Is Mint or YNAB better?

Neither clearly leads. Mint starts at Free and YNAB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Mint or YNAB?

Mint starts at Free and YNAB at Free.

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?

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 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.

Personal Finance · head to head

Mint vs YNAB

Mint

Personal Finance

All your money in one app

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

YNAB

Personal Finance

You Need A Budget

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

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.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mint and YNAB actually diverge.

Attributes where Mint and YNAB differ
Attribute	Mint	YNAB
Pricing model	free	subscription
Founded	2006	2004

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
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

Personal and household budget trackingnot Mint
Debt management and repayment planningnot Mint
Family financial planning with multiple usersnot 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

Free

Annual Subscription$109/year
- 34-day free trial with no credit card required
- No credit card required to start
- Share access with up to 6 people at no additional cost
Monthly Subscription$14.99/month
- Share access with up to 6 people at no additional cost
- Real-time account syncing
- Bank connection and transaction tracking

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 want to start without paying.
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 Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mint or YNAB?: Mint starts at Free and YNAB at Free.
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?: 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 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.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mint: Is Mint still actively sold?

Mint has been reimagined on Credit Karma. The Mint website now directs users to check out the new platform on Credit Karma's net worth signup page rather than maintaining a standalone product.

Source

YNAB: How much does YNAB cost per month?

YNAB costs $14.99 USD per month on a month-to-month basis, or $9.08 per month when paid annually as a $109 per year subscription. Both plans come with a 34-day free trial and no credit card required to start. Source: https://www.ynab.com/pricing

Source

Mint: What pricing information is available on the Mint homepage?

The Mint page does not disclose pricing details. For current pricing information, users should visit Credit Karma's website or contact support directly.

Source

YNAB: Can I share YNAB access with my family?

Yes, both annual and monthly YNAB plans include the ability to share access with up to 6 people at no additional cost, making it suitable for family budget management. Source: https://www.ynab.com/pricing

Source

YNAB: Does YNAB offer a free trial?

Yes, YNAB provides a 34-day free trial with no credit card required to sign up. This trial gives full access to all budgeting features including account syncing, transaction tracking, goal-setting, and debt management tools. Source: https://www.ynab.com/pricing

Source

YNAB: Do students get a discount on YNAB?

Yes, verified college students receive a full year of YNAB access for free through YNAB's College Program. This allows eligible students to use all features at no cost for 12 months. Source: https://www.ynab.com/pricing

Source

Mint vs YNAB

Mint

YNAB

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Mint

Only in YNAB

Both cover

What people use each for

Mint

YNAB

Where each one falls short

Mint

YNAB

Pricing, plan by plan

Mint

YNAB

Which should you pick?

Choose Mint if

Choose YNAB if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Mint

More on YNAB

Keep looking

Other head to heads