 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Personal finance, software |
| Founded | 2004; 20 years ago (2004) |
| Founder | Jesse Mecham |
| Headquarters | Lehi, Utah, |
Area served | North America, Europe |
| Products | Web application, mobile application |
Number of employees | 100+[1] (2021) |
| Website | www |
You Need a Budget (YNAB) (pronounced /ˈwaɪnæb/) is a privately owned American company that develops an online personal budgeting program based on the envelope system. It is available via any internet browser or a mobile app. The program was initially developed as standalone software in 2004 by Jesse Mecham, while he was in college pursuing his master's degree in accounting after an experience where he and his wife had no money and needed to improve their budgeting.[2][3] It evolved from a spreadsheet that he created for the budgeting process.[4] In, 2015, they changed their licensing model to Software as a service.[5]
The service encourages users to follow four principles or "rules":
Users can either import transactions automatically from their financial institutions or input them manually. The software also displays financial reports to keep users informed about their finances at a glance.
YNAB has been named one of the best budgeting apps by U.S. News & World Report, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, CNN, HuffPost, CNBC, and hundreds of other financial reporting outlets.[10]
