A clearer way to move balances into your budget
Your data, your spreadsheet.
No cloud, no subscription.
Every approach to tracking money has tradeoffs. Here is how BalVault compares with manual exports, Tiller Money, Mint / Credit Karma, and YNAB—so you can choose the workflow that fits you.
Compare the tradeoffs
A practical side-by-side view of the differences that matter when you use a spreadsheet.
| Dimension | BalVaultThe local-first option | Manual CSV export | Tiller Money | Mint / Credit Karma | YNAB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PriceWhat you pay to get started | $28.99 once + SimpleFIN ($1.50/mo) | $0, but your time is the cost | $79/year | Free; product availability varies | $14.99/month |
| Data privacyWhere your account data lives | Local on your computer | You control the files you download | Cloud spreadsheet + aggregation service | Cloud-hosted service; policies and availability apply | Cloud-hosted service |
| Bank connection methodHow balances reach the app | SimpleFIN read-only connection | Log in to each bank and download manually | Yodlee aggregation | Historically Mint aggregation; Credit Karma uses its own supported connections | Supported third-party connections |
| Output formatWhat you can take with you | CSV you own and control | Bank-specific CSV or statements | Spreadsheet templates and exports | App views and available exports | YNAB data and reports |
| Spreadsheet workflowHow naturally it fits your process | Made for spreadsheets | Repeat the work for every update | Built around a spreadsheet template | Built around a cloud financial dashboard | Budgeting ecosystem first |
| Subscription vs. purchaseThe ongoing commitment | One-time BalVault purchase | No software subscription; ongoing manual effort | Annual subscription | Free service; cloud account required | Monthly or annual subscription |
Prices and features can change; shown for comparison and based on publicly listed plans at the time of writing. SimpleFIN Bridge is a separate service and subscription. Credit Karma is the successor platform to Mint, which Intuit discontinued in 2024.
The BalVault advantage
Keep the workflow you already love.
One click to spreadsheet-ready CSV
No bank credentials stored in BalVault
Works with LibreOffice, Excel, and Google Sheets
Account data stays on your machine
Ready to own your financial data?
Try BalVault free for 14 days. No credit card, no cloud account, and no BalVault subscription.
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