Monarch Money vs Rocket Money for budgeting and cutting bills in 2026
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Key takeaways
- Monarch Money costs $99.99 a year after a 7-day trial and has no free plan.1 Rocket Money has a free plan, Premium at a price you choose, and Premium+ at $15 a month.2
- When choosing between Monarch Money and Rocket Money, start with the job. Monarch runs a full budget and tracks net worth, and Rocket Money finds subscriptions and negotiates bills.
- Monarch Money fits a household that budgets together. Rocket Money fits one person or a couple who mainly want to cut recurring costs and start free.
In this article
Key takeaways
- Monarch Money costs $99.99 a year after a 7-day trial and has no free plan.1 Rocket Money has a free plan, Premium at a price you choose, and Premium+ at $15 a month.2
- When choosing between Monarch Money and Rocket Money, start with the job. Monarch runs a full budget and tracks net worth, and Rocket Money finds subscriptions and negotiates bills.
- Monarch Money fits a household that budgets together. Rocket Money fits one person or a couple who mainly want to cut recurring costs and start free.
Monarch Money and Rocket Money both connect your accounts and track spending. Monarch is a paid budgeting and net worth app that covers your whole household for $99.99 a year, and Rocket Money starts free and focuses on subscriptions and bills, with paid plans for more features. This guide compares features, sharing, and cost.
Monarch Money vs Rocket Money at a glance
Monarch Money vs Rocket Money comes down to a full monthly budget or help cutting what you already pay for.
| Feature | Monarch Money | Rocket Money |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A household that budgets together and tracks net worth | Someone who wants a free app that finds subscriptions and lowers bills |
| Free plan | No, a 7-day trial with a payment method | Yes |
| Paid price | Core $99.99 a year or $14.99 a month, Plus $199.99 a year | Premium at a price you choose, Premium+ $15 a month |
| Budgeting | Two budgeting approaches, rules, and alerts before you overspend | Budgeting on the free plan, custom categories on Premium |
| Subscriptions and bills | Subscription and bill reminders | Subscription tracking, cancellation on Premium, bill negotiation |
| Investments | Performance and diversification on Core, retirement forecast on Plus | Links investment accounts and tracks net worth |
| Sharing | One or more household members, no extra cost | One partner on Premium |
Tweed read both companies' pricing pages and help centers on October 26, 2026.
What is Monarch Money?
Monarch Money is a paid personal finance app for budgeting, cash flow, and net worth, with Core at $99.99 a year and Plus at $199.99 a year. It connects 13,000+ banks and institutions and earns from subscriptions, not ads. Plus adds a retirement forecast and life-change scenarios, and our Monarch Money review covers both plans.
What is Rocket Money?
Rocket Money is a personal finance app from Rocket Money, Inc. that tracks your subscriptions, spending, and budget, with a free plan and two paid plans. It's part of Rocket Companies, the owner of Rocket Mortgage. Its paid plans add subscription cancellation, credit score tracking, and real-time syncing.
Monarch Money vs Rocket Money features compared
Monarch Money vs Rocket Money features split on four things: budgeting, subscriptions and bills, investments, and sharing. Each section opens with the app that comes out ahead.
Budgeting
Monarch Money wins on budgeting, because it builds a budget from your real spending, offers two budgeting approaches, and alerts you before you overspend. Rocket Money's free plan includes budgeting, and custom budget categories need Premium. Both send bill reminders, so the gap is depth, not basics.
Subscriptions and bills
Rocket Money wins on subscriptions and bills, because it can cancel subscriptions for you and negotiate bills like cable, internet, and phone. If a negotiation works, you'll pay a one-time fee of 35% to 60% of your first year's savings, you pick the percentage, and Premium+ includes it at no extra cost. Monarch reminds you about subscriptions and bills but doesn't cancel or negotiate them.
Investments and net worth
Monarch Money wins on investments, because Core tracks performance and diversification and Plus adds unrealized gains and a retirement forecast. Rocket Money links your investment accounts and tracks your net worth, and its homepage doesn't list performance or allocation tools.3 For a free retirement projection, run the Tweed Retirement Calculator.
Sharing with a partner
Monarch Money wins on sharing, because you can invite one or more household members at no extra cost, each with their own login.4 Rocket Money Premium covers you and one partner on a single membership, with separate logins, and Rocket Money says sharing is designed for two people.5 A family of three or more adults fits Monarch, and a couple fits either.
Monarch Money vs Rocket Money cost
Monarch Money vs Rocket Money cost starts at $0 for Rocket Money's free plan, and Monarch charges after a 7-day trial. The figures below use list prices from October 26, 2026, with no promo codes and prices held flat. Rocket Money Premium has no fixed price, so it gets no dollar figure here.
If you want a free app
If you want a free app, you'll pay $0 for Rocket Money's free plan, and Monarch has no free plan. The free plan covers subscription tracking, budgeting, and bill reminders, and cancellation and custom categories need Premium.
If you want bill negotiation included
If you want bill negotiation included, you'll pay $180 a year for Rocket Money Premium+, $80.01 more than Monarch Core billed annually.
| One year | Monarch Core (annual) | Monarch Core (monthly) | Rocket Money Premium+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per month | $8.33 | $14.99 | $15 |
| 12 months | $99.99 | $179.88 | $180 |
| Bill negotiation | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
If you pay for Monarch Money
If you pay for Monarch Money, you'll pay $99.99 a year on annual billing or $179.88 on monthly billing. Annual billing saves you $79.89, and five years of annual Core at today's price comes to $499.95. Monarch refunds the unused time if you cancel a plan it bills directly.
Should you choose Monarch Money or Rocket Money?
Choose Monarch Money if you want a full budget and net worth for your household, and choose Rocket Money if you mainly want to cut subscriptions and bills for less. For a stricter budget, read Monarch Money vs YNAB, and for a free net worth dashboard, see Monarch Money vs Empower.
Choose Monarch Money if
- You want a monthly budget with rules and alerts before you overspend
- You share money with more than one other adult and want everyone in one view
- You want investment performance, your home value, and crypto in your net worth
- You'd pay $99.99 a year for an app with no ads
Choose Rocket Money if
- You want to start on a free plan
- You want an app to cancel subscriptions for you
- You'd like someone to negotiate your cable, internet, or phone bill
- You budget alone or with one partner
Before you pay for either app, add up what you own and owe in the Tweed Net Worth Calculator, then compare the total with net worth by age. If you want advice on top of tracking, the best AI financial advisors guide compares AI money apps.
Frequently asked questions about Monarch Money vs Rocket Money
Is there anything better than Rocket Money?
Monarch Money is a better fit than Rocket Money if you want a full budget, investment tracking, and a household view. YNAB suits a hands-on budget. Rocket Money stays the pick if you mainly want subscriptions cancelled and bills negotiated, since Monarch and YNAB don't do either.
What's the downside to Rocket Money?
The downside to Rocket Money is that its best features cost extra. Cancellation and custom budget categories need Premium, and bill negotiation takes 35% to 60% of your first year's savings unless you pay $15 a month for Premium+. Sharing covers only you and one partner.
Is Rocket Money free?
Yes, Rocket Money has a free plan with subscription tracking, budgeting, and bill reminders. Premium adds custom categories, goals, credit scores, and real-time syncing at a price you choose on a sliding scale, after a 7-day trial. Premium+ costs a fixed $15 a month plus tax.
Which is better for couples, Monarch Money or Rocket Money?
Monarch Money and Rocket Money both work for a couple, and Monarch fits a larger household better. Monarch lets you invite one or more household members at no extra cost, each with their own login. Rocket Money Premium covers you and one partner on a single membership, with separate logins.
Does Rocket Money have a savings account?
Yes, Rocket Money offers a high-yield savings account to eligible Premium+ members in its mobile app. Rocket Money says the banking services come from nbkc bank, member FDIC. Monarch Money doesn't offer a savings account and only tracks the accounts you connect.
Does Rocket Money have a referral program?
Yes, Rocket Money's referral program gives you one free month of Premium for each friend who joins Premium through your link, up to three a year. You must pay monthly by card or bank, not through Apple or Google. The terms limit sharing to people you know.
Can you use Rocket Money and Monarch Money together?
Yes, you can use Rocket Money and Monarch Money together, since each connects to your accounts on its own. Some people keep Rocket Money's free plan for subscriptions and pay $99.99 a year for Monarch's budget. You'll connect every account twice, so check that both support your bank.
Sources
- https://www.monarch.com/pricing
- https://help.rocketmoney.com/en/articles/2217739-how-much-does-rocket-money-cost
- https://www.rocketmoney.com/
- https://help.monarch.com/hc/en-us/articles/19985735202068-Monarch-FAQs
- https://help.rocketmoney.com/en/articles/4562634-account-sharing-in-rocket-money
Personal finance writer, former Forbes contributor and This Week in Fintech writer. He isn't a financial advisor or a CPA.
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