You Need a Budget (YNAB)
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLehi, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
You Need a Budget (YNAB) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- You Need a Budget (YNAB)
- Legal name
- You Need a Budget LLC
- Website
- https://youneedabudget.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
You Need a Budget (YNAB) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Personal Finance Software
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Expense Tracking & Financial Dashboards (FSAGADAB)
Keywords
Where You Need a Budget (YNAB) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lehi
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
You Need a Budget (YNAB) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: Annual subscription model generating recurring revenue from users who pay for access to the budgeting platform. Pricing is $99/year according to multiple third-party sources. The subscription includes full access to the YNAB app, workshops, coaching directory, and all features.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual subscription at $99/year |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | 34-day free trial available |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
You Need a Budget (YNAB) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
YNAB develops and sells a personal finance and budgeting software application built on its proprietary zero-based budgeting methodology ('Give Every Dollar a Job'). Users connect bank accounts via Plaid for automatic transaction synchronization and categorization, then assign every dollar of income to flexible budget categories. The application is delivered across iOS, Android, and web as an annual subscription priced at $99/year according to multiple third-party sources, with a 34-day free trial that requires no credit card.
Product overview
YNAB (You Need a Budget) offers a single unified personal finance and budgeting platform centered on the YNAB Core Application, available across web and mobile (iOS, Android). The product suite includes educational resources (Free Workshops, Guides, Help Center, Blog, Jesse Mecham Show podcast) and support services (YNAB Coach Directory). Additional offerings include Subscription Sharing, Referral Program, Gift Subscriptions, and YNAB for College Students (a discounted/free tier for students). An API product enables developer access to budgeting functionality. YNAB's methodology is built on zero-based budgeting where users assign every dollar a job, with bank connectivity provided through Plaid integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- YNAB (You Need a Budget) Core Application YNAB's primary personal finance and budgeting software platform available via web and mobile (iOS, Android). Implements a zero-based budgeting methodology where users assign every dollar a job, with direct bank account connectivity for transaction synchronization and flexible, proactive financial planning.
- YNAB API Public REST API enabling developers to integrate with and build upon YNAB's budgeting platform, allowing programmatic access to budgets, transactions, accounts, and categories.
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% feel less stressed about money
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use You Need a Budget (YNAB)
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
You Need a Budget (YNAB) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
You Need a Budget (YNAB) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Plaid Financial Ltd.coreYNAB operates as an agent of Plaid Financial Ltd., an authorised payment institution regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (Firm Reference Number: 804718). Plaid provides regulated account information services through YNAB as its agent, enabling bank account connections and transaction data synchronization for users.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
You Need a Budget (YNAB) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Monarch Money: Monarch Money is a direct competitor offering a modern subscription-based personal finance and budgeting platform with similar feature parity (bank sync, custom categories, collaboration). Its $99.99/year annual price and PLG positioning place it as YNAB's closest like-for-like rival.
- Copilot Money: Copilot is a direct competitor in consumer budgeting and spending apps, with strong iOS-first design and AI-driven categorization. It targets the same design-conscious, mobile-first consumer segment that YNAB serves.
- Mint (Intuit, discontinued): Mint was the historical mass-market direct competitor in free personal finance management with budgeting, categorization, and credit monitoring. While shut down in 2024, its user base (~20M) migrated to alternatives including YNAB, making it the most directly comparable category predecessor.
- Goodbudget: Goodbudget is a direct competitor that popularized digital envelope budgeting — a methodology adjacent to YNAB's zero-based approach. It targets couples and households seeking shared, structured budgeting at a lower price point.
- Rocket Money (formerly Truebill): Rocket Money is a direct competitor in consumer personal finance with budgeting, subscription cancellation, and bill negotiation features. It overlaps YNAB on budgeting and bank connectivity and competes for the same consumer mindshare, with a freemium model.
- PocketGuard: PocketGuard is a direct competitor offering budgeting, expense tracking, and bill negotiation across iOS, Android, and web. Its freemium model and 'in my pocket' framing compete directly with YNAB for entry-level budgeting users.
- EveryDollar (Ramsey Solutions): EveryDollar is a direct competitor built around the Dave Ramsey zero-based budgeting methodology. It is highly comparable to YNAB on methodology, target audience (debt-focused consumers), and freemium/premium tier structure.
- Empower (Personal Capital): Empower (which absorbed Personal Capital) is a direct competitor in personal financial management, combining budgeting with net worth tracking, investment analysis, and wealth advisory. It targets a similar self-serve consumer and overlaps on the budgeting use case that anchors YNAB.
Broad incumbents
- Intuit Credit Karma: Credit Karma (Intuit) is a broad incumbent in consumer personal finance with credit monitoring, budgeting, and recommendations. Following Mint's shutdown it absorbed many displaced users and competes with YNAB for the free-tier consumer financial dashboard.
- Quicken / Simplifi by Quicken: Quicken is a long-established incumbent in personal finance software with Simplifi as its modern subscription budgeting product. Quicken's broad portfolio and decades of brand equity make it a broad incumbent that overlaps YNAB on the budgeting core.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
You Need a Budget (YNAB) social profiles
Digital presenceYou Need a Budget (YNAB) compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
You Need a Budget (YNAB) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
You Need a Budget (YNAB) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
You Need a Budget (YNAB) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
You Need a Budget (YNAB) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about You Need a Budget (YNAB)
What does You Need a Budget (YNAB) do?
YNAB develops and sells a personal finance and budgeting software application built on its proprietary zero-based budgeting methodology ('Give Every Dollar a Job'). Users connect bank accounts via Plaid for automatic transaction synchronization and categorization, then assign every dollar of income to flexible budget categories. The application is delivered across iOS, Android, and web as an annual subscription priced at $99/year according to multiple third-party sources, with a 34-day free trial that requires no credit card.
Is You Need a Budget (YNAB) a public or private company?
You Need a Budget (YNAB) is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was You Need a Budget (YNAB) founded?
You Need a Budget (YNAB) was founded in 2004. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is You Need a Budget (YNAB) based?
You Need a Budget (YNAB) is headquartered in Lehi, United States, in the North America region.
How does You Need a Budget (YNAB) make money?
One revenue line is on record: subscription Revenue.
Who are You Need a Budget (YNAB)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Monarch Money, Copilot Money, Mint (Intuit, discontinued), Goodbudget, Rocket Money (formerly Truebill), PocketGuard, EveryDollar (Ramsey Solutions) and Empower (Personal Capital). Broad incumbents are Intuit Credit Karma and Quicken / Simplifi by Quicken.
Does You Need a Budget (YNAB) have an API?
Yes. You Need a Budget (YNAB) exposes a public API. Developer documentation is at api.ynab.com.
What industry is You Need a Budget (YNAB) in?
You Need a Budget (YNAB)'s product category is Personal Finance Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGADAB, Expense Tracking & Financial Dashboards. Its SIC code is 6199.