COMPARISON
Mint's 2024 shutdown left millions of budgeters looking for a new home, and the field that replaced it is crowded with strong, well-built apps. Most of today's leading tools fall into two camps: zero-based or envelope systems where you assign every dollar a job, and flexible tracking dashboards that categorize spending after the fact. Buoy takes a different psychological angle with "count-up" budgeting, where each category earns a small daily allowance that grows when you underspend, paired with gamification like badges, levels, and streaks. The comparisons below are meant to help you pick the right fit, not to declare a single winner; each app here does something genuinely well.
| App | Status | Pricing | Approach | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buoy | Active | $10/mo or $100/yr (Premium $15/$150) | Count-up budgeting + gamification | People who want saving to feel rewarding, not restrictive |
| Mint | Shut down (March 23, 2024) | Free (discontinued) | Free ad/referral-supported spending tracker | Former users now needing a replacement |
| YNAB (You Need A Budget) | Active | $14.99/mo or $109/yr; 34-day free trial, no card required | Zero-based / envelope ("give every dollar a job") | People who want strict, hands-on, plan-every-dollar budgeting |
| Monarch Money | Active | Core $14.99/mo or $99.99/yr; Plus $199/yr; 7-day free trial | Flexible tracking dashboard with collaboration and AI assistant | Couples and households wanting net-worth, investment, and budget tracking in one place |
| Copilot Money | Active | $13/mo or $95/yr | AI-assisted tracking with category budgets, Apple-first design | Apple users who want a beautifully designed, automated tracker |
| Rocket Money | Active | Free tier; Premium "pay what's fair" ~$7-$14/mo; 7-day Premium trial | Subscription tracking and bill negotiation, with budgeting added | People focused on canceling subscriptions and lowering bills |
Best for: Former users now needing a replacement
vs. Buoy: Mint is no longer available; Intuit pointed users toward Credit Karma, which tracks accounts and net worth but does not offer Mint-style budgeting or subscription management. Buoy is one of the actively maintained alternatives, and its count-up budgeting and gamification offer a different experience than Mint's traditional balance-tracking dashboard.
Sources: wallethub.com , cnbc.com , monarch.com
Best for: People who want strict, hands-on, plan-every-dollar budgeting
vs. Buoy: YNAB's zero-based method has a devoted following and teaches disciplined, proactive planning, but it asks you to assign every dollar up front. Buoy's count-up allowances are designed to feel lighter day to day and reward underspending automatically, and Buoy layers in gamification (badges, levels, streaks) that YNAB does not emphasize.
Sources: ynab.com , thepennyhoarder.com
Best for: Couples and households wanting net-worth, investment, and budget tracking in one place
vs. Buoy: Monarch is a polished all-in-one dashboard with strong collaboration, investment tracking, and a newer Plus tier for forecasting. It uses flexible category budgeting rather than Buoy's count-up model, and leans toward comprehensive financial oversight where Buoy leans toward daily-allowance simplicity and the motivational pull of gamification. Buoy also offers a free trial with no credit card required.
Sources: monarch.com , thepennyhoarder.com
Best for: Apple users who want a beautifully designed, automated tracker
vs. Buoy: Copilot is widely praised for its design and AI categorization and started as an Apple-first app, adding more limited web access in late 2025. Its budgeting is category-based tracking rather than count-up, and it does not center gamification the way Buoy does. Buoy is web- and mobile-first and built around the count-up allowance experience plus badges, levels, and streaks.
Sources: copilot.money , thepennyhoarder.com
Best for: People focused on canceling subscriptions and lowering bills
vs. Buoy: Rocket Money shines at finding and canceling unwanted subscriptions and negotiating bills, with a free tier and a flexible Premium price. Its budgeting (two custom categories free, unlimited on Premium) is one feature among many rather than the core focus. Buoy is budgeting-first, built specifically around count-up allowances and gamification, while still offering its own subscription tracking.
Sources: rocketmoney.com , thepennyhoarder.com
