If you’re still searching for “Mint” – it’s gone. Mint shut down in March 2024, and if you’re one of the people who never found a real replacement, this is for you. But even if you never used Mint, picking the right budgeting app matters more than people think, because the wrong one just becomes another app you download, ignore for three weeks, and delete. The right one actually gets used. Here’s how to figure out which is which for your situation.
Two completely different approaches – pick your side first
Before comparing individual apps, understand there are two fundamentally different philosophies here, and picking the wrong one for your personality is why most budgeting apps fail.
Zero-based budgeting means you assign every single dollar a job before you spend it – rent, groceries, savings, the works – and you’re not supposed to spend outside what you planned. It’s more upfront work, and it’s genuinely powerful if you’ve got irregular income, work overtime some weeks and not others, or have struggled with money disappearing without knowing where it went. This is a natural fit if you already read our zero-based budgeting piece and liked the method – these apps just automate what that article walks through manually.
Automated tracking means you link your accounts, the app categorizes your spending after the fact, and you review and adjust rather than plan in advance. Less upfront effort, but less control – it tells you where your money went, not necessarily where it should go next.
Neither is objectively better. If you’ve read our 50/30/20 budget rule breakdown, that framework pairs naturally with the automated-tracking apps below. If planning every dollar in advance sounds like exactly what you need, skip to the zero-based section.
Zero-based budgeting apps
YNAB (You Need A Budget) is the most well-known name in this category, and it earns the reputation. Every dollar gets assigned a job the moment it hits your account. It runs $14.99/month or $109/year, with a 34-day free trial – long enough to actually test whether the method sticks before you pay anything. “YNAB Together” lets up to five people share one membership, useful if you’re budgeting with a spouse or family.
EveryDollar, built around Dave Ramsey’s zero-based philosophy, is simpler and has a genuinely usable free tier – you can build a full monthly budget and log transactions manually at no cost. The free version requires manual entry, which some people find annoying and others find clarifying, since typing every purchase in by hand makes you think about it. Bank syncing and additional features require the paid tier, which runs somewhere in the $80-130/year range depending on current pricing – worth confirming on their site since it’s moved around.
Automated tracking apps
Monarch Money is the app most often cited as the real Mint replacement, and it’s earned that reputation – it links unlimited accounts (including crypto, for what that’s worth), tracks net worth alongside spending, and is genuinely built for households managing money together, not just individuals. Runs $99.99/year or $14.99/month.
Rocket Money is the closer free-tier match to what Mint used to offer. The free version covers account syncing, spending categorization, and its standout feature – automatically surfacing subscriptions you forgot you’re paying for. If your actual problem is “I have no idea what I’m subscribed to,” this is the fastest fix on this list, and it won’t cost you anything to find out.
PocketGuard gives you a simple snapshot: how much you actually have left to spend after bills and savings goals are accounted for. Less customizable than the others, but that simplicity is the point for someone who wants one clear number, not a dashboard full of charts. Plus tier runs $4.99/month or $34.99/year.
Empower is less a budgeting app and more a full financial dashboard – net worth tracking, investment tracking, spending overview, all free. If your employer uses Empower for your 401k, this is the same company (they acquired Personal Capital in 2020 and consolidated under the Empower name), which makes it a natural fit if you already have an account and want your retirement tracking and everyday budgeting in one place instead of two separate logins.
If you’re specifically coming from Mint
Most people in this exact situation land on one of two apps. If you want free and don’t mind losing some of Monarch’s polish, Rocket Money’s free tier is the closest match to what Mint offered. If you want the most feature-complete replacement and don’t mind paying, Monarch Money is built specifically to be the serious upgrade – it even has a direct import tool for your old Mint data.
Which one should you choose?
| App | Style | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| YNAB | Zero-based | $14.99/mo or $109/yr | Irregular income, hands-on control |
| EveryDollar | Zero-based | Free (manual) / paid for sync | Beginners, Dave Ramsey method |
| Monarch Money | Automated | $14.99/mo or $99.99/yr | Households, best overall Mint replacement |
| Rocket Money | Automated | Free / optional premium | Finding forgotten subscriptions, free option |
| PocketGuard | Automated | Free / $4.99/mo Plus | Simple “what can I spend” snapshot |
| Empower | Automated (dashboard) | Free | Combining 401k/investment tracking with budgeting |
The honest advice: don’t download three of these and try to run them simultaneously. Pick one based on the table above, commit to it for a real month – not three days – and only switch if it’s genuinely fighting you, not just because a new app looks shinier. The app matters less than actually sticking with one long enough to see it work.
📖 What to do next: if you haven’t built an actual budget framework yet, start with how to build a budget that actually works before picking an app – the app should support your method, not define it for you. And if the real problem right now is that even a perfect budget doesn’t leave enough room, the what to cut, what to keep and grocery savings guides tackle that side of the equation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mint shut down in March 2024 and no longer exists. Rocket Money’s free tier is the closest match to Mint’s free model. Monarch Money is the more feature-complete paid replacement and includes a direct tool for importing your old Mint data.
Zero-based apps (YNAB, EveryDollar) have you plan every dollar in advance before spending it. Automated apps (Monarch, Rocket Money, PocketGuard) track your spending after the fact and let you review and adjust. Zero-based takes more upfront effort but gives more control, especially for irregular income.
Yes. Rocket Money’s free tier covers account syncing and subscription tracking, EveryDollar’s free tier supports full manual budgeting, and Empower is entirely free for net worth and spending tracking. None require a paid plan to be genuinely useful.
Zero-based apps like YNAB tend to work better for irregular income, since you’re actively assigning each paycheck to specific jobs as it arrives rather than relying on an average monthly spending pattern that doesn’t match how the money actually comes in.