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Personal Finance · head to head

Banktivity vs YNAB

Banktivity logo

Banktivity

Personal Finance

Personal finance for Mac and iOS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
YNAB logo

YNAB

Personal Finance

You Need A Budget

From
$14.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Banktivity runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version; YNAB subscription priced exclusively in US dollars; international customers face unfavourable exchange rates
  • They diverge on capability: Banktivity covers Account tracking, YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Banktivity and YNAB actually diverge.

Attributes where Banktivity and YNAB differ
AttributeBanktivityYNAB
Starting priceOn request$14.99/month
PlatformsMac, IOSWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20072004

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Banktivity

  • Account tracking
  • Bill management
  • Investment tracking
  • Budget forecasting
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Mac support
  • IOS support

Only in YNAB

  • Zero-based budgeting
  • Bank sync
  • Goal tracking
  • Reports
  • Multi-device sync
  • Bank connections
  • Plaid
  • Bank-level encryption

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Banktivity

  • Personal budgeting and money management on a Macnot YNAB
  • Investment and net worth trackingnot YNAB
  • Retirement planning projectionsnot YNAB
  • Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot YNAB

YNAB

  • Individual budget tracking with 34-day free trial before subscription commitmentnot Banktivity
  • Household budget management with wife-on-plan sharing for up to 6 household membersnot Banktivity
  • Manual transaction entry for banks outside the supported import listnot Banktivity

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Banktivity

  • Runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version
  • Pricing is not shown on the product page and sits behind a separate plans page

YNAB

  • Subscription priced exclusively in US dollars; international customers face unfavourable exchange rates
  • Multi-currency support restricted to one currency per spending plan
  • Bank import limited to select institutions in US, Canada, UK, and EU only
  • Household plan can only be shared with up to 6 people; additional members cannot access shared plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Banktivity

On request
  • Monthly$4.99/month
    • Full feature access
    • Cloud sync
  • Annual$39.99/month
    • All monthly features
    • Discounted rate

YNAB

$14.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the YNAB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Banktivity if

  • You need account tracking.
  • You work on Mac, IOS.
  • You also want bill management.
Banktivity review

Choose YNAB if

  • You need zero-based budgeting.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want bank sync.
YNAB review

Questions people ask

Is Banktivity or YNAB better?
Neither clearly leads. Banktivity starts at On request and YNAB at $14.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Banktivity or YNAB?
Banktivity starts at On request and YNAB at $14.99/month.
Does Banktivity or YNAB run on more platforms?
Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS. YNAB runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Banktivity best used for?
Banktivity is most often used for personal budgeting and money management on a mac, investment and net worth tracking, retirement planning projections, connecting to over 14,000 financial institutions. Of those, personal budgeting and money management on a mac and investment and net worth tracking are not what YNAB is typically brought in for.
What can Banktivity do that YNAB cannot?
Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Investment tracking, Budget forecasting. YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting, Bank sync, Goal tracking, Reports.
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