Compare this year with last year

The Year over year report compares one year with another over the same months. It shows whether you are ahead or behind as the year goes and ranks the categories that changed the most.

Steps

1. Select Reports in the sidebar (on a phone, the Reports tab), then the Year over year card. It compares this year with last year.
2. To compare other years, select the year chip, such as "2026 vs 2025". Select the first year under Year and the second under vs, then select Apply. The lists offer this year and every year with transactions or plan amounts. Clear returns to this year against last.
3. To count only some accounts, select the accounts chip, which reads All accounts until you choose some. Choose the accounts, then select Apply. See Report controls.
4. Select a measure: Spending, Income, Giving, Saving, Debt or Left over.
5. Select Cumulative or By month. In By month, select a month (on a phone, its button under the chart) to read both years.
6. Select Category group or Category (the default) above the list. Select Show all N to see more than the eight biggest changes.
7. Select a row to open its detail, under the row or, on a wide screen, beside the list. Select it again to close it.

Read the headline

• Figure: the first year's total minus the other year's for the same months, such as "$199,622.70 less spent" or "$790.00 more received". A difference under $1.00 reads "About the same".
• Line: the months compared and the change as a percent, such as "January to September vs the same months last year · 54% less". Against a year other than last year, it reads "vs the same months of 2024". The line has no percent on Left over. It also has none when the difference is under $1.00 or the other year's total was $0.00. On Spending the line ends with the change in what you saved, such as "$19,984.10 less saved".
• Months compared: only months finished in both years count. In October, that is January through September. Months before the month you started this budget file are left out of both years, and a note reads "Months before you started tracking are left out of both years."

Read the chart and list

• Cumulative: two lines of running totals on one scale, this year solid and the other year dashed. The gap is written at the latest month. A strip under the lines shows this year minus the other year, with More above its line and Less below. The legend under the chart lists each year with its total, then Gap for the tinted area between the lines. A sentence under it reads "Both lines show the running total to date, on one scale." A second sentence describes the strip, "The strip is this year minus last year, to date, on its own scale."
• By month: a pair of columns for each month. The legend lists each year with its total, the other year first because its column is on the left. A sentence under it reads "Tallest column is the largest month".
• List rows: the change in dollars and as a percent, such as "-$1,438.90, -67%", both years' totals, and a bar that runs right for more and left for less. A legend under the list names the bar Change and the upright mark at zero No change. A sentence reads "Each bar is the change from last year." Against another year, it names that year, such as "Each bar is the change from 2024." New or Gone marks a row with nothing in one year and gives no percent. A hidden category that has an amount in either year is listed with a small hidden label after its name. On Left over, a row's sign shows its effect on what is left over, and a sentence reads "Plus means more left over. Minus means less."
• Detail: the change, this year against the other year, each month's pair, and links such as 2026 in the ledger.

When there is nothing to compare

• If the other year has no transactions, the headline reads like "Your data starts March 2026; year over year opens in March 2027". The chart shows this year alone once a month has finished, and there is no list. If no month has finished yet, the box described below replaces the chart.
• If the two years share no finished month, the figure is a dash and a box reads like "2026 has no finished month yet, so there is nothing to compare." If every finished month falls before the month you started this budget file, the box reads "Months before you started tracking are left out of both years."
• If neither year has an amount for the measure in the months compared, the list reads "No activity to compare in either year yet."