# Budget with Buckets vs YNAB

> Budget with Buckets (—) vs YNAB ($14.99/mo). Pick Budget with Buckets for desktop-first households that want private, local envelope budgeting, pay once instead of subscribing, and don't mind a monthly hands-on routine; pick YNAB for people who want a proven, well-supported zero-based method and polished apps on every device, and are happy to pay a premium and put in some time to learn it.

Source: https://budgetingapps.org/compare/budget-with-buckets-vs-ynab

## Key differences

- **Price:** Budget with Buckets: —. YNAB: $14.99/mo. Check each app's pricing page for current plans.
- **Trying it first:** Free trials: Budget with Buckets (Untimed free trial of the full app (trial sticker, a 'Buckets License' savings bucket, and occasional purchase reminders)) and YNAB (34-day free trial, no credit card needed when signing up directly (6 weeks via a friend's referral link, per YNAB, rolling out Sept 2026)).
- **Budgeting method:** Budget with Buckets is built for envelope budgeting; YNAB for envelope and zero-based. They overlap on envelope.
- **Platforms:** Budget with Buckets: Android, Desktop and iOS. YNAB: Android, iOS and Web. Only Budget with Buckets has Desktop. Only YNAB has Web.
- **Feature differences:** YNAB lists debt payoff tools, which Budget with Buckets’s listing does not confirm.
- **Separate logins for shared budgets:** Invite family or teammates to the same budget with their own logins. Sharing one password or sign-in link does not count. Separate logins do not necessarily mean private accounts or transactions. Budget with Buckets: Not confirmed. Check whether each person gets their own login. YNAB: Yes. YNAB Together includes the subscriber and up to five additional people, each with their own login, under one subscription. Share selected plans with group members. The group manager can access every member's plans; other members see plans shared with them.
- **Bank sync:** Budget with Buckets: Optional and indirect: SimpleFIN Bridge (billed separately by SimpleFIN), recorded macros (private scripts that fetch data), or OFX/QFX/CSV file imports. Not a live aggregator connection. YNAB: Optional Direct Import through MX and Plaid, plus select Apple Wallet accounts. Accounts usually refresh once or twice a day. Countries supported were not confirmed in the pages I read; YNAB shows a country label next to each institution.
- **Track record:** YNAB has been around since 2004; Budget with Buckets since 2017.

## Which should you choose?

- **Budget with Buckets is best for:** desktop-first households that want private, local envelope budgeting, pay once instead of subscribing, and don't mind a monthly hands-on routine.
- **YNAB is best for:** people who want a proven, well-supported zero-based method and polished apps on every device, and are happy to pay a premium and put in some time to learn it.

Full reviews: [Budget with Buckets](https://budgetingapps.org/apps/budget-with-buckets.md), [YNAB](https://budgetingapps.org/apps/ynab.md)