Monarch Money Review (2026): Is It Worth It?

If you're searching for a Monarch Money review, you're likely asking one of three things:

• Is Monarch Money legit?
• Is Monarch Money worth the price?
• Is it better than YNAB or Rocket Money?

Monarch Money is a paid budgeting and net worth tracking app that helps you manage spending, investments, subscriptions, and long-term financial goals in one dashboard.

After testing Monarch Money for 30 days with my real bank accounts, credit cards, investments, and mortgage, here’s the short answer:

Monarch Money is one of the best all-in-one personal finance apps available in 2026, especially for users who want strong net worth tracking and shared household budgeting.

Below is my complete breakdown of features, pricing, pros and cons, comparisons, and whether I’d personally continue paying for it.

What Is Monarch Money?

Monarch Money is a subscription-based personal finance app that combines:

• Budgeting
• Expense tracking
• Investment monitoring
• Net worth tracking
• Goal planning
• Shared household finance tools

It was created by former product leaders from Mint and is widely viewed as one of the top alternatives after Mint shut down.

Unlike free apps, Monarch charges a subscription fee, which means no ads and no credit card offer spam.

My 30-Day Testing Methodology

To make this review accurate:

• I connected 9 financial accounts
• Synced checking, savings, 3 credit cards, brokerage, retirement, and mortgage
• Created a monthly budget
• Built custom categories
• Tested rules automation
• Tracked net worth weekly
• Used the mobile app daily

This wasn’t surface-level testing; it replaced my spreadsheet system for a full month.

Core Features Breakdown

1. Budgeting Tools

Monarch uses a flexible budgeting system.

Unlike other apps such as YNAB, it’s not strict zero-based budgeting. Instead, it allows:

• Monthly spending targets
• Rollover options
• Custom categories
• Rules-based automation
• Recurring expense tracking

After 2 weeks, nearly all my transactions auto-categorized correctly.

That matters.

The automation improved over time as it learned my patterns.

2. Net Worth Tracking (Best Feature)

This is where Monarch separates itself.

You can see:

• Total assets
• Total liabilities
• Investment allocation
• Real estate equity
• Historical net worth growth

The visual dashboard is clean and motivating.

If you track net worth monthly (like I do), this feature alone may justify the subscription.

3. Investment Tracking

Monarch isn’t a trading platform.

But it provides:

• Portfolio summaries
• Account balances
• Asset allocation breakdown
• Performance over time

Compared to Personal Capital (now Empower), it’s slightly less analytical but much cleaner visually.

4. Subscription Monitoring

It automatically detects recurring subscriptions.

It flagged:

• Streaming services
• SaaS tools
• Annual renewals

This is similar to Rocket Money, though Rocket focuses more on bill negotiation.

5. Couples & Shared Finances

This is a major advantage.

You can:

• Invite a partner
• Share one financial dashboard
• Leave transaction notes
• Assign categories together

Most budgeting apps don’t handle joint finance this well.

For married couples or partners combining finances, Monarch is strong here.

Recommended pick

Try Monarch Money for a Cleaner, Simpler Budget

Monarch brings your accounts, budgets, and goals into one dashboard. It’s a strong fit if you want a modern budgeting tool — especially for shared household finances.

Try Monarch Money

All-in-one budgeting • Shared finances • Clean design

Is Monarch Money Legit or a Scam?

Yes, Monarch Money is legitimate.

It is:

• A subscription-based company
• Not ad-supported
• Not a lender
• Not a data-selling platform

It uses bank-level encryption and secure financial aggregators to connect accounts.

I experienced no security issues during testing.

There are no scam signals associated with the platform.

How Much Does Monarch Money Cost?

As of 2026 pricing:

• Monthly: Around $14.99
• Annual: Around $99.99 (discounted)
• Free trial: 7 days

There is no permanent free plan.

Compared to free apps, this is the biggest drawback.

But compared to hiring a financial planner or using multiple apps, it’s reasonably priced.

Monarch Money Pros and Cons

Who Monarch Money Is Best For

Monarch is ideal if:

• You want an all-in-one financial dashboard
• You track net worth monthly
• You manage money with a partner
• You want a Mint alternative
• You prefer clean UX over spreadsheet chaos

Who Should Skip Monarch

You may not need Monarch if:

• You want 100% free budgeting
• You only track expenses manually
• You prefer spreadsheets
• You want strict zero-based budgeting

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Monarch Money Performance & Sync Accuracy

Most accounts synced within minutes.

I did experience:

• One delayed sync on a credit card
• Minor category mislabeling early on

But overall reliability was high.

Monarch Money vs Other Budgeting Apps (2026 Comparison)

If you're researching Monarch Money, you're likely comparing it to other leading budgeting tools.

Here’s how it stacks up against today’s most relevant competitors:

• YNAB
• Rocket Money
• Empower (formerly Personal Capital)
• EveryDollar

What This Comparison Really Means:

Here’s the honest breakdown after testing Monarch alongside these platforms:

If You Want Strict Budget Discipline → YNAB

YNAB forces you to assign every dollar a job. It’s powerful, but rigid. Some people love that structure. Others find it exhausting.

If You Want Subscription & Bill Negotiation Focus → Rocket Money

Rocket Money is strong for canceling subscriptions and negotiating bills. But it’s not as robust for long-term wealth tracking.

If You Care Most About Investments → Empower

Empower offers strong investment tracking tools. However, its budgeting interface isn’t as intuitive or modern as Monarch’s.

If You Follow Dave Ramsey’s Method → EveryDollar

EveryDollar is built around zero-based budgeting and Ramsey-style financial planning. It’s simpler but lacks net worth tracking depth.

Where Monarch Money Stands Out

After testing them side-by-side, Monarch sits in a unique middle ground:

• More flexible than YNAB
• More complete than Rocket Money
• Cleaner than Empower
• More modern than EveryDollar

It combines:

• Budgeting
• Net worth tracking
• Investment visibility
• Household collaboration

In one clean dashboard.

That’s why many users consider it the strongest all-in-one paid budgeting app currently available.

Is Monarch Money Worth It?

If you are serious about:

• Wealth building
• Long-term financial tracking
• Having everything in one dashboard

Then yes, Monarch is 100% worth testing, at least with the 7-day free trial.

If you only want basic expense tracking, there are cheaper options.

For me personally, the net worth tracking and shared finance tools made the biggest difference.

Final Verdict: My Honest Opinion

After 30 days, I can confidently say: Monarch Money is one of the best all-in-one personal finance apps in 2026. However, I can also be honest and admit that it won’t be for everyone.

But if you care about:

• Clarity
• Net worth growth
• Clean financial tracking
• Shared household management

It’s one of the strongest options available on the market.

Would I keep paying for it? Yes.

If you’re a beginner or want something a bit simpler, check out our guide for the best budgeting apps for beginners in 2026.

FAQs About Monarch Money

1. Is Monarch Money safe?

Yes. Monarch uses secure data connections and encryption to protect financial information.

2. Does Monarch Money replace Mint?

For most former Mint users, yes. It offers similar features with better customization and no ads.

3. Is Monarch Money better than YNAB?

It depends on your budgeting style. Monarch is flexible. YNAB is stricter and more hands-on.

4. Does Monarch Money sell your data?

Monarch operates on a subscription model, not an ad-based model.