YNAB

I’ve been a YNAB user since before the team introduced subscriptions. At first, I felt as though the price was reasonable given the functionality of the app at the time. Even when the subscription saw its first price increase, I still felt like the value was there. However, after multiple increases and what seems to be a steady decline in the quality of the app, I no longer hold this opinion. While I haven’t experience the performance issues others have, I have found that the design changes make the app a visual strain to use. Both the Light and Dark modes drastically reduced contrast between fields making the app overall feel very disjointed. Even with the ability to differentiate colors with an outline does little to bring any sort of visual cohesion to the UX. I’m sure that many use the bank linking features, but that’s something I will never touch. A ledger should ALWAYS be the source of record for your transactions and you should do your best to keep the transactions up-to-date. Bank systems drop transactions due to how payment processors work, there shouldn’t be any need for managing transactions in addition to what gets imported. Bank linking becomes useless to me. It’d be one thing if there were subscription tiers that didn’t include bank linking, but since it’s only one size fits all there’s no flexibility for users like myself. I fully believe in app developers getting properly paid for their work. That being said, the decline of the usability of the app and its value proposition as a subscription makes me unlikely to renew my subscription later this year.

At least for individuals, this app is great. The UI is easy to understand and use with clear directions on what does what. The automatic transactions died in with my Apple Cash card are also extremely convenient and work well. Thanks YNAB!

I have never felt more in control of my money. I wish I had started sooner.

This app was great at first, but with every update they do, they make it more and more complicated to use. I have been on it for 3 years now, and it gets less and less intuitive. You would be better off just using a free template in google. Just an example of overpaid designers trying to justify their job.

If it’s not broke… I’ve been using the app for years. I like to organize my budget by date due. Even my yearly transactions. Makes it easy to keep myself organized. In former versions it was very simple to do this. Now, this feature is either gone, or if it’s available I can’t freaking figure it out! It you have “ Marie Kondo’d” an app so much that long time users can no longer figure out features, you’ve taken a step in the wrong direction!

I have been using the YNAB system and this app for years and this is the worst update there has ever been. I hate that in viewing each individual account you cannot see which transactions have cleared. I do not like not seeing my little green dots. It is driving me insane.

After 6 years of using this app—I give up—They do not care! Really! If you want an app that you spend more time working on your budget than actually getting to enjoy the money you make—This is the app for you! Let’s ask them how many updates there have been in the last 3 years?—this will tell you everything—They have no clue what direction they are going. They take off in one direction and then they scrap the idea and move in another direction. This is three years in a row I regret purchasing another year hoping for—something might improve—NO it gets worse with each update! Support is bots or if you do finally get a response it’s copy and paste messages. Personally I think it’s all bots. It’s not intuitive anymore! Moving money feels impossible as it is clunking and cluttered! I feel like I need a PHD in YNAB just to do simple tasks—Everything is watch a video to learn how. Here’s any idea—How about make it clean, simple, and intuitive! The new management has ruined a great app! Why is there not a simple way to undo a mistake? You make a mistake and then you realize but you are already 15 steps ahead or even the next day! Why is there not a go back button or go back to yesterday? I don’t know why I bother to type this—THEY DO NOT CARE! Once they get your yearly fee they drop you like a hot potato—hoping you will forget to cancel your subscription. They care more about upcoming events and trying to put on shows than actually working to improve the app. Well—sorry! I just cancelled. 😡

I’ve been using YNAB since version 4. At first I was concerned with the subscription model cost, but the team has continued adding features that make it more useful. I’ve been watching my net worth rise over the years and this app has been a great help. It’s good knowing that I can go to the store and can definitely afford it because it’s budgeted, or that I can shift funds and still make it happen. YNAB makes money one less thing to worry about.

The idea behind it is quite promising. It aims to help users manage their finances and keep track of transactions more easily. One of the biggest drawbacks is the way transactions are displayed. Finding a specific transaction - especially a missing one or comparing an account with a card statement - becomes challenging. The app reorders transactions in a way that doesn't reflect the order they come in from the bank. This makes it difficult to match up with statements and can lead to confusion.

It allows me to handle reasonably well all complexities of personal finances, no other app I tried before did, like: pending transactions, faulty connections to financial institutions, different budgeting needs from one category to another, the way budgets carry over to the new month, updates due to reissued credit cards, reconciliation to account balances, it even gives me confidence to correct errors when they happen; overall it’s great. Unfortunately apps these days come with the curse of constant change, a few weeks ago I knew how to use the app, now I’m having to re-learn some key features, and every few months happens again and again :(