Selfinance vs YNAB: budgeting app, or your full financial picture?
YNAB is the gold standard for zero-based envelope budgeting. Selfinance covers the budget and the rest of your money — investments, net worth, debt — in multiple currencies, for less than half the price. The honest comparison:
| Selfinance | YNAB | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6–9 / month ($60–90 / year) | $15 / month ($109 / year) |
| Focus | Net worth + budget + investments + debt | Zero-based envelope budgeting |
| Investments & net worth | Built in — stocks, crypto, commodities, real estate, liabilities, with automatic market data | Tracking accounts only, no market data |
| Multi-currency | Native — USD, EUR, PLN, GBP, CHF, auto-converted | One currency per budget |
| Bank sync | None by design — manual + AI capture; it can never touch your accounts | US/Canada bank import (spotty in Europe) |
| AI | MCP connector — use it from Claude or ChatGPT, on every plan | — |
| Hosting & GDPR | EU-hosted, GDPR | US-hosted |
| Free calculators | 10, no signup | — |
| Methodology | Flexible — budget how you like | Famous four-rule method, devoted community |
Updated August 2026 · YNAB prices from ynab.com
The one case where YNAB is the better pick
You want strict zero-based envelope budgeting as a method, and you're in the US or Canada where its bank sync works. That's the case where YNAB earns its $15/month.
Selfinance is built for you if…
- You budget and invest — and want the budget, the portfolio, and the debt in one net-worth number.
- Your money lives in more than one currency — salary in EUR, savings in PLN, ETFs in USD.
- You're in Europe and want EU hosting, GDPR, and no dependence on US bank feeds.
- You want to log an expense or check your net worth by just telling ChatGPT or Claude.
- You'd rather pay $60–90 a year than $109 — for the fuller picture, not a narrower one.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions people ask most before getting started.
Is Selfinance a good YNAB alternative in Europe?
Yes — that's exactly the case it's built for: EU hosting, GDPR, native multi-currency (USD, EUR, PLN, GBP, CHF), and no dependence on US bank feeds. What you give up is YNAB's US/Canada bank sync and its strict envelope methodology.
How much cheaper is Selfinance than YNAB?
Selfinance is $6–9/month ($60–90/year); YNAB is $15/month ($109/year). On annual billing, the Base plan costs roughly half of YNAB's yearly price — and it also covers investments, net worth, and debt, which YNAB doesn't.
Can Selfinance do zero-based envelope budgeting like YNAB?
Not in YNAB's strict sense. Selfinance uses flexible budgets with needs/wants/investment categories and monthly limits per category. If the full envelope methodology is what you want, YNAB does it best — that's its one clear win.
Can I track investments in YNAB?
YNAB supports tracking accounts with manually updated balances but has no market data — no live stock, crypto, or FX prices. Selfinance tracks holdings with automatic market data: crypto every 15 minutes; stocks, commodities, and currencies daily.
See the fuller picture in numbers
Two free, no-signup calculators that go beyond a budget.