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Quicken vs YNAB

Quicken logo

Quicken

Software

Take control of your finances

From
$3.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
YNAB logo

YNAB

Software

You Need A Budget

From
$14.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Quicken quicken Simplifi (cloud version) costs $3.99 annually if billed yearly, but renews at full price $6.99/month unless cancelled before renewal; YNAB subscription priced exclusively in US dollars; international customers face unfavourable exchange rates
  • They diverge on capability: Quicken covers Budget creation, YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quicken and YNAB actually diverge.

Attributes where Quicken and YNAB differ
AttributeQuickenYNAB
Starting price$3.99/month$14.99/month
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android
Founded19832004

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Quicken

  • Budget creation
  • Bill management
  • Investment tracking
  • Tax planning
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Windows 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.

Quicken

  • Individuals managing personal finances via Quicken Simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings trackingnot YNAB
  • Freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via Quicken Business & Personal plannot YNAB
  • Users preferring local data storage via Classic desktop editionsnot YNAB

YNAB

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

Where each one falls short

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

Quicken

  • Quicken Simplifi (cloud version) costs $3.99 annually if billed yearly, but renews at full price $6.99/month unless cancelled before renewal
  • Renewal pricing significantly higher than introductory rate; annual cost jumps from $47.88 (promotional) to $83.88 (regular renewal)

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

Quicken

$3.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Quicken review.

YNAB

$14.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the YNAB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Quicken if

  • You need budget creation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want bill management.
Quicken 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 Quicken or YNAB better?
Neither clearly leads. Quicken starts at $3.99/month and YNAB at $14.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quicken or YNAB?
Quicken starts at $3.99/month and YNAB at $14.99/month.
Does Quicken or YNAB run on more platforms?
Quicken runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. YNAB runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Quicken best used for?
Quicken is most often used for individuals managing personal finances via quicken simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings tracking, freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via quicken business & personal plan, users preferring local data storage via classic desktop editions. Of those, individuals managing personal finances via quicken simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings tracking and freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via quicken business & personal plan are not what YNAB is typically brought in for.
What can Quicken do that YNAB cannot?
Quicken covers Budget creation, Bill management, Investment tracking, Tax planning. YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting, Bank sync, Goal tracking, Reports.
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