Ways to Get YNAB for Free

Updated November 2025

Ever been at a halftime show when the guy with the free t-shirt cannon comes out? Get hyped—you're going to love this blog post. 

Did you know there are a bunch of ways you may get YNAB for free? It’s true. There are people using YNAB for free all over the world, and I’m not just talking about the free trial. 

Give 3 Months of YNAB, Get 3 Months for Free

The gift that gives back.

When you purchase a YNAB gift subscription for a new user, you get three months of free time added to your own account when they redeem. That gives them time to build habits that stick and see what it feels like for money stress to fade away. For you, it means free time added to your subscription and the utter joy and delight of giving a life-changing gift.

Give the gift of YNAB.‍

College program

Stop money stress before it starts.

‍College students love free stuff. I remember when I was in college, if someone said “free pizza,” I was there. That’s how I accidentally signed up for a cult. Just kidding.

If you happen to be a student in college, you get YNAB free for a year! We know college is one of the most expensive, but also one of the least income-y times of your life (yes, I went to college, but I still make up words). And many college students are living at least partially on student loans, so it’s more important than ever that you plan your spending carefully. That’s why we help out college students by offering an entire year for free. 

Fun fact: way back in 2004, Jesse Mecham founded YNAB as a self-proclaimed broke college student. Maybe that’s why he’s so eager to help out folks in that stage of life. Back then, it was just a little old downloadable excel spreadsheet. Now, it’s multiple award-winning apps backed by a full-fledged money method. 

All you have to do is sign up for YNAB at this special college page. If you’ve already signed up for YNAB, use the same link and select the option to add a free year to your subscription. If you’re in the US, we'll have a process to get your free year added automatically. If you’re outside the US, sign up and then contact support (help@ynab.com) with proof you’re a student (think: student ID, registration, class schedule) and we’ll get you set up. 

Oh, and a college student is a college student. It doesn’t matter if you’re in grad school or you go to college in Timbuktu or you’re 85 years old and going to college for the first time. If you go to college, you’re in. 

Referral program ‍

Get rewarded for sharing the YNAB love.

‍So maybe you’re not in college, but I’ll bet you have friends… right? No? Um… well, I’ll bet you have people on the subway that have to listen to you talk because there are no other seats available. See, we all have people in our lives that we can tell about YNAB! And why not get a little bit of free YNAB for you and your friend (or commute acquaintances) while you’re at it?

That’s what the YNAB referral program is all about. All you have to do is share your referral link and watch the free time roll in. 

Here’s how YNAB referrals work:

1. Shout YNAB from the rooftops to anyone who will listen and share your special referral link with them.  You can find your referral link hanging out in the lower-left corner of the web app (with some exceptions).
2. When your friend signs up for YNAB through your link, they’ll get a 34-day trial just like everyone else. 
3. If they end up subscribing to YNAB after their trial, both you and your friend will get a free month added on to your YNAB subscription. 

There are some more details to share depending on your specific situation, so check out the FAQ section at the bottom of the YNAB Referral Program page for all the details! 

YNAB Together

Add loved ones to your subscription.

While a YNAB subscription isn’t free, you can share your subscription with those you love for no extra charge! That means you can provide YNAB for free for your elderly parents, your partner, your teenagers, your roommate, or any other close-knit group. 

You can invite up to five loved ones to your subscription, and each member will receive:

• their own secure login and YNAB account
• the ability to create and edit as many money plans as their li’l heart desires
• the ability to share those plans with other group members
• access to our award-winning customer support team

If you’d like to learn more about the YNAB Together feature, we’ve got all the details. Invite your partner, teenage children, or any other people in your financial circle and start using YNAB… together!

Bonus Freebie

Once you have your free YNAB subscription, go download your free YNAB Starter Template to make getting started even easier!

‍If you haven’t tried YNAB yet, there’s another way to get it for free! You can sign up for a free 34-day trial! Give it a whirl. I promise you won’t regret it.