Is There a Better Alternative to Mint or Monarch?

When Mint shut down in March 2024, millions of people suddenly needed a new way to see their financial life in one place.

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People loved Mint because it made money feel simple: link your accounts, watch transactions roll in automatically, and get a clear snapshot of spending, budgets, and net worth without living in spreadsheets.

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A lot of folks migrated to Monarch, and for a clean “Mint 2.0” experience, it’s a strong option. But it still stops at tracking dollars. It can tell you what you spent and where, not what that spending supports.

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Does Monarch Pick Up Where Mint Left Off?

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Mint made money simple. It connected your accounts, sorted your transactions, and gave you a quick read on where you stood.

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Monarch picks up where Mint left off. It offers cleaner visuals, flexible budgets, net worth tracking, and more control over your categories. For many people who want a straight Mint replacement, Monarch is a solid pick.

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It can tell you that you spent $80 on clothes last week. But it can’t tell you how sustainable that clothing was.

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Here’s the thing: every purchase is a small vote for the kind of world you want. The brands you buy from, the companies you support, and the habits you build all add up. Tracking your dollars is a great start. Seeing its impact is the natural next step.

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A personal finance app built around your values can:

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• Aggregate all your spending for a full picture of your finances.
• Let you choose and customize your values to see how your spending lines up.
• Alerts you before you’re charged for recurring purchases.
• Helps you create a budget that’s good for you and the planet.
• Translate that spending into a carbon footprint you can actually understand.
• Point you toward brands you can trust.
• Reward the choices that matter to you.

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See Your Spending and Your Impact Together

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With Commons, you connect your cards and see every transaction in one view, the same way you would in any tracker. The difference is a simple toggle that flips your dashboard between dollars and emissions.

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Commons calculates the carbon footprint of each purchase based on your personal profile and what you bought, then charts your progress over time. You get the spending picture and the climate picture side by side. While the carbon footprint was popularized by industry greenwashing, it’s still a clear metric to help us understand our biggest opportunities for impact.

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But your footprint is just one piece of the big picture. Just like everyone has expenses, everyone has a carbon footprint. It’s the price we pay to use the Earth’s resources, and it’s not a reason to feel shame or guilt, or to completely rebuild your financial life. Understanding your carbon footprint can help you feel great about the sustainable choices you make and help you improve on higher-carbon choices when you can. It’s a full-picture approach to financial planning that acknowledges the Earth as a stakeholder.

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Commons is designed for intentional money management:

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• Watchlists: Build personalized lists for your financial ins and outs and get insights that keep you on track.
• No-Buy Streaks: Pick one thing to skip for the month, like fast fashion or a Prime subscription, and watch your streak (and your savings) grow.
• Brand sustainability ratings and reviews: Search hundreds of expert-rated brands before you shop, so you can skip the greenwashing and find quality that lasts. Then, see what our sustainably-minded community had to say about the brands.
• Points and rewards: Earn points for sustainable choices like thrifting or taking public transit, then redeem them for gift cards or trusted climate solutions.

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If you want a money app that helps you spend less on what doesn’t matter, more on what does, and see your climate impact, Commons offers what others don’t.

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Download the app, connect your accounts, and set your first No-Buy Streak or Watchlist. You're not responsible for the climate crisis, but your everyday choices can be part of the solution, and your wallet can feel the difference too.

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