How to budget on your phone: YNAB vs Revolut vs Splitwise
Three apps, three jobs. One builds a budget, one runs your money, one keeps friends square.
People ask which finance app is best, but these three do different jobs. Most people need two of them.
YNAB: the budget
YNAB is a method first and an app second. You assign every unit of income to a category before you spend it, and you adjust categories when reality changes. It is a subscription, and the first month takes effort, but it is the only budgeting app we have seen change behaviour.
Revolut: the account
Revolut is a current account with multi-currency wallets, spending analytics and savings vaults. It is excellent for travel and for seeing where money goes, but it does not plan ahead the way YNAB does.
Splitwise: the group ledger
Splitwise tracks who owes whom after shared expenses and simplifies the debts. It has nothing to do with your personal budget, but it keeps trips and flatshares friendly.
Which to install
- Overspending every month: YNAB.
- Travelling or paid in several currencies: Revolut.
- Sharing costs with others: Splitwise, alongside one of the above.