Migration guide
Switching from YNAB to Budgey
About 20 minutes, most of it automated. Here's the exact path from YNAB to a working Budgey budget.
Part 1 — Get your data out of YNAB
- 1
In YNAB on the web, open your budget and go to any account register (or All Accounts).
- 2
Click the export icon (or File → Export budget data) and download the CSV of your register.
- 3
Optionally note your category names and monthly targets — you will recreate these as Budgey categories with per-period amounts.
Part 2 — Set up Budgey
- 4
Create your Budgey account
Sign up at budgeyapp.com or in the iOS or Android app. Onboarding takes about two minutes. BaoBot suggests a starter set of categories, and you can rename them to match the ones you had before.
- 5
Set your pay period
Tell Budgey how you get paid — weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Your budget periods will follow your actual paychecks, which is probably an upgrade over the calendar months your old app forced.
- 6
Upload your export to BaoBot
Open BaoBot and upload your CSV, Excel, or PDF file. File uploads are on Plus. It reads each transaction's description, amount, and date, matches categories by name, and imports the lot. Any import can be undone with one message.
- 7
Connect your banks (optional, recommended)
Core includes live bank sync for 1 bank or card. Plus covers 2 or more banks. From then on, new transactions land in your Review Inbox with suggested categories. You approve each one, and your budget stays current without typing.
Switching from YNAB: your questions
Is Budgey a cheaper YNAB alternative?+
Budgey Core is $5/mo or $20/yr. Plus is $10/mo or $100/yr. YNAB is $14.99/mo or $109/yr after a 34-day trial, with no permanent free plan (checked September 6, 2026). Plus yearly at $100 is less than YNAB at $109. Monthly, Core is $5 and Plus is $10, versus YNAB at $14.99.
Can Budgey do zero-based budgeting?+
No. Budgey budgets by paycheck. Auto from real money builds each period's plan and shows what's left of your paycheck. If assigning every dollar to zero is non-negotiable, YNAB may fit better. See budgeyapp.com/ynab-alternatives.
Which is better for beginners?+
If you need a number tonight, start with Budgey. If you want to learn a budgeting method for the long run, start with YNAB.
Does Budgey sync banks?+
Live bank sync for 1 bank and Auto from real money are on Core. Plus is for 2 or more banks or budgets. Core is $5/mo or $20/yr on iOS, Android, and Web.
Can I import my YNAB data into Budgey?+
Yes. Export your register from YNAB as CSV, then upload the file in Budgey. File import is on Plus. See the guide at budgeyapp.com/switch/from-ynab.
Bring your budget home
Core is $5/mo or $20/yr. Import when you're ready. BaoBot does the heavy lifting.
Core $5/mo or $20/yr · Plus $10/mo or $100/yr · iOS, Android, and Web