MyGood vs Monarch: Dashboard or Paycheck Budget?
See your own safe-to-spend number Free paycheck budget, set up in 60 seconds →Short answer: Monarch is a full financial dashboard built around syncing all your accounts, investments and net worth included, and it costs $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year with no free plan. MyGood is a paycheck budget that tells you what you can spend today, and its free plan needs no bank login. Pick Monarch to see everything in one place; pick MyGood to stay on track between paychecks.
MyGood vs Monarch at a glance
| MyGood | Monarch | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, no time limit | No (one-week trial) |
| Paid price | $9.99/month | $14.99/month or $99.99/year |
| Built around | Your paychecks and bills | Syncing all your accounts |
| Bank login needed | No | Account syncing is the core feature |
| Daily safe-to-spend | Yes | No |
| Investments and net worth | No | Yes |
| Partner access | Shared budgets on Pro | Household members at no extra cost |
Where Monarch is the better pick
- You want the whole picture. Checking, credit cards, loans, investments and net worth in one dashboard.
- You're happy to link every account. Monarch's value comes from the sync.
- You manage money as a household. Members join under one subscription at no extra cost.
Where MyGood is the better pick
- You need to get to the next paycheck. MyGood assigns each bill to the paycheck that pays it and gives you a per-day number until payday. A dashboard of balances doesn't answer "can I spend $40 today?"
- You don't want to link your bank. MyGood works fully with manual entry; bank sync is optional on Pro.
- You don't want another $100-a-year subscription. MyGood's free plan has no time limit.
Can you use both?
Yes, and some people do: Monarch for the long view (net worth, investments, yearly trends), MyGood for the day to day. If budget is the reason you're comparing, though, start with MyGood's free plan and see whether the daily number is what you were missing.
Know what you can spend today.
Free paycheck budget, set up in 60 seconds. No credit card, no bank login.
Try MyGood free → Or try the safe-to-spend calculator first, no sign-up.Frequently asked questions
How much does Monarch Money cost?
Monarch costs $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year after a one-week free trial, and there is no free plan (checked October 2026). Household members can join under the same subscription at no extra cost.
Is there a free alternative to Monarch?
Yes. MyGood has a free plan with no time limit that covers paycheck budgeting, a daily safe-to-spend number, bills and a debt snowball. It does not track investments or net worth the way Monarch does.
Does MyGood track investments or net worth?
No. MyGood focuses on paychecks, bills and day-to-day spending. For investments and net worth, a dashboard app like Monarch is the better fit.
Which is better for living paycheck to paycheck, MyGood or Monarch?
MyGood. It budgets one paycheck at a time and shows how much you can safely spend per day until payday, for free and without linking a bank. Monarch is built for an overview of all your accounts.
Do I need to link my bank to use MyGood?
No. MyGood works with manual entry. Bank sync through Plaid is an optional Pro feature.