Mint Review: A Free, Feature-Packed App That Simplifies Budgeting
Review
Updated
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Important update: Mint was shut down on Jan. 1, 2024. Intuit, which owns Mint, is integrating it into Credit Karma. Mint users can download their data to Credit Karma to use its financial tools and services.
Bottom line: Mint is a useful free budgeting app to organize your finances in one place. Since it's shutting down soon, new users are better off choosing another app.
| iOS app rating | 4.8/5 stars |
| Android app rating | 4.2/5 stars |
| Cost | Free, Mint Premium is available to iOS users for $4.99 monthly |
Mint is a free personal finance app that makes managing and saving money easy. Developed by Intuit, Inc, the creators of TurboTax, this mobile app is a budgeting tool that lets users manage and keep track of their spending. You can also set category-specific budgets and savings goals.
The Mint budgeting app connects with your financial accounts, so that users can get a clear picture of their personal finance health and total debt within the app. It's useful because it can teach you to save money more effectively while also helping to improve your financial literacy.
You'll need to download the app and sign up for an account to use Mint. You can then set a monthly budget, categorize expenses, track your spending habits by category, and monitor your credit score.
With Mint, you can set up bill reminders and get alerts when you spend beyond your set budget, get charged a late fee, or when an upcoming bill is almost due. This budget app also includes goal-setting tools to set financial goals and track your progress.
All the features in this version of Mint are free to use, and they can help make managing personal finances less daunting.
It's free to use the standard Mint app, and it's loaded with useful features. Students and others new to saving and budgeting, or those trying to spend less while improving their budgeting skills will find this free app a good fit.
A paid app version, Mint Premium, is available for $4.99 a month. This app version includes additional features like advanced spending graphs and subscription cancellation tools. Mint Premium also has no ads. This paid upgrade is only available to iOS users at this time.
You should feel comfortable using Mint. Intuit uses VeriSign to securely transfer data and multi-factor authentication to protect your account.
With Mint, it's easier to monitor your credit. Users can view their credit score at any time and track changes. And your score won't be negatively impacted by this feature because Mint performs a soft credit check.
Mint supports various financial accounts, giving you a clear picture of your total debt without using other budgeting apps. With this app, you'll be able to see all of your accounts in one place, including:
Make sure you're getting the best account for you by comparing savings rates and promotions. Here are some of our favorite high-yield savings accounts to consider.
| Account | APY | Promotion | Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website.
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
up to 3.80%²
Rate info
You can earn the maximum APY by having Direct Deposit (no minimum amount required) or by making $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits every 30 days. See SoFi Checking and Savings rate sheet at: https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
Min. to earn: $0
|
New customers can earn up to a $300 bonus with qualifying direct deposits!¹
|
Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website. |
Open Account for CIT Platinum Savings
On CIT's Secure Website.
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
4.10% APY for balances of $5,000 or more
Rate info
4.10% APY for balances of $5,000 or more; otherwise, 0.25% APY
Min. to earn: $100 to open account, $5,000+ for max APY
|
Earn a bonus of at least $225 after a one-time deposit of $25,000+.
Transfer a one-time deposit of $25,000-$49,999.99 for a bonus of $225. Transfer a one-time deposit of $50,000+ for a bonus of $300. Account must be opened with code PS2025 while this promotion lasts, and funded within 30 days. Bonus will be fulfilled within 60 days from the funding date. There is no period of time where the customer will be required to maintain the funds. Account must be open when bonus is credited. One bonus per account and primary customer. Bonus will be credited into the Platinum Savings Account that fulfills the funding requirement. Funding can be deposited all at once or incrementally.
|
Open Account for CIT Platinum Savings
On CIT's Secure Website. |
Open Account for American Express® High Yield Savings
On American Express's Secure Website.
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
3.70%
Rate info
3.70% annual percentage yield as of April 4, 2025. Terms apply.
Min. to earn: $0
|
N/A
|
Open Account for American Express® High Yield Savings
On American Express's Secure Website. |
SoFi disclosure:
¹ New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/26. See full bonus and annual percentage yield (APY) terms at sofi.com/banking#1.
² SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Only SoFi Plus members are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus.
³ We do not charge any account, service or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge a transaction fee to process each outgoing wire transfer. SoFi does not charge a fee for incoming wire transfers, however the sending bank may charge a fee. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Checking & Savings Fee Sheet for details at sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/.
⁴ SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per depositor per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations.
Any additional FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $3M through participation in the program. See full terms at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms. See list of participating banks at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks.
⁵ We’ve partnered with Allpoint to provide you with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. You will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third-party fees incurred when using out-of-network ATMs are not subject to reimbursement. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.
⁶ Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.
⁷ Overdraft Coverage is limited to $50 on debit card purchases only and is an account benefit available to customers with direct deposits of $1,000 or more during the current 30-day Evaluation Period as determined by SoFi Bank, N.A. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the“30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Members with a prior history of non-repayment of negative balances are ineligible for Overdraft Coverage.
Mint is one of the best budgeting apps to use if you have a financial goal and want to monitor your spending regularly. It shows your account balance and recent transactions. It also lets you know about upcoming bills.
With the Mint app, you can easily set up account alerts to avoid missing payments or overspending. Choose how you receive account alerts for the following:
You can also use the Mint budgeting app to set and track your financial goals, including paying off debt, saving more money, or improving your credit score. This feature can help you stay on top of important financial plans that you have set for yourself.
RELATED: Need a savings account? Check out our list of the best high-yield savings accounts.
If you've been wondering about your net worth, the Mint budgeting app provides a simple way to see how much you're worth.
It takes time to put all your information in and set up a Mint account. There can also be a learning curve to get the hang of using the app. Considering Mint is shutting down on Jan. 1, 2024, it doesn't make sense to go through that process for new users.
Sometimes Mint will automatically assign expenses to the wrong category. If an expense is miscategorized, you can edit it, but this takes extra effort.
Mint will occasionally have issues connecting to a financial account. In particular, users have had a hard time successfully adding accounts from smaller institutions.
Mint partners with financial companies to cover its costs. This means you'll get recommended financial products when using the app. These recommendations are based on your financial situation and may be useful. But some app users may find this to be intrusive.
Monarch Money is a good alternative for anyone who already has a good handle on monthly payments and needs a robust, comprehensive, and customizable financial management tool.
2025 Award Winner
Rocket Money is a good alternative for anyone looking for a budgeting tool that can help reduce unnecessary subscriptions, negotiate bills on your behalf, and monitor your credit.
2025 Award Winner
Mint is free to use. If you are an iOS user, want to access more features, and want an ad-free experience, Mint Premium is available for $4.99 monthly.
With its impending shutdown, Mint isn't an app to start using now. If you were interested in Mint's features or you're a current user, Credit Karma may be a good alternative for you. If not, consider giving another budgeting app a try.
Mint is a personal finance app that is safe to use. The company has safety features including multi-factor authentication and security scanning tools to keep your account and personal data safe.
Mint is free to use and includes many useful features. A premium ad-free app version is available to iOS users for $4.99 monthly. You don't need to spend money to use Mint.
Mint can help you monitor your spending, set and follow a budget, and track your saving and debt payoff goals. You can also use this budgeting app to monitor your credit score and enable account alerts to tell you about upcoming bill due dates, late fees charged to your accounts, and when an account has a low balance.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
