Why the format matters more than the button
Every app here has an 'export' option. The question is whether the file still means anything outside the app. A transaction CSV without category names is a bank statement. A category list without the rules that fill it means hours of re-categorising. This guide records exactly what each vendor says its export contains, so you can tell what you would have to rebuild by hand.
These facts come from vendor help pages read on 30 October 2026. We have not run these exports ourselves. To test an export before committing to an app, use our export rehearsal guide.
Export options side by side
| App | Formats | What is included | Documented exclusions or limits | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YNAB | CSV, or TSV for currencies that use a decimal comma | Two files: the plan (categories and category groups) and the full transaction history. Selected transactions can be exported separately. | Targets and category notes are excluded. Web only. | Plan name menu at the top of the web sidebar; search and select transactions to export a subset |
| Monarch | CSV | Transactions and balance history, for one account or all accounts | Monarch recommends 5,000 transactions or fewer per download; split larger history by date range. Web only. | Settings > Data, or Accounts > account > Edit |
| PocketSmith | CSV or XLSX; backup CSVs | All or searched transactions. Backups hold categories and structure, category rules, and categorised transactions with account names, labels and notes | Backups exclude attached files, budgets, and filters or saved searches. PocketSmith warns against editing backup files in Excel. | Transactions page > Export; Settings > User preferences > Export data; Manage > Backup and restore |
| Lunch Money | CSV; categories copied as text | Every transaction in the current view, with date, category group, category, payee, amount, currency, notes, tags, account, IDs and created-at timestamp | Only exports what the current view shows, so a filtered view gives a filtered file. | Transactions page > Export to CSV icon; Categories > Export Categories |
APIs: the export that keeps working
A CSV is a snapshot. An API lets a script or spreadsheet pull fresh data whenever you like, which is the only real 'take it with you' option for ongoing use.
| App | API documented | How to get access |
|---|---|---|
| YNAB | Yes. REST, JSON, over HTTPS. | Through YNAB's API page. YNAB says API support is limited and replies can take up to a week. |
| PocketSmith | Yes, via the PocketSmith Developer Hub. | Create a developer key under Profile menu > Security & integrations > Manage developer keys. The key is shown only once. |
| Lunch Money | Yes. The developer API is in open beta, with docs at lunchmoney.dev. | Get an API token in the Developers section of your account. |
| Monarch | Not documented on the pages we read. | Use the CSV downloads. |
What you lose if you only take the transaction file
"Not documented" means the vendor’s export pages do not mention it. It may still exist, but do not count on it.
| Data | YNAB | Monarch | PocketSmith | Lunch Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category structure | Yes, in the plan file | Not documented as a separate export | Yes, in the backup | Yes, copy as text, with income and exclusion flags |
| Rules | Not documented | Not documented | Yes, in the backup | Not documented |
| Budget amounts or targets | Targets are excluded | Not documented | Budgets are excluded | Not documented |
| Balance history | Not documented | Yes, as a separate CSV | Not documented | Not documented |
| Attachments | Photos download one at a time from the web register; no bulk export | Not documented | Excluded | Not documented |
Format quirks to know before you open the file
- YNAB switches to TSV (tab-separated) when your currency uses a comma as the decimal mark. Open it as tab-delimited, or every amount will split into two columns.
- YNAB file names start with 'YNAB Export - [plan name]', and selected exports start with 'Selected Transactions for [plan name]', which makes them easy to find in Downloads.
- PocketSmith backup CSVs are meant for restoring into PocketSmith. Editing and saving them in Excel can make them unusable. Keep an untouched copy.
- PocketSmith restores in a set order: categories, then category rules, then transactions, so the category structure is kept.
- Lunch Money exports only what is visible, so clear filters and widen the date range before you export everything.
- Monarch downloads over about 5,000 transactions are slower and more likely to fail. Export a year at a time if you have a long history.
An exit checklist before you cancel or switch
- Export the full transaction history, and for YNAB the plan file, while your subscription is active.
- Export a second copy filtered to the last 90 days. It is the quickest way to check the new app imported correctly.
- Screenshot or note your targets or budget amounts. None of the four export pages promise to include them in a reusable form.
- Copy your categories: the YNAB plan file, the PocketSmith backup, or the Lunch Money category text.
- Write down your top rules. Only PocketSmith documents rules in its backup.
- Download any receipts or attachments one by one. PocketSmith says its backup leaves them out, and YNAB says transaction photos cannot be bulk exported.
- Check the new app's import format before you cancel. YNAB prefers CSV and also accepts QFX and OFX, PocketSmith recommends OFX, and Lunch Money accepts CSV or PDF.
Questions before you decide
Can I export from the mobile apps?
YNAB says plan and transaction export is web-only. Monarch says downloads are available on the web. PocketSmith's export steps are on the Transactions page and in Settings, and Lunch Money's are on the Transactions page. Plan to use a computer.
Will an export include my budgets?
Usually not in a reusable form. YNAB's plan export excludes targets and category notes. PocketSmith's backup files do not include budgets, files attached to transactions, filters or saved searches. Monarch's and Lunch Money's export pages describe transaction and balance data only.
Can I still export after I cancel?
Monarch says your full history stays downloadable after a subscription or trial ends, and after a refund you can still log in to download it. Lunch Money purges an account within 48 hours of cancelling. YNAB removes access when a subscription expires until you resubscribe. Export before you cancel.
Follow the sources
- YNAB Help: How to Export Plan Data Checked Oct 30, 2026
- YNAB Help: The YNAB API Checked Oct 30, 2026
- YNAB Help: File-Based Import Checked Oct 30, 2026
- YNAB Help: How to Manage Your Subscription Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Monarch Help: Downloading Transaction or Account History Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Monarch Help: Monarch's Money-back Guarantee Checked Oct 30, 2026
- PocketSmith Learn Centre: Exporting your transactions Checked Oct 30, 2026
- PocketSmith Learn Centre: Backup and restore your PocketSmith data Checked Oct 30, 2026
- PocketSmith Learn Centre: PocketSmith API developer keys Checked Oct 30, 2026
- PocketSmith Learn Centre: Getting started step one, adding bank accounts and importing transactions Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Lunch Money Help: Transactions, other features (exporting) Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Lunch Money Help: Export and import categories Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Lunch Money Help: Developer API Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Lunch Money Help: FAQ (account deletion) Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Lunch Money Help: Billing (pausing, cancelation and account deletion) Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Lunch Money Help: CSV / PDF Importing Checked Oct 30, 2026
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