Before my wife and I were using Mint, we were tracking our expenses in a spreadsheet. As you can imagine, this was pretty chaotic, especially since we had different credit cards and had to rely on the other person to manually log expenses. Often, we were grossly off -- restaurant tips, which appear after a transaction has stopped pending, were notoriously lost -- but we weren't aware of how badly we were budgeting until we had an app tracking the expenses for us.
Now that Mint is closing up shop on Jan. 1, 2024, we're in the market for another budgeting app (we don't want to use Credit Karma). We have a few apps that we're test-driving to benefit our personal finances, but we haven't landed on a proper replacement yet. If you find yourself in the same situation, here's a roundup of the best alternatives that we're considering.
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
Best app for: Comprehensive budgeting
Cost: $14.99/month or $99/year
You Need a Budget is a budgeting app that follows a zero-based budget philosophy. In other words, it encourages you to assign a "purpose" to every dollar you earn, leaving you with $0 at the end of the month. Like Mint, the app can sync all your financial accounts, like bank accounts and credit cards, and allows you to share the budget with another person. It's one of the best alternatives to Mint, though it's not free and it could take you some time to learn how to use it.
Goodbudget
Best app for: Simple budgeting
Cost: Free or $8/month (or $70/year)
If you don't need to sync all your accounts in one app, Goodbudget could be an affordable option. This app lets you create different spending categories -- like housing payments, gas, and food -- and sets maximums for each. The app is affordable (it has a free version, too), but since it doesn't monitor your credit card usage or link to your checking account, you'll have to manually input your expenses. That's only a step above doing this in a spreadsheet, which is one reason why my wife and I have chosen not to use it.
Qapital
Best app for: Automating your savings
Cost: Free or $3 to $12/month
For those who used Mint to hit savings goals, you might find a good companion in Qapital. This app links to your checking accounts and credit cards and encourages you to move money into a separate savings account. It has a number of "Rules" you can activate to help you hit your goals, like the "Round-up Rule," which automatically rounds up charges on your credit cards and transfers the extra change into your savings. Money can be transferred out of the account for free, and you can pay a monthly subscription or choose to use the free version.
Zeta
Best app for: Budgeting for couples
Cost: Free
Zeta is the best alternative if you share Mint with a partner or spouse. The app can sync all your personal and joint bank accounts, track expenses and transactions, and remind you of upcoming bills. It also lets you create multiple budgets and set shared financial goals. Since Zeta is designed for couples, it has more account-sharing tools than Mint does. And better yet, it's free to use, so long as you can deal with the in-app advertisem*nts.
Rocket Money
Best app for: Money management and credit reporting
Cost: Free or $3 to $12/month
Rocket Money is a money management app that shares many of Mint's features. The app lets you connect all your financial accounts, and it helps you track spending, create detailed budget categories, and automate your savings. The app also gives you access to your credit reports and alerts you of big changes. Rocket Money has a free version, but for more robust tools, you'll have to pay a monthly subscription.
The demise of Mint isn't the end of mobile budgeting
Mint was one of the best budgeting apps, but its termination doesn't mean you have to go without one. The apps discussed above could be good alternatives, but if they didn't pique your interest, check out our list of best budgeting apps for more options.
All in all, you don't have to go back to the spreadsheet. Try out some of these apps and see which one will best fit your budgeting style and financial goals.
