YNAB vs SmartFolio
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
YNAB is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.5. YNAB wins on 3 of the 5 scores, SmartFolio on 2.
People who want to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle with a hands-on method
Dividend and long-term investors who want a private, free portfolio view
Score by score
The details
| Feature | YNAB | SmartFolio |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Money & Investing | Money & Investing |
| Category rank | #2 of 10 | #6 of 10 |
| Developer | You Need A Budget LLC | The Big Head |
| Pricing | Subscription | Free |
| Usable for free | No | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | — |
Strengths and weaknesses
YNAB
- Changes how you think about spending, not just tracks it
- Subscription model with no ads in the app
- Excellent education through free workshops and guides
- Steep learning curve for the first month
- No free tier, and investment tracking is basic
YNAB is a budgeting method as much as an app. You give every dollar a job before you spend it, and the app makes overspending obvious right away. Free workshops and guides help the habit stick. The learning curve is real and there is no free plan, but if you want to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, no app teaches it better.
Full YNAB review
SmartFolio
- Free with no ads, no account and no in-app purchases
- Your data never leaves your iPhone or iPad
- Clear history of every trade, even after you sell
- No automatic broker sync, so updates mean re-importing
- iPhone and iPad only
SmartFolio is a portfolio tracker that keeps everything on your device. You import trade history from a long list of brokers or a spreadsheet, then see every buy, sale and dividend per holding, time-weighted returns and expected income. There is no account and no bank connection, which is great for privacy but means imports are manual. For dividend investors who want a free, private overview, it is a strong pick.
Full SmartFolio review
