Personal Finance · head to head
Mint vs Betterment
The short version
- Only Mint has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Mint service transitioned to Credit Karma platform; standalone Mint features migrated elsewhere; Betterment digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
- They diverge on capability: Mint covers Expense tracking, Betterment covers Automated investing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mint and Betterment actually diverge.
| Attribute | Mint | Betterment |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $5/month |
| Pricing model | free | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2006 | 2008 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Mint
- Expense tracking
- Budgets
- Bill tracking
- Credit score monitoring
- Financial insights
- Bank connections
- Bank-level encryption
- Verisign secured
Only in Betterment
- Automated investing
- Retirement planning
- Financial advisory
- Goal tracking
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- IOS support
Both cover
- Web support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mint
- Legacy free budget tracking for users with supported bank connectionsnot Betterment
- Users transitioning to Credit Karma for continued money management featuresnot Betterment
Betterment
- Small investors starting with automated investing at no minimum balancenot Mint
- Fee-only digital wealth management for accounts under $24,000 via $5/month flat feenot Mint
- Premium advisory access for high-net-worth individuals with $100,000+ balancenot Mint
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Mint
- Service transitioned to Credit Karma platform; standalone Mint features migrated elsewhere
- Bank connections supported for only 17,000 financial institutions; many regional or international banks not supported
Betterment
- Digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
- Premium advisory service requires minimum balance of $100,000 in eligible investments
- Foreign transaction fees apply to checking account (though reimbursed after the fact)
- High-balance fee discounts only available above $1,000,000 account balance
Pricing, plan by plan
Mint
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Mint review.
Betterment
$5/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Betterment review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Mint if
- You need expense tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want budgets.
Choose Betterment if
- You need automated investing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want retirement planning.
Questions people ask
- Is Mint or Betterment better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mint starts at Free and Betterment at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mint or Betterment?
- Mint has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mint and $5/month for Betterment.
- Does Mint or Betterment run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Mint for free?
- Yes. Mint has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Betterment starts at $5/month.
- What is Mint best used for?
- Mint is most often used for legacy free budget tracking for users with supported bank connections, users transitioning to credit karma for continued money management features. Of those, legacy free budget tracking for users with supported bank connections and users transitioning to credit karma for continued money management features are not what Betterment is typically brought in for.
- What can Mint do that Betterment cannot?
- Mint covers Expense tracking, Budgets, Bill tracking, Credit score monitoring. Betterment covers Automated investing, Retirement planning, Financial advisory, Goal tracking. Both handle Web support, Android support.