Alternatives to Mint
When Mint first came out, it was an excellent tool. Pulling data from multiple accounts into one place to track and create a budget. However, with time the tool has been surpassed by many competitors. I recently found myself looking for alternatives to Mint after various frustrations with categorization, scheduling bill pay, and a cumbersome interface.
It is definitely a great tool, especially since it is free, but over time some better Mint alternatives have been developed. If you are looking for a change, you have come to the right place, below you will find some great alternatives to Mint.
For Envelope System Users or Setting Goals: Simple
Cost: Free
Simple is by far my favorite tool in this list. Simple is not simply a tool or an app, it is a bank. Here is the way it works, opening an account opens a checking account with BBVA Compass. However, the interface created by the team at Simple lives on top of the account. No monthly fees or cost, you just use Simple for your banking and you get their interface! There is no better tool when it comes to setting financial goals and understanding how much you need to save over time. Here is a list of features this Mint alternative has to offer:
Goals (work like envelopes)
Emergency Fund
Contribution Schedules (choose when to fund goals)
Auto-spend (allows you to auto spend from goals)
While the feature list may not be extensive, the things Simple does, it does well. Perfect if you are looking for a clean interface and don’t want to be overwhelmed by features. See sample screenshot for goals below.
Personally, my family has found Simple to be a great resource for creating a zero based budget. We track every expense, sinking fund, and investment in Simple. Then as you create an activity it can be deducted from goals you set. There are other tools that do this, but the interface Simple uses is excellent and always being improved, I highly recommend checking it out. When looking at simplicity and a great interface, this is easily one of the best alternatives to Mint.
If you use the link HERE to setup your account, you will receive $20 when you make your first purchase.
Mac OS Only: Banktivity
Cost: $65 (30 day free trial)
Banktivity, is a tool made specifically for Mac OS and iOS costing $65, but offers a free 30 day trial. This tool shines when it comes to having a high level view of all of your accounts OR running detailed reports. Here are some of the things you can do:
view a summary of your entire net worth
set budgets
categorize transactions
run reports based on transaction categories
view your investment portfolio
track credit card balance
track mortgages and loans
online bill pay
See the gallery of Banktivity screenshots below!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
If you are looking for a power house software to manage your finances, this is it. Banktivity offers functionality of many other tools you will read about, all in one package, making it one of the best alternatives to Mint. For all of you huge financial nerds out there, if you have an Apple ecosystem, it is definitely for you.
Check out Banktivity HERE!
Envelope System: Mvelopes
Cost: $4/month for Basic, $19/month for Plus, $59/month for Complete (more info here)
Mvelopes allows you to connect your bank, credit card, and other financial accounts to their app with their basic plan. You will also be able to use unlimited envelopes for your budgets, see below.
The expensive plans come with other extensive soft features like:
debt assessment
debt reduction center
financial coaching
personalized financial plan
If you are interested in using an envelope style system, but also want some of these other soft features, Mvelopes is probably for you. I personally have not used this tool, but I have had it recommended to me. Anyone looking to connect all of their accounts to one app AND create an envelope system budget should give this Mint alternative a peek. You can find more information HERE.
If You Like Banktivity, but Don’t have a Mac: Moneydance
Cost: $49.99
Moneydance seems to have a very similar look to Banktivity. Moneydance also offers a lot of the same features as Banktivity, but includes Windows and Linux users! Here are a few of the tricks that Moneydance has in store for you:
Automatic categorization
Online banking
Summaries
Graphs and Reports
Account Registers
Reminders
Investment tracking
Refer to the gallery below for screenshots of all the neat stuff Moneydance can do.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
I don’t think the interface here is quite as clean as Banktivity. For Mac OS users I would definitely lean more toward Banktivity. However, if you are looking for these features and have Windows or Linux, Moneydance is an excellent choice. Learn more HERE.
If Still Want to Use Mint: Countabout
Cost: Basic $9.99/year, Premium $39.99/year (15 day free trial)
Countabout is similar to a lot of different tools in this list. It is an app that can import data from Quicken, Mint, or thousands of financial institutions. Once the data is imported it has an extensive list of features.
Imports data from Quicken and Mint
Thousands of financial institutions
Multi-factor login protection
Android and iOS apps
Category customization (add, delete, rename)
Tags (add, delete, rename)
Account balances Reporting
Reporting for Category activity
Tag activity Reporting
Report exporting
Individual Account QIF importing
Budgeting
Running register balances
Account reconciliation
Graphs for Income & Spending
Recurring transactions
Investment balances by Institution
Memorized transactions
Split transactions
Description renaming
This list is pretty good considering the price of the app. However, looking at the screenshot below, the interface does seem a little bit dated.
If you are interested, it cannot hurt to try out the 15 day free trial. You can find it HERE.
For Peer Comparisons: Status Money
Cost: Free
Status Money actually looks pretty neat. I have not yet tried it, but after seeing all it has to offer I think I may need to do a review. This app allows you to compare your finances to your financial peers. In their interface Status Money allows you to view graphs that compare your finances to peers and the national average. (see below)
Not only that, but it will also give you suggestions on how to improve your finances. Here are insights this web based tool might show you:
Your credit cards to not have competitive interest rates (comparing you with people who have similar credit scores)
Projected expenses are higher than your income
Spending at restaurants (or other places) is higher than your peers
Status Money noticed your credit card debt is greater than your peers
Net worth is growing, but is still lower than your peers
The only negative with this tool is, your information is probably being sold to make it free. A tool like Status Money cannot remain free easily, especially considering all the obvious work put into it. Understand that if you use this tool, there is a high likelihood that your financial status is being sold to market research companies anonymously. If that does not bother you, this tool looks fantastic! Learn more about Status Money HERE to compete with your peers!
For Projections: Pocketsmith
Cost: Basic is Free, Premium $9.95/month, Super $19.95/month
Pocketsmith is a lot like some of the other apps we have covered, but it has a few pretty neat features that make it unique. Here is a list of features:
Budgets
Cash Projections
Budget Calendar
Net Worth Tracking
Reporting
Cash Flow Statements
What-if Scenarios
Send expenses to Xero
At first glance Pocketsmith will seem a lot like other apps. However, after looking a bit deeper the features of what-if scenarios, cash projections, and exporting expenses make it stand out.
What-if scenarios allow you to view financial outcomes before committing to a financial change. Cash projections allow you to make projections for your bank statements up to 30 years in the future. Last, exporting expenses to Xero would be helpful if you use Xero’s accounting software. You can then export business expenses to Xero.
As a user of Simple I hate to say it, but this tool seems to offer some huge advantages. ESPECIALLY, for anyone who spends a lot of time planning for the future. You can learn more about Pocketsmith HERE.
For Debt Free Screamers: Every Dollar Plus
Cost: Basic is Free, Plus $99/year
Every Dollar Plus is an excellent tool made by the team at Ramsey Solutions. It is intended to be used ONLY as a zero based budget where you categorize every single transaction. In Everydollar transactions appear as little circles that you drag and drop to various budgets that were previously setup. See screenshot below.
Drag and Drop Transactions
 The interface is simple and easy to use. Unfortunately, it does not seem to offer the multitude of features that other apps do. You can plan on doing the following:
Connect to your bank
Create budgets
Drag and drop transactions to budgets
See all of your planned expenses
Track your baby steps (Dave Ramsey’s steps to financial freedom)
That’s about it. Every Dollar Plus does not under deliver on any promises and what it does do, it does well. That being said, this tool is perfect for strict Dave Ramsey followers or the minimalist. Learn more HERE.
That’s It!
If you don’t want to scroll back up to the top, here is a list of all the tools in order! Just click on the name to be linked to each tools website! Be on the lookout for detailed reviews!
Simple
Banktivity
Mvelopes
Moneydance
Countabout
Status Money
Pocket Smith
Every Dollar Plus
Hope you enjoyed! Be sure to comment with any great tools I missed!
8 of The Best Alternatives to Mint Alternatives to Mint When Mint first came out, it was an excellent tool. Pulling data from multiple accounts into one place to track and create a budget.
