Switching from YNAB
Bring your accounts, categories and transaction history across from YNAB’s plan export. Clementine works differently from YNAB, and this page says how.
1. Export from YNAB
- Open YNAB in a web browser. YNAB’s export is only in the web version, not the phone apps.
- Click your plan’s name at the top of the left sidebar and choose Export Plan.
- YNAB downloads a zip whose name starts “YNAB Export”. Inside are two files: your plan, and your transaction register.
If you have more than one plan, export each one. YNAB’s own instructions
2. Import into Clementine
- Open Account, then Your data, and choose Import. Pick YNAB.
- Choose the zip as it is. Clementine opens it on your device. The two files inside work too.
- Check the categories. Each YNAB category is matched to a Clementine category by name. Change any that are wrong. A category you match is treated as decided, so those transactions do not wait for review.
- Match the accounts. Point each YNAB account at a Clementine account, or create one with the same name.
- Review the rows and import. Repeat for each plan.
What comes across
| In YNAB | In Clementine |
|---|---|
| Account | The account you matched, or a new one |
| Payee | Description |
| Category group and category | The Clementine category you matched it to |
| Memo | Note |
| Outflow and inflow | Money out and money in, to the cent |
| Split transactions | One transaction with a line for each category, adding up to the cent |
| Transfers between your accounts | Both sides marked as transfers, kept out of spending and income |
| Starting balances | Shown but left unticked: they are not income. Tick one and it comes in as a transfer |
Two things to know about splits
- YNAB exports each part of a split as its own row. Clementine joins them back into one split when the rows are marked as parts of a split. If your file does not mark them, they still arrive with the right amounts and categories, as separate transactions.
- A split with money going both ways, such as a purchase and a refund, or one that includes a transfer, stays as separate transactions. A split in Clementine is one payment divided up.
What does not come across
- Assigned amounts. Clementine’s limits are a limit per category, not envelopes, so there is nothing to import them into. You set limits afresh under Spending, Categories.
- Targets and category notes. YNAB’s export does not include them.
- Scheduled transactions. Not in the export. Add them as bills under Plan, Upcoming.
- Flags, and cleared or reconciled status. Left out on purpose.
- Payee rename rules and anything else that lives only in YNAB’s settings.
- Rows where nothing was paid or received.
Afterwards
Set your pay cycle so Home can show what is safe to spend, then set a limit for the categories that matter. Your first fortnight
The same for every import.
- It is free
- Importing is part of every plan, including Free.
- Your file stays with you
- It is read on your own phone or computer. Only the rows you confirm are saved to your account, and the file itself is never stored.
- You see every row first
- Each row has a tick box. Nothing is added until you say so.
- Duplicates are left out
- Rows you already have, from an earlier import or from your bank feed, are found and unticked. Importing the same file twice adds nothing.
- You can undo it
- For 30 days an import can be removed as a whole, from Account, Your data. It takes out exactly the rows that import added.
- What cannot be read is listed
- A row with a date that is not a date, or an amount that is not a number, is shown with the reason and left out. The rest still import.
Files it reads: .csv, .tsv and .txt, or a .zip of them, up to 60 MB each. It does not read PDF statements, Excel workbooks (save the sheet as CSV first), OFX or QIF.
Dates are read day first, the Australian way, unless the file shows otherwise. If every date in a file could be read both ways, you are asked before anything is imported.
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