The five year number
Five years of YNAB comes to $545 on the annual plan. Figures assume the annual plan at the current price with no increases. Splitting one subscription across six people brings the per-person cost down sharply. Verified 21 July 2026.
Year by year
| Time held | YNAB | Delphina |
|---|---|---|
| After 1 year | YNAB$109 on the annual plan, or $179.88 if you pay monthly | Delphina£119.88 |
| After 3 years | YNAB$327 on the annual plan | Delphina£359.64 |
| After 5 years | YNAB$545 on the annual plan | Delphina£599.40 |
Delphina Wealth Builder at £9.99 a month, held flat.
Figures assume the annual plan at the current price with no increases. Splitting one subscription across six people brings the per-person cost down sharply.
Costs that are not on the price list
These do not show up when you sign up, but they show up on your statement.
- Hidden cost: FX fees on every renewal, because billing is in US dollars
- Hidden cost: Sales tax where applicable, added on top of the headline price
- Hidden cost: Your time: the method depends on a regular weekly review
Figures based on YNAB’s published prices(opens in a new tab), checked 21 July 2026.
What you are paying for
For people who want to change their spending habits and will do the weekly work, that is a fair price. The zero-based method genuinely changes behaviour for people who stick with it. Excellent teaching material and an unusually loyal community.
A five year total always looks large written down. Judge it against what the tool actually changes, not against the headline on its own.
Plans and tiers
This page is about the running total. For the tier structure and what each plan includes, see YNAB pricing.
The same five years on Delphina
Delphina's Free plan is £0 for as long as you want it, no card. Wealth Builder is £9.99 a month, so five years is £599.40 if you stay on it the whole time, billed in pounds with no FX fee.
YNAB is the better tool for fixing month-to-month spending habits. It stops at the end of the month, so it cannot tell you whether your pension is on track or what your ISA allowance should be doing.
More on YNAB
YNAB: common questions
It is worth it for people who want to change their spending habits and will do the weekly work. It is a poor buy for anyone who needs priced and billed in us dollars, so uk users pay an fx fee on every renewal, because that is not what it is built to do.
3 things are not on the pricing page: fx fees on every renewal, because billing is in us dollars; sales tax where applicable, added on top of the headline price; your time: the method depends on a regular weekly review.
YNAB bills in US dollars, so a UK card is charged an FX fee on top of the headline price at every renewal. Any pound figure is an approximation at the exchange rate on the day, and that rate moves, so treat it as a guide rather than a fixed price.
Signing up directly on ynab.com does not ask for a card, so the trial ends rather than rolling into a charge. Subscribing through a third-party app store may require card details.
$70 a year against monthly billing, via annual billing. Pay for twelve months up front.
Free tools in this category generally give up either the depth or the account connections. Delphina's free tier gives up the deeper scenario modelling that the paid plans carry, but costs £0 with no card and no expiry.