Plan faster, track spending in real time, and build better money habits with a clean, focused workflow. When your trial ends, your data stays — read-only for up to a year so you can export anytime.
No credit card required. Sandboxes use demo data and auto-delete after 5 days — save your sandbox ID to return. Prefer the waitlist? You can still request early access.
Budget
Zero-based budgeting with groups, carry-over, and a live ready-to-assign balance—so the plan always matches reality.
Transactions
Add payees fast, split purchases across categories, and keep the month’s ledger in sync without leaving the budget.
Breakdown
Planned versus spent, category by category—clear enough to course-correct before the next paycheck.
Receipt scan
Point your camera or upload a photo — OCR reads the payee, total, tax, and date so you can log spending in seconds.
Search
Filter by payee, tags, and history across months when you need answers—not another spreadsheet.
Net worth
Unused budget rolls into a net-worth view so quiet months still feel like winning.
Themes
From Phantom Light to Nord, Darcula, and macOS Aqua—pick a look that fits the day, not just the night.
Phantom Budget combines zero-based planning with fast receipt capture, imports, and privacy — without bank linking or ad-supported free tiers.
| Feature | Phantom Budget | YNAB | EveryDollar | Monarch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-based budgeting | ||||
| Receipt OCR importSnap or upload a receipt to autofill payee, amount, tax, and date. | Mobile scan only | Ramsey+ / Premium | — | |
| Manual entry without bank linking | Bank sync focused | |||
| EveryDollar import | — | — | — | |
| CSV transaction import | Limited formats | — | Export-focused | |
| Split transactions | ||||
| Net worth tracking | Reports only | — | ||
| No ads or data selling | ||||
| Lifetime plan option | — | — | — | |
| Custom color themes | — | — | — | |
| Monthly priceAdvertised subscription cost before tax, as of August 2026. | $5 / mo | $14.99 / mo | FreePremium $17.99 / mo | $14.99 / mo |
| Annual priceBilled yearly where offered; shown as total per year before tax. | $50 / yr | $109 / yr | $79.99 / yrPremium plan | $99.99 / yr |
Comparison reflects publicly advertised capabilities and pricing as of August 2026. Competitor offerings may change; verify on their sites before switching.
Most budgeting apps lock you out or require a credit card upfront. Phantom Budget gives you a generous trial, keeps your data accessible, and never sells your information.
| Feature | Phantom Budget | YNAB | EveryDollar | Monarch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial length | 45 days | 34 days | 14 days (Plus only) | 7 days |
| Credit card required for trial | No | Yes | Yes (Plus trial) | Yes |
| After trial ends | Read-only access — data stays | Locked until you subscribe | Free tier with ads; Plus locked | Locked until you subscribe |
| Data export after trial | Up to 1 year | While subscribed | Limited / while subscribed | While subscribed |
| Free tier monetization | None — paid product only | No free tier | Ad-supported free tier | No free tier |
| Sells your data to advertisers | Never | No | Free tier supported by ads | No |
Competitor policies based on publicly available information as of 2026 and may change.
No credit card required.
Start with a 45-day free trial — no credit card required. After your trial, your budget becomes read-only and you can export your data for up to one year.
The easy way in — low commitment, cancel anytime.
$5.00 / month
Pay as you go · Cancel anytime
12 months of access — save two months vs paying monthly.
$60.00 / year
Save 17%$50.00 / year
12 months for the price of 10 — 2 months free
Save vs paying monthly
vs $5.00/mo × 12 months ($60.00/yr)
Permanent access — the best long-term value.
$180.00
Save 44%$100.00 one-time
Same as 20 months of Monthly · 2 years of Annual
Pay once, access forever
vs $5.00/mo × 36 months ($180.00)
vs $50.00/yr × 3 years ($150.00) — save 33%
