Mint vs YNAB
Mint vs YNAB: Which Budgeting App Should You Use?
This is really a comparison of two eras. Mint was the free, ad-supported tracker millions relied on until Intuit shut it down in 2024. YNAB is the paid, opinionated budgeting system people move to when they want a method rather than a dashboard. Since Mint no longer exists as a live product, the honest question is what its old users should do now — and whether YNAB is the right home.
Mint vs YNAB: feature comparison
Feature comparison of Mint, YNAB and Auritrack
| Feature | Mint | YNAB | Auritrack |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI chat expense tracking | No | No | Yes |
| AI bookkeeping & categorization | No | NoManual by design | Yes |
| Automatic bank sync | YesHad automatic sync (now discontinued) | YesDirect import in supported regions | Premium; US, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. Statement import everywhere |
| Bank-statement import (PDF/CSV/Excel) | No | YesFile-based CSV import | YesPDF, CSV or Excel, read by AI |
| Budgeting | Yes | YesZero-based, its core method | Yes |
| Savings goals | Yes | YesTargets per category | Yes |
| Invoicing | No | No | Small-business records and reports |
| Receipt scanning | No | No | Yes |
| All currencies, kept separate | NoUS-focused | One currency per budget | YesEach currency kept separate |
| Data export (PDF/CSV) | Limited | YesCSV | YesPDF and CSV anytime |
| Telegram tracking | No | No | Yes@auritrack_bot |
| Investment tracking | Partial | Tracking accounts only | No |
| Shared / household accounts | No | YesShare with up to 6 people | Yes |
| Sells your data to advertisers | YesAd & recommendation model | No | No |
| Price | Was free (discontinued) | $14.99/mo or $109/yr | Free app + web from $3/mo |
Which of the two should you pick?
Where Mint wins
- It was free, with no subscription to weigh up
- Automatic bank sync pulled transactions in with zero effort
- A gentle learning curve anyone could pick up in minutes
- Familiar to millions who used it for years
Where YNAB wins
- A genuine budgeting method — give every dollar a job — not just tracking
- Actively developed, supported and improving, unlike shut-down Mint
- Strong education, community and habit-building behind it
- Live bank sync in supported regions, plus CSV import
A third option: Auritrack
If you liked that Mint did the tracking for you but want it to keep working, without paying YNAB prices to do manual entry, Auritrack sits in between. An AI logs and categorizes your spending from a chat message or an uploaded statement, then holds you to a budget, free on the mobile apps and Telegram (AI pay-as-you-go), or on the web from $3/month. Bank sync comes with the $20 Premium plan in the US, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, and a PDF, CSV or Excel statement works from any other bank.
The verdict
Mint is gone, so this is really a choice about where to land. Choose YNAB if you want a real budgeting discipline and do not mind paying for it or doing some hands-on work. If what you actually miss about Mint is that the tracking happened by itself, an AI tracker like Auritrack gets you closer to that feeling than YNAB does, without the manual upkeep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to dig into one of them on its own? Read the Mint guide or the YNAB guide, each an honest look at where that tool wins and where Auritrack fits.
Comparisons reflect our understanding of each product at the time of writing and may change; check each provider’s site for current pricing and features. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page is general information, not financial advice.