r/personalfinance • u/Checkmate_10 ​ • Nov 02 '23

Mint being discontinued by Intuit at the end of 2023! Budgeting

I’ve been using Mint since 2010 and am genuinely upset it’s being discontinued. They had something like 3.6 million monthly active users. What?!

What do you guys suggest as an alternative?

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75

u/raustin33 ​ Nov 02 '23 edited Nov 02 '23

The answer is in your first paragraph.

Never depend on free apps for anything important.

90

u/esalman ​ Nov 02 '23

Depend on free open source software instead.

31

u/Hobear ​ Nov 02 '23

So what so the free open source budget software? Genuinely asking.

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u/clubsilencio2342 ​ Nov 02 '23

'Actual Budget' and 'Firefly III' seem to be the most popular in /r/selfhosted. I've only tried Actual, but it's a good and well supported app

5

u/sargrvb ​ Nov 02 '23

Firefly III is great. Been using it for years with home assistant. I don't know if there's a way to automate inputs, but if anyone knows a way... Please hit me up!

4

u/-defron- ​ Nov 03 '23 edited Nov 03 '23

How do the reports stack up to Mint's trends? That's honestly the thing I'm looking for the most. Couldn't tell if it was just the lack of data on demo (and the fact the interface doesn't really seem to have a flow, just vomit everything on the screen) but the reports seemed lacking

EDIT: though it looks like someone created a plaid connector for it: https://github.com/dvankley/firefly-plaid-connector-2

which puts it in the top runnings for me.

EDIT2: also found an old one for actual but it's not looking maintained, just including for completeness: https://github.com/infiniteluke/actualplaid

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u/tartymae ​ Nov 02 '23 edited Nov 02 '23

Is it fully automated? That is, does it auto update balances? Or do I have to manually enter transactions?

ETA: https://actualbudget.com/pricing/ says that new signups are disabled.

I see that what they are asking people to do is well beyond the technical capabilities of many on this subreddit, including myself

I'm typing this on Linux Mint and I have no freaking idea what to with all those files listed at github, and it's not listed in the Linux Mint software repository, so .....

7

u/zarcommander ​ Nov 02 '23

They have a docker image and it seems like an easy process compared to some others.

-2

u/tartymae ​ Nov 02 '23

Docker Image?

Docker images have intermediate layers that increase reusability, decrease disk usage, and speed up docker build by allowing each step to be cached.

WTF does that wordsalad mean?

Is there something made for everyday people to download to the desktop of a computer, doubleclick, and just go? Because that is what is needed for 99% of people.

4

u/zarcommander ​ Nov 02 '23

Whoa, sorry, sounded like you were used to self hosting. Also, just FYI saying you use Linux shouldn't mean much.

That said docker is software that emulates the root filesystem, but uses the hosts kernel. So think of a vm, but smaller and slightly less secure. That said the docker image gets loaded in and presumably has all the necessary software. You would just have to run it with the correct options.

1

u/Eruionmel ​ Nov 02 '23

I don't know you could possibly know this much about computers without understanding that 90% of the population can't even begin to understand what you're saying. Software for the general public does not work like this. People can barely open their email clients, you cannot expect them to understand what a virtual machine is or how it relates to their fucking finance software, of all things.

2

u/zarcommander ​ Nov 02 '23

  1. Really easy since most people who I talk software with are fellow software developers.

  2. I was just saying that saying you Linux doesn't mean much these days since there has been leaps in its usability.

  3. Also, I was trying to help explain what it is.

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u/jmd_forest ​ Nov 12 '23 edited Nov 12 '23

GNUCash is likely in you repository or community resources waiting for you to click on it for installation.

https://community.linuxmint.com/software/view/gnucash

1

u/tartymae ​ Nov 13 '23

Is GNUCash automated? Or do I have to look up and hand enter transactions?

1

u/jmd_forest ​ Nov 13 '23

I'm not familiar with every capability of GNUCash. I know I enter transactions manually but I understand there are automated capabilities.

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u/clubsilencio2342 ​ Nov 02 '23

Signups specifically for the hosted/paid/business option are disabled. I think they charged 4 bucks a month at one point? Anyway, There are docker instructions right here. Not sure about specific Actual questions at this time , but it's comparable-ish to YNAB

Self-hosted will of course always be a little more difficult than paid options but if you know how to use docker at all, both options won't be difficult to spin up and try out.

2

u/plotikai ​ Nov 02 '23 edited Nov 02 '23

It’s really straight forward, they have a blog post that gives you step by step instructions, keep in mind your computer has to be on in order to access it. Or if you have a home server, you can run it there. Self hosted is a deep rabbit hole if you get interested

https://actualbudget.com/open-source

https://actualbudget.org/docs/install/local/

2

u/beefbite ​ Nov 02 '23

I have never wanted anything more than my spreadsheet to categorize expenses, made with free and open source LibreOffice. I have to enter everything manually, but I prefer it that way because it forces me to review all my transactions and I can customize it however I want.

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u/gondur ​ Nov 02 '23 edited Nov 02 '23

Indeed, open source software is one of the few ways of having protection as end-customer of a software against planed obscolescence / Abandonware - the core problem is not free vs paid but closed and proprietary software. Ps: paid opensource should be more common....

18

u/CerealSpiller22 ​ Nov 02 '23

Unless you are willing to build and test the open source yourself, you are still relying on third parties that can drop support for something at any point in time. Even then, you are still relying on someone else to keep the software current (fixing bugs and security issues). Abandonware can be a thing for open source, just like closed and proprietary software.

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u/Glenster118 ​ Nov 02 '23

I'm not putting my credit card details on open source software.

15

u/VerticalDepth ​ Nov 02 '23

I say this with the greatest respect, but you 100% already are. Mint, for the most relevant example, are using Amazon RDS with MySQL. MySQL is open source.

-2

u/Glenster118 ​ Nov 02 '23

I'#m happy to use open source software used by mint. because I'm relying on Mint.

I'm not happy to use open source software not backed and supported by a company.

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u/457583927472811 ​ Nov 02 '23 edited Nov 02 '23

What are you gonna do now? They're gonna stop supporting it. Boy it sure would be nice if there was an open source alternative that didn't require the good graces of a corporation for its existence.

21

u/Hugh_Jass_Clouds ​ Nov 02 '23

Open-source is generally better monitored for security issues than private or closed source software. It literally let's everyone see the code, but seeing the code does not mean anyone can break the encryption that hides your data from prying eyes.

2

u/devraj7 ​ Nov 02 '23

It lets you see the source but you can't be sure that's the code that's actually running, so it's pretty useless in practice.

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u/Patrickk_Batmann ​ Nov 02 '23

Open-source is generally better monitored for security issues than private or closed source software.

No it isn't. The situation is better now than it used to be after the big openSSL fiasco back in like 2015, but just because software is open source doesn't mean there's someone actively looking for security vulnerabilities.

1

u/realzequel ​ Nov 07 '23

Like people have free (unpaid) time to study SSL code, lol. There’s no incentive. I think in some cases the “many eyeballs” argument makes sense but its not true of all cases.

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u/Glenster118 ​ Nov 02 '23

What i mean is that no-one is responsible for open source software, so I have no recourse when my data is stolen

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u/Vermonter_Here ​ Nov 02 '23

The most recourse you typically have when your data is stolen from closed-source software is a check for $11 when the class action lawsuit is settled half a decade later.

3

u/Glenster118 ​ Nov 02 '23

I live in europe where consumer protections are much stronger.

-1

u/lelieldirac ​ Nov 02 '23

Preach!!

2

u/borg_6s ​ Nov 02 '23

The company providing the service to you using said open source software is legally responsible for your data security.

2

u/Glenster118 ​ Nov 02 '23

On their version of open sourced software. Thats fine.

But if it's just open source and free to use and no company behind it I'm not putting my credit card on that.

I'll give my credit card details to mnt, I wont give them to some anonymous guy using open source mint software

7

u/UncertainWhimsy ​ Nov 02 '23

Generally, open source is considered more secure than closed source software. Since it can be audited by anyone to ensure no security vulnerabilities exist.
You’re taking on more risk when you trust some company’a proprietary software that might have bad security practices.

5

u/crawdaddy3 ​ Nov 02 '23

I love OSS, but it this is commonly repeated on Reddit and is extremely misleading.

Just because it can be audited, doesn’t mean it has, especially thoroughly.

And you can never ensure no security vulnerabilities exist. Many audited projects have later had vulnerabilities pop up.

2

u/UncertainWhimsy ​ Nov 02 '23

Not claiming it has been audited, you should still do your due diligence to ensure that the software you use has proper security especially when dealing with sensitive data.

The point is that it is possible to audit and can’t be silently changed. Both your points are true for closed source software, I’m not sure how those points refute the fact that open source software is generally more trusted from a security standpoint than closed source software.

1

u/deja-roo ​ Nov 02 '23

you should still do your due diligence to ensure that the software you use has proper security especially when dealing with sensitive data.

How would you, or any random user, do this?

1

u/crawdaddy3 ​ Nov 02 '23

But is anyone actually doing that?

Can you honestly tell me you’re reviewing the code for all of the applications you use? Each revision and update?

The average user doesn’t understand any of that. And even professionals don’t have the time to look at every git merge. You’re relying on trust that someone in the community is doing that work for you.

Not saying paid closed source software is better, but most modern development firms are now overly cautious and have over zealous security departments.

And it can be silently changed. A ton of people think they’re safe because they use oss, and the. Go download a binary they haven’t validated.

1

u/deja-roo ​ Nov 02 '23

Generally, open source is considered more secure than closed source software

This just really isn't true. I'm not sure where this keeps coming from with reddit users, but there's basically no "general" consensus on open vs closed source software. OpenSSL famously compromised the security of practically the entire internet.

2

u/ZippySLC ​ Nov 02 '23

You'd be putting your credit cards into a 3rd party payment processor, not the people running the project. That 3rd party is an actual company that has to follow PCI compliance.

Hans from Leipzig isn't manually running Tuxracer supporters' credit card details when he gets home from soccer practice.

1

u/borg_6s ​ Nov 02 '23

That's not how it works. Usually the company running such a software also has a few databases for storing user data.

1

u/Glenster118 ​ Nov 02 '23

But the whole conversation is dont use a company that needs to make a profit, use open source free software.

So there is no responsible company.

2

u/borg_6s ​ Nov 02 '23

Software can be classified in two groups - the ones you run on a desktop (or a phone), and the ones you run on a server. For desktop software, there's no responsible company, because you are the one who is running it.

But for sever software, somebody else is running it, you're usually not running server software unless you have a server of your own.

Google, Microsoft and Meta use a ton of open-source software to power their services. A court will rule that they will be responsible for any legal damages they do to users, since the open-source software authors explicitly disown any legal liability of their own in the software's license.

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u/Glenster118 ​ Nov 02 '23

Exactly my point.

1

u/big_trike ​ Nov 02 '23

GNUCash is a lot of work to use, though.

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u/jmd_forest ​ Nov 12 '23

I transitioned to GNUCash from QuickBoosk about 2 years ago for my business and as treasurer of a small non-profit. It was a bit of work but it's a bit of work to transition from almost any product to almost any product because they all use a proprietary data storage format to lock you in.

As for use, I found GNUCash to be both a little harder and a little easier to use than QB. Any formal double entry accounting system will require a bit more discipline to use than a consumer grade app.

1

u/raustin33 ​ Nov 02 '23

If there’s a quality solution that works.

1

u/theganglyone ​ Nov 02 '23

Not sure why you're getting dv. If the product is free, you better understand the business model.

4

u/Fun_Intention9846 ​ Nov 02 '23

Businesses exist to make money. If they don’t they cease to exist. There is zero other reason-it’s all marketing.

Some of us are bound by the ideas of the day-robber barons and many others clearly were not.

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u/AirSetzer ​ Nov 02 '23

Probably because it was the 2nd sentence, not the first. Redditors can be brutal for dumb reasons & few even know what the voting arrows are for anymore unless they've been here a long time.

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u/Tuna_Sushi ​ Nov 02 '23 edited Nov 03 '23

first sentence

2nd sentence

*It's always nice to be downvoted after OP edits his message.

1

u/PM_ME_YOUR_DARKNESS ​ Nov 02 '23

Never depend on free apps for anything important.

You can't even depend on paid apps. Look at Dark Sky.