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Mint vs PocketGuard

Mint logo

Mint

Software

All your money in one app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PocketGuard logo

PocketGuard

Software

In Your Pocket personal finance

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mint service transitioned to Credit Karma platform; standalone Mint features migrated elsewhere; PocketGuard every budgeting feature requires a paid subscription, with only a 7 day trial rather than a free tier
  • They diverge on capability: Mint covers Expense tracking, PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mint and PocketGuard actually diverge.

Attributes where Mint and PocketGuard differ
AttributeMintPocketGuard
Pricing modelfreefreemium
Founded20062012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 PocketGuard

  • Real-time spending alerts
  • Budget tracking
  • Goal setting
  • Spending insights
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • 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 PocketGuard
  • Users transitioning to Credit Karma for continued money management featuresnot PocketGuard

PocketGuard

  • Tracking spending and bills against a personal budgetnot Mint
  • Finding and cancelling recurring subscriptionsnot 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

PocketGuard

  • Every budgeting feature requires a paid subscription, with only a 7 day trial rather than a free tier
  • Paying monthly is $12.99 against an effective $6.25 on the annual plan, so the flexible option costs roughly double
  • The lifetime option is not offered to everyone and is described as available only inside the app

Pricing, plan by plan

Mint

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Mint review.

PocketGuard

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Expense tracking
    • Budget creation
  • Premium$9.99/month
    • Advanced insights
    • Goal tracking
    • Bill negotiation

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.
Mint review

Choose PocketGuard if

  • You need real-time spending alerts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want budget tracking.
PocketGuard review

Questions people ask

Is Mint or PocketGuard better?
Neither clearly leads. Mint starts at Free and PocketGuard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mint or PocketGuard?
Mint starts at Free and PocketGuard at Free.
Does Mint or PocketGuard run on more platforms?
Mint runs on Web, iOS, Android. PocketGuard 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 PocketGuard is typically brought in for.
What can Mint do that PocketGuard cannot?
Mint covers Expense tracking, Budgets, Bill tracking, Credit score monitoring. PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts, Budget tracking, Goal setting, Spending insights. Both handle Web support, Android support.
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