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Rocket Money vs. YNAB: Which Should You Choose?

Updated
Ryan Wilcox
Author: Ryan Wilcox
Ryan Wilcox
Ryan Wilcox
Full-Time Personal Finance Writer

Ryan is a full-time Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money. He’s been covering topics like credit cards and savings since 2022, when he began his writing career at The Points Guy. He later joined Motley Fool Money, where he continues helping people who are new to the world of personal finance. Outside of work, you’ll find Ryan reading, writing, listening to music or obsessively updating his Letterboxd account.

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Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation.

Over the years, I've tested more budgeting apps than I can count -- from sleek, feature-packed platforms to simple tools that just get the job done. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that the best app is the one that actually keeps you coming back.

Rocket Money and You Need a Budget (YNAB) are two of the most popular options today, but they take different approaches to helping you manage your money. One leans into automation and simplicity, while the other is built around hands-on control.

Trying to choose between the two? Read our side-by-side breakdown to learn what each app does best, and which one is right for you.

Award Icon 2025 Award Winner
Rocket Money
Best for simplifying financesRocket Money
Apply now! for Rocket Money
You Need a Budget
Best budgeting app overallYou Need a Budget
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What they have in common

Rocket Money and YNAB are both versatile budget apps that let you connect your bank accounts, track your spending, and set financial goals, all from a mobile-friendly dashboard.

Each app also lets you track expenses over time and collaborate with others, like a partner or roommate. But once you get into their actual interfaces, Rocket Money and You Need a Budget offer two wildly different approaches to budgeting.

Rocket Money: Best for simplicity and subscription control

Rocket Money is the budgeting app I've personally used for years, and the one I recommend to friends and family who want something simple and effective. It makes it easy to see where your money's going, cancel unwanted subscriptions, and even build savings with very little effort.

What Rocket Money does best

  • Cancels subscriptions automatically: Rocket Money's helped me spot and cancel services I hadn't used in months. It handles all the hard work for you -- no awkward phone calls or digging through websites.
  • Smart Savings automation: I can also set rules that automatically move money to savings based on my spending habits.
  • Flexible pricing: Premium membership runs on a "pay-what-you-want" model, between $6 and $12/month. You get all the same features no matter how much you pay. There's also a seven-day free trial.
  • Bill negotiation: Rocket Money can lower bills on your behalf, charging 35%-60% of your first year's savings.

Where Rocket Money falls short

  • Free version is limited: Most of Rocket Money's best features, like subscription cancellation and Smart Savings, require Premium.
  • Not as detailed as some competitors: If you want to manually assign every dollar and cent, Rocket Money may feel too simplistic.

YNAB: Best for detailed budgeting and habit building

Want to micromanage your money? YNAB -- short for You Need a Budget -- is built for you.

What YNAB does best

  • Detail-oriented budgeting: Every dollar you earn gets assigned a role, giving you visibility and discipline.
  • Hands-on control: You can manually assign each expense to a category, helping you catch overspending early.
  • Add up to five additional users: It's ideal for couples or families who want a shared view of household finances.
  • Extended free trial: With YNAB, you get 34 full days to test the app before paying.

Where YNAB falls short

  • No automation: Unlike Rocket Money you can't cancel subscriptions or move money around automatically -- it's all manual.
  • Higher cost: YNAB costs $14.99/month or $109/year -- and there's no free version.
  • Learning curve: The system works, but it takes time to adjust if you're new to next-level budgeting.

Side-by-side comparison

Feature Rocket Money YNAB (You Need a Budget)
Account syncing Yes Yes
Budget tracking Yes Yes
Zero-based budgeting No Yes
Subscription cancellation Yes (Premium only) No
Bill negotiation Yes (35%-60% fee) No
Smart Savings automation Yes No
Credit score monitoring Yes No
Shared access Yes (1 partner, Premium only) Yes (up to 6 users)
Visual dashboards Basic Moderate
Custom categories Yes Yes
Free plan Yes (limited features) No
Free trial 7 days (Premium) 34 days
Pricing $6-$12/month (you choose) $14.99/month or $99/year
Data source: Rocket Money and YNAB.

Which app should you choose?

  • Go with Rocket Money if you want a low-maintenance, high-impact budgeting app. It's been my go-to for years because it helps me stay on top of spending and savings without the headache of micromanaging every dollar.
  • Try YNAB if you want to build stronger financial habits and are looking to be more hands-on. It's a powerful system for people who like structure, spreadsheets, and knowing exactly where every dollar is going.

Final thoughts

The best budgeting app is the one you'll actually use. You might even think about trying both -- Rocket Money offers a seven-day free trial of Premium, and YNAB gives you 34 full days to try for free.

Once you test them out, one will likely feel more natural than the other -- and once it does, you'll finally have a budgeting tool that works with you instead of against you.