YNAB alternative: a simpler, cheaper budgeting app
Updated October 7, 2026 · By the Souski team
YNAB (You Need A Budget) made a simple idea popular: give every dollar a job. But it costs $109 a year, has no free plan and takes a while to learn. Here's what Souski does the same, what it does differently, and who each one suits best.
The short version
If you want the YNAB way of budgeting in a simpler, cheaper app with a free plan, Souski is built for you: budget by category, money left to assign, savings goals. If you need automatic bank sync or a shared budget for two, YNAB is still the more powerful tool.
Souski vs YNAB at a glance
| YNAB | Souski | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No (34-day trial) | Yes, no time limit |
| Subscription price | $14.99/month or $109/year | €4.99/month or €39/year |
| Full-version trial | 34 days, no card | 14 days, no card |
| App languages | English | English and French |
| Bank connection | Yes, for some banks | No, never |
| Statement import (CSV, OFX…) | Yes | Yes (Premium) |
| Give every euro a job | ✔ | ✔ |
| Savings goals with a monthly amount | ✔ | ✔ |
| Loan tracking and payoff date | ✔ | ✔ (Premium) |
| Shared budget for two or more | ✔ | — |
YNAB prices and features checked on ynab.com on 7 October 2026. YNAB prices are in US dollars, before tax.
What Souski keeps from YNAB
YNAB's strength is deciding in advance what your money is for, instead of finding out afterwards where it went. Souski works the same way:
- A planned budget per category (groceries, rent, going out…), compared with what you actually spend.
- Money left to assign: your income minus everything you've already budgeted. The goal is to reach zero, when every euro has a job.
- Savings goals with a date: Souski works out how much to put aside each month to get there on time.
What Souski does differently
A lighter method
YNAB is built on four rules and its own vocabulary, and many people watch tutorials before it clicks. Souski takes 3 minutes to set up: you enter your income and fixed bills, and the app suggests ready-made categories. Then you see at a glance what you can still spend this month, and per day.
A free plan that doesn't expire
Souski's free plan covers the essentials with no time limit: unlimited transactions, budget by category, monthly dashboard. Premium costs €39 a year, against $109 a year for YNAB.
No access to your bank
Souski never asks for your bank login. You log an expense in 5 seconds on your phone, or import a statement exported from your online banking. That's a deliberate choice: logging spending yourself builds awareness, and your bank credentials stay with you.
When YNAB is still the better choice
- You want transactions to arrive automatically from your bank, with nothing to type.
- You budget as a couple or a family and each of you needs access to the same budget.
- You want a very complete method, with a large community, workshops and plenty of courses.
In those cases, YNAB is worth the price. Souski is for people who want the heart of the method without spending their evenings on it.
Switching from YNAB to Souski
- Create your account: the setup wizard gets your income and categories in place in 3 minutes.
- Export your YNAB transactions as a CSV file from the YNAB web app.
- Import the file into Souski (Premium, included in the trial): you get a month-by-month preview, duplicates are skipped and categories are guessed from payee names.
- Recreate your savings goals with their amount and date: Souski works out the monthly payment.
Your budget ready in 3 minutes, your spending logged in 5 seconds. Free, no bank connection.
Frequently asked questions
Does Souski use the YNAB method?
It keeps the core idea: give every euro a job before you spend it. The "left to assign" figure shows the money that doesn't have a job yet. Souski doesn't enforce YNAB's other rules, such as living on last month's income.
Can I bring my YNAB history with me?
Yes, with Premium: export your transactions from YNAB as a CSV file, then import it into Souski. The date, payee, outflow and inflow columns are recognised automatically, and categories are guessed from the payee names.
Does Souski connect to my bank like YNAB?
No. Souski never asks for your bank login: you log spending in a few seconds, or import a statement exported from your bank. If automatic bank sync is a must for you, YNAB is the better choice.
Which currency does Souski use?
Amounts are shown in euros. If you budget in another currency, the maths works exactly the same: just ignore the € sign.
This guide gives general pointers and isn't personalised financial advice.