Disclosure: VaultFlow is ours. YNAB is not, and we have no deal with its makers. Both get the same four fields below, including their drawbacks.
Short answer
If you want YNAB’s method, bank import and a budget shared with up to six people, YNAB is worth the subscription. If you want a free budget app with no bank login and no subscription, pick VaultFlow.
YNAB is a subscription budgeting app: free for 30 days, then billed monthly or annually. You can link accounts so transactions import themselves, or add them by hand, and share plans with up to six people. It adds a Loan Planner and Siri support.
VaultFlow is free with no subscription and never asks for a bank login. You import the statement file your bank already lets you download, and it keeps your budget, bills and net worth on your own iPhone.
Pick VaultFlow if
- You don’t want a subscription
- You don’t want to link your bank account
- You want bills and your whole net worth next to the budget
Pick YNAB if
- You want to budget with a partner on several phones
- You want transactions imported automatically
- You like YNAB’s give-every-dollar-a-job method
Side by side
| VaultFlow (ours) | YNAB | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — no subscription | Free for 30 days, then a monthly or annual subscription |
| Account needed | None | A YNAB account |
| Getting transactions in | Import your bank’s statement file (CSV, OFX or QFX — duplicates skipped), describe your money in plain words, or add it yourself | Link accounts to import automatically, or add manually |
| Bank linking | No bank connection — import a new statement to catch up | Yes, optional |
| Budgets | A budget and a colour on each category; refunds lower spending instead of counting as income | A flexible spending plan built on YNAB’s method |
| Net worth | Accounts, any number of credit cards, investments with live prices, your home, loans and goals | Net worth tracking and a Loan Planner |
| Sharing and devices | Not synced between devices yet — move by exporting and importing a file | Share with up to six people on one subscription, with real-time updates |
The two apps in detail
VaultFlow
Ours
- Best for
- People who want their whole net worth in one place without giving an app their bank login
- Highlights
- Assets, debts, property and investments in one net worth, with live prices for holdings
- Import the CSV, OFX or QFX statement your bank already gives you — duplicates skipped
- Or let ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini do the typing with ready-made prompts
- No bank login and no account; your data stays on your device and exports any time as a spreadsheet
- Pricing
- Free
- Watch out
- There is no automatic bank sync — to update, you import the statement file your bank lets you download (CSV, OFX or QFX) or add numbers yourself. It doesn’t sync between devices yet, needs iOS 26.2 or later, and runs on iPhone and iPad only.
YNAB
- Best for
- People who want a proven budgeting method, shared with a partner
- Highlights
- Share unlimited plans with up to six people
- Link accounts to import transactions, or add them by hand
- Loan Planner for paying down debt
- Pricing
- Free 30-day trial, then a monthly or annual subscription
- Watch out
- It is a subscription after the first month, and the method takes some learning.
The real difference: a method you pay for, or a free app on your phone
YNAB sells a way of budgeting — every dollar given a job — with bank import and sharing to make it stick. For many people that is worth the subscription.
VaultFlow is simpler and free: a budget on each category, bills that come off the right account, and your net worth in one place. The costs are real too: no automatic bank import and, for now, no sync between devices.
Other options
Want more than two options? Free YNAB Alternatives for iPhone (2026) compares 6 apps.
Every app of this kind we have compared is in the best net worth tracker apps for iPhone.
Common questions
Is YNAB free?
YNAB is free for 30 days. After that it is a monthly or annual subscription.
Is YNAB worth it?
If you will use its method every week, want bank import and budget with a partner, many people find it is. If you mainly want to see where money went and what is due, a free app like VaultFlow may be enough.
Is there a free YNAB alternative?
VaultFlow is free with no subscription. It uses a budget per category rather than YNAB’s method, and it never links to your bank.
Is there a budget app that doesn’t link to your bank account?
Yes. VaultFlow has no bank login anywhere — you import the CSV, OFX or QFX statement file your bank lets you download, or add numbers yourself.
App Store listings checked on 29 September 2026. Prices change — each entry describes how an app is paid for rather than a number that goes stale.
Published · No affiliate links
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