Compare
Ahead and the other money apps, side by side.
Every app here is good at something. Most are good at telling you where your money went. Ahead is built to tell you where it’s going. Here’s how they stack up.
Free for 14 days, no card needed. Connect your bank, or type it in yourself.
The short version
- Ahead is $36 a year. The others’ yearly plans run about $80 to $110 at regular prices (Monarch Plus is $199.99), and a couple have free versions with limits.
- Most apps look back. They sort what you spent. Only Ahead and Simplifi project your balances forward, month by month.
- Ahead doesn’t do everything. No investments, no net worth, no category budgets, no canceling subscriptions. If you want those, this page will point you to who does them well.
The lineup
AheadThat’s us
- Price
- $36 a year, or $4 a month. With AI: $72 a year, or $7 a month.
- Trying it
- 14 days free, AI included. No card needed.
- The months ahead
- Where checking lands at the end of every month, this year and next, plus as many years as you add.
YNAB
Ahead vs YNAB- Price
- $109 a year, or $14.99 a month. No free version.
- Trying it
- 34 days free, no card needed (signing up on ynab.com).
- The months ahead
- No balance forecast, on purpose. You plan with money you already have, not money that’s coming.
Monarch
Ahead vs Monarch- Price
- Core: $99.99 a year, or $14.99 a month. Plus: $199.99 a year.
- Trying it
- 7 days free. Card required.
- The months ahead
- A calendar of upcoming bills. Long-range net worth forecasting (years and decades) on Plus, desktop only.
Rocket Money
Ahead vs Rocket Money- Price
- Free version. Premium: pick your price, usually $7 to $14 a month. Premium+: $15 a month.
- Trying it
- Free forever for the basics. Premium: 7-day trial, payment method up front.
- The months ahead
- Bills due before your next payday, and a “safe to spend” number. Nothing past that payday.
Copilot
Ahead vs Copilot- Price
- $95 a year, or $13 a month. No free version.
- Trying it
- 1 month free.
- The months ahead
- A list of upcoming recurring bills. No balance forecast: its cash flow only looks at what already happened.
Tiller
Ahead vs Tiller- Price
- $99 a year. No monthly plan, no free version.
- Trying it
- 30 days free. Card required.
- The months ahead
- Not built in. Community-made forecast templates exist; Tiller doesn’t support them.
Simplifi
- Price
- $83.88 a year ($47.88 the first year on a promo). Yearly only.
- Trying it
- No free trial. 30-day money-back guarantee.
- The months ahead
- Projected balances for each account, up to a year out, from your recurring bills and income.
EveryDollar
- Price
- Free version (you type everything). Premium: $79.99 a year, or $17.99 a month.
- Trying it
- Free forever for the basics. Premium: 14-day trial, debit card required.
- The months ahead
- Within the month: Premium matches bills to paydays. No balance forecast past that.
Ahead vs. each app
- YNAB alternativeA method for the money you have, or a forecast for the months ahead.
- Monarch alternativeThe everything dashboard, or the one question that matters most.
- Rocket Money alternativeCanceling subscriptions, or seeing past the next payday.
- Copilot alternativeThe prettiest tracker on an iPhone, or a forecast on any device.
- Tiller alternativeA spreadsheet you build, or one that’s already built.
- Mint alternativesEvery serious Mint replacement, what it costs, and who it’s for.
Head to head
Guides and free tools
- Budget forecastWhere checking lands at the end of every month, this year and next.
- Budget calendarEvery bill and payday on its day, and checking at the end of each one.
- Bill trackerBills found from your bank, checked off when they’re paid.
- Budget by paycheckMatch every bill to the paycheck that pays it.
- 3-paycheck monthsWhich months bring a third paycheck, this year and next.
- Free budget spreadsheetTwelve months, every bill, and where checking lands. Excel, Sheets, Numbers.
Questions people ask
Which budgeting apps forecast your balance?
Ahead shows where checking lands at the end of every month, this year and next. Simplifi projects account balances up to a year out. Monarch’s Plus tier forecasts net worth over years and decades. Rocket Money and EveryDollar look as far as the next payday or the end of the month, Tiller leaves it to community templates, and YNAB and Copilot don’t project balances at all.
What’s the cheapest budgeting app?
Free ones exist: Rocket Money and EveryDollar both have free versions, with limits. Among paid apps, Ahead is $36 a year; Simplifi is $47.88 the first year and $83.88 after.
What’s the best Mint replacement?
It depends what you used Mint for. Here’s the rundown: Monarch is the closest match, Credit Karma is where Mint sent everyone, and Ahead is the one that looks ahead.
See where your money lands.
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