A free YNAB alternative for simple income and expense tracking

How the two apps differ

YNAB is a budgeting method with an app around it. You plan ahead, setting money aside for rent, groceries and everything else, and you change the plan when spending runs over. Transactions come in from linked banks through Direct Import, from a bank file you upload, or from your own manual entries. It runs on the web, iPhone and Android, and one subscription covers up to six people.

Pocket PnL keeps a record of what already happened. You log each income and expense, with a tag and a card if you like, and the stats show where the money went for any week, month or year. It has no budgets, no category targets and no bank import.

Who should stick with what they have

If planning every dollar is what keeps your spending in check, keep doing it, because Pocket PnL can't replace the plan. YNAB is also the better fit if you:

• want transactions pulled in from your bank
• share money with a partner or family and want one plan between you
• use Android or a computer as often as your iPhone

If cost is the reason you're looking, check YNAB's own offers first. As of October 2026 it gives a 34-day free trial without a credit card, and college students get a free 365-day trial with proof of enrollment.

Who Pocket PnL suits

• People who found planning every dollar too much work but still want to know where their money goes.
• Anyone who'd rather not connect a bank to an app at all.
• People who don't want another subscription. Logging is free with no time limit.
• Travelers and anyone paid in more than one currency. YNAB's pricing page says you can't mix currencies in one plan. Pocket PnL logs in 31 currencies and converts each entry to your home currency.

What logging looks like

Tap minus or plus and type the amount, or say a sentence like "spent 24 on groceries" with Quick Add and check the draft before saving. Rent, pay and subscriptions can be recurring entries that the app adds on the day, and a receipt scan fills in the total, store and date for you. Your first 5 receipts are free. Entries save on your iPhone and sync through your own iCloud, so there's nothing to sign up for.

Side by side

Questions

Can I bring my history over?

No. Pocket PnL doesn't import from other apps or bank files, so it starts on the day you install it. Entering your net worth once gives you a starting figure, and every entry after that keeps it current.

Can I still budget with Pocket PnL?

Not in the app, which has no budgets or spending limits. If you want a target, a simple rule like 50/30/20 is easy to compare with your monthly stats by hand. If you liked planning every dollar, the zero-based budget guide shows how to keep doing it in a spreadsheet.

Is it really free?

Logging, stats, net worth, iCloud sync and CSV export are free with no ads and no trial that runs out. Pro costs $29.99 once or $9.99 a year and adds receipt scanning after your first 5 receipts, plus sharing entries as images.

Does it work on Android or the web?

No. Pocket PnL is an iPhone app and needs iOS 17 or later.

YNAB and You Need A Budget are trademarks of their owner, and Pocket PnL isn't affiliated with them. The details about YNAB on this page come from its website and help center and were checked on October 29, 2026.