In December 2023, Intuit announced it was shutting down Mint — the free budgeting app used by 3.6 million Americans. The mass exodus created a gold rush for alternatives: YNAB, Monarch, and Copilot reported 300-500% increases in signups. But these alternatives cost $10-15/month, and for users accustomed to free, that's a hard sell. Reddit threads are filled with frustrated ex-Mint users desperately searching for a free alternative that isn't just Credit Karma trying to sell them financial products.
The personal finance app market is worth $1.5+ billion and growing. Most tools fall into two camps: free apps that monetize through data selling and financial product referrals (like Credit Karma), or premium apps at $10-15/month that require commitment. Missing from the market is a middle option — a clean, privacy-respecting personal finance dashboard at $3-5/month that just shows you where your money goes without trying to sell you credit cards.
The opportunity is a simple personal finance dashboard at $4.99/mo: connect bank accounts via Plaid, automatic transaction categorization, spending trends over time, and net worth tracking. No credit score upsells, no investment advice, no premium tiers with locked features — just your financial picture in one place. Target the ex-Mint users who want simplicity and are willing to pay a coffee-per-month for privacy and clean UX. Lunch Money ($10/mo) proves the market; a simpler, cheaper alternative could capture the users who find even $10/mo too much for 'just budgeting.'
💰 Revenue Blueprint
Three-tier value ladder to monetize from day one
Connect up to 5 accounts, auto-categorization, spending trends, net worth tracking
Unlimited accounts, budgeting tools, bill reminders, CSV export, family sharing (2 users)
Up to 5 users, shared budgets, investment tracking, custom categories, priority support
📊 Market Evidence
The Market Gap
Mint shutdown left 3.6M users stranded. YNAB/Monarch at $15/mo are expensive. Credit Karma is free but monetizes through product sales. Gap for $4.99/mo simple dashboard with no upsells.
🏆 Competitor Landscape
How existing players stack up in this market
| Competitor | Pricing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mint | Free (Credit Karma) | Shut down in 2024, migrated to Credit Karma |
| YNAB | $14.99/mo | Zero-based budgeting methodology |
| Copilot | $10.99/mo | iOS finance app, modern design |
| Monarch Money | $14.99/mo | Modern budgeting, couples features |
| Lunch Money | $10/mo | Dev-friendly, simple budgeting |
Shut down in 2024, migrated to Credit Karma
Zero-based budgeting methodology
iOS finance app, modern design
Modern budgeting, couples features
Dev-friendly, simple budgeting
🛠️ Recommended Tech Stack
Suggested tools and technologies to build this idea
Score Breakdown
Good market signals with room for growth
Market (20%) + Revenue (20%) + Trend (15%) + Competition (15%) + Build (15%) + Pricing (15%)
🚀 Start Building
Copy a prompt into your favorite AI coding tool and start building this idea right now.
Build a SaaS product called "Personal Finance Dashboard". ## Product Overview One view for all accounts with AI spending insights ## Problem One view for all accounts with AI spending insights ## Solution Build Personal Finance Dashboard ## Target Audience indie hackers, small businesses, and solopreneurs ## Tech Stack - Next.js 15 (App Router) with TypeScript - Tailwind CSS v4 for styling - Supabase for auth, database, and storage - Vercel for deployment - shadcn/ui for UI components - Framer Motion for animations ## MVP Features to Build 1. Landing page with clear value proposition 2. User authentication (sign up, sign in, forgot password) 3. Core product functionality based on the solution above 4. Dashboard for users to manage their data 5. Pricing page with at least 2 tiers (free + paid) 6. Basic settings/profile page ## Known Competitors Mint, YNAB, Copilot, Monarch Money, Lunch Money ## Key Risks to Address Standard market entry risks ## Deployment 1. Set up Supabase project and configure environment variables 2. Deploy to Vercel with `npx vercel --prod` 3. Set up custom domain 4. Configure Supabase RLS policies for security ## Instructions Start by creating the project structure, then build the landing page first. Use server components where possible. Make it mobile-responsive from the start. Focus on getting the core value loop working before adding polish.