The 7 Best Budgeting Apps in 2025 (Free & Paid Mint Alternatives)

*This post may contain affiliate links, please see my disclosure

I’ve been helping people budget since 2012 and testing budgeting apps for over 15 years. Whether you love spreadsheets, want automation, need help staying on top of bills, or just want a simple budget that works — there’s a budgeting app here for you.

These are the 7 best budgeting apps in 2025, based on how real people actually manage money. I tested them all personally, and only included apps I’d recommend to my coaching clients.

Let’s find the best one for you.

My 2 Favorite Budgeting Apps Right Now

After testing dozens of budgeting apps over the last decade, I keep coming back to these two in 2025:

Monarch Money – Best All-In-One Dashboard

It’s clean, powerful, and gives me a full picture of my money — from budgeting and savings goals to cash flow and net worth. I used it all of 2024 and still recommend it as the best all-around budgeting experience for most people.

Get 50% Off Monarch Now!

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Lunch Money – Best for Data Lovers & Global Budgeters

A newcomer budgeting app, I’m a huge fan of what Lunch Money does. If you’re the type that wants spreadsheet-level data without spreadsheet-level work, Lunch Money nails it. It also supports over 90 currencies, which is huge for digital nomads or international users. It’s my favorite new find this year.

Try Lunch Money Free

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7 Best Budgeting Apps & Mint Alternatives

1. Empower Personal Dashboard – Best Free App for Investments & Net Worth

I’ve been using Empower (formerly Personal Capital) for years to track my net worth and retirement accounts — and honestly, I still haven’t found a better free option. If you want to see your total financial picture — cash, debt, investments — it’s all there. The dashboard updates automatically and shows performance trends across all your accounts.

Their investment analysis tools are seriously underrated. One of my favorites is the fee analyzer because it shows how much money you’re losing to hidden investment fees. Even a 1% mutual fund fee can cost you six figures over a few decades, and Empower spells that out in clear dollar terms. It’s one of the most eye-opening tools I’ve seen.

The budgeting side is very basic — it just tracks total monthly spending and compares it to a set goal. You won’t get category-level budgeting here. But if your priority is seeing where your money goes and tracking your net worth and investments for free, Empower is a no-brainer.

Best For: Investors who want a clear view of their retirement accounts and net worth.

Price: Free.

Try Empower Free Here

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2. Monarch Money – Best All-In-One Budgeting App

Monarch Money has become one of my favorite full-featured budgeting tools. I used it exclusively throughout 2024 to manage my family’s finances. When you first connect your accounts, it automatically pulls in your past data and gives you a clear cash flow breakdown by category. That kind of immediate insight is rare — and super helpful when you’re trying to get a grip on where your money is really going.

Monarch makes goal tracking incredibly easy. I’ve used it to manage our vacation fund — it syncs with the bank account, tracks contributions, and even emails me a little celebration when I hit a milestone. Their budgeting tools are solid, and I especially like the Forecast feature. It projects what you’ll likely spend in each category based on your history — great for building a realistic plan, especially if you’re just getting started.

The app is sleek, intuitive, and everything’s connected: budget, goals, spending, net worth, and even investment tracking (though it’s more of a snapshot than a deep dive). If you want a clean, powerful all-in-one platform that actually makes budgeting easier, Monarch is worth it. It’s on the higher end price-wise, but they offer frequent promos and I genuinely think it’s worth the cost.

Best For: Families or individuals who want an all-in-one money management dashboard.

Price: $14.99/month or $99/year. Free 7-day trial. They often offer 50% off your first year.

Get 50% Off Monarch Here

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3. Lunch Money – Best for Digital Nomads & Data Nerds

Lunch Money is one of the newest budgeting apps I’ve tried, and honestly, I’m impressed. It’s a passion project built by a solo developer (shoutout to Jen!) — and it shows. This app feels like it was made by someone who actually budgets. What stood out to me immediately was how everything is right there on the home screen, no digging through tabs. Expenses, categories, recent transactions — it’s all just one click away.

Lunch Money really shines in how it handles data. You can compare this month’s budget to last month’s actual spending, which helps you spot trends fast. Their net worth tracker is clean and simple, and the calendar view not only shows future bills, but also shows you where your money actually went each day. That’s powerful. I noticed a pattern — I tend to shop on Sundays. That kind of insight helps you plan better moving forward.

The kicker? It supports over 90 currencies, including crypto. If you’re an expat, freelancer, or digital nomad like many of my viewers, this is a game-changer. Plus, no credit card is required for the 30-day trial. I’ve started using Lunch Money myself and will be doing a deeper review soon — but even now, I can say it’s one of the smartest, simplest apps I’ve tried in years.

Best For: Expats, digital nomads, and spreadsheet-lovers who want a beautiful UI.

Price: $10/month or set-your-price annual plan (as low as $50/year). 30-day free trial, no card required.

Try Lunch Money Free for 30 Days!

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4. Quicken Simplifi – Best for Smart, Automated Budgets

I’ve tested a lot of budgeting apps, but Quicken Simplifi really surprised me. It’s from the same company that makes Quicken’s accounting software, but this one is built for everyday personal finance — not spreadsheets or business books. When I connected my accounts, Simplifi immediately pulled in my transactions and used them to suggest a budget based on my real spending. That’s the key. Budgeting should start with where your money has actually been going, not what you think you “should” spend.

The budgeting tool is super intuitive. You can easily add categories, and it’ll even show you how much you’ve spent in that category over the last 6 months, so you can set a realistic amount going forward. The savings goal feature is clean too — I set up a vacation goal, picked the amount and date, and it auto-calculated exactly how much to set aside monthly to hit my goal. Then it actually adds that to your spending plan so you’re not just dreaming — you’re planning.

What sets Simplifi apart for me is how it blends simplicity with smart automation. The Watchlist feature is also a standout — it lets you set alerts for overspending in categories you know you struggle with, like dining out or subscriptions. It’s like having a mini accountability coach. If you want a no-fuss budgeting app that works with your habits and helps you improve them, Simplifi is a great pick — and it’s cheaper than most at just $3/month.

Best For: People who want a realistic, automatic budget and simple financial goals.

Price: $3/month with annual plan ($36/year). One of the cheapest premium apps.

Try Quicken Simplifi Here

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5. Rocket Money – Best for Tracking Subscriptions & Lowering Bills

Rocket Money has been a go-to recommendation of mine for years, especially for folks who feel like money is just slipping through the cracks. When I connected my accounts, it gave me a list of all recurring charges — even ones I forgot about. That alone can save you money immediately. But they’ve also added some serious budgeting features that I was excited to finally test on desktop.

One of the biggest upgrades this year is their budget dashboard. It’s simple, but smart — it pulls in your spending averages from past months and suggests a budget based on what you typically spend. I like that they break it down by category, and show you how much you have left to spend throughout the month. And if you want to track your net worth or get access to premium tools, you can choose how much you want to pay — as low as $6/month.

But let’s talk about my favorite feature: bill negotiation. I used Rocket Money to lower my internet bill — and it worked! They negotiated it down, and I just paid them a cut of the savings for a few months. Now I’m saving $35/month and keeping all of that going forward. If you want to save money on autopilot and build a simple budget around your real spending, Rocket Money delivers.

Best For: People who want to lower bills and keep things simple.

Price: Choose your price ($6–$12/month) for premium features. Free version available too.

Try Rocket Money Here

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6. YNAB (You Need a Budget) – Best for Getting Out of Debt & Staying Accountable

YNAB is one of the most powerful budgeting tools I’ve ever used — and also one of the most humbling. It doesn’t let you cheat or guess. When you log in, it asks: what money do you have right now? That’s all you can budget. It forces you to give every dollar a job and helps you stop living on next month’s paycheck.

I really appreciate how YNAB handles bills. You can set targets and due dates for your bills, and it automatically rolls those into your budget so you’re prepared ahead of time. It’s great for anyone living paycheck to paycheck or trying to ditch the credit card cycle. They also offer live workshops, tutorials, and deep education — and most users save $600+ in the first couple of months.

While it takes a bit to get used to, once you understand how it works, YNAB becomes a financial command center. You can even share your subscription with up to 5 people with “YNAB Together,” which is awesome for couples or accountability partners. It’s strict, but that’s exactly what makes it so powerful for getting your money under control.

Best For: People who want total control of their money and are ready to get serious.

Price: $15/month or $109/year. Free 34-day trial, no card required.

Try YNAB Free for 34 Days!

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7. Tiller – Best for Spreadsheet Lovers

Tiller is for my fellow spreadsheet nerds who still want automation. For the first five years of my budgeting journey, I manually entered every transaction in Excel — it worked, but it was a pain. Tiller solves that. It connects your accounts and pulls your data straight into Google Sheets or Excel daily.

You get access to a library of powerful templates — monthly and annual budgets, savings goals, debt payoff planners, and more — all prebuilt by a community of financial nerds. It’s fully customizable, so if you want to tweak it, you can. And you don’t need to be a coding wizard to make it work.

Tiller is the only tool I know of that combines spreadsheet flexibility with automatic bank feeds. If you want full control over your budget and love working in Sheets, it’s perfect. You’ll need to be a little more hands-on than with a traditional app, but for DIY types, it’s worth every penny — and cheaper than most apps too.

Best For: DIY spreadsheet nerds who want full control with automation.

Price: $79/year. Free 30-day trial.

Try Tiller Free for 30 Days!

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Best Budgeting Apps Video Review

Budgeting App Comparison

App	Best For	Key Features
Empower	Free investment & net worth tracking	Investment analysis, retirement fee checker, basic budgeting
Monarch Money	All-in-one money management	Forecasting, goal tracking, net worth & investment tools
Lunch Money	Data lovers & digital nomads	Multi-currency, clean data views, calendar insights
Quicken Simplifi	Smart, realistic budgets	Auto-budgeting, savings goals, watchlists
Rocket Money	Tracking subscriptions & bill savings	Subscription tracking, bill negotiation, simple budgets
YNAB	Debt payoff & strict budgeting	Zero-based budgeting, bill planning, live workshops
Tiller	Spreadsheet automation	Bank feeds in spreadsheets, budget templates, community-built custom tools

Final Thoughts: Which Budgeting App Should You Choose?

The real win here isn’t picking the ultimate app that does everything. It’s picking a budgeting app, creating a realistic budget, tracking your spending, and actually saving money. The only way to do this is to just start.

Pick one of these top apps, connect your financial accounts, create a budget, and start taking back control of your money.

Here’s the cheat sheet:

• Just getting started? Try Rocket Money or Simplifi
• Want all your money in one place? Go with Monarch
• Spreadsheet nerd? Go with Tiller
• Living paycheck to paycheck? Try YNAB
• Want free investment tracking? Use Empower
• Love clean data with global support? Use Lunch Money

🛑 Remember: The best budgeting app is the one you’ll actually use. Pick one, try it out, and take back control of your money today.

Best Budgeting App FAQ

What is the best app for budgeting your money?

It depends on your budgeting style, but if you want the best all-around budgeting app in 2025, Monarch Money is my top pick. It pulls in all your bank data, helps you build a realistic budget based on your past spending, tracks your savings goals, and gives you a full view of your net worth. If you want something even simpler, Quicken Simplifi is great for creating a spending plan in minutes. And if you’re serious about getting out of debt, YNAB (You Need a Budget) is the best for hands-on, zero-based budgeting.

What budget app is better than Mint?

Mint shut down in 2024, but honestly, there are better options anyway. Rocket Money is one of the most popular Mint alternatives — it tracks subscriptions, shows upcoming bills, and even helps you negotiate lower bills. But for a true budgeting upgrade, I recommend Monarch Money (for all-in-one tracking), Lunch Money (for data nerds & international travelers), or YNAB (for serious debt payoff). All of these apps give you more control, better visuals, and features that actually help you save money.

Is Rocket Money better than Mint?

Yes — especially in 2025, now that Mint has shut down. Rocket Money is simpler to use and adds features Mint never had, like a bill calendar, and even a tool that negotiates bills for you. It also gives you a budget based on your real spending history, which is more useful than just tracking transactions. For most casual budgeters, Rocket Money is a solid replacement and an easy way to get started.

What is the best budgeting app for couples?

The best budgeting app for couples is Monarch Money. It was built with shared finances in mind — you and your partner can both log in, see all your accounts in one place, track your budget, set savings goals, and stay on the same page. Lunch Money is a great new app that offers individual logins so couples can have autonomy while sharing a budget together. And YNAB offers a “YNAB Together” feature that lets you share your subscription with up to 5 people — perfect for couples or accountability partners. These apps help reduce money stress and build a budgeting system that actually works for two people.

Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, meaning at no cost to you I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase or open an account. I only recommend products or services that I believe in, have personally used, or that I would recommend to my friends and family. All views are based on my personal experiences and recommendations, and are not controlled or influenced by any advertiser.