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Mint vs YNAB

Mint logo

Mint

Software

All your money in one app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
YNAB logo

YNAB

Software

You Need A Budget

From
$14.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; YNAB subscription priced exclusively in US dollars; international customers face unfavourable exchange rates
  • They diverge on capability: Mint covers Expense tracking, YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mint and YNAB actually diverge.

Attributes where Mint and YNAB differ
AttributeMintYNAB
Starting priceFree$14.99/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20062004

Identical on both: 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
  • Verisign secured

Only in YNAB

  • Zero-based budgeting
  • Bank sync
  • Goal tracking
  • Reports
  • Multi-device sync
  • Plaid
  • Read-only access

Both cover

  • Bank connections
  • Bank-level encryption
  • 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 YNAB
  • Users transitioning to Credit Karma for continued money management featuresnot YNAB

YNAB

  • Individual budget tracking with 34-day free trial before subscription commitmentnot Mint
  • Household budget management with wife-on-plan sharing for up to 6 household membersnot Mint
  • Manual transaction entry for banks outside the supported import listnot 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

YNAB

  • Subscription priced exclusively in US dollars; international customers face unfavourable exchange rates
  • Multi-currency support restricted to one currency per spending plan
  • Bank import limited to select institutions in US, Canada, UK, and EU only
  • Household plan can only be shared with up to 6 people; additional members cannot access shared plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Mint

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Mint review.

YNAB

$14.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the YNAB 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.
Mint review

Choose YNAB if

  • You need zero-based budgeting.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want bank sync.
YNAB review

Questions people ask

Is Mint or YNAB better?
Neither clearly leads. Mint starts at Free and YNAB at $14.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mint or YNAB?
Mint has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mint and $14.99/month for YNAB.
Does Mint or YNAB 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. YNAB starts at $14.99/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 YNAB is typically brought in for.
What can Mint do that YNAB cannot?
Mint covers Expense tracking, Budgets, Bill tracking, Credit score monitoring. YNAB covers Zero-based budgeting, Bank sync, Goal tracking, Reports. Both handle Bank connections, Bank-level encryption, Web support, Ios support.
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