Compare
Wrenfold vs YNAB
Both help you give every dollar a job. The difference is where your data lives and how you pay: YNAB is a subscription service, Wrenfold is an app you buy and keep.
| What | Wrenfold | YNAB (You Need A Budget) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79 once, then $5 a month for updates and email support. Free to try in your browser with up to 60 entries, no sign-up. | YNAB lists $14.99 USD per month, or $109 USD per year billed annually. A 34-day free trial is offered with no credit card required when signing up directly, and college students can get a free 365-day trial. |
| Where your data is kept | In a file on your own phone or computer. We never receive your accounts, balances or transactions. | YNAB says its entire infrastructure is built on Heroku, which runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS), so budget data is stored in the cloud on YNAB's servers. |
| Devices | iPhone and iPad (from the browser, added to the Home Screen), Mac and Windows. One purchase covers all of them. | Web, iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, and Apple Watch. |
| Getting your transactions in | Imports your bank's CSV, OFX or text PDF statements, with rules that categorize for you. No bank connection of our own; you can link SimpleFIN yourself, a separate paid service. | Yes. Bank connections are handled by the aggregators Plaid and MX. YNAB says it does not store bank credentials and the connection is read-only, so it imports transactions but cannot move money. |
| If you stop paying | The app keeps working and your data stays yours. You stop getting updates. | After cancelling, access continues to the end of the current billing period. Once the subscription expires, you lose access to your plan until you resubscribe. Data is not deleted at cancellation; it is deleted after the period set in YNAB's Data Retention Policy, with a reminder sent first. |
| What it leaves out or adds | Not included: A bank connection of our own, tracking of individual stocks and funds, and an App Store app. | Advertised strengths: One subscription can be shared with partners or family, up to six people; 34-day free trial with no credit card required; Free 365-day trial for college students. |
YNAB (You Need A Budget) details from its own pages, checked 2026-10-30: source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4. Prices and features change, so confirm on their site. YNAB (You Need A Budget) is a trademark of its owner; we are not affiliated with it.
Choose YNAB (You Need A Budget) if
You want automatic bank syncing built in, you share a budget with someone across devices, or you value YNAB's teaching material and community.
Choose Wrenfold if
You would rather your accounts never sit on a company's servers, you are fine importing statements, and you prefer one purchase plus a small update fee to a yearly subscription.
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FAQ
Questions about switching
What is the main difference between Wrenfold and YNAB (You Need A Budget)?
Both help you give every dollar a job. The difference is where your data lives and how you pay: YNAB is a subscription service, Wrenfold is an app you buy and keep.
Can I move from YNAB to Wrenfold?
Wrenfold imports bank statements as CSV, OFX or text PDF, so you can start from your bank's history. Check what YNAB lets you export and keep a copy of it.
Does Wrenfold connect to my bank?
Not on its own. You import statements, or link SimpleFIN yourself, which is a separate paid service.
Who should choose YNAB (You Need A Budget)?
Choose YNAB (You Need A Budget) if you want automatic bank syncing built in, you share a budget with someone across devices, or you value YNAB's teaching material and community.
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