Here's my honest review of YNAB after 4 years, including the things I don't like.

What genuinely works: the rule 'give every dollar a job' forces you to make decisions before spending rather than after, which is the behavioral change that actually reduces overspending. The 'true expenses' concept of saving monthly for annual expenses (car registration, holiday gifts, dental) eliminated all financial surprise from my life.

What I don't love: the web interface is mediocre. The mobile app is fine but occasionally glitchy. The price has increased over the years and now sits at about $100/year — defensible, but it requires that you actually use the methodology to get value.

The biggest caveat: YNAB rewards people who engage with it consistently and penalizes people who check in irregularly. If you'll use it daily or weekly, the methodology is excellent. If you'll open it once a month, a simpler tracking tool works better.

After 4 years, my net worth has increased by more than I would have expected from income alone. I attribute roughly 30% of that to the behavior change YNAB enabled. That's worth $100/year many times over.