Tiller vs YNAB
Tiller vs YNAB: Spreadsheet or Method?
This is a contest between a tool and a method. Tiller feeds your bank transactions into Google Sheets or Excel and lets you budget however you like inside the spreadsheet. YNAB imposes a specific discipline — give every dollar a job — inside a purpose-built app with strong education behind it. The decision is whether you want spreadsheet freedom or a proven system to follow.
Tiller vs YNAB: feature comparison
Feature comparison of Tiller, YNAB and Auritrack
| Feature | Tiller | YNAB | Auritrack |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI chat expense tracking | No | No | Yes |
| AI bookkeeping & categorization | AutoCat rules inside the sheet | NoManual by design | Yes |
| Automatic bank sync | YesDaily feed into Sheets or Excel | YesDirect import in supported regions | Premium; US, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. Statement import everywhere |
| Bank-statement import (PDF/CSV/Excel) | Manual import into the sheet | YesFile-based CSV import | YesPDF, CSV or Excel, read by AI |
| Budgeting | YesPrebuilt budget templates | YesZero-based, its core method | Yes |
| Savings goals | Via templates | YesTargets per category | Yes |
| Invoicing | No | No | Small-business records and reports |
| Receipt scanning | No | No | Yes |
| All currencies, kept separate | Only if you build it in the sheet | One currency per budget | YesEach currency kept separate |
| Data export (PDF/CSV) | YesIt is your spreadsheet | YesCSV | YesPDF and CSV anytime |
| Telegram tracking | No | No | Yes@auritrack_bot |
| Investment tracking | Account balances only | Tracking accounts only | No |
| Shared / household accounts | YesShare the sheet | YesShare with up to 6 people | Yes |
| Sells your data to advertisers | No | No | No |
| Price | $79/yr | $14.99/mo or $109/yr | Free app + web from $3/mo |
Which of the two should you pick?
Where Tiller wins
- Daily automatic bank feeds into a spreadsheet you fully own
- Total flexibility — build any budget structure or report you want
- A large template library to start from
- Cheaper at $79/year with no per-seat method to learn
Where YNAB wins
- A genuine, well-taught zero-based budgeting method, not just data
- Strong education, community and habit-building support
- A polished cross-platform app with real mobile clients
- Live bank sync in supported regions, plus CSV import
A third option: Auritrack
Tiller and YNAB both put the categorizing work on you: one in a spreadsheet, the other by hand as a matter of principle. Auritrack instead has an AI log and categorize your spending from a chat message or an uploaded statement, then holds you to a budget. It is free on iOS, Android and Telegram with pay-as-you-go AI, and the web app is from $3/month. Bank connections are on Premium in the US, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa and run through Plaid or Mono, so Auritrack never sees your bank login. Anywhere else, you upload a statement.
The verdict
Choose Tiller if you love spreadsheets and want your US or Canadian bank data delivered there automatically, at a lower yearly cost. Choose YNAB if you want a structured budgeting method with education and a real app, and do not mind the price or the manual entry. If you want a budget without a spreadsheet or hand-logging, an AI tracker like Auritrack sits between them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to dig into one of them on its own? Read the Tiller guide or the YNAB guide, each an honest look at where that tool wins and where Auritrack fits.
Comparisons reflect our understanding of each product at the time of writing and may change; check each provider’s site for current pricing and features. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page is general information, not financial advice.