Monarch Money Review: Budgeting and Net-Worth Tracking Checked
Monarch Money costs $99.99 a year for Core and $199 for Plus, with no free tier. This review checks its budgeting, net-worth tracking, and household features.
By Galactic News Editorial · Published 2026-11-08T07:22:13+00:00 · Updated 2026-11-08T07:22:13+00:00
Monarch Money Review: Budgeting and Net-Worth Tracking Checked
Monarch Money is a subscription personal finance app for budgeting, net-worth tracking, and investment monitoring. It became the go-to replacement for Mint after Mint shut down. It is not free. Core costs $99.99 a year or $14.99 a month, with a 7-day trial. This review checks what you get for that price, using Monarch's own pricing and help pages. It is research-based. The app was not used firsthand for this review. This article is educational. It is not personal financial advice.
Monarch Money review: what it is
Monarch connects your bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and brokerages in one dashboard. It pulls balances and transactions, categorises spending, and tracks your net worth over time. Budgeting is one module among several. The app also tracks investments, cash flow, goals, and recurring bills. It runs on the web, iOS, and Android. It is available in the US and Canada only. Monarch connects to more than 13,000 financial institutions through three aggregators: Plaid, Finicity, and MX. A bank that fails on one aggregator may connect on another. Monarch is read-only. It cannot move your money, pay bills, or cancel subscriptions.
Monarch Money pricing: Core versus Plus
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Core | $99.99 a year, or $14.99 a month | Daily budgeting and net-worth tracking |
| Plus | $199 a year, annual only | Long-term forecasting and complex finances |
Both plans start with a 7-day free trial. A payment method is required up front. The trial bills automatically if you do not cancel. There is no permanent free tier. Paying annually saves about $80 a year against the monthly rate. Core is the full everyday product. It includes unlimited account connections, budgeting, net-worth tracking, cash flow reports, goals, investment tracking, and the built-in assistant. It also includes a free partner seat for a household member. Plus adds retirement forecasting, what-if scenario modelling, business and rental tracking, advanced investment analysis, and estate planning tools. Monarch says its revenue comes from subscriptions, not ads or selling user data.
Budgeting: two styles and cash flow forecasting
Monarch offers two budgeting styles. Category budgeting works like a traditional envelope budget. You set a limit for each spending category. Flex budgeting groups spending into three buckets: fixed costs, non-monthly recurring costs, and flexible spending. The app builds a budget from your real spending history. It sends alerts before you overspend. It flags upcoming subscriptions and bills. Cash flow projection is one of Monarch's stronger features. It forecasts your account balance weeks or months ahead, based on upcoming income and recurring bills. That forward view is something Mint never offered. Receipt scanning and itemising are included on both plans.
Net worth and investments in one place
Net worth is the centre of Monarch's dashboard. It adds up every connected account: bank balances, investments, property, and vehicles. Home values come from Zillow. Vehicle values come from Vinaudit. Investment accounts sit beside bank accounts, so holdings and performance appear in the same view. Core includes investment performance and diversification tracking, plus equity compensation tracking. Plus adds cost-basis and unrealised gain tracking down to the tax lot, with Morningstar fund analysis. For households that want one number that sums up their finances, Monarch's net-worth view is its best feature.
Household sharing and the assistant
One subscription covers a household. You can add a partner for free. Both people see the same dashboard and budget. You can also share read-only access with a financial professional. The built-in assistant answers questions about your spending, cash flow, or net worth in plain language, based on your own data. Monarch connects through read-only bank connections with bank-level encryption. It cannot move money between accounts.
What Monarch does not do
Monarch has real limits. It does not monitor your credit score. It does not file taxes. It cannot pay bills or cancel subscriptions for you. It is available only in the US and Canada. The 7-day trial is short, and it takes your card details up front. The price is high for a budgeting app. Core at $99.99 a year costs more than some rivals. Plus at $199 a year only makes sense if you use the forecasting and business tools. Bank connections can break from time to time, as with any aggregator-based app. Having three aggregators helps, but it does not remove the problem.
Verdict
Monarch Money is a strong all-in-one finance app for households that want budgeting, net-worth tracking, and investment monitoring in one place. Core at $99.99 a year is the right plan for most people. It covers the full everyday product, including the household partner seat. Plus at $199 a year suits people who need retirement forecasting, business tracking, or deeper investment analysis. The lack of a free tier and the short 7-day trial are the main drawbacks. Use the trial to connect your real accounts and check whether the net-worth dashboard and cash flow forecast earn their keep. If they do, Core is worth the price. If you only need a simple budget, a cheaper app may serve you just as well.