The honest comparison
you've been looking for.
We're not going to pretend we're perfect for everyone. Here's exactly how NestDuck compares to the alternatives — so you can make the right choice for your household.
Most budget apps weren't built for your situation.
They were built for single users tracking their own spending. But if you're managing a household — a partner, maybe kids, shared bills, joint goals — you've probably noticed the gaps.
NestDuck was built differently. It's the first budget app designed from day one for households that manage money together.
73%
of couples say money causes relationship stress
85%
of married couples share at least some accounts
0
major budget apps with real-time household collaboration — until NestDuck
Feature-by-feature comparison
See exactly what you get with each app. Green checkmarks mean the feature is included.
| Feature |
🦆
NestDuck
|
🚀
Rocket Money
|
YNAB | Monarch | Copilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collaboration | |||||
| Real-time household sync | ✓ | — | — | Basic | — |
| See who's editing live | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Role-based permissions | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Invite by email | ✓ | Premium | — | ✓ | — |
| Activity/audit log | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| AI Features | |||||
| AI financial assistant | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ |
| SMS/Email AI (text Ducky) | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Smart document parsing | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Personalized suggestions | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Privacy-first AI (no OpenAI) | ✓ | N/A | N/A | N/A | — |
| Budgeting | |||||
| Zero-based budgeting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom categories | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rollover budgets | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Goal tracking | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bill reminders | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced | |||||
| Property/mortgage tracking | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Tax preparation tools | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Net worth tracking | ✓ | Premium | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Investment tracking | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subscription cancellation | — | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Bill negotiation | — | Premium | — | — | — |
| PDF reports & exports | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Security | |||||
| Passkey login (Face ID) | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ |
| MFA support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| End-to-end encryption | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No ads | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Data never sold | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Comparison based on publicly available features as of January 2026. Features may change.
What you'll actually pay.
No hidden fees. No surprise charges. Here's exactly how each app prices their service.
NestDuck
- ✓ Unlimited household members
- ✓ All AI features included
- ✓ Real-time collaboration
- ✓ SMS & Email AI assistant
Rocket Money
$6-12/mo
varies by plan
- ✓ Subscription cancellation
- ✓ Bill negotiation
- ✗ Limited collaboration
YNAB
$14.99/mo
or $109/year
- ✓ Zero-based budgeting
- ✓ Goal tracking
- ✗ No household features
Monarch
$14.99/mo
or $99.99/year
- ✓ Investment tracking
- ✓ Basic sharing
- ✗ No real-time sync
Copilot
$10.99/mo
iOS only
- ✓ Beautiful design
- ✓ AI assistant
- ✗ No Android/web
Prices as of January 2026. All apps offer free trials or free tiers with limited features.
Deep dive comparisons
Click on a competitor to see a detailed breakdown of how NestDuck compares.
NestDuck vs Rocket Money
Rocket Money (formerly Truebill) has 10M+ users and excels at subscription management and bill negotiation. But when it comes to household budgeting and AI-powered insights, NestDuck goes much further.
Where Rocket Money shines
- ✓ 10M+ users, massive scale and trust
- ✓ Concierge service to cancel subscriptions for you
- ✓ Bill negotiation saves users real money
- ✓ Credit score monitoring included
- ✓ Smart Savings automated savings feature
Where NestDuck wins
- ✓ Real-time household collaboration — see your partner's edits live
- ✓ AI assistant you can text or email (not just in-app)
- ✓ Automatic document parsing (paystubs, mortgages, bills)
- ✓ Property and mortgage tracking with equity calculations
- ✓ Tax preparation tools with deadline reminders
- ✓ Role-based permissions (Owner/Admin/Editor/Viewer)
- ✓ Privacy-first AI — your data never leaves our servers
The bottom line
Choose NestDuck if:
You manage finances with a partner, want AI-powered insights, and need real-time collaboration instead of basic account sharing.
Choose Rocket Money if:
Your main goal is to cancel unwanted subscriptions and negotiate lower bills — and you don't need household collaboration.
Pro tip
Some users use both! Rocket Money for subscription cancellation, NestDuck for day-to-day household budgeting and collaboration.
NestDuck vs YNAB
YNAB (You Need A Budget) pioneered zero-based budgeting and has a devoted following. It's excellent for individuals committed to the YNAB method — but it wasn't designed for households.
Where YNAB shines
- ✓ Proven zero-based budgeting methodology
- ✓ Excellent educational resources and workshops
- ✓ Active community of dedicated budgeters
- ✓ 10+ years of refinement
- ✓ Bank syncing that actually works
Where NestDuck wins
- ✓ Real-time collaboration — see your partner's changes instantly
- ✓ AI assistant that answers questions about your finances
- ✓ Document parsing (upload paystubs, extract data automatically)
- ✓ Property and mortgage tracking with equity calculations
- ✓ Tax preparation tools with deadline reminders
- ✓ Free during beta, affordable pricing at launch
The bottom line
Choose NestDuck if:
You budget with a partner and want real-time sync, AI assistance, and modern features without the learning curve.
Choose YNAB if:
You're a solo budgeter fully committed to the YNAB methodology and want access to their educational community.
NestDuck vs Monarch Money
Monarch Money gained popularity after Mint's shutdown. It's a solid all-around app with investment tracking — but collaboration is an afterthought, and there's no AI assistant.
Where Monarch shines
- ✓ Clean, modern interface
- ✓ Investment tracking and net worth
- ✓ Picked up many Mint refugees
- ✓ Advisor collaboration features
- ✓ Good reporting and insights
Where NestDuck wins
- ✓ Real-time sync — not just account sharing
- ✓ See who's editing what, when (live presence)
- ✓ AI assistant you can text or email anytime
- ✓ Automatic document parsing (paystubs, mortgages)
- ✓ Role-based permissions (Owner/Admin/Editor/Viewer)
- ✓ Free during beta, competitive pricing at launch
The bottom line
Choose NestDuck if:
You want to manage household finances together with real-time collaboration and AI-powered insights.
Choose Monarch if:
Investment tracking is your priority and you're okay with basic account sharing instead of real-time collaboration.
NestDuck vs Copilot
Copilot is a beautifully designed iOS app with AI features. But it's iOS-only, with no web app — and its AI sends your data to OpenAI's servers.
Where Copilot shines
- ✓ Beautiful, native iOS design
- ✓ AI-powered insights and chat
- ✓ Smooth Apple integration
- ✓ Clean transaction categorization
- ✓ Polished user experience
Where NestDuck wins
- ✓ Works on iOS, Android, and web
- ✓ Privacy-first AI (your data never leaves our servers)
- ✓ Real-time household collaboration
- ✓ Text or email Ducky from any phone
- ✓ Property tracking and tax tools
- ✓ Role-based permissions for families
The bottom line
Choose NestDuck if:
You need cross-platform access, care about AI privacy, or want to collaborate with your household in real-time.
Choose Copilot if:
You're a solo iOS user who prioritizes beautiful native design above all else.
Privacy note
Copilot uses OpenAI for its AI features, meaning your financial data is sent to third-party servers. NestDuck's AI runs entirely on our own private infrastructure.
What you get with NestDuck
Every feature designed for households managing money together.
Real-time collaboration
See who's online, who's editing what, and sync changes instantly across all devices.
AI assistant (Ducky)
Ask questions about your finances via text, email, or in-app. Get real answers, not chatbot responses.
Smart document parsing
Upload paystubs, mortgage statements, or bills. Our AI extracts the data automatically.
Property tracking
Track properties, mortgages, and equity with AI-powered valuations and refinance analysis.
Tax preparation
Track deductions, organize documents, and get deadline reminders. Export everything at tax time.
Role-based permissions
Owner, Admin, Editor, Viewer — control exactly what each household member can see and do.
Passkey login
Sign in with Face ID, Touch ID, or Windows Hello. No passwords to remember.
Beautiful reports
Export PDF reports and CSV data. Perfect for mortgage applications or tax prep.
Bill reminders
Never miss a payment. Get reminders before bills are due.
Ready to try something
built for your household?
We're accepting a limited number of beta users. Join today for real-time collaboration and AI-powered budgeting.
Join the BetaLimited spots available • No credit card required