Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

YNAB vs EveryDollar

YNAB 4.8★ · Free + IAP 75
Winner YNAB
EveryDollar 4.7★ · Free + IAP 60

YNAB is generally preferred for its powerful zero-based budgeting method, despite recent UI frustrations, while EveryDollar struggles with bank syncing and intrusive premium prompts.

Full reviews: YNAB · EveryDollar

YNAB excels with its robust zero-based budgeting system, helping users achieve significant financial goals, though recent UI updates have caused frustration. EveryDollar, while effective for some, faces consistent issues with bank connectivity, duplicate transactions, and aggressive prompts for its paid features.

Head to head

Budgeting Methodology & Effectiveness edge: YNABR2R5R11R14
YNAB YNAB's zero-based budgeting method is highly praised as life-changing and effective, helping users gain financial clarity, pay off debt, and save significantly R2R5R11. Users appreciate its flexibility and ability to help them stop overspending R14.
EveryDollar EveryDollar is also effective for budgeting, especially for those following the Ramsey plan, helping users pay off debt and achieve financial goals . However, some free users find its basic calculations confusing, particularly with savings not being deducted from the remaining budget .
Ease of Use & User Interface (UI) tieR1R4R6R7
YNAB Many long-term YNAB users report that recent UI changes have made the app more complicated, requiring more clicks for basic functions like clearing transactions and adding flags R1R4R6R12. Some new users also find the app confusing and not intuitive, suggesting a steep learning curve R7.
EveryDollar EveryDollar users report issues with recent updates making the app less user-friendly, with some finding the interface bigger and harder to see . The split transaction function is described as broken, and there's no direct transfer function . Some users also find it difficult to change goals without using the desktop version .
Reliability & Bank Connectivity edge: YNABR3R4R5R15
YNAB YNAB users report difficulties connecting to certain cards (e.g., Sam's Club Mastercard) and banks (e.g., Fidelity, Amex, Chase UK), requiring manual transaction entry R3R5R57. Some users experience inaccurate balances and bugs after updates R4R15R19.
EveryDollar EveryDollar has significant and frequent issues with bank syncing, particularly since switching to Plaid, leading to delayed transactions, unsupported banks, and duplicate entries . Support often blames the bank and suggests manual entry or switching banks .
Price & Value edge: YNABR2R9R12R18
YNAB YNAB is a paid subscription, with some users finding it expensive (over $100 per year) and questioning the value given recent UI changes R9R12R18R31. However, many users feel the app pays for itself by helping them save more money than the subscription cost R2.
EveryDollar EveryDollar also has a paid premium version, and users of the free version are frequently annoyed by persistent prompts to upgrade R75R87. Some users who pay for premium find it not worth the money due to missing features on the app compared to the website or ongoing bugs R105.
Support & Accessibility edge: YNABR13R19R25R32
YNAB YNAB offers good customer support and educational resources like videos and a YouTube channel, which are helpful for learning the system R32. However, some users report difficulty getting human support and unsatisfactory AI support R19. There was also an issue with new users being automatically signed up for a free trial without permission R13, and some users couldn't create an account R25.
EveryDollar EveryDollar users have experienced issues with the app requiring recent iOS updates, making it inaccessible on older phones, though this seems to have been partially resolved . Support is sometimes unhelpful, blaming banks for connectivity issues . Some users are forced to take surveys before logging in, which is seen as intrusive R105.
Pick YNAB if

you are committed to a zero-based budgeting philosophy and are willing to learn a powerful system, even if it means navigating occasional UI changes and manually entering some transactions R2R5R11.

Pick EveryDollar if

you are already following the Ramsey financial plan and prefer a budgeting tool aligned with that methodology, and you are comfortable with manual transaction entry due to potential bank syncing issues .

Evidence note: Recent negative reviews for YNAB heavily focus on UI changes, while its lifetime rating remains high, indicating that while frustrating, these changes haven't universally deterred long-term users from the core value. EveryDollar's free tier appears to generate significant friction due to intrusive premium prompts and core feature limitations, which likely contributes to its lower recent sentiment.

Frequently asked

Is YNAB truly free?
No, YNAB is a paid subscription service, with many users noting the cost is over $100 per year, which can be counterintuitive for an app designed to save money R9R31R52.
Does EveryDollar have a free version?
Yes, EveryDollar has a free version, but users frequently report being annoyed by constant prompts and surveys to upgrade to the premium version, which can hinder the user experience R67R75R87R105.
Are there issues with bank connections in these apps?
Both apps have reported issues with bank connections; YNAB users mention difficulties with specific banks like Fidelity, Amex, and Chase UK R3R5R57R60, while EveryDollar users frequently experience problems with bank syncing, duplicate transactions, and unsupported banks, especially since switching to Plaid .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] YNAB 5/5 · US Changed our finances: I am a CPA. I am familiar with budgeting in general so I was looking for an app that would meet my high standards in what I think a budget should be. This exceeds expectations! Using this app has allowed us to save enough money to invest in a higher interest savings account. The monthly interest earned exceeds the monthly cost of this app. This app pays for itself!
  2. [R5] YNAB 5/5 · US Fun, Practical, Helpful: I really like this budgeting app. It teaches you a thing or two about budgeting. I am putting into practice zero-cash dollar budgeting. I have found some difficulty connecting to cards using MX, when not supported by plaid (Sam’s Club Mastercard). I love the way I can reflect on the month as a whole and see where I overspent or did very well in. I would request a new fe
  3. [R11] YNAB 5/5 · US Life Changing: The app is fairly simple to use and easy to navigate. It takes discipline as does every budgeting system, but it does its job well. I went from wondering how much disposable income I had at any given point and being stressed about bills, to having 6 months of bills covered, a travel fun, savings, plus disposable income for the random nights out and impulse buys. I finally tapped int
  4. [R14] YNAB 5/5 · US YNAB: Unparalleled flexibility, conviviality and design. World’s #1 budgeting App. A useful tool for monitoring the progress of your assets.
  5. [R1] YNAB 1/5 · US Stop breaking things: Why do you guys consistently take a good app and make is significantly worse. I have been a user for 10 years and you guys made a great application and now you are ruining it with the changes you make. Why on earth do I have to now select the “show more” option to clear a transaction. Please do a better job of testing these new “features” with users before forcing them on us.
  6. [R4] YNAB 2/5 · US Used to be awesome: The idea behind this app was really wonderful and taught me to budget in a way that changed the way I look at my finances forever. Unfortunately, all of the app changes lately get in the way of functionality. Transactions have to get submitted multiple times, balances are somehow inaccurate, color coding is no longer accurate, and month-to-month logic is basically nonexistent.
  7. [R6] YNAB 3/5 · US Great service, troubling implementation: I love YNAB’s budgeting approach. I love that it is a mobile friendly solution. I don’t love the software updates. It seems they don’t know what they want in an UI and they’re just guessing at where to put things. No matter how they change things, it still feels inconvenient and more difficult. The app also has maddening delays and DRAINS my phone battery.
  8. [R7] YNAB 2/5 · US Not an easy app: This app has a good concept but is unnecessarily complicated to use. Be sure of what you want to achieve here because the concept of “zero based budgeting”, is really not for a basic budgeting app. There should be a class or tutorial on how to use it. Frustrating, and I’ve had it over a year.
  9. [R3] YNAB 3/5 · US Please allow Fidelity connection: I have multiple accounts that i need to manually add transactions
  10. [R15] YNAB 3/5 · US Progressively Worse: While I like YNAB, it has managed to get both worse and more expensive over the years. The UI changes too often and sadly in ways that make it more difficult to use. The “updates” sometimes introduce bugs. I’d rather they keep the application stable and usable than try to justify the price hikes by constantly tweaking the user experience.
  11. [R9] YNAB 3/5 · US Used to be the gold standard: The app and platform used to be the be all, end all for budgeting, but over the past few years has gotten progressively more expensive, and even more convoluted. If you are already in the YNAB environment, the app is well made, but if you are looking for a budgeting solution as a new user, I would implore you to look elsewhere, to a company that still cares.
  12. [R12] YNAB 3/5 · US Method works. App is ok.: YNAB Method is still 5/5. The app however, continues to have updates that require more clicks for previously easy to use functions. I don’t think it’s one singular update, but rather the trajectory of the past few updates while of course raising the subscription price in the process. Find myself using the desktop more than the app.
  13. [R18] YNAB 3/5 · US What is happening here?!: I’ve been a user since the YNAB 4 days and have struggled to watch the cost of the app tick higher and higher. It’s hard to recommend the app to folks I know who could really benefit from it because it’s so garsh darned expensive. There have been UI changes - some that I’ve loved, some that are just fine - but whatever recent one made entering transactions so hinder som
  14. [R13] YNAB 1/5 · US Disappointed: As soon as I created an account, it automatically signed me up for a free trial WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. Now I have to spend time figuring out how much they charge afterwards how to cancel it. I didn’t even have a chance to see if I like the app and what it has to offer. They literally TRAPPED me into this free trial. They not how a good financial app has to work.
  15. [R19] YNAB 1/5 · US Initially great- but not functioning in a helpful way anymore: For two years I used YNAB daily with great success. For the last few months my working balance has been wildly inaccurate and I have been unable to edit my budget. An app refresh did not help. I cannot get human support and the AI support doesn’t care.
  16. [R25] YNAB 1/5 · US Can’t even create an account: I only have the option to log in - not create an account. Since I don’t have an account, I can’t really log in.
  17. [R32] YNAB 5/5 · US A great tool: Once I learned the system and how the app works, I find it very helpful in maintaining my peace around money. The company has a lot of educational resources on their website and YouTube channel to help.
  18. [R31] YNAB 2/5 · US these reviews have to be bots: You have to pay to use this app. I don’t know why the reviews don’t mention that. why would I want to pay for an app that’s meant to help me save money.
  19. [R52] YNAB 1/5 · US Over 100 bucks: Wouldn’t buy unless you are ready to spend over 100 bucks to use… kind of counter intuitive to my goal downloading this app
  20. [R67] EveryDollar 1/5 · US Not free: Got this to use as a simple check register billed as free. NOT FREE but you don’t find out until you’ve set up an account and given tons of information.
  21. [R75] EveryDollar 3/5 · US Premium: It’s really annoying being asked to sign up for premium every time I log into the app. Please don’t do this.
  22. [R87] EveryDollar 3/5 · US Naggy: I like this app, I really do. Been using it for a while. But more and more it’s been nagging me constantly to upgrade to premium. No thanks - I don’t want that, so stop asking me about it. Now, they are making me go through and answer a bunch of questions at app launch just to use it - no way to skip or opt out. I don’t want this. I just want a good, free budgeting app like this used to be.
  23. [R105] EveryDollar 1/5 · US Forced survey?: Let me enter in this item real quick… what is this survey? How do I get out of it? … I can’t? A loop until I answer? What if I don’t want to tell you what my hopes and dreams are so that they can be marketed back to me? What if I’m PAYING YOU $100 A YEAR to be a quick and convenient way to manage my money and all of your now “features” are just getting in the way of it? Stop.
  24. [R57] YNAB 3/5 · GB No support for Amex: Says that American Express is supported, but trying to connect multiple times, same result: failure. Doing a web search, seems it’s a known issue. May be in the Amex side, may not be, but without the bulk of my spending available here, app is worthless.
  25. [R60] YNAB 3/5 · GB Chase UK not supported: Unfortunately Chase UK is not supported.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store