Software Alternatives & Startups

Mint VS SelfControl

Compare Mint VS SelfControl and see what are their differences

Mint

Free personal finance software to assist you to manage your money, financial planning, and budget planning tools. Achieve your financial goals with Mint.

Rating
0 reviews
SelfControl

V2 updates! - Custom time interval for distraction free mode - Ability to turn off ' always on' mode - Improved UI -- Self Control -- A simple app to keep you focused online by blocking sites that you spend way too much time on.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Mint might be a bit more popular than SelfControl. We know about 80 links to it since March 2021 and only 79 links to SelfControl.

social mentions
80 vs 79
Personal Finance popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 183

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Mint
SelfControl
Website mint.intuit.com selfcontrolapp.com
Pricing —
Open source
Company Startup from the United States —
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Mint 5 features
SelfControl 4 features
  • Comprehensive Financial Tracking
    Mint allows users to track their spending, create budgets, and monitor financial goals all in one place, offering a complete view of their financial health.
  • Free to Use
    Mint is free, providing users with robust financial management tools without any cost, making it accessible for anyone looking to improve their financial situation.
  • Automatic Synchronization
    Mint automatically syncs with bank accounts, credit cards, and other financial institutions, ensuring that users have up-to-date information without manual data entry.
  • Spending Insights and Alerts
    The app provides detailed insights into spending habits and allows users to set up customizable alerts for unusual transactions, budget limits, and bill reminders.
  • Credit Score Monitoring
    Mint offers free credit score monitoring, helping users keep track of their credit health and providing tips on how to improve their score.

Possible disadvantages

  • Advertisements
    As a free service, Mint includes advertisements and promotions for financial products, which some users might find intrusive or distracting.
  • Security Concerns
    Despite strong security measures, some users may still have reservations about sharing their financial data with a third-party app, potentially exposing themselves to cybersecurity risks.
  • Data Sync Issues
    Some users report occasional problems with data synchronization, where transactions may not be updated promptly or correctly, leading to discrepancies in financial tracking.
  • Limited Investment Tracking
    While Mint provides a basic overview of investment accounts, it lacks advanced investment tracking and analysis tools that more dedicated investment platforms offer.
  • Customer Support
    Mint's customer support is primarily online and may not offer the level of responsiveness or personalized assistance that users might need, especially in urgent situations.
  • Effective Website Blocking
    SelfControl blocks access to distracting websites based on a customizable blocklist, helping users stay focused.
  • Timer Functionality
    Users can set a timer for how long they want websites to remain blocked, ensuring focused work periods without distraction.
  • Free to Use
    SelfControl is open-source and free to download and use, making it accessible to anyone without financial barriers.
  • Easy to Use
    The interface is straightforward and user-friendly, allowing users to quickly set their preferences and get started.

Possible disadvantages

  • Mac-Only
    SelfControl is only available for macOS, excluding Windows and Linux users from using the application.
  • No Undo Option
    Once the block period is set and started, it cannot be undone even by restarting the computer, which could be an issue if access to blocked sites is needed unexpectedly.
  • Limited Feature Set
    The app primarily focuses on website blocking, lacking additional productivity tools or features like app blocking or usage analytics.
  • No Scheduled Blocking
    SelfControl does not offer the ability to schedule block sessions in advance, meaning users must manually start each session.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Mint
SelfControl

Overall verdict

  • Mint is a good personal finance tool for those who seek a comprehensive, user-friendly, and free solution to manage their finances. Its ability to provide insights into financial habits and offer budget planning makes it a valuable resource for individuals looking to improve their financial health.

Why this product is good

  • Mint (mint.intuit.com) is considered a powerful personal finance tool because it offers features like budgeting, expense tracking, and credit score monitoring. It automatically categorizes transactions, provides alerts for bill payments, and helps users identify spending patterns, which can be valuable for personal financial management. It is free to use and integrates seamlessly with most banks, making it accessible and practical for many users.

Recommended for

    Mint is recommended for individuals who are new to personal finance management and those who prefer a straightforward, automated approach to budgeting and tracking expenses. It is especially beneficial for users who want a free tool with robust features and who are comfortable using online platforms to manage their financial information.

Overall verdict

  • Overall, SelfControl is a highly recommended tool for individuals looking to enhance their productivity by minimizing digital distractions. Its open-source nature and no-nonsense approach make it a popular choice among students, freelancers, and professionals alike.

Why this product is good

  • SelfControl is considered a good application because it effectively blocks distracting websites, helping users focus on their tasks without getting sidetracked by online distractions. It's simple to use, efficient, and highly customizable, allowing users to specify which sites to block and for how long, ensuring a tailored productivity experience.

Recommended for

    SelfControl is ideal for students who need to concentrate on studying, remote workers who want to avoid procrastination, freelancers who require discipline in managing their time, and anyone who needs a simple solution to reduce digital distractions during focused work periods.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Mint 3 videos + Add
SelfControl 2 videos + Add

Mint App Review (2019) — The Best Features for Managing Your Money

More videos

  • - The Intuit Mint App Review | Honest Review
  • - Personal Capital vs Mint Review (which is better?)

How to block websites that distract you ? Selfcontrol [Mac App review and tutorial]

More videos

  • - SelfControl Review - Block distracting websites

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Mint
SelfControl
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Mint and SelfControl. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Mint no reviews yet
SelfControl no reviews yet

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We have no reviews of SelfControl yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Mint 80 mentions
SelfControl 79 mentions
  • Credit card debt
    A few budgeting platforms to check out. I've tried a couple of these and can vouch for the Intuit, YNAB, and Google Sheet but the others are just ones I found online. The important part is finding one that works for you. Source: about 3 years ago
  • HN search engine now shows Google's 404 error page
    I think there's an ongoing issue somewhere because, https://mint.intuit.com/ is also dead. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • What do you use for asset tracking and why?
    Mint - feel they were the original and the first. Investments were always broken for me, but think they still do a great job on the expenses side. Source: about 3 years ago

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Alternatives to Mint and SelfControl

When comparing Mint and SelfControl, you can also consider the following products.