Looking for a simpler way to track your money?
YNAB is a budgeting system: you plan every dollar before you spend it, with optional bank import. Dribs is a private record of your money: you log what happens, on your iPhone, and see where you stand across accounts and currencies. This page compares the two using each company's own published information.
Dribs vs. YNAB at a glance.
| Dribs | YNAB | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Track spending, monthly budgets per category and net worth. No prescribed method. | Zero-based planning: decide what each dollar needs to do before you're paid again. |
| Bank connections | None. Manual entry or CSV import. | Optional Direct Import through Plaid and MX, with at least one bank in 18 European countries including Germany. Unlinked accounts for manual entry. |
| File import | CSV, per account, with automatic column mapping. | CSV, QFX, OFX and QIF, on the web app and iPad (not on iPhone or Android). |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad (iOS/iPadOS 26.1 or later). | Web, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Android. |
| Account required | No. | Yes, a YNAB account. |
| Where data is stored | On your device. Optional sync through your own iCloud. | On YNAB's servers. Its privacy policy says data from users outside the US is stored in the US. |
| Currencies | 82. Each account has its own currency; totals are converted. | One currency per plan. YNAB recommends a separate plan for each currency. |
| Net worth | Total wealth with a history chart. | Net Worth report. |
| Investments | Holdings with quantity, average cost, buys and sells; prices entered by hand (Pro). | Tracked as account balances that you update; no holdings. |
| Sharing | Share a ledger through iCloud. Each person needs Pro, or one plan via Apple Family Sharing. | YNAB Together: up to six people on one subscription, each with their own login. |
| Pricing | Free version. Optional Pro subscription, monthly or annual, priced per country in the App Store. | Subscription after the trial, monthly or annual. Billed in US dollars on ynab.com; App Store prices differ by country. |
| Free trial | 14 days on the annual Pro plan for new subscribers. | 34 days. A free year for college students. |
Which one should you choose?
Choose YNAB if you…
- want a complete budgeting method: YNAB is built around zero-based planning and teaches it throughout the app,
- would rather not type transactions: optional Direct Import connects to banks, including in 18 European countries,
- need the web or Android as well as Apple devices,
- want one subscription for up to six people,
- import QFX, OFX or QIF files as well as CSV.
Choose Dribs if you…
- don't want to connect a bank or create an account,
- want your data stored on your device, syncing only through your own iCloud,
- hold money in several currencies and want one total,
- want net worth and, with Pro, investment holdings in the same app,
- prefer simple monthly limits to a budgeting method, and want a free version to start with.
The trade-off is real: Dribs asks you to enter transactions yourself and won't coach you through a budget. Some people find that freeing; others will be happier with YNAB.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move from YNAB to Dribs?
Dribs has no dedicated YNAB importer. If you have your transactions as a CSV file, you can import them account by account, adjust the column mapping and check categories before anything is saved. Or start fresh: add each account with today's balance as its opening balance and track forward from there.
Does YNAB work in Germany and the rest of Europe?
YNAB's support pages say Direct Import can connect to at least one bank in 18 European countries, including Germany, through Plaid. Subscriptions bought on ynab.com are billed in US dollars, and the YNAB iPhone app is available in English only.
Why doesn't Dribs connect to banks?
By design. Without a bank connection there's no aggregator, no stored banking login and no server holding your transactions. The cost is that you enter or import transactions yourself.
Sources
Competitor details come from the official pages below. Dribs details come from the Dribs App Store listing and Terms of Use.
- YNAB pricing
- YNAB method
- YNAB: What is a zero-based budget?
- YNAB Support: How Direct Import works
- YNAB Support: Direct Import in Europe
- YNAB Support: File-based import
- YNAB Support: Using multiple currencies
- YNAB Support: Net worth
- YNAB Support: Tracking investment accounts
- YNAB Support: The YNAB app
- YNAB Together
- YNAB privacy policy
- YNAB on the App Store
- Dribs on the App Store
- Dribs Terms of Use (free vs. Pro)
Last reviewed . YNAB is a trademark of its respective owner. Dribs is not affiliated with or endorsed by YNAB. Features and prices change; check the official sources before deciding.
Keep reading
Try the simpler approach.
Dribs is free to download. If manual tracking isn't for you, you'll know within a week.
