A YNAB alternative for paying off debt.
YNAB is a budgeting app that helps with debt. Debtless: AI Debt & Budget is a debt payoff app that helps with budgeting. Here is a fair side-by-side, including when YNAB is the better choice.
Side by side.
| Debtless: AI Debt & Budget | YNAB | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Paying off debt, with budgeting alongside | Zero-based budgeting (give every dollar a job), with debt tools alongside |
| Price (USD) | $9.99/month or $59.99/year | $14.99/month or $109/year |
| Free trial | 7 days on the yearly plan (eligible new subscribers) | 34 days, no credit card; 365 days free for college students |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Platforms | iPhone only (iOS 17+) | iPhone, Android, web |
| Availability | US and Canada | Available internationally; direct bank import for select US, Canadian, UK and EU banks |
| Snowball / avalanche plan | Yes, both, with a debt-free date | Loan planner shows the time and interest saved by extra payments; snowball or avalanche ordering is not described on its features page |
| AI coach | Yes, Debby, a chat coach using your numbers | Not described on YNAB's pricing page |
| Bank connection | Not required; import a statement instead | Yes, automatic import (file import elsewhere) |
| Shared budgets | No | Yes, YNAB Together shares one subscription with up to six people |
YNAB facts from ynab.com/pricing, checked 9 October 2026. Prices in USD and subject to change. We make Debtless, so try both trials and decide for yourself.
Where YNAB wins.
YNAB is one of the most respected budgeting methods around, and for many people the honest answer is that a better budget is what gets them out of debt. YNAB is the better pick if you:
- Want automatic bank imports instead of entering or importing statements.
- Use Android or want to budget on a computer in a web browser.
- Share money with a partner or family (YNAB Together covers up to six people on one subscription).
- Want a long, no-card trial (34 days) or are a college student (a free year).
- Want a long-established, well-documented budgeting method.
Where Debtless fits.
Debtless starts from the debts rather than the budget. It is the better fit if you:
- Want the app to choose an order across all your cards and loans (snowball or avalanche) and tell you what to pay on each.
- Want a single debt-free date that updates as you pay, or want to pick the date and see the monthly payment it takes.
- Want to ask questions in plain language and get answers from your own numbers, through Debby, the AI debt coach.
- Prefer not to connect a bank account.
- Want a lower yearly price ($59.99 vs $109 USD).
Debtless still has a budget: income, bills, spending and what is left to spend this month, which you can build by importing a bank statement. It is simpler than YNAB's zero-based system on purpose.
Not sure which order suits you? Try the free snowball vs avalanche calculator with your real debts before you download anything.
Keep going.
The same plan, kept for you.
Debtless does this math from the payments you log and moves the date every month. 7-day free trial on iPhone.
One card, one number, one day you hit zero.
Pick the order, see the date move, switch any time.
Answers with your real balances, rates and budget.
Questions, answered.
Your debt‑free date is closer than you think.
Add your debts, pick a strategy, and watch the date move.
Free download · 7-day free trial