Quick Verdict
Our Top Pick: YNAB (You Need a Budget)
Mint shut down in early 2024, and millions of users were left scrambling for alternatives. After testing the top options, YNAB is our top recommendation for most former Mint users — it takes a more proactive approach to budgeting that actually changes spending habits. But it’s not free, so we’ve also included strong free alternatives below. The right choice depends on whether you want active budgeting (YNAB), passive tracking (Monarch Money), or a free option that covers the basics (Copilot or your bank’s built-in tools).
Why Mint Shut Down (And What to Use Now)
Intuit officially shut down Mint in March 2024, migrating users to Credit Karma. For millions who relied on Mint’s free budgeting and expense tracking, Credit Karma turned out to be a poor substitute — it’s more of a credit monitoring tool than a budgeting app. That left a massive gap in the market for accessible personal finance tools.
The good news: the alternatives that have emerged are genuinely better than Mint ever was. Mint’s last years were plagued by broken bank connections, intrusive ads, and stagnant development. The tools below are actively maintained, well-designed, and focused on actually helping you manage your money.
1. YNAB (You Need a Budget) — Best Overall
Price: $14.99/month or $109/year (34-day free trial)
YNAB takes a fundamentally different approach than Mint did. Instead of passively tracking where your money went, YNAB asks you to give every dollar a job before you spend it. This zero-based budgeting method forces you to make intentional decisions about your money, and the results speak for themselves — YNAB reports that new users save an average of $600 in their first two months and over $6,000 in the first year.
The learning curve is steeper than Mint’s set-and-forget approach, but that’s the point. YNAB works because it requires engagement. Bank connections, goal tracking, detailed reports, and an active community make it the most complete budgeting tool available. Read our full YNAB review for more details.
Best for: People ready to actively manage their budget and change their financial habits.
2. Monarch Money — Best Mint Replacement
Price: $14.99/month or $99.99/year (7-day free trial)
If you loved Mint’s approach but wanted it to actually work well, Monarch Money is the answer. It offers the same passive expense tracking and categorization that Mint was known for, but with reliable bank connections, a clean modern interface, and features Mint never had — like collaborative budgeting for couples, investment tracking, and net worth monitoring all in one dashboard.
Monarch was founded by former Mint engineers who understood what Mint should have become. The bank connections are noticeably more reliable, the interface is beautiful, and the subscription model means no ads cluttering your financial dashboard.
Best for: Former Mint users who want the same tracking approach but better execution.
3. Copilot — Best for Apple Users
Price: $14.99/month or $95.88/year (free trial available)
Copilot is an Apple-exclusive budgeting app that offers the most polished mobile experience of any personal finance tool. It connects to your accounts, tracks spending, and presents your finances in a beautifully designed interface that feels native to iOS and Mac. The automatic categorization is impressively accurate, and the insights feature highlights unusual spending patterns and subscription changes.
The limitation is obvious: it’s Apple-only. No Android app and no web version. But if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, it’s the best-designed budgeting app available.
Best for: iPhone and Mac users who want a beautiful, intuitive budgeting experience.
4. Goodbudget — Best Free Option
Price: Free (limited) or $10/month for Plus
Goodbudget uses the digital envelope budgeting method — you allocate money to virtual envelopes for different spending categories. The free plan gives you 10 regular envelopes and 10 annual envelopes with basic reporting. It doesn’t connect to bank accounts automatically (you enter transactions manually), which some people actually prefer for the awareness it creates.
Best for: Budget-conscious users who don’t mind manual entry and want a free, simple tool.
5. Your Bank’s Built-In Tools — Best for Simplicity
Price: Free (included with your bank account)
Before signing up for another app, check what your bank already offers. Chase, Capital One, Bank of America, and most major banks now include spending insights, budget tracking, and categorization tools within their existing apps. These tools are basic compared to dedicated budgeting apps, but they’re free, they’re already connected to your accounts, and they require zero setup.
Best for: People who want basic spending awareness without adding another app.
How to Choose the Right Mint Alternative
The right choice depends on your budgeting style. If you want to actively control every dollar and build better financial habits, YNAB is the gold standard. If you want passive tracking like Mint but better, Monarch Money is the closest upgrade. If you’re an Apple user who values design, Copilot is excellent. And if free is non-negotiable, Goodbudget or your bank’s built-in tools will get the job done.
For investors looking to track their portfolio alongside their budget, consider pairing any of these tools with a dedicated investment platform like Betterment or Wealthfront.
Final Verdict
Mint’s shutdown was a disappointment, but the silver lining is that better tools have filled the gap. YNAB remains our top recommendation because it doesn’t just track your money — it changes how you think about spending. But there’s no wrong answer on this list. The best budgeting app is the one you’ll actually use consistently, so take advantage of the free trials and find your fit.
Our top pick: YNAB gives you a 34-day free trial — enough time to see real results with your budget.
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