YNAB MCP servers: which one to use
YNAB has no official MCP server. Pick a community one by where you chat and whether the AI should only read your budget or also change it.
- Servers
- 14
- active
- Hosted
- 2
- nothing to install
- Local
- 12
- runs on your machine
- OAuth
- 2
- sign in, no key
YNAB does not make an MCP server, so every option here is a community project that uses YNAB's public API. Most run on your computer with a personal access token, which can read and change your whole budget, so choose one that starts read-only or has a read-only switch. If you use ChatGPT, claude.ai or your phone, a hosted connector lets you sign in with YNAB instead, but its developer then holds your login. YNAB also limits each token to 200 requests an hour, which long sessions can hit.
Good for
- YNAB budgeters who want quick answers like how much went on groceries this month
- People who want help categorizing, approving and splitting transactions
- Anyone reconciling an account against a bank statement
- Budgeters on ChatGPT, claude.ai or a phone who need a hosted option
- Cautious users who want the AI to read their budget but never change it
Which YNAB MCP server to use
Start with oliverames for a local server that only reads until you allow writes, or its hosted sign-in for ChatGPT and claude.ai. Pick ynab-mcpb for one-click Claude Desktop setup with receipt splits and bank reconciliation, and calebl if you want the most-starred project.
| Server | Runs | Sign-in | Read-only by default | Can change things | Weekly downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| oliverames/ynab-mcp-server | HostedLocal | Token or account | Yes | Yes | 679/wk |
| calebl/ynab-mcp-server | Local | Token | No | Yes | 40/wk |
| ynab-mcpb | Local | Token | No | Yes | 274/wk |
| auzroz/ynab-mcp | Local | Token | Yes | Yes | 101/wk |
| issmirnov/ynab-mcp-server | Hosted | Account | No | Yes | 22/wk |
All YNAB MCP servers
14 active · official first, then by GitHub stars
ynab-mcp-serverLocaltoken in envMCP server for interacting with a YNAB plan
161 GitHub stars
ynab-mcp-serverHosted or LocalOAuthLocal MCP server for YNAB with read-only defaults, full API coverage, safe write controls, and support for budgets, transactions, categories, accounts, and reporting.
41 GitHub stars- ynab-mcpLocal
YNAB Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Claude Code integration
15 GitHub stars 
ynab-mcpbLocaltoken in envLocal-first YNAB MCP for reconciliation, receipt splitting, safe cleanup, and spending analysis
9 GitHub stars- ynab-mcpLocaltoken in env
Self-hostable MCP server for YNAB: full YNAB API coverage plus 23 analytics tools (spending trends, recurring charges, budget health, goal progress). Read-only by default. Runs over stdio for Claude Desktop, or Streamable HTTP with OAuth for a household or team.
4 GitHub stars - ynab-mcp-serverHosted or LocalOAuth
Hosted remote MCP server for YNAB on Cloudflare Workers with OAuth
3 GitHub stars - MCP Server for YNABLocal
Connect your AI assistant to YNAB. Read-only by default, with reversible opt-in writes.
2 GitHub stars - ynab-mcp
Connect AI assistants to your YNAB budget for natural language expense tracking, budget analysis, and financial insights. Secure, fast, and easy to integrate.
2 GitHub stars - ynab-mcp
MCP server for interacting with YNAB.
2 GitHub stars - ynab-mcp-serverLocal
MCP server for YNAB API
1 GitHub stars - ynab-budget-mcpLocal
Curated YNAB MCP tools with guarded assignment and category-creation workflows.
0 GitHub stars - ynab-cliLocal
YNAB CLI — command-line interface and MCP server for the YNAB API (Rust)
0 GitHub stars - mcp-for-ynabLocal
YNAB budget access for AI assistants: safe gated writes, month-close sessions, float attribution.
0 GitHub stars - @richdooz/mcp-ynabLocal
Model Context Protocol server for YNAB integration
25/wk downloads a week
Questions
Does YNAB have an official MCP server?
No. YNAB publishes a public API, and every MCP server for it is a community project. None is endorsed by YNAB.
Which YNAB MCP server is best?
There is no clear leader. calebl's has the most GitHub stars and oliverames's has the most weekly downloads; pick oliverames if you want read-only by default, ynab-mcpb for reconciliation, or issmirnov if you only use ChatGPT or claude.ai.
Can I let the AI read my budget without changing it?
Yes, but the server has to do it. A personal access token always has full access, so use a server that starts read-only (oliverames, auzroz) or turn on the read-only setting in calebl's or ynab-mcpb's. On oliverames's hosted connector, leave the write-access box unchecked when you sign in.
Is it safe to give an AI my YNAB token?
With a local server the token stays in a setting on your computer and is not sent to the AI. YNAB says personal access tokens are for the account owner only, so never hand yours to someone else's service.
How do I use YNAB with ChatGPT or on my phone?
Use a hosted connector and sign in with your YNAB account: issmirnov's or the hosted version of oliverames's. Both are run by individual developers who store your sign-in, so read their privacy notes first.
Can it delete my transactions?
Yes, when writes are on, most of these can create, edit and delete transactions. oliverames and ynab-mcpb make the AI show a preview and get your confirmation before each change.
Why does it stop answering after a lot of questions?
YNAB allows 200 requests per hour for each token. Long sessions or big history pulls can hit that; wait a while and try again.
Can it reconcile my account with a bank statement?
Yes, ynab-mcpb can reconcile an account from a bank statement CSV and turn a pasted receipt into a split transaction.
How do I get a YNAB personal access token?
In YNAB, open Account Settings, then Developer Settings, click New Token and enter your password. Copy it right away, because YNAB shows it only once.