By the Bigger Investing Team • Updated April 2026 • Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn a commission when you sign up through our links, at no extra cost to you.
Mint is gone. And if you’re still searching for something to replace it, you’re not alone — millions of people have been bouncing between half-baked alternatives since it shut down in early 2024.
Here’s the honest truth: most budgeting apps are either too complicated, too limited, or too expensive to justify. But a few of them actually work — and if you pick the right one for your situation, you’ll notice a difference in your finances within the first 30 days.
We tested the top options for 2026. Here’s what we found.
⚡ Quick Picks: Best Budgeting Apps in 2026
✅ YNAB — Best for actually changing your spending habits ($99/yr)
✅ Monarch Money — Best for couples and shared finances ($99.99/yr)
✅ Copilot — Best for iPhone users who want premium design ($95/yr)
✅ Empower — Best free option for net worth tracking
✅ EveryDollar — Best free zero-based budgeting tool
✅ Goodbudget — Best for envelope budgeting method
Quick Comparison: Best Budgeting Apps in 2026
Here’s how the top budgeting apps stack up before we dive into each one:
| App | Best For | Cost | Free Option? | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YNAB | Changing spending habits | $14.99/mo or $99/yr | 34-day trial | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
| Monarch Money | Couples & shared finances | $14.99/mo or $99.99/yr | 7-day trial | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
| Copilot | iPhone users | $13/mo or $95/yr | 2-month trial | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5/5 |
| Empower | Net worth tracking (free) | Free | ✅ Yes | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 |
| EveryDollar | Zero-based budgeting | Free / $17.99/mo | ✅ Basic free | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 |
| Goodbudget | Envelope budgeting | Free / $10/mo | ✅ Basic free | ⭐⭐⭐ 3.5/5 |
#1 YNAB — Best for Actually Changing Your Spending Habits
The budgeting app that actually changes your spending behavior.
YNAB (You Need A Budget) uses a zero-based budgeting method — every dollar you have gets assigned a “job” before you spend it. It’s not passive tracking. You actively allocate your money each month, which creates a level of awareness most people have never experienced.
Pros:
✅ Forces intentional spending decisions before they happen
✅ Syncs with your bank accounts automatically
✅ Excellent educational resources (free workshops, YouTube, active community)
✅ Works on every device (iOS, Android, web)
✅ Users report saving an average of $600 in their first two months
Cons:
❌ $14.99/month or $99/year — not cheap
❌ Requires 15–20 minutes per week of active engagement
❌ Steeper learning curve than passive tracking apps
Bottom Line: YNAB is the gold standard for budgeting apps. It costs money, but users consistently report that it saves them far more than the subscription costs.
See if it works for you before committing. Most users save more in their first month than the annual subscription costs.
Start Free YNAB Trial →
#2 Monarch Money — Best for Couples
Built from scratch to fix everything Mint got wrong.
Monarch Money is clean, collaborative, and designed for people who actually want to use it. The standout feature is its shared access — couples can both connect their accounts, set shared goals, and view everything in one place.
Pros:
✅ Real-time collaboration for couples (both partners get full access)
✅ Excellent dashboard with net worth, cash flow, and goal tracking
✅ Automatic transaction categorization that actually learns over time
✅ Flexible budgeting (use their system or build your own)
✅ Regular feature updates — the team is actively developing it
Cons:
❌ $14.99/month or $99.99/year
❌ Solo users may not need the collaboration features
❌ Only 7-day free trial
Bottom Line: The best Mint replacement on the market. If you were a Mint user, start here.
The closest thing to Mint but better. Clean design, real collaboration features.
Start Monarch Money Free Trial →
#3 Copilot — Best for iPhone Users
The most polished personal finance app on iPhone.
Copilot is iPhone-only, which is either a dealbreaker or not — but if you’re on iOS, it’s one of the most polished personal finance apps you’ll find. The design is genuinely beautiful, the AI-powered transaction categorization is best in class, and the spending insights surface patterns you’d never notice on your own.
Pros:
✅ Best-in-class automatic transaction categorization
✅ Smart spending insights (“You spent 40% more on dining this month”)
✅ Excellent investment tracking alongside budgeting
✅ Apple Watch app for quick balance checks
✅ Extremely clean, fast interface
Cons:
❌ iPhone only — no Android or web app
❌ $13/month or $95/year
❌ No collaboration features for couples
Bottom Line: If you’re on iPhone and want the best-looking, smartest budgeting experience available, Copilot is it.
#4 Empower — Best Free Option for Net Worth Tracking
The most powerful free financial dashboard available.
If you’re not ready to pay for a budgeting app, Empower (formerly Personal Capital) is the most powerful free option. The free version gives you a full net worth dashboard, investment tracking, retirement planning tools, and cash flow monitoring.
Pros:
✅ 100% free for core features
✅ Best investment and retirement portfolio tracking of any app on this list
✅ Net worth tracking across all accounts in one place
✅ Retirement planning calculator that’s actually useful
Cons:
❌ Budgeting is basic — no envelope system, limited goal tracking
❌ Empower will occasionally pitch their wealth management services
Bottom Line: For pure financial awareness and investment tracking, nothing free comes close. Pair it with a dedicated budgeting app if you need more structure.
See all your accounts, investments, and retirement progress in one dashboard. 100% free.
Open Free Empower Account →
#5 EveryDollar — Best for Zero-Based Budgeting (with a Free Tier)
Dave Ramsey’s zero-based budgeting app — with a genuinely usable free tier.
EveryDollar is built around the same zero-based philosophy as YNAB — every dollar gets a job before the month begins. The free version is manual (you enter transactions yourself), which some people actually prefer because it forces engagement.
Pros:
✅ Clean, simple interface — easy to learn in under 30 minutes
✅ Free tier is genuinely usable (not crippled)
✅ Built-in Baby Steps tracker for Ramsey method followers
✅ Good for people who want a simple, structured approach
Cons:
❌ Paid version ($17.99/mo) is expensive for bank syncing
❌ Limited flexibility compared to YNAB or Monarch
❌ Heavily integrated with Ramsey’s financial philosophy
Bottom Line: The best free budgeting tool for people who want zero-based budgeting without paying for YNAB.
#6 Goodbudget — Best for the Envelope Budgeting Method
Old-school cash envelope system in a digital format.
Goodbudget brings the traditional cash envelope budgeting system into a digital format. You don’t connect your bank account — instead, you manually allocate funds into digital “envelopes” for each spending category.
Pros:
✅ Works without bank account connection (great for privacy-conscious users)
✅ Syncing across multiple devices and family members
✅ Simple, visual envelope system that’s easy to understand
Cons:
❌ No automatic bank syncing
❌ Free tier limited to 20 envelopes
❌ Less feature-rich than YNAB or Monarch
Bottom Line: If you love the envelope method and want privacy (no bank connection), Goodbudget is your best option.
What Happened to Mint?
Mint shut down on January 1, 2024, after Intuit decided to push users toward Credit Karma instead. The problem: Credit Karma doesn’t offer real budgeting features. Millions of users were left without a replacement.
The good news is that the budgeting app market responded quickly. Monarch Money, YNAB, and Copilot all saw massive user growth in 2024, and all three have meaningfully improved their products since then.
✅ You want a free replacement → Empower (tracking) or EveryDollar Free (budgeting)
✅ You want the closest Mint replacement → Monarch Money
✅ You want to actually change your spending habits → YNAB
How to Pick the Right Budgeting App
| If you… | Use this app |
|---|---|
| Want to track spending passively | Empower or Monarch Money |
| Want to actively change spending habits | YNAB or EveryDollar |
| Are budgeting with a partner | Monarch Money |
| Want a premium iPhone experience | Copilot |
| Don’t want to pay anything | Empower (free) or EveryDollar Free |
| Prefer the envelope budgeting method | Goodbudget |
How We Tested These Budgeting Apps
We downloaded and used each budgeting app on this list for at least two weeks, evaluating them on ease of setup, account syncing reliability, budgeting features, and overall user experience. We tested both free and paid tiers where available.
Our evaluation focused on what matters most to people trying to get their finances in order: Does the app make budgeting easier or harder? Does it actually help you change your spending habits? We also checked each app’s security practices and data handling. For more on protecting your financial data online, the FTC’s guide to protecting personal information is a helpful resource.
Once your budget is under control, the next step is putting your money to work. See our guide to the best investing apps for beginners in 2026 to start growing your wealth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free budgeting app in 2026?
Empower is the best free option for tracking net worth and investments. For actual budgeting (allocating money to categories), the free tier of EveryDollar is the most functional free budgeting tool available.
Is YNAB worth the money?
For most people, yes. YNAB costs about $99/year, and the company reports that new users save an average of $600 in their first two months. The 34-day free trial (no credit card required) lets you verify this for yourself before committing.
What replaced Mint in 2026?
The most popular Mint replacements are Monarch Money (closest feature match), YNAB (for serious behavior change), and Empower (for free net worth tracking). Monarch Money comes closest to replicating the Mint experience while significantly improving on it.
Can I use a budgeting app and an investing app at the same time?
Absolutely — and you should. Most budgeting apps don’t help you grow your money, they just help you manage what you have. For putting money to work, check out our guide to the best investing apps for beginners in 2026.
Is Copilot available on Android?
No — as of 2026, Copilot is iOS only. Android users should look at Monarch Money or YNAB instead.
The Bottom Line
The best budgeting app is the one you’ll actually use consistently. What matters is picking one, setting it up this week, and checking it regularly. The act of paying attention to your money — regardless of which tool you use — is what changes behavior.
🚀 Ready to Start? Here’s Your Next Step
1. Try YNAB free for 34 days — the gold standard for changing spending habits
2. Set up Empower (free) to track your full financial picture
3. Start investing once your budget is under control
Once your budget is working, the next step is putting that money to work. Start with our guide to the best investing apps for beginners in 2026.
Affiliate Disclosure & Editorial Note: Bigger Investing may earn a commission when you sign up through links on this page, at no additional cost to you. Our editorial team evaluates apps independently. Commissions do not influence our rankings or recommendations.
Want to see how your savings could grow over time? Try our free investment calculator.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. App features and pricing may change. Always verify current terms directly with each provider.
Meet Maurice, a staff editor at Bigger Investing. He’s an accomplished entrepreneur who owns multiple successful websites and a thriving merch shop. When he’s not busy with work, Maurice indulges in his passion for kayaking, climbing, and his family. As a savvy investor, Maurice loves putting his money to work and seeking out new opportunities. With his expertise and passion for finance, he’s dedicated to helping readers achieve their financial goals through Bigger Investing.
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