Personal Finance · head to head
Mint vs E*TRADE
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; E*TRADE stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023)
- They diverge on capability: Mint covers Expense tracking, E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mint and E*TRADE actually diverge.
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 E*TRADE
- Advanced trading tools
- Options and futures
- Research tools
- Mobile trading
- Bank accounts
- Wire transfers
- 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 E*TRADE
- Users transitioning to Credit Karma for continued money management featuresnot E*TRADE
E*TRADE
- Budget Managementnot Mint
- Expense Trackingnot Mint
- Investment Trackingnot 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
E*TRADE
- Stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023)
Pricing, plan by plan
Mint
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Mint review.
E*TRADE
On request- Stock & ETF TradingFree
- Commission-free trades
- Real-time quotes
- Advanced Trading$undefined/month
- All Stock & ETF features
- Options, futures
- Advanced tools
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 E*TRADE if
- You need advanced trading tools.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want options and futures.
Questions people ask
- Is Mint or E*TRADE better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mint starts at Free and E*TRADE at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mint or E*TRADE?
- Mint has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mint and On request for E*TRADE.
- Does Mint or E*TRADE run on more platforms?
- Mint runs on Web, iOS, Android. E*TRADE runs on Web, IOS, Android.
- Can I use Mint for free?
- Yes. Mint has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. E*TRADE starts at On request.
- 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 E*TRADE is typically brought in for.
- What can Mint do that E*TRADE cannot?
- Mint covers Expense tracking, Budgets, Bill tracking, Credit score monitoring. E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Options and futures, Research tools, Mobile trading. Both handle Web support, Android support.