Mint Shut Down: 7 Best Mint Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)

Looking for the best Mint alternatives in 2026? ExpenseSumo is the top free pick. It requires no bank linking, and was built specifically for ex-Mint users who want simple expense tracking without ads, data selling, or a surprise paywall after a 30-day trial.

Mint shut down on March 23, 2024 after 17 years Forbes, leaving 3.6 million active users scrambling for a replacement.

Intuit pushed them toward Credit Karma, but Credit Karma is a credit-monitoring product, not a budgeting tool CNBC.

That's why search volume for Mint alternatives and apps like Mint free is still climbing two years later.

This guide ranks the best Mint replacements for 2026, with features, pros, cons, and real pricing.

Why Look for Mint Alternatives?

If you're wondering what to use instead of Mint, you're not alone, 3.6 million users faced the same question when Mint shut down.

Mint was the default free budgeting app for over a decade. Most replacements since its shutdown create new problems.

• No true free tier. Most "free" apps are 30-day trials that flip to $10–$15/month.

• Your data becomes the product. Free apps profit from your spending data via ads and credit-card offers.

• Forced bank linking. With some apps, you can't even set up a budget until you connect your bank account.

• Feature bloat. Spending trackers now bundle investment advice, debt help, and subscription tools you didn't ask for.

• Method overhead. Some tools make you learn a whole budgeting system before you can log a single transaction.

• The price adds up. YNAB is $109/year. Monarch is ~$100/year. That's $500+ over five years for what Mint used to do for free.

So what should you use now that Mint shut down?

The tools below cover every major use case like free trackers, methodology-first budgeting, and investment-heavy dashboards.

Some are paid tools. Others are Mint alternatives free for life. The right one depends on what you need.

1. ExpenseSumo — The Best Free Mint Replacement

We built ExpenseSumo for ex-Mint users. It tracks every expense without selling your data, trapping you in a subscription, or demanding your bank login.

If you miss Mint because it was free, simple, and private, ExpenseSumo is the closest thing that exists today.

Most "free" alternatives on this list are trials in disguise. ExpenseSumo is free forever, with every feature included. No paid tier. No upsell prompts. No credit card at signup.

Best for: Solo budgeters, couples, families, and side hustlers who want Mint-style expense tracking without the ads, data harvesting, or paywall runway.

Key Features:

• Free forever with every feature included, no paid tier, no feature gating.

• Multi-account support for bank accounts, credit cards, and cash, all in one view.

• Smart monthly budgets with category tracking and auto-reset each month.

• Visual reports with clean charts showing where your money actually goes.

• Multi-currency support with conversion built in, useful for freelancers and expats.

• Powerful transaction search and filtering across your full history.

• Privacy-first architecture, your data is never sold or shared with third parties.

Pros:

• Genuinely free forever, not a 30-day trial.

• No bank credentials required, your login details never leave your bank.

• Built for real households: solo users, couples splitting expenses, and families.

• No learning curve, if you used Mint, you already know how to use this.

Cons:

• Manual entry by design, no automatic bank syncing (tradeoff for privacy).

• Not built for tracking complex investment portfolios.

Pricing: Free forever. No credit card required at signup.

Start tracking for free on ExpenseSumo

2. Monarch Money

Monarch has become the one of the paid Mint alternatives. Its background explains why. One of its co-founders worked on the original Mint product team, and it shows in the interface.

Best for: Ex-Mint users who want deep automation and investment tracking, and are willing to pay for it.

Key Features:

• Automatic connection to bank, credit card, and investment accounts.

• Recurring-expense and subscription monitoring.

• Household sharing, one subscription covers couples.

• Clean web and mobile interfaces.

Pros:

• Strong automation pulls transactions in without manual entry.

• Handles investments alongside spending, which Mint never did well.

• Built by people who actually know the Mint user.

Cons:

• No free tier beyond a short trial.

• ~$100/year is a real line item for simple expense tracking.

Pricing: ~$14.99/month or ~$99.99/year.

3. YNAB (You Need A Budget)

YNAB is the philosophical opposite of Mint. Mint showed you where your money went after you spent it.

YNAB makes you assign every dollar a job before you spend it.

Best for: Budgeters, not trackers. Built for people tackling debt or paycheck-to-paycheck living.

Key Features:

• Zero-based budgeting system.

• Automatic bank account connections.

• Household sharing for up to six people on a single subscription.

• Reports and spending trends.

Pros:

• Effective for behaviour change, not just tracking.

• Active community and strong onboarding content.

• One subscription covers the whole household.

Cons:

• Steep learning curve, especially for credit card handling.

• No free tier beyond a 34-day trial.

Pricing: $14.99/month or $109/year. Free 34-day trial, no credit card required.

4. Empower (Personal Capital)

Empower's free tier is useful for users whose net worth lives in investment accounts.

Portfolio tracking is its strength, and it goes far beyond what Mint offered.

Best for: Users with meaningful assets across brokerage, retirement, and real estate accounts.

Key Features:

• Net-worth dashboard across all linked accounts.

• Investment performance analysis and fee analyzer.

• Cash-flow tracking and spending analysis.

• Retirement planning tools.

Pros:

• Free core tools with no trial countdown.

• Best-in-class investment tracking among free apps.

• Bank-level security and clean interface.

Cons:

• Weak as a pure budgeting tool, not built for category-level spending control.

• Paid wealth-management service dominates the app.

Pricing: Free for the money tools. Wealth-management service charges a percentage of assets managed.

5. Rocket Money

Rocket Money's free tier covers the basics. You get account linking, spending tracking, budgets, and balance alerts.

But where it earns its keep is subscription management. The numbers here are worth a look.

Best for: People losing money to forgotten subscriptions and recurring charges.

Key Features:

• Subscription scanner that surfaces recurring charges.

• Bill negotiation service (for a cut of the savings).

• Credit score monitoring (premium).

• Net-worth tracking (premium).

Pros:

• Quick value for users with too many subscriptions.

• The free version is actually useful.

• Clean, easy-to-use mobile app.

Cons:

• Bill negotiation takes 35–60% of first-year savings.

• Less focused on traditional category budgeting.

Pricing: Free tier available. Premium from around $7/month.

6. Goodbudget

Goodbudget runs on the envelope method. You set amounts for groceries, rent, and gas upfront, then spend from each "envelope" until it's empty.

Best for: Couples and families who budget together without linking banks.

Key Features:

• Digital envelope budgeting system.

• Manual transaction entry (no bank linking required).

• Household sync across many devices.

• Debt-payoff tracking.

Pros:

• Manual entry keeps bank account information private.

• Works well for shared household budgeting.

• Free tier is enough for basic envelope budgeting.

Cons:

• Free tier limits envelope count and history length.

• Manual entry requires discipline.

Pricing: Free tier available. Plus plan around $10/month.

7. PocketGuard

PocketGuard's signature feature is its "In My Pocket" number. It looks at your income, bills, goals, and spending, then tells you what you can safely spend today.

Best for: People who just want to know how much is safe to spend without doing the math themselves.

Key Features:

• "In My Pocket" safe-to-spend calculator.

• Automatic bank account syncing.

• Rollover budgets (premium).

• Debt-payoff planner (premium).

Pros:

• Simpler mental model than zero-based budgeting.

• Good for people who want answers, not spreadsheets.

• Solid free tier.

Cons:

• Less flexible than full-category budgeting.

• Advanced features need Plus subscription.

Pricing: Free tier available. PocketGuard Plus around $13/month or ~$75/year.

Mint Alternatives Quick Comparison:

Final Words: Which one of Mint alternatives Is Right for You?

Whether you want a full Mint budgeting app replacement or just free budgeting apps like Mint for basic tracking, one of these seven tools will fit.

None of them are perfect. But each one beats waiting for a Mint replacement that isn't coming.

For a wider look at the budgeting app landscape, see our full guide to the best budgeting apps of 2026.

A rough decision guide:

• If you want Mint back free, simple, private, start with ExpenseSumo.

• If you want deep automation and investment tracking, Monarch Money.

• If you're in debt and need a system that forces change, YNAB.

• If most of your money is in investments, Empower.

• If subscriptions are eating you alive, Rocket Money.

• If you're budgeting with a partner, Goodbudget.

• If you just want to know what's safe to spend today, PocketGuard.

ExpenseSumo is free forever, no credit card, no data selling, no surprise paywall in 30 days. Just the budgeting tool ex-Mint users have been waiting for.

FAQs

1. Why did Mint shut down?

Intuit owned both Mint and Credit Karma, and shut Mint down in early 2024 to push users toward Credit Karma. But Credit Karma has only basic spending-overview features, it lacks Mint's core budgeting tools and is primarily a credit-monitoring product.

2. What should I use now that Mint shut down?

For a genuinely free Mint replacement, use ExpenseSumo. For deep automation with bank syncing, Monarch Money. For debt payoff and behaviour change, YNAB. For investment tracking, Empower. The right pick depends on whether your priority is price, automation, methodology, or portfolio management.

3. Are free Mint alternatives good for serious budgeting?

Yes. ExpenseSumo, Empower, Goodbudget, Rocket Money, and PocketGuard all have usable free tiers. ExpenseSumo is the only one that's genuinely free forever with no feature gating, making it the closest match to what Mint used to offer.

4. What's the best Mint replacement for people who don't want to pay?

ExpenseSumo is the best free Mint replacement in 2026. It's free forever with every feature included, no trial clock, and no premium upsell. Goodbudget's free tier is also a solid option if you prefer the envelope budgeting method.

5. Do I have to link my bank account to use a budgeting app?

No. ExpenseSumo and Goodbudget both support manual transaction entry. Many users prefer this over handing banking credentials to a third party.

6. How much do Americans really spend on budgeting tools and subscriptions?

The average American spends $273 a month on subscriptions, that's $3,276 a year, but most people think they spend only $111 a month. Forgotten subscriptions alone cost about $204 a year. And 48% of people have been charged after forgetting to cancel a free trial.

7. What are the best free alternatives to Mint?

The best free alternatives to Mint are ExpenseSumo (free forever), Empower (free core tools), and Goodbudget's free tier. ExpenseSumo is the closest match for ex-Mint users who want simple tracking without a paywall.

That's why a free tool like ExpenseSumo matters. Why pay $109 a year for a budgeting app to track $3,276 in other subscriptions? That's the math Mint users want to avoid.