Mint shut down in early 2024, leaving millions of users scrambling for a replacement — and Rocket Money quickly became the top alternative. Whether you're trying to track spending, set budgets, or start cutting your monthly bills, the right budgeting app makes a real difference. FinanceBuzz notes that Rocket Money (formerly Truebill) offers a robust free tier alongside premium features that rival what Mint once provided. If you also want to build better habits with free budget templates, pairing them with a solid app is a smart move. Here's everything you need to know.
Quick Answer
Mint shut down in early 2024, making Rocket Money the leading alternative. Rocket Money (formerly Truebill) offers a free tier with spending tracking and budgeting, plus premium features including bill negotiation. While Mint was free, Rocket Money's premium plan adds subscription cancellation and bill negotiation services Mint never provided.
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Summary Table
| Item Name | Price Range | Best For | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mint Status | No longer available | Historical reference only | See details |
| Automatic Expense Tracking | Free – $12/month | Users who want hands-off spending insights | See details |
| Budget Customization | Free – $12/month | People who want tailored spending categories | See details |
| Ad-Free Experience | $6 – $12/month | Users who want a clean, distraction-free interface | See details |
| Limitation | Free tier available | Budget-conscious users aware of feature gaps | See details |
| Alternative Options | Free – $14.99/month | Users exploring YNAB, Copilot, or Personal Capital | See details |
Rocket Money vs Mint: Which Budgeting App is Best in 2026?
Below you'll find detailed information about each option, including what makes them unique and their key benefits.
1. Mint Status
When comparing Rocket Money vs Mint, one of the most critical factors is that Mint shut down in March 2024. This makes the comparison less about choosing between two active services and more about understanding why users who relied on Mint are now evaluating Rocket Money as a replacement. Mint was free and widely used for budgeting, but its discontinuation forced millions of users to find alternatives.
Key facts:
- Mint officially closed on March 23, 2024
- Intuit (Mint's owner) redirected users to Credit Karma
- Rocket Money remains active with both free and premium tiers ($6–$12/month)
2. Automatic Expense Tracking
Both apps offered automatic expense tracking by linking bank accounts, but this feature works differently in each — a central point in any Rocket Money vs Mint comparison. Mint categorized transactions automatically for free, while Rocket Money offers similar functionality but adds bill negotiation and subscription cancellation on top of tracking. Rocket Money's tracking also surfaces recurring charges Mint often missed.
What you get with Rocket Money:
- Auto-categorization of transactions across linked accounts
- Subscription detection and cancellation tools
- Premium features unlock custom categories and spending alerts
3. Budget Customization
Budget flexibility is a major differentiator when weighing these two personal finance tools. Mint offered rigid, preset budget categories that frustrated users wanting more control, while Rocket Money allows custom budget categories on its premium plan. For users exploring top expense tracking apps, this distinction matters — Rocket Money gives more hands-on control over how spending limits are set and tracked month to month.
Comparison highlights:
- Mint: Free but limited to default categories (now defunct)
- Rocket Money Premium: Custom categories at $6–$12/month
- Best for: Users who need budgets tailored to irregular or unique spending patterns
4. Ad-Free Experience
When comparing these two budgeting apps, the absence of ads is a meaningful differentiator. Mint's free tier was historically supported by advertisements and financial product recommendations, which many users found intrusive. Rocket Money's model relies on optional paid subscriptions instead, resulting in a cleaner interface without constant promotional offers competing for your attention.
What this means for users:
- Rocket Money Premium ($6–$12/month) removes ad-driven upsells
- Mint's free version displayed targeted credit card and loan offers
- Ad-free budgeting reduces bias toward sponsored financial products
5. Limitation
Neither app is perfect, and understanding their weaknesses helps you choose the right fit. Rocket Money's most useful features — bill negotiation, cancellation assistance, and premium reports — sit behind a paywall. Mint, before its shutdown, struggled with account syncing reliability and lacked built-in bill negotiation tools entirely. According to Think Save Retire, Rocket Money's free tier is fairly restrictive compared to what Mint historically offered at no cost.
Key limitations to weigh:
- Rocket Money: core tools require $6–$12/month subscription
- Mint: discontinued in January 2024, no longer available
6. Alternative Options
Since Mint shut down in early 2024, users evaluating the Rocket Money vs. Mint question now need viable replacements rather than a direct comparison. Several strong alternatives exist depending on your priorities — whether that's free access, investment tracking, or detailed budgeting controls.
Notable alternatives:
- YNAB – Zero-based budgeting focus; $14.99/month or $99/year
- Copilot – Clean design, strong categorization; $13/month
- Empower (Personal Capital) – Free net worth and investment tracking
- Credit Karma – Free spending insights with credit monitoring
Final Words
Your best bet depends on whether you prioritize free budgeting tools like Mint or premium features like Rocket Money's bill negotiation — and pairing either with reducing recurring expenses will stretch your budget even further.