Is Mint still available?

No. Intuit shut down Mint on March 23, 2024, migrating users to Credit Karma. The Mint app and website no longer function. Former Mint users looking for a free budgeting alternative should consider alternatives like YNAB, EveryDollar, Monarch Money, or Copilot.

Is YNAB worth $14.99 per month?

For many users, yes. YNAB users report saving an average of $600 in their first month and $6,000 in their first year, according to YNAB's data. The $14.99/month fee ($99/year if paid annually) pays for itself many times over if you actively follow the method. YNAB offers a 34-day free trial so you can evaluate before committing.

What is the best free alternative to Mint?

Credit Karma (where Mint users were migrated) offers basic spending tracking but isn't a full budgeting app. EveryDollar's free tier offers simple zero-based budgeting. For a full Mint-like experience, Monarch Money ($9.99/month) or Copilot ($10.99/month) are the closest replacements, though neither is free.

What's the difference between Mint and YNAB's budgeting approach?

Mint used passive tracking — it categorized your spending after the fact and showed where your money went. YNAB uses proactive, zero-based budgeting — you assign every dollar a job before you spend it. YNAB's method is more effective at changing spending behavior but requires more active involvement.

Mint vs YNAB: Budgeting App Comparison (2026 Update)

Mint and YNAB (You Need A Budget) were the two most compared budgeting apps for over a decade. Mint was shut down in March 2024 — Intuit migrated users to Credit Karma, which is not a full budgeting app. YNAB remains the gold standard for active zero-based budgeting. This comparison explains how they differed, what replaced Mint, and whether YNAB or another alternative is right for you now.

Mint vs YNAB: Historical Comparison

Feature	Mint (Discontinued)	YNAB
Status	❌ Shut down March 2024	✅ Active
Price	Free	$14.99/month or $99/year
Budgeting method	Passive tracking (categories after spending)	Active zero-based (assign every dollar before spending)
Bank syncing	✅ Automatic	✅ Automatic
Manual entry	Optional	Encouraged (in addition to sync)
Budget creation	Auto-generated from spending history	You create from scratch
Bill tracking	✅	✅
Credit score	✅	❌
Investment tracking	✅ Basic	❌
Net worth	✅	✅
Goal tracking	✅ Basic	✅ Excellent
Reports	Basic	Detailed
Learning curve	Low	Medium-high
Behavioral change	Low (passive)	High (active participation required)

Why Mint Was Shut Down

Intuit discontinued Mint on March 23, 2024, after 17 years of operation. Key factors:

Revenue model failure — Mint was free, funded by ads and affiliate product recommendations, but struggled to generate sufficient revenue
Credit Karma overlap — After Intuit acquired Credit Karma in 2020, Mint’s credit score and product recommendation features became redundant
User migration — Intuit pushed ~3.6 million active users to Credit Karma
Declining engagement — Fewer users were actively budgeting; most just checked spending occasionally

What former Mint users lost:

Full budgeting with spending categories
Bill tracking and reminders
Custom budget goals
Financial overview dashboard
The only truly free full-featured budgeting app

YNAB in 2026: What You Get

YNAB continues to operate and has grown significantly since Mint’s closure, absorbing many former Mint users willing to pay for serious budgeting.

YNAB Pricing

Plan	Cost	Per Month (Effective)
Monthly	$14.99/month	$14.99
Annual	$99/year	$8.25
Free trial	34 days	$0
Student plan	Free (with .edu email)	$0

YNAB’s Four Rules

YNAB is built on four budgeting principles:

Give Every Dollar a Job — Assign every dollar of income to a specific category before spending
Embrace Your True Expenses — Break large, irregular expenses into monthly amounts (insurance, holidays, car maintenance)
Roll With the Punches — When you overspend, move money from another category instead of quitting
Age Your Money — Work toward spending money you earned 30+ days ago, not yesterday’s paycheck

YNAB Features

Feature	Details
Zero-based budgeting	Every dollar assigned to a category
Bank sync	12,000+ institutions via MX and Plaid
Manual transactions	✅ Encouraged to build awareness
Goal types	Target balance, monthly contribution, target by date, spending goal
Recurring transactions	✅ Scheduled and repeating
Reports	Net worth, spending by category, income vs expense, age of money
Loan tracking	✅ Tracks principal, interest, payoff date
Multi-currency	✅
Shared budgets	✅ Partners can access same budget
API	✅ Open API for third-party integrations
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android
Data export	✅ CSV

What Replaced Mint: Current Alternatives

Since Mint is gone, here’s how the current budgeting landscape compares to YNAB:

Budgeting App Comparison (2026)

Feature	YNAB	Monarch Money	Copilot	EveryDollar	Credit Karma (Mint Replacement)
Price	$99/yr	$99/yr	$119/yr	$0-$79.99/yr	Free
Budgeting method	Zero-based	Flexible	AI-assisted	Zero-based	Spending tracker only
Bank sync	✅	✅	✅	✅ (paid only)	✅
Manual entry	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Investment tracking	❌	✅	✅	❌	Basic
Net worth	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Bill tracking	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Reports	✅	✅	✅	Basic	Basic
Credit score	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Shared/couples	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌
Learning curve	High	Medium	Low	Medium	Low
Platform	Web + mobile	Web + mobile	iOS/Mac only	Web + mobile	Web + mobile
Best for	Active budgeters	Mint replacers	Apple users	Dave Ramsey fans	Basic spending awareness

YNAB vs Monarch Money (Best Mint Replacement)

Monarch Money has emerged as the most popular Mint replacement for users who want tracking and budgeting:

Factor	YNAB	Monarch Money
Price	$99/year	$99/year
Philosophy	Proactive — assign every dollar	Flexible — track and plan
Budget approach	Must zero-base every month	Optional budgets, more passive tracking
Investment tracking	❌	✅ Full portfolio view
Net worth dashboard	✅	✅ (more comprehensive)
Transaction categorization	Manual preferred	Auto-categorize like Mint
Reports	Good	Excellent
Collaboration	✅ Shared budget	✅ Shared budget
Learning curve	High	Low-medium
Best for	Changing spending behavior	Holistic financial tracking

YNAB if you want to actively control spending. Monarch Money if you want Mint’s tracking with better features.

Is YNAB Worth the Cost?

The Numbers

Metric	YNAB Users (Self-Reported)
Average saved first month	$600
Average saved first year	$6,000
Annual cost	$99
ROI if saving $6,000	5,960%
Break-even	Save $8.25/month

Where YNAB Saves You Money

YNAB doesn’t save money through magic — it works by making you aware of your spending before it happens:

Behavior Change	How YNAB Helps
Impulse purchases	You see exactly which category you’d have to take money from
Subscription creep	Every subscription must have a funded category
Irregular expenses	You save monthly for car repairs, holidays, insurance
Lifestyle inflation	Raising spending in one category visibly reduces another
Emergency fund	Dedicated goal with progress tracking

Where YNAB Falls Short

Limitation	Impact
No investment tracking	Need a separate app (Monarch, Personal Capital)
Steep learning curve	Takes 2-3 months to fully get the method
Time commitment	15-30 minutes/week minimum for manual reconciliation
No free tier	$99/year is a barrier for budget-conscious users
Overwhelming for some	The methodology can feel rigid for flexible spenders

Who Should Use YNAB?

✅ You want to actively change your spending habits — not just track them
✅ You live paycheck to paycheck and want to break the cycle
✅ You have specific financial goals (debt payoff, emergency fund, down payment)
✅ You’re willing to spend 15-30 minutes per week on budgeting
✅ You want to budget with a partner using shared categories
✅ You follow the zero-based budgeting philosophy

Who Should Choose an Alternative?

✅ Monarch Money — if you want Mint-like automatic tracking with optional budgeting and investment views
✅ Copilot — if you’re an Apple user who wants AI-assisted budgeting with a clean interface
✅ EveryDollar Free — if you want simple zero-based budgeting without paying
✅ Credit Karma — if you only want basic spending awareness, not active budgeting
✅ Spreadsheet — if you want full control with no fees (Google Sheets or Excel)

Best Strategy: Start With the Free Trial

Step	Action	Why
1	Start YNAB’s 34-day free trial	Full access, no commitment
2	Watch YNAB’s free workshops	The method matters more than the software
3	Budget one full month	Set up all your categories and spending goals
4	Evaluate at day 30	Did you gain awareness? Change any spending?
5	If YNAB feels too rigid, try Monarch Money	Same price, more flexible approach
6	If you want free, use EveryDollar	Basic zero-based budgeting at no cost

Bottom Line

Category	Recommendation
Best overall budgeting app	YNAB (most effective at changing behavior)
Best Mint replacement	Monarch Money (closest feature match)
Best free option	EveryDollar Free (limited but works)
Best for Apple users	Copilot
Best for passive tracking	NerdWallet or Credit Karma (free)
Best for couples	YNAB or Monarch Money

Mint is gone, and nothing free has truly replaced it. YNAB is the best budgeting app available — but it requires commitment to the method and $99/year. If you’re willing to put in the work, YNAB users consistently report saving thousands per year. If YNAB’s approach feels too rigid, Monarch Money offers a more flexible alternative at the same price. Either way, any budgeting system you actually use beats no system at all.