Already subscribed? Follow the step-by-step connection guide to add Cadence to your assistant.
Why Cadence is the best budgeting app for MCP
How Cadence Compares
| Cadence | YNAB | Monarch Money | Copilot Money | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $2.49/m | ~$12.98/m | ~$11.90/m | ~$11.33/m |
| Available in Canada & USA | Yes | Yes | Yes | USA only |
| iOS, Android & Web apps | Yes | Yes | Yes | No Android |
| Multi-currency support | Yes | One per budget | No | No |
| TFSA, RRSP, FHSA tracking | Yes | Yes | Limited | N/A |
| AI training on your data | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Official MCP integration | Yes | No | Beta | Beta |
| Passkey sign-in (all devices) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Works without bank syncing | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Bank syncing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Budget & transaction tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Net worth tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Financial goals | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Insights & suggestions | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Automations | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Cadence
YNAB
Monarch Money
Copilot Money
Competitor prices are approximate conversions. Pricing reflects annual plans billed yearly. Based on publicly available data as of March 2026.
Fully Featured Plans - Just Pick Syncing
Frequently asked questions
What is MCP?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard for connecting AI assistants to the tools and data you already use. A budgeting app that supports MCP can be added to an assistant like Claude or ChatGPT as a connector, so you can ask questions about your own finances in plain language instead of exporting spreadsheets.
Which AI assistants can connect to Cadence?
Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini all connect to the same official Cadence MCP server using the same secure sign-in. You add it in your assistant’s connector settings; there are no keys or tokens to copy and paste.
Can my AI assistant change or delete my financial data?
No. Every one of the 18 tools the Cadence MCP server exposes is a read-only fetch, and there is no write path in the server at all. An assistant can look at your data, but it cannot add, edit or delete anything, move money, or change a budget.
Does connecting an assistant mean Cadence trains AI on my data?
No. Cadence does not sell your data and does not train AI models on it - that does not change when you connect an assistant. MCP works the other way round: your assistant reads your data, at your request, only while you are asking it something. You choose whether to connect at all, and you can disconnect at any time.
Do I need a particular plan to use the MCP server?
No. The MCP server is included on every Cadence plan, including the entry plan and the one-time Lifetime option. The only thing that differs between plans is how many banks you can sync.
What can I actually ask it?
Anything you could work out from the app, without doing the work yourself: how this month’s spending compares to last, how close a goal is, which bills are still due this week, what your net worth has done this year, or how your portfolio is allocated. Ask “how is my week going?” and it uses a purpose-built weekly summary that follows the same rules the app does, rather than dividing your monthly figures by four.
Is Cadence free?
Cadence is a paid subscription with a 14-day free trial (a card is required to start the trial). Plans start at $2.49 CAD / $1.99 USD per month billed annually, plus a one-time Lifetime option. There is no permanently free tier.