YNAB left the UK in 2022 and came back half-way: select banks, USD billing, no multi-currency. Budgero is zero-based budgeting built to work properly here — GBP-first, end-to-end encrypted, at roughly half the price.
35 days free, no card needed. Works with Monzo, Starling, and every other UK bank.
YNAB's relationship with the UK has been complicated. It pulled out in 2022, citing the cost of UK-specific features. It returned in 2024–25 through Plaid's Open Banking integration — but for many UK households, the product still doesn't fit.
Bank coverage is selective. Monzo, Revolut, Nationwide, NatWest, HSBC and Amex sync; plenty of other UK banks and building societies don't. If your bank isn't on Plaid's list, you're doing CSV imports anyway — in an app priced as if sync works.
You pay in dollars. $109/year lands as roughly £85 on your card, plus whatever foreign-transaction fee your bank adds. There is no GBP billing and no VAT invoice.
No multi-currency. If you hold EUR for work, travel, or family across the Channel, YNAB gives you one currency per budget and manual exchange-rate maths.
Your data crosses the Atlantic. YNAB stores budgets in plaintext on US servers under US data law, and bank connections route through Plaid. Budgero's data lives encrypted in Finland, under EU jurisdiction, and the app sends no telemetry unless you explicitly allow it.
Where it actually matters for UK households and freelancers.
| Feature | Budgero | YNAB |
|---|---|---|
| Built for the UK | GBP-first, works with every UK bank | PartialReturned 2024–25 via Plaid, select banks only |
| Works with your bank | All UK banksCSV import from Monzo, Starling, anyone | Select banksMonzo, Revolut, NatWest, HSBC in; many out |
| GBP + EUR in one budget | 168 currencies with live FX | One currency per budget |
| Billing currency | GBPNo FX fees on your card | USD only$109/yr + card FX fees |
| Annual price | $60/yearOr free with Self-Host | $109/year (~£85) |
| End-to-end encryption | AES-256-GCM, zero-knowledge | Plaintext on their servers |
| Where your data lives | Finland (EU)Zero-knowledge encrypted, EU jurisdiction | United StatesSubject to US data law |
| Telemetry & tracking | Opt-in onlyNo telemetry unless you explicitly allow it | Third-party analytics by default |
| Offline mode | PWA works fully offline | Requires internet |
| Zero-based budgeting | ||
| YNAB data import | Full categories, transactions, history | N/A |
| Self-host option | Docker, your own server |
Budgero skips the bank-aggregator middleman entirely. Instead of hoping your bank is on a sync provider's coverage list, you export a CSV — something every UK bank offers, and which app-first banks like Monzo and Starling make excellent — and import it in seconds. Or enter transactions as you spend, which is the habit that made YNAB work in the first place.
The upside of doing it this way: no broken sync connections to babysit, no re-authentication every 90 days, and your banking credentials are never shared with anyone — not with us, not with Plaid, not with anyone else.
And if you earn or spend in euros too, Budgero budgets GBP and EUR side by side with live exchange rates — something YNAB has never offered.
Sort of. YNAB officially withdrew from the UK in 2022, then returned in 2024–25 via Plaid's Open Banking integration. Coverage is selective — Monzo, Revolut, Nationwide, NatWest, HSBC and American Express are supported, but many UK banks still aren't. Billing remains in USD, there's no multi-currency support, and your transaction data routes through Plaid as a third party.
Yes — with every UK bank, because Budgero is deliberately manual-first. You import a CSV export (every UK bank offers one, and Monzo/Starling exports are excellent) or enter transactions yourself. No Open Banking connection means no aggregator middleman, no broken sync, and no bank credentials shared with anyone.
Yes. Budgero supports 168 currencies in one budget with live exchange rates. Hold GBP and EUR accounts side by side and see everything rolled up in pounds. If you work with EU clients, split time across the Channel, or just holiday in euros, it all lands in one unified picture.
Budgero Cloud is $7.99/month or $60/year — roughly half of YNAB's $109/year (~£85 once FX fees hit your card). Billing is handled by Stripe and charges cleanly in GBP, so there are no foreign-transaction surprises. Budgero Self-Host is free forever on your own server.
Yes. Budgero imports YNAB export files directly — categories, transactions, budget groups, and accounts come across intact in about 5 minutes. Export from YNAB before your subscription lapses, because YNAB cuts off export access when you stop paying.
In Finland, in the EU, under EU jurisdiction — not on US servers. And before it gets there, your data is encrypted on your device with a key we never see, so we cannot read it regardless. No telemetry or usage analytics run unless you explicitly opt in. If you want full control, self-host on your own UK server.
Yes — Budgero Self-Host is completely free with the full feature set; you run it with Docker on your own server, NAS, or Raspberry Pi. Budgero Cloud has a 35-day free trial, no card required.
Real Users, Real Budgets
People who switched from YNAB and other tools share their experience.
I used YNAB for years and love zero-based budgeting. Budgero nails the same methodology with a design I actually enjoy using. I keep coming back because I'm a budget geek. The SQL Explorer is a dream if you have a technical background.
I started with YNAB and then tried a bunch of different tools over the past year. Budgero is the closest to perfect for my use case while also matching what I want visually. Transaction entry is fast, the savings goals with sub-sections are exactly what I need, and the whole experience just feels right.
The app is really advanced in both functionality and UI. I was impressed by how polished the whole experience feels. This is a serious budgeting tool with a design that competes with anything on the market.
The latest update made a noticeable difference. Animations are smoother, everything feels faster. Nice to see a budgeting tool where the developer actually cares about performance.
Start your 35-day Budgero Cloud trial and import your YNAB budget in minutes. Or self-host for free on your own server. Your data stays yours either way.
Also see: Best YNAB alternatives in 2026 · YNAB alternative for Europe · Full Budgero vs YNAB comparison