Ghostfolio
YNAB
| Feature | Ghostfolio | YNAB |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $5.99/mo | From $99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Best For | privacy-focused-investors, self-hosters, passive-investors, international-portfolios | individuals, couples, debt-payoff, budget-beginners |
| Founded | 2021 | 2004 |
| Portfolio Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Performance Analysis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Allocation Views | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Currency | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dividends | ✓ | ✗ |
| Benchmarking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Budgeting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bank Sync | ✗ | ✓ |
| Goals | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reports | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mobile App | ✗ | ✓ |
| Education | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Ghostfolio Pros
- Open-source with self-hosting option
- Privacy-focused (no data selling or ads)
- Supports stocks, ETFs, crypto, commodities
- Beautiful portfolio allocation visualizations
✗ Ghostfolio Cons
- Limited broker integrations (manual entry mostly)
- Smaller community than commercial alternatives
- No tax-loss harvesting or advisor features
✓ YNAB Pros
- Powerful budgeting method
- Bank sync
- Goal tracking
- Educational resources
✗ YNAB Cons
- No free plan
- Learning curve
- Pricey for casual users
The Verdict
Ghostfolio is built for privacy focused investors and self hosters, with a focus on portfolio-tracking and performance-analysis. YNAB targets individuals and couples and leads with budgeting and bank-sync.
On pricing, Ghostfolio is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $5.99/mo compared to $99/mo for YNAB. That $93.01/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Ghostfolio has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. YNAB requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Ghostfolio offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while YNAB takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: YNAB has a slight overall edge — but if open-source with self-hosting option matters most to you, Ghostfolio may still be the right call.
