Personal Finance · head to head
Mint vs Kraken
Kraken
Personal Finance
Secure cryptocurrency exchange for serious traders
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Mint service transitioned to Credit Karma platform; standalone Mint features migrated elsewhere; Kraken restricted in 16 jurisdictions due to compliance requirements
- They diverge on capability: Mint covers Expense tracking, Kraken covers Spot Trading.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mint and Kraken actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Kraken
- Spot Trading
- Futures Trading
- Margin Trading
- Staking
- OTC Desk
- Bank transfers
- SWIFT
- Plaid
Both cover
- Web support
- Ios 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 Kraken
- Users transitioning to Credit Karma for continued money management featuresnot Kraken
Kraken
- Exchangesnot Mint
- Tradingnot Mint
- Stakingnot 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
Kraken
- Restricted in 16 jurisdictions due to compliance requirements
- Withdrawal processing delays due to KYC verification, blockchain confirmations, and compliance checks
- Account restrictions triggered by scam prevention can only be lifted after 90 days
- Margin trading limited to 5x leverage on most assets; 10x available only to eligible users
Pricing, plan by plan
Mint
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Mint review.
Kraken
Free- StarterFree
- Basic trading
- Staking
- Instant buy
- ProFree
- Advanced trading
- Margin trading
- Futures
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 Kraken if
- You need spot trading.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want futures trading.
Questions people ask
- Is Mint or Kraken better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mint starts at Free and Kraken at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mint or Kraken?
- Mint starts at Free and Kraken at Free.
- Does Mint or Kraken run on more platforms?
- Mint runs on Web, iOS, Android. Kraken runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Mint for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Kraken is typically brought in for.
- What can Mint do that Kraken cannot?
- Mint covers Expense tracking, Budgets, Bill tracking, Credit score monitoring. Kraken covers Spot Trading, Futures Trading, Margin Trading, Staking. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Kraken: How much does Kraken charge in fees?
Kraken Pro spot trading fees start at 0.25 percent maker and 0.40 percent taker for entry-level volume, decreasing to 0.00 percent maker and 0.08-0.10 percent taker at USD 10M+ monthly volume. The Kraken standard platform charges 1 percent on instant trades and 1.5 percent on custom orders. Kraken+ membership costs 4.99 USD/month or 49.99 USD/year for up to USD 10k/month in fee-free volume.
SourceKraken: In how many countries can I use Kraken?
Kraken supports 190+ countries and 9 major fiat currencies (USD, EUR, GBP). However, services are restricted in 16 jurisdictions including Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Afghanistan due to regulatory compliance requirements.
SourceKraken: Is Kraken custody secure?
Kraken holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification and passed SOC 2 Type 1 examination. The exchange uses cold storage with crypto infrastructure in secure cages under 24/7 armed surveillance. Kraken Custody uses multiparty computation (MPC) and hardware security module (HSM) technology. As a Wyoming SPDI-chartered institution, Kraken Financial operates on full-reserve basis, holding 100 percent of client deposits in unencumbered liquid assets.
SourceKraken: What cryptocurrencies can I trade?
Kraken supports 500+ cryptocurrencies across 600+ crypto trading pairs. The platform also offers tokenized equities (xStocks) for direct trading of stock exposure, and supports staking rewards on eligible digital assets.
Source