Personal Finance · head to head
YNAB vs Acorns
The short version
- Each has a real cost: YNAB subscription priced exclusively in US dollars; international customers face unfavourable exchange rates; Acorns a flat monthly subscription regardless of balance, so $3 a month on Bronze is a heavy percentage on a small account
- They diverge on capability: YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting, Acorns covers Round-up investing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which YNAB and Acorns actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 YNAB
- Zero-based budgeting
- Bank sync
- Goal tracking
- Reports
- Multi-device sync
- Bank connections
- Plaid
- Bank-level encryption
Only in Acorns
- Round-up investing
- Automated investing
- Portfolio management
- Recurring investments
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- IOS support
Both cover
- Web support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
YNAB
- Individual budget tracking with 34-day free trial before subscription commitmentnot Acorns
- Household budget management with wife-on-plan sharing for up to 6 household membersnot Acorns
- Manual transaction entry for banks outside the supported import listnot Acorns
Acorns
- Automated investing of spare change from everyday purchasesnot YNAB
- Retirement saving through Acorns Later IRA accountsnot YNAB
- Checking and high-yield savings alongside investingnot YNAB
- Custodial investing and debit cards for children through Acorns Earlynot YNAB
- Earning cashback that is invested rather than bankednot YNAB
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Acorns
- A flat monthly subscription regardless of balance, so $3 a month on Bronze is a heavy percentage on a small account
- The emergency savings account and the 1 percent IRA match need Silver at $6 a month
- Custom portfolios, Acorns Early for children and Money Manager are Gold tier only at $12 a month
- There is no free tier
Pricing, plan by plan
YNAB
$14.99/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the YNAB review.
Acorns
On request- Lite$4.99/month
- Round-up investing
- Automated portfolio
- Plus$9.99/month
- All Lite features
- Checking account
- Dollar-based investing
- Premier$19.99/month
- All Plus features
- Premium investing
Which should you pick?
Choose YNAB if
- You need zero-based budgeting.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want bank sync.
Choose Acorns if
- You need round-up investing.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want automated investing.
Questions people ask
- Is YNAB or Acorns better?
- Neither clearly leads. YNAB starts at $14.99/month and Acorns at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, YNAB or Acorns?
- YNAB starts at $14.99/month and Acorns at On request.
- Does YNAB or Acorns run on more platforms?
- YNAB runs on Web, iOS, Android. Acorns runs on Web, IOS, Android.
- What is YNAB best used for?
- YNAB is most often used for individual budget tracking with 34-day free trial before subscription commitment, household budget management with wife-on-plan sharing for up to 6 household members, manual transaction entry for banks outside the supported import list. Of those, individual budget tracking with 34-day free trial before subscription commitment and household budget management with wife-on-plan sharing for up to 6 household members are not what Acorns is typically brought in for.
- What can YNAB do that Acorns cannot?
- YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting, Bank sync, Goal tracking, Reports. Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. Both handle Web support, Android support.