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Software · head to head

MoneyWiz vs YNAB

M

MoneyWiz

Software

Simple and powerful personal finance app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
YNAB logo

YNAB

Software

You Need A Budget

From
$14.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MoneyWiz has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: MoneyWiz there is no free tier; every plan requires a subscription; YNAB subscription priced exclusively in US dollars; international customers face unfavourable exchange rates
  • They diverge on capability: MoneyWiz covers Expense tracking, YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MoneyWiz and YNAB actually diverge.

Attributes where MoneyWiz and YNAB differ
AttributeMoneyWizYNAB
Starting priceFree$14.99/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20112004

Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 MoneyWiz

  • Expense tracking
  • Budget management
  • Multi-currency support
  • Financial analytics
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • IOS support

Only in YNAB

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

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

MoneyWiz

  • Tracking personal accounts, budgets and bills across iOS, macOS, Windows and Androidnot YNAB
  • Syncing one finance database across multiple devices through MoneyWiz Cloudnot YNAB
  • Automatically importing transactions through bank syncnot YNAB

YNAB

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

Where each one falls short

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

MoneyWiz

  • There is no free tier; every plan requires a subscription
  • Bank sync with over 40,000 banks is Premium only, at 59.99 USD a year or 5.99 USD a month
  • The Standard plan at 29.99 USD a year provides only cloud sync between devices, with no bank sync
  • Subscriptions cap usage at 15 devices and two MoneyWiz Cloud accounts
  • Priority support is restricted to the Premium tier

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

MoneyWiz

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic expense tracking
    • Multiple accounts
  • Premium$4.99/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Budget forecasting
    • Custom categories

YNAB

$14.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the YNAB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose MoneyWiz if

  • You need expense tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want budget management.
MoneyWiz 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 MoneyWiz or YNAB better?
Neither clearly leads. MoneyWiz starts at Free and YNAB at $14.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MoneyWiz or YNAB?
MoneyWiz has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MoneyWiz and $14.99/month for YNAB.
Does MoneyWiz or YNAB run on more platforms?
MoneyWiz runs on Web, IOS, Android. YNAB runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use MoneyWiz for free?
Yes. MoneyWiz has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. YNAB starts at $14.99/month.
What is MoneyWiz best used for?
MoneyWiz is most often used for tracking personal accounts, budgets and bills across ios, macos, windows and android, syncing one finance database across multiple devices through moneywiz cloud, automatically importing transactions through bank sync. Of those, tracking personal accounts, budgets and bills across ios, macos, windows and android and syncing one finance database across multiple devices through moneywiz cloud are not what YNAB is typically brought in for.
What can MoneyWiz do that YNAB cannot?
MoneyWiz covers Expense tracking, Budget management, Multi-currency support, Financial analytics. YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting, Bank sync, Goal tracking, Reports. Both handle Web support, Android support.
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