What Happened to Mint? The Best Alternatives
Intuit shut down Mint in January 2024 after 17 years, pointing users toward Credit Karma. Most Mint users found Credit Karma inadequate for serious budgeting. The good news: Monarch Money, YNAB, and Copilot filled the gap with significantly better products.
Monarch Money
Best Mint replacement — best all-around app
Monarch Money is the most complete personal finance app available in 2026. Real-time account sync, customizable budgets, investment tracking, net worth monitoring, and detailed reports. Built by a former Airbnb designer — it shows.
Pros
- Best-designed personal finance app
- Investment + banking in one place
- Excellent couples/family sharing
- Custom categories and rules
- Active product development
Cons
- Not free — $14.99/month
- Requires trusting third-party sync
- Some small bank connection issues
YNAB (You Need A Budget)
Best for people who want to get serious about money
YNAB's zero-based budgeting method assigns every dollar a job before you spend it. It's more of a system than an app — and users who follow it report transformative results. Average YNAB user saves $600 in their first month.
Pros
- Zero-based budgeting forces intentionality
- Excellent education & support
- Web + mobile + desktop
- 34-day free trial
- Strong community
Cons
- Learning curve — system takes commitment
- No free tier
- Investment tracking basic
Copilot
Best iOS app — beautiful and intelligent
Copilot is an iOS-only personal finance app with exceptional design and AI-powered transaction categorization. Learns your habits over time, flags anomalies, and produces the most beautiful spending reports in the industry.
Pros
- Best-designed iOS finance app
- Smart AI categorization
- Investment tracking included
- Trend analysis and forecasting
- Actively developed
Cons
- iOS only — no Android
- No zero-based budgeting
- Less powerful than YNAB for strict budgeting
| App | Price | Best Feature | Couples | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch Money | $99/yr | All-in-one personal finance | Yes | Web + iOS + Android |
| YNAB | $109/yr | Zero-based budgeting system | Shared budgets | Web + iOS + Android |
| Copilot | $95/yr | Best iOS design + AI | No | iOS only |
| Simplifi by Quicken | $48/yr | Best budget | No | Web + iOS + Android |
| Empower (free) | $0 | Investment tracking | No | Web + iOS + Android |
| Credit Karma (free) | $0 | Credit monitoring | No | Web + iOS + Android |
Build your budget manually for free
No app needed — use the FinWiseLab Budget Planner to see exactly how the 50/30/20 rule applies to your income.