Kasa vs YNAB: a simpler, free alternative
Kasa is a simpler, free alternative to YNAB. YNAB costs $109 a year and asks you to learn its method and give every dollar a job each month. Kasa asks for nothing like that: log what you spend, let rent and salary post themselves, and see your loans and net worth across 31 currencies, bitcoin and gold. It never connects to your bank. If you want strict envelope budgeting, YNAB is still the better tool.
| Kasa | YNAB | |
|---|---|---|
| What it takes to start | An email; set today’s balances and monthly bills | Learn the method; assign every dollar, every month |
| Price | Free | $109 a year or $14.99 a month, after a 34-day trial |
| Approach | Track spending and net worth; monthly bills post themselves | Zero-based budgeting: every dollar gets a job |
| Bank connection | None, by design | Direct import from some US, Canadian, UK and EU banks |
| Per-category budgets | No | Yes, the core of the app |
| Currencies | 31 currencies, each account its own, plus bitcoin and gold | One currency per budget |
| Loans | Payment plans: each payment is spending and lowers the debt | Loan calculator |
| Net worth | Yes | Yes |
| Sharing | No, each person’s data is their own | Up to six people on one subscription |
| Platforms | Web app for phone and desktop | iPhone, Android, web |
Why people look for a YNAB alternative
- It’s a lot. Zero-based budgeting works for many people but takes effort every month. Kasa asks less: add spending, and rent, salary and subscriptions post themselves.
- The price. YNAB is $109 a year. Kasa is free, with no ads and no paid plan.
- Several currencies. A YNAB budget has one currency. In Kasa a euro account, a dollar account and a lira card sit side by side, and totals show in your main currency.
- Bank access. Some people don’t want any app connected to their bank. Kasa never asks.
Simple on purpose
Kasa is built to stay simple. There’s no budgeting method to learn, no bank to link, no server to run and nothing to buy. Sign up with an email, set what each account holds today, add your monthly bills once, and the dashboard is ready. After that, a purchase takes a few seconds to log and the rest posts itself.
When YNAB is the better choice
If you want to plan every dollar before you spend it, set limits per category and see them roll over, or budget together with a partner, YNAB does that and Kasa doesn’t. Kasa has no per-category budget limits yet.
Moving from YNAB to Kasa
Create your accounts, set each one’s real balance today, and add your monthly bills and salary as schedules. Balances count from the values you set, so you don’t need your old history. Kasa can’t import a YNAB export yet.
Other apps’ prices and features as listed on their own websites, help pages and app-store listings in October 2026. Prices can differ by country and change over time. Kasa isn’t affiliated with any of them.
Questions
Is there a free alternative to YNAB?
Yes. Kasa is free, with no ads and no paid plan. It tracks spending, monthly bills, loans and net worth, but doesn’t do zero-based budgeting.
Is there a simpler app than YNAB?
Kasa is much simpler: there’s no method to learn and nothing to assign each month. You log spending, monthly bills post themselves, and the dashboard shows where your money went and what you’re worth.
Does Kasa do envelope or zero-based budgeting like YNAB?
No. Kasa shows what you spent per month and category, what’s still to pay and your net worth. It has no per-category budget limits yet.
Can Kasa import my YNAB data?
Not yet. Set each account’s real balance today and Kasa counts from there, so balances are right without the history.
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Last updated: 17 October 2026