Comparison
The YNAB alternativebuilt for Europe.
YNAB is a good tool built for the US: billing in US dollars, an English-only interface, data and bank connections through US services. Fixum Budget is built for households in Germany and the EU: in euros, with data hosted in Frankfurt.
Diese Seite auf Deutsch lesenWhy European users look for an alternative
A subscription in US dollars
YNAB costs about 109 US dollars a year (as of June 2026), charged in dollars, with conversion and foreign-payment fees depending on your bank.
Account data through US services
Bank import now exists for select German banks, but it runs through the US service Plaid, and storage sits with a US provider. Fixum does not ask for bank access at all: your login stays with your bank.
Envelope budgeting is work
Zero-based budgeting means giving every euro a job, every month, and categorizing every expense. Powerful, but many households just want to know what is safe to spend after fixed costs.
Fixum Budget and YNAB side by side
| Fixum Budget | YNAB | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Fixed-cost forecast plus set-asides: enter once, get one number per month | Zero-based envelope budgeting: assign every euro, every month |
| Price | Pre-launch, demo free, pricing not set yet | $109 per year or $14.99 per month, billed in US dollars |
| Bank import | Deliberately manual: your bank login stays with your bank | Automatic for select US, Canadian, UK, and EU banks, via Plaid |
| Data location | Frankfurt am Main, GDPR, no ad tracking | USA |
| Languages | German, English, French | English |
| Household | Built in: everyone sees the same numbers | YNAB Together: share the subscription with up to 5 others |
| Upkeep | Enter fixed costs once, reconcile once a month | Assign and categorize regularly |
| Platform | Web, works on the phone | Web, iOS, and Android |
YNAB details as of June 2026, no guarantee.
What Fixum does instead
You enter what comes back regularly: rent, insurance, subscriptions, in any cadence. Fixum converts everything to a monthly figure and shows two numbers: what you can safely spend this month, and how much to set aside for upcoming bills.
- Yearly and quarterly bills are spread into monthly slices automatically.
- One real savings account, a virtual reserve per upcoming bill, no envelopes.
- The whole household sees the same numbers.
When YNAB fits you better
An honest comparison cuts both ways. YNAB is the better choice if:
- you want to steer every variable expense by hand; the envelope method is built exactly for that.
- you want automatic bank import and your bank is covered.
- you need native iOS and Android apps.
Questions when switching
Can I bring my YNAB data over?
There is no direct YNAB import. Fixum does not need your transaction history though: you enter your recurring items, which takes about half an hour.
Is Fixum envelope budgeting too?
No. Fixum does not deal out envelopes. It converts fixed costs to a monthly figure and keeps set-asides for non-monthly bills. You keep one real account and get one number: what is safe to spend this month.
What does Fixum cost?
Fixum is still pre-launch. The demo is free and needs no account. Pricing for the finished version is not set yet.
Do I need an account to try it?
No. The demo starts without sign-up, uses sample data, and deletes itself after 24 hours.
See it yourself in two minutes
Start the demo without an account. If it fits your household, register and start with real numbers.