Plan every paycheck. Skip the subscription.
YNAB taught a lot of people to give every dollar a job, and it's a good method. But it costs about $109 a year (at the time of writing) and your budget lives on their servers. Penny plans your paychecks too, keeps everything on your device, and is free.
Penny and YNAB, side by side.
Two different takes on the same goal: knowing where your money should go before you spend it.
| Question | Penny | YNAB |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Yearly or monthly subscription |
| Where your data lives | On your device, encrypted | On YNAB's servers |
| Account to sign up | None | Required |
| Bank connection | Never: statement files, plain words, or Android bank alerts | Optional bank linking through a data company |
| Daily answer | One safe-to-spend number for today | Category balances |
| Learning curve | Start in minutes | A method to learn |
| Works offline | Everything | Partly |
What planning looks like in Penny
- Payday plan: when your pay lands, Penny suggests how to split it between bills, goals, a cushion and everyday money, then tracks the plan.
- Safe to spend today: instead of checking a dozen category balances, one number tells you what you can spend without missing a bill.
- Set-asides for costs that come back: car insurance, gifts, yearly subscriptions, saved for a little each month.
- A safety buffer in three steps, so the first goal is reachable, not overwhelming.
- A cash-flow calendar that marks the tight days before you get there.
Bring your YNAB history
Export your register from YNAB, then open Import in Penny and choose the file. Penny recognises YNAB's columns, sets up your accounts, matches your categories and skips duplicates. Undo is one click.
Questions
Is Penny really free?
Yes. No ads, no account, and no subscription to see your own data.
Which devices?
Windows 10 and 11 from the Microsoft Store, and Android (join the test).
YNAB is a trademark of its owner. Penny isn't affiliated with or endorsed by YNAB. Prices change; check theirs before you decide.
Every dollar planned. Nothing to pay.
No account to make. Install it and start.