Side-by-side comparison based on expert reviews and community consensus.
Monarch Money
Best for Couples & Net Worth TrackingRocket Money
Best Free OptionPrice
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Summary
Highly customizable budgeting and net worth tracker that shines for couples managing finances together. Reddit users and CNET both love its intuitive design and shared goal features.
The best free budgeting app with a genuinely useful premium tier. CNET's Editor's Choice winner handles expense tracking, subscription cancellation, and net worth monitoring — all in one place.
Pros
- Shared goal tracking and monthly reports designed for joint budgeters
- Highly intuitive and customizable dashboard
- Tracks both budget and net worth in one place
- Bank-level encryption and security standards
- Free tier covers basic expense tracking and budgeting for most users
- Actively negotiates and cancels unwanted subscriptions on your behalf
- Tracks credit score, net worth, and spending in one dashboard
- CNET Editor's Choice winner — well-tested by experts
Cons
- Paid subscription required (~$8-14/month) with only a 7-day free trial
- Does not negotiate or cancel bills on your behalf like Rocket Money
- Some users find setup time-consuming initially
- Relatively newer app (2021) compared to established competitors
- Free version is limited; full features require premium ($6-12/month)
- Bill negotiation service takes a percentage cut of savings
- Less customizable than Monarch Money or YNAB
- Some users report aggressive upsell prompts toward premium
Our take
Monarch is the best Mint replacement on the market — it does everything Mint did but better, and the couples-focused features make it the obvious pick if you share finances with a partner.
Rocket Money is the strongest free starting point for anyone coming off Mint. The bill negotiation feature alone can pay for the premium subscription many times over.
Buy
