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Software · head to head

Personal Capital vs YNAB

Personal Capital logo

Personal Capital

Software

Invest wisely, retire confidently

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
YNAB logo

YNAB

Software

You Need A Budget

From
$14.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Personal Capital has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Personal Capital wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client; YNAB subscription priced exclusively in US dollars; international customers face unfavourable exchange rates
  • They diverge on capability: Personal Capital covers Investment tracking, YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Personal Capital and YNAB actually diverge.

Attributes where Personal Capital and YNAB differ
AttributePersonal CapitalYNAB
Starting priceFree$14.99/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20102004

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 Personal Capital

  • Investment tracking
  • Retirement calculator
  • Fee analyzer
  • Net worth tracking
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Real estate
  • 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.

Personal Capital

  • Tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboardnot YNAB
  • Managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investorsnot YNAB
  • Retirement planning projections across linked accountsnot YNAB

YNAB

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

Where each one falls short

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

Personal Capital

  • Wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
  • The annual advisory fee is charged as a percentage of assets under management on a tiered structure rather than a flat subscription
  • Assets are custodied at Pershing Advisor Solutions rather than by the provider itself

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

Personal Capital

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Account tracking
    • Net worth monitoring
    • Investment analysis
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Financial advisor access
    • Personalized advice

YNAB

$14.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the YNAB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Personal Capital if

  • You need investment tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement calculator.
Personal Capital 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 Personal Capital or YNAB better?
Neither clearly leads. Personal Capital 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, Personal Capital or YNAB?
Personal Capital has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Personal Capital and $14.99/month for YNAB.
Does Personal Capital or YNAB run on more platforms?
Personal Capital runs on Web, IOS, Android. YNAB runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Personal Capital for free?
Yes. Personal Capital has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. YNAB starts at $14.99/month.
What is Personal Capital best used for?
Personal Capital is most often used for tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboard, managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investors, retirement planning projections across linked accounts. Of those, tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboard and managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investors are not what YNAB is typically brought in for.
What can Personal Capital do that YNAB cannot?
Personal Capital covers Investment tracking, Retirement calculator, Fee analyzer, Net worth tracking. YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting, Bank sync, Goal tracking, Reports. Both handle Web support, Android support.
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