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Personal Finance · head to head

Mint vs Zelle

Mint logo

Mint

Personal Finance

All your money in one app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zelle logo

Zelle

Personal Finance

Fast, safe and easy money transfer

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; Zelle both sender and recipient must have US bank accounts, so it does not work for international transfers
  • They diverge on capability: Mint covers Expense tracking, Zelle covers Instant money transfers.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mint and Zelle actually diverge.

Attributes where Mint and Zelle differ
AttributeMintZelle
Founded20062017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (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 Zelle

  • Instant money transfers
  • Bank-to-bank transfers
  • Recipient validation
  • Transaction history
  • Bank 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 Zelle
  • Users transitioning to Credit Karma for continued money management featuresnot Zelle

Zelle

  • Sending money between US bank accounts within minutesnot Mint
  • Paying individuals directly from a bank's own mobile appnot Mint
  • Accepting customer payments through a Zelle small business accountnot 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

Zelle

  • Both sender and recipient must have US bank accounts, so it does not work for international transfers
  • Payments cannot be reversed once the recipient is enrolled, and a payment can only be cancelled while the recipient has not yet enrolled
  • Send limits are set by each participating financial institution rather than published by Zelle
  • Reimbursement is limited to qualifying imposter scams rather than a general purchase protection
  • Business use requires a separate small business account

Pricing, plan by plan

Mint

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Mint review.

Zelle

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Instant transfers
    • Bank security
    • Mobile app

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 Zelle if

  • You need instant money transfers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want bank-to-bank transfers.
Zelle review

Questions people ask

Is Mint or Zelle better?
Neither clearly leads. Mint starts at Free and Zelle at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mint or Zelle?
Mint starts at Free and Zelle at Free.
Does Mint or Zelle run on more platforms?
Mint runs on Web, iOS, Android. Zelle 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 Zelle is typically brought in for.
What can Mint do that Zelle cannot?
Mint covers Expense tracking, Budgets, Bill tracking, Credit score monitoring. Zelle covers Instant money transfers, Bank-to-bank transfers, Recipient validation, Transaction history. Both handle Web support, Android support.
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