KeepBudget vs YNAB
YNAB is the famous one; KeepBudget is the affordable one that works everywhere. Here's the honest version of that comparison — including where YNAB genuinely wins.
Facts and prices checked 30 July 2026. Spotted something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
cheaper than YNAB, year for year
to start — the free plan is free forever
currencies at live rates — YNAB budgets in one
Choose KeepBudget if…
you want a real free plan, money in more than one currency or country, Arabic support, or Pro without a $109/year commitment — and you’re happy logging spending yourself (or importing it from Excel).
Choose YNAB if…
you live on US or Canadian bank sync, want a prescriptive zero-based budgeting method with coaching and community around it, and the price doesn’t bother you.
Side by side
Why people pick KeepBudget
A third of the price
KeepBudget Pro is $39/year against YNAB’s $109 — and you may never need Pro at all: the free plan is a real plan, not a 34-day countdown.
Money that lives in more than one country
Salary in dollars, rent in pounds, savings in crypto? KeepBudget converts 166 currencies at live rates into one net worth. YNAB budgets in exactly one currency.
No bank logins — anywhere
YNAB without US bank sync is YNAB minus its main convenience. KeepBudget never needed sync: you log or import transactions, so it works identically in Cairo, Dubai, Berlin or Boston.
Where YNAB is genuinely better
- Automatic bank sync in the US and Canada — if your banks are covered and you want zero manual entry, that convenience is real.
- A complete budgeting method. YNAB is opinionated zero-based budgeting with courses, coaching and a huge community. KeepBudget gives you flexible tools, not a doctrine.
- Household sharing for up to six people is included in the one subscription.
Switching from YNAB takes minutes
Export from YNAB
Download your register as CSV from YNAB’s export.
Import into KeepBudget
Create a free account, add your wallet, and import the CSV or Excel file — mapping takes a minute.
Set your budgets
Recreate the categories you actually use, set a budget and a savings goal, and you’re running.
KeepBudget vs YNAB — quick answers
Is KeepBudget a good YNAB alternative?
If you want budgeting without bank logins, multi-currency support, Arabic, or a much lower price — yes. If your whole workflow depends on US bank sync and the YNAB method, YNAB remains the better fit.
How much cheaper is KeepBudget than YNAB?
YNAB is $109/year with no free tier. KeepBudget is free forever on the free plan, and Pro is $39/year — about a third of the price.
Can I import my YNAB data into KeepBudget?
Yes — export your transactions from YNAB as CSV and import them into KeepBudget. Import and export work on every plan, including free.
Does KeepBudget have bank sync like YNAB?
No, deliberately. You add transactions yourself or import them, so you never hand over bank credentials — and the app works with every bank on earth, not just synced ones.
Try the affordable alternative
Free forever plan. Two minutes to set up. No card, no bank logins.
Start free