It's been 6 months since fan-favorite budgeting app Mint shut down. Are there any good free alternatives left? (2024)

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• Mint shut down back in March, but people are still searching for a replacement budgeting app.
• Free budgeting apps are becoming less common, but there are still a few options to try.
• If you're concerned about security, be mindful of the app's security standards and how it's paid.

Searching for a free budgeting app is no easy feat. Everyone's go-to option used to be Mint, but the popular free personal finance app shut down in March. It's left a significant gap for people who prioritize free budgeting tools, and even months after Mint's closure, Reddit users are still looking for a good replacement.

"That was Mint's biggest draw, that it was a free budgeting app," explains Mykail James, MBA, certified financial education instructor, and owner of BoujieBudgets.com. "A lot of apps now are paid subscriptions, and sometimes people aren't willing or don't know the value to pay for that type of service."

Are there any apps left to help you budget for free, and are they safe to use?

We'll explain the current budgeting app environment and share tips on how you can choose the best budgeting app for you.

Do free budgeting apps still exist?

There are completely free budgeting apps you can use, but most have simple features for budgeting. Currently, apps with more comprehensive budgeting analysis and intuitive features often require monthly or annual subscription fees, and only offer short free trials to test out features.

The following budgeting apps have syncing features and are either entirely free or have plans that do not charge subscription fees. Rocket Money, HoneyDue, and Empower are among our top picks for the best personal finance softwareand budgeting apps.

• Rocket Money: Rocket Money's free plan has more comprehensive features than other free budgeting apps. In addition to making a basic budget, you can also get a better understanding of spending, and manage your accounts and subscriptions. For the app's more robust features, like net worth tracking and real-time syncing with your accounts, you have to select a plan that charges monthly subscription fees, though.
• Honeydue App: HoneyDue is specifically tailored to couples and people managing joint and individual finances. It is a free budgeting app so you don't have to worry about any subscription fees. However, the user interface is pretty simple.
• Empower Personal Dashboard: The Empower Personal Dashboard is technically an online dashboard, but it also has a free mobile app with similar features. With this tool, you'll be able to monitor savings and investment accounts. It's a strong option if you want to track net worth or get a big-picture understanding of your wealth. You don't have to be an Empower advisory client to utilize this tool.
• GoodBudget app: The free version of this app lets you create a budget manually using the envelopes system. Through the envelopes system, you'll distribute your money into different categories. You'll have to stick to those categories, and any money left over can stay in your envelope for the next month. The app is pretty straightforward to set up. If you want to sync bank accounts or get unlimited envelopes, you have to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee.

When choosing a budgeting app, Eric Croak, CFP® professional and president at Croak Capital, saysit's helpful to start with a goal in mind.

"Humans want to see progress, and so whether your goal is to save $10,000, or to pay off your home or a credit card, I would always start with the end goal and then use the budget as a tool," explains Croak. "Know what you want to get out of it and a budget can help from there. It is not a one-size-fits-all standalone solution."

What you should know about free budgeting apps

While you don't have to worry about paying fees with free budgeting apps, there are other things to look out for in these apps.

"You want to know how the app makes money. Do they make it through ads? Do they make it from affiliate sales? Do they make money by selling your data? If it's free, there's some way that that app has to make money," says James.

If you're concerned about security, Croak says good budgeting apps release their security standards and use a third-party aggregator to connect checking and savings account information. You can also set up multi-factor authentication if that feature is available to add some extra protection.

Croak also points out that budgeting apps with automation features can help you classify your transactions and better understand your spending habits.

"If you're spending on food, if your utility bill is super high, the apps that categorize those transactions for you will give you more insight into your spending than you will ever do on an Excel sheet," adds Croak.

What Redditors think about current budgeting apps

Many Redditors still mourn losing Mint and haven't found the right fit to replace it.

There isn't one clear app that stands out from the rest, and many Redditors highlight different apps that suit their needs best. That said, if you're willing to pay subscription fees, some top contendors among Reddit users include Monarch Money and Simplifi.

"I recommend Monarch Money. I've been using it since January after using Mint for a decade, and I think it's better than Mint except for missing credit card bill tracking, which is currently in development," says one Reddit user on a thread asking about a replacement for Mint.

On another thread that asks the best feature and worst flow in a personal finance app people are currently using, a Redditor says they've been loving Simplifi for its well thought-out spending plan but don't like its split transactions across different months. "It was almost a deal breaker for me, but I'm loving everything else about it enough that I've let go how annoyed it makes me," the Redditor adds.

If you're specifically looking for an app for tracking net worth, Empower is one of the top options recommended.