For over a decade, Mint was the default free budgeting app for millions of users. Then in early 2024, Intuit announced that Mint would be shut down. Users were migrated to Credit Karma, and a era of personal finance came to an end. So is Mint still worth using? The short answer is no — Mint no longer exists in a meaningful form. The longer answer is more nuanced, and worth understanding.
This post reviews where Mint stands today, what replaced it, and what former users should do next.
What Happened to Mint
Intuit, Mint's parent company, discontinued the standalone Mint app in early 2024. Users were transitioned to Credit Karma, but Credit Karma is primarily a credit monitoring service, not a true budgeting replacement.
Why Mint Was Shut Down
Limited growth potential as a standalone product
Strategic shift to Credit Karma's ecosystem
The free model became less sustainable
Increased focus on cross-sell opportunities
The shutdown caught many users by surprise, leaving them scrambling for alternatives.
What Mint Used to Do
In its prime, Mint offered:
Free bank syncing across thousands of institutions
Automatic transaction categorization
Budget tracking by category
Bill reminders
Credit score monitoring
Net worth tracking
Investment monitoring
Goal tracking
At its peak, Mint had over 20 million users.
Why Mint Lost Its Edge
Even before the shutdown, Mint had degraded.
Common Complaints in Mint's Final Years
Increasingly intrusive ads and product recommendations
Sync issues with major banks
Slow bug fixes
Limited innovation
Outdated interface
Many users had already migrated to alternatives before the shutdown.
Credit Karma as a Mint Replacement
Credit Karma is the official destination for migrated Mint users.
What It Offers
Credit score monitoring
Credit report tracking
Some transaction monitoring
Tax tools (separate Credit Karma offering)
What It Does Not Offer
True budgeting with category targets
Goal-based savings tracking
Comprehensive net worth dashboards
The depth of Mint's budgeting features
For users who only used Mint for credit monitoring, Credit Karma is a reasonable continuation. For users who used Mint for budgeting, Credit Karma is not a real replacement.
Best Mint Replacements
1. Monarch Money
The most popular destination for former Mint users.
Why It Works
Polished, modern interface
Bank syncing similar to Mint
Goal tracking
Multi-user support
Strong customer service
Downside: paid subscription.
2. Empower (Formerly Personal Capital)
Free, with strong net worth and investment tracking.
Why It Works
Free bank syncing
Net worth dashboards
Investment tracking
Retirement planning tools
Downside: Limited true budgeting features.
3. Rocket Money
Good for users who valued Mint's subscription tracking.
Why It Works
Automatic subscription detection
Free tier with bank sync
Bill negotiation services
Spending insights
Downside: Some features paywalled.
4. YNAB
For users who want methodology, not just monitoring.
Why It Works
Zero-based budgeting
Strong educational content
Goal tracking
Multi-user support
Downside: Paid, with a learning curve.
5. PocketGuard
For users who want simple, automatic budgeting.
Why It Works
Free tier with bank sync
"Safe to spend" simplicity
Bill tracking
Downside: Less feature-rich than Monarch.
What to Do If You Were a Mint User
Step 1: Export Mint Data Before It Was Lost
If you were still on Mint when the shutdown happened, you should have exported your data. If you missed this, the data may no longer be available.
Step 2: Choose a Replacement
Based on your priorities:
Modern Mint replacement: Monarch
Free with net worth focus: Empower
Free with subscription tracking: Rocket Money
Methodology-driven budgeting: YNAB
Simple safe-to-spend: PocketGuard
Step 3: Set Up the New App
Link your accounts
Set up categories
Recreate goals
Schedule a weekly review
By month two, the new app will feel as natural as Mint did.
What the Mint Era Taught Us
Free Is Not Always Permanent
Mint was free for over a decade. Then it was shut down. Free apps can disappear.
Diversify Your Financial Tools
Relying on a single app for everything creates risk. Many former Mint users now run two apps in parallel for redundancy.
Export Data Regularly
Do not assume your data will always be accessible. Export periodically.
Engagement Matters More Than the App
Millions of Mint users had Mint installed but did not actively change their financial behavior. The app was passive. The lesson is that engagement, not features, drives results.
Common Mistakes After Mint's Shutdown
Quitting Budgeting Entirely
Some former Mint users took the shutdown as a sign to stop budgeting. This is a costly mistake. Pick a new app and continue.
Refusing to Pay for a Replacement
Some users object to paying for budgeting now that Mint is gone. Consider that a $99/year subscription likely saves you many times its cost.
Trying to Recreate Mint Exactly
New apps work differently. Adapt rather than trying to force a Mint replica.
Linking Too Many Accounts Too Fast
Start with the accounts you actually use. Add more as you get comfortable.
The Future of Free Budgeting Apps
With Mint's exit, the free budgeting app space looks different.
Current Free Options
Empower (free)
Rocket Money (free tier)
PocketGuard (free tier)
Goodbudget (free tier)
EveryDollar (free tier)
Spreadsheets (always free)
None of them perfectly replicate Mint, but together they cover most of what Mint offered.
Conclusion: Mint Is Gone, but Budgeting Continues
The Mint shutdown was disruptive, but it also forced millions of users to evaluate what they actually wanted from a budgeting app. For some, this led to more powerful tools. For others, it confirmed that they preferred passive monitoring. Either way, the lesson is the same — the right tool matters less than the right habit.
If you used Mint, your next step is to pick a replacement and keep going. Do not let the shutdown end your budgeting journey.
Take action today. If you still have not chosen a Mint replacement, pick one from the list above. Sign up. Link your accounts. Spend an hour setting up categories and goals. By next week, you will be back on track — and likely with a better tool than Mint had become.
