YNAB vs. Monarch
Both are paid, ad-free budgeting apps that let you share with a partner at no extra cost. YNAB is built around planning your money before you spend it; Monarch around seeing all your accounts, including investments and net worth, in one place.
Disclosure: links on this page currently go straight to each provider’s own site, and we don’t earn a commission from them. If we join a provider’s affiliate program later, that will never change which products we include or how we order them. How we make money.
How this page was made: it’s built from each provider’s own terms, rate and fee pages and from regulator sources, all listed at the bottom. We haven’t opened these accounts or products to test them, and we don’t give scores. Every rate shows the day we checked it. Our methodology.
Quick answer
Short answer: pick YNAB if you want a hands-on, plan-first budget and a long 34-day free trial ($109 a year on Nov 10, 2026). Pick Monarch if you want automatic tracking of every account, including investments and net worth, on web, iOS and Android ($99.99 a year, 7-day trial). Both are $14.99 month to month.
Last updated Prices checked Nov 10, 2026
Key facts at a glance
| YNAB (You Need A Budget) | Monarch | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual price | $109/year (plus tax where applicable) as of Nov 10, 2026 | $99.99/year as of Nov 10, 2026 |
| Monthly price | $14.99/month (plus tax where applicable) as of Nov 10, 2026 | $14.99/month as of Nov 10, 2026 |
| Free trial | 34 days; no card when signing up directly | 7 days |
| Refunds | Not stated on the pages we read | No-questions-asked money-back guarantee |
| Sharing | Up to six people on one subscription | Invite a partner or professional at no extra cost |
We read YNAB’s home and pricing pages and Monarch’s home and pricing pages on Nov 10, 2026. Neither app pays us, and links go to their own sites.
YNAB (You Need A Budget) vs Monarch: side-by-side
| YNAB | Monarch | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual price | $109/year (plus tax where applicable) as of Nov 10, 2026 | $99.99/year as of Nov 10, 2026 |
| Monthly price | $14.99/month (plus tax where applicable) as of Nov 10, 2026 | $14.99/month as of Nov 10, 2026 |
| Free trial | 34 days; no card when signing up directly | 7 days |
| Refunds | Not stated on the pages we read | No-questions-asked money-back guarantee |
| Sharing | Up to six people on one subscription | Invite a partner or professional at no extra cost |
| Approach | Make a plan for what your money is for before spending it | Track all accounts and spending; flexible budgets; goals |
| Account types | Bank import for select US, Canadian, UK and EU banks | Banks, cards, loans, real estate and investments; 13,000+ institutions |
| Devices | Not listed on the pages we read | Web, iOS and Android |
| Student offer | Free 365-day trial for college students | None shown |
What are the pros and cons?
YNAB (You Need A Budget): pros
- 34-day trial without a credit card
- Share with up to six people
- Built around planning ahead
YNAB (You Need A Budget): cons
- $9 more per year than Monarch
- Requires regular hands-on attention
Monarch: pros
- Net worth and investments alongside the budget
- Web, iOS and Android
- Money-back guarantee
Monarch: cons
- Only a 7-day trial
- Higher Plus tier price not shown on the page we read
Which should you choose: YNAB (You Need A Budget) or Monarch?
The deciding question is how you want to budget. If you want a system that makes you decide what each paycheck is for, YNAB is built for that, and its 34-day trial gives you a full month to test it. If you mostly want to see everything in one place and keep spending in check with a partner, Monarch is the better fit.
Choose YNAB (You Need A Budget) if…
- You live paycheck to paycheck and want a plan before you spend
- You want a month-long trial
- You share money with up to five other people
Choose Monarch if…
- You want investments and net worth in the same app
- You use Android or the web as much as iPhone
- You want a refund option if it isn’t a fit
Who should skip this
- You won’t pay for a budgeting app. See best free budgeting apps.
- You only want to find and cancel subscriptions. A subscription tracker may be enough; see best budgeting apps.
Frequently asked questions
Is YNAB or Monarch cheaper?
Which has the longer free trial?
Can couples use either?
Does either track investments?
Do you earn money if I sign up?
Sources
Every source below was opened and read for this page (rates last checked Nov 10, 2026). Providers’ own pages are labeled with the provider’s name; regulator pages are labeled with the agency. Rates and terms change often, so confirm on the provider’s site before you apply.
- YNAB: Pricing (ynab.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
- YNAB: Home page (ynab.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
- Monarch: Pricing (monarch.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
- Monarch: Home page (features) (monarch.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
Related
Monarch vs. Copilot Money
Both cost about $100 a year and track spending, budgets and net worth. The deciding questions are whether anyone in your household uses Android and how you want to share with a partner.
best ofBest budgeting apps
The right budgeting app is the one you’ll actually open every week. We read each app’s own pricing page on Nov 10, 2026 and compare price, trial length, free options and the budgeting style each one is built around.
best ofBest free budgeting apps
Several budgeting apps have a plan you can use indefinitely without paying. The catch is usually a limit: manual entry, fewer accounts, or budgeting tools held back for the paid tier. We read each app’s own pages on Nov 10, 2026.