Choose YNAB if
you want a budgeting method with coaching around it, native phone and watch apps, or a household of more than two on one subscription.
Choose Alluvium if
you budget as a couple, want each month planned on its own, and want to pay less.
Open the Alluvium demoAt a glance
| YNAB | Alluvium | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99/month or $109/year | $7.99/month or $59.99/year |
| Trial | 34 days, no card needed when you sign up with YNAB | None; live demo and 30-day refund on first payment, once |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android, web and Apple Watch | Any modern browser on phone or desktop, installable |
| Sharing | Up to six people on one subscription, each with their own login | You and one partner, each with your own account and role |
| Budget months | Money left in a category rolls into the next month | Each month has its own plan; no rollover |
| Bank import | Links accounts and imports transactions | Connects banks through Plaid, or imports any CSV |
Sources: YNAB pricing, features, subscription sharing, YNAB method, targets help.
Where YNAB is stronger
YNAB comes with a method: decide what each dollar is for before you spend it, set money aside for irregular costs, and adjust without guilt. It has native apps for iPhone, Android and Apple Watch, targets for savings goals, and a 34-day trial. One subscription covers a household of up to six, which suits a family where more than two people budget.
Where Alluvium is different
Built for two. Your partner has their own account with an owner, editor or viewer role, at no extra cost, and each of you approves the month separately.
One month at a time. Each month owns its plan, and a new month can copy the last one’s buckets. Nothing rolls over, so a month’s numbers never change because of an earlier one. If you rely on money carrying forward, YNAB fits that habit better.
Rules in plain words. Write a rule as a sentence (If… Then…), check what it will do, then save it, and it files transactions for you. Rules use AI and need an account.
What it costs over a year
YNAB’s annual plan is $109; Alluvium’s is $59.99, $49.01 less. Price isn’t the deciding factor if you want YNAB’s method and coaching, or more than two people on one plan.
Switching
Alluvium connects banks through Plaid, or imports any CSV with a date, description and amount; you map the columns once and can save the mapping.