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Liquify vs YNAB

Plan every pound before you spend it

YNAB makes you account for every pound after you spend it. Liquify has you plan every pound before you spend it, and lets your bank check the plan for you.

Free to start

Your plan, boxes and manual accounts are free forever. YNAB has no free plan.

Bank sync for less

Bank sync starts at $49.99 a year with Pro. YNAB costs $109 a year.

Less daily work

Plan once a month and let your bank check the boxes. A bad month doesn't follow you.

Side by side

Price

LiquifyFree · Pro $49.99/yr · Ultra $99.99/yr (better here)
YNAB$109/yr or $14.99/mo

Free plan

LiquifyYes, free forever (with ads) (better here)
YNABNo

Bank sync

LiquifyFrom $49.99/yr (Pro, 1 bank); several banks with Ultra (better here)
YNABIncluded in $109/yr

Free trial

Liquify14 days of Ultra
YNAB34 days; a free year for students (better here)

Method

LiquifyFill your boxes (envelopes) once a month; your bank checks them for you (better here)
YNABAssign every pound, then categorise and reconcile every transaction

Daily effort

LiquifyPlan once a month; categorising is optional (better here)
YNABKeep categorising and reconciling as transactions arrive

Overspending

LiquifyCovered that month, then a fresh start: no past to fix, only the next plan (better here)
YNABCover it by moving money from other categories, or it follows you into next month

Several currencies

LiquifyYes, in one plan (better here)
YNABOne currency per plan

Languages

LiquifyEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Dutch and Polish, with regional versions (better here)
YNABEnglish only

Bank coverage

Liquify25,000+ banks in 40+ countries via Lunch Flow (US, Canada, UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific and more); Brazil via Pluggy (better here)
YNABSelect banks in the US, Canada, UK and EU

Sharing

LiquifyUp to 10 people per budget (Ultra) (better here)
YNABYou plus up to 5 others

AI assistant

LiquifyBento: ask about your plan and request edits, in the app or on Telegram, on every plan (better here)
YNABA ChatGPT app with YNAB articles; it can't see your budget

API and AI connectors (MCP)

LiquifyOfficial API and MCP: connect ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to your budget (Ultra) (better here)
YNABOfficial API; MCP only through community projects

Reports

LiquifyDaily plan-health snapshots (plan mix, each box vs what it needs, liquidity, investments) plus a projection of where you're heading (better here)
YNABSpending, net worth, and income vs expense, looking back

History

LiquifyEnough to keep your plan on track: 30 days (Free), 90 days (Pro), 1 year (Ultra)
YNABAll your past, since the day you started

Setup with AI

LiquifyPaste them or send a screenshot to Bento, and it creates your boxes (better here)
YNABNo AI setup; you create categories in the app

Help and community

LiquifyDocs, a guided tutorial, Bento for questions anytime in your language, and a direct line to the founder
YNABFree workshops and a large community

Choose YNAB if you want

  • Every transaction categorised and reconciled
  • Your full history, with no limit
  • A longer free trial, or a free year as a student
  • Workshops and a big community around the method

Choose Liquify if you want

  • To plan the month once and let your bank check it
  • A free plan, and bank sync for less
  • Bank sync in 40+ countries, and several currencies in one plan
  • A forgiving method: a bad month doesn't follow you
  • An AI assistant that knows your plan and can edit it
  • The app in your language: 8 languages, not just English

Switching from YNAB

  1. 1

    Download Liquify and follow the guided first budget: income, bills and goals.

  2. 2

    Paste your YNAB categories into Bento, or send a screenshot, and it creates the boxes. Fund each one from your monthly income.

  3. 3

    With Pro or Ultra, connect your bank to see each box's balance next to what it needs.

Try the plan-first way

Free to start. Ultra comes with a 14-day free trial.

Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App StoreGet Liquify on the Web

YNAB details checked in November 2026. Prices in USD; they may differ by region and change over time. Source: ynab.com/pricing. YNAB is a trademark of its owner. Liquify is not affiliated with YNAB.