# Buddy vs YNAB

The clearest difference is monetization model: Buddy at free with in-app purchases against YNAB's subscription. YNAB's advantage is chart position (#4 vs #65) and ratings volume (62K vs 9.5K). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and YNAB sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Buddy against 4.8 for YNAB. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: YNAB has 62K ratings behind it against 9.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Buddy's written reviews are positive against 51% of YNAB's.

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, YNAB weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | YNAB |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955/reviews) | **[4.8 (62K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ynab/id1010865877/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9.5K | **62K** |
| Positive reviews | 48.9% of reviews | **50.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | #65 | **#4** |
| Size | 152 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buddy Budgeting AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/936422954) | [You Need A Budget LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1226490621) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-budget-planner-app/id936422955)

**Currently charting:** #65 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

This app helps you create and manage personal or shared budgets. Track expenses, connect your bank account for automatic transaction import, and gain a clear overview of your spending, income, and savings. It also features tools to split costs and settle up with others.

**Highlights:** Create personal budgets, Shared budgeting for couples/groups, Connect bank accounts for transaction import, Detailed spending and income overview, Expense splitting and settlement tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buddy Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Buddy Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Buddy Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Buddy Premium | $16.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Buddy Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlimited | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Visually appealing
- 💡 Customizable categories
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 👍 Helps with budgeting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring transactions not working properly
- 🐛 Balance not carrying over to next month
- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
- 🐛 Transactions disappearing or resetting
- 💸 Expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Recurring transactions not working as expected
- Balance not carrying over to next month
- Syncing issues between devices
- Transactions disappearing or resetting
- Inability to edit categories without creating new ones

**Requested features**

- Calendar view for transactions
- Bill reminders and due date tracking
- Ability to hide/exclude certain transactions
- Savings/investment tracking
- Multi-currency support


### YNAB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ynab/id1010865877)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

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:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| YNAB Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| YNAB Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| YNAB Subscription | $109.00 | per year |
| YNAB Subscription | $109.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💰 Helps save money
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient budgeting system
- 🤝 Helpful for couples/families
- 🧠 Changes financial mindset

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Steep learning curve
- 🔌 Connectivity issues with some banks
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🕰️ Reconciliation process could be improved
- 📱 Mobile app lacks some features of web version

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent disconnections from bank accounts
- Syncing issues between mobile and web versions

**Requested features**

- Fortnightly budgeting options
- Improved reporting and analytics
- Ability to upload files/documents
- Undo/redo functionality
- Biometric login for mobile app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is YNAB free?

YNAB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Buddy or YNAB?

YNAB is rated higher. Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.5K ratings, while YNAB averages 4.8 from 62K ratings.

### Do Buddy or YNAB have ads?

Neither Buddy nor YNAB shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buddy or YNAB?

Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and YNAB weekly. Most recently, Buddy was updated on September 24, 2026 and YNAB on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Buddy or YNAB?

Buddy currently peaks at #65 in the App Store charts, and YNAB at #4. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*