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: YNAB at #5 against Keep the Diff's 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. YNAB sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Keep the Diff sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

YNAB ships an update weekly, Keep the Diff every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
YNAB versus Keep the Diff: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYNABKeep the Diff
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (62K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings62K — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
Best chart rank#5 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size156 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYou Need A Budget LLCAugustus Travels LLC

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

Keep the Diff

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

Keep the Diff

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is YNAB free?
YNAB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Keep the Diff free?
Keep the Diff is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do YNAB or Keep the Diff have ads?
Neither YNAB nor Keep the Diff shows ads.
Which is updated more often, YNAB or Keep the Diff?
YNAB ships an update weekly, and Keep the Diff every 6 days. Most recently, YNAB was updated on October 16, 2026 and Keep the Diff on October 14, 2026.

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