Quick Summary
Monarch Money is the modern successor to Mint, offering a beautifully designed personal finance dashboard with comprehensive budgeting, investment tracking, and financial planning tools. Co-founded by former Mint engineers, Monarch combines the best of account aggregation with proactive budgeting features. Its collaborative tools make it perfect for couples and families managing finances together.
Score Breakdown
What We Like
- ✓ Beautiful, modern interface design
- ✓ Comprehensive financial dashboard
- ✓ Excellent investment tracking
- ✓ Built for couples and collaboration
- ✓ Replaced Mint as the go-to aggregator
What Could Improve
- ✗ $14.99/month or $99.99/year
- ✗ No free tier (7-day trial)
- ✗ Newer platform with less track record
Features
Monarch aggregates all your financial accounts (bank, credit card, investment, loan) into one dashboard. Custom budgets with flexible rules, recurring transaction detection, and merchant categorization. Net worth tracking with historical trends. Investment portfolio analysis with allocation breakdowns. Collaborative features allow partners to share and manage budgets together. The Advice feature provides AI-powered financial insights.
Pricing
$14.99/month or $99.99/year. A 7-day free trial is available. The pricing is comparable to YNAB, positioning Monarch as a premium budgeting tool. For the breadth of features including investment tracking and financial planning, the price is reasonable.
Usability
Monarch's interface is among the most polished in personal finance apps. The dashboard provides a clear financial overview at a glance. Setting up budgets is intuitive, and transaction categorization is accurate thanks to smart rules. The mobile app mirrors the web experience well. Onboarding guides you through connecting accounts and setting up your first budget.
Key Specifications
| Price | $14.99/mo or $99.99/yr |
| Free Version | 7-day trial |
| Bank Sync | Yes (11,000+ institutions) |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android |
| Budgeting Method | Flexible |
| Shared Budgets | Yes (couples-focused) |
| Reports | Advanced with trends |
Final Verdict
Monarch Money is the best budgeting app for users who want a comprehensive financial dashboard alongside their budget. If you used and loved Mint, Monarch is the natural upgrade. The investment tracking and net worth features elevate it beyond pure budgeting. For couples, the collaborative features are best-in-class. It's the complete personal finance package.