Software · head to head
Acorns vs Apple Pay
The short version
- Only Apple Pay has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Acorns a flat monthly subscription regardless of balance, so $3 a month on Bronze is a heavy percentage on a small account; Apple Pay apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets
- They diverge on capability: Acorns covers Round-up investing, Apple Pay covers Digital wallet.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Acorns and Apple Pay actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Acorns
- Round-up investing
- Automated investing
- Portfolio management
- Recurring investments
- Web support
- Android support
Only in Apple Pay
- Digital wallet
- Secure payments
- Contactless transactions
- P2P money transfers
- WatchOS support
- MacOS support
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- IOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Acorns
- Automated investing of spare change from everyday purchasesnot Apple Pay
- Retirement saving through Acorns Later IRA accountsnot Apple Pay
- Checking and high-yield savings alongside investingnot Apple Pay
- Custodial investing and debit cards for children through Acorns Earlynot Apple Pay
- Earning cashback that is invested rather than bankednot Apple Pay
Apple Pay
- Contactless in store payment from iPhone and Apple Watchnot Acorns
- Paying in apps and on the web without entering card detailsnot Acorns
- Sending money between Apple users with Apple Cash and Tap to Cashnot Acorns
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Acorns
- A flat monthly subscription regardless of balance, so $3 a month on Bronze is a heavy percentage on a small account
- The emergency savings account and the 1 percent IRA match need Silver at $6 a month
- Custom portfolios, Acorns Early for children and Money Manager are Gold tier only at $12 a month
- There is no free tier
Apple Pay
- Apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets
- Apple Cash is available only in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
- Apple Cash Family accounts and Tap to Cash transactions are each capped at 2000 USD within a rolling seven day period
- Mac support requires a Touch ID equipped model
- A card works only if the issuing bank supports Apple Pay, and banks may charge their own overseas usage fees
Pricing, plan by plan
Acorns
On request- Lite$4.99/month
- Round-up investing
- Automated portfolio
- Plus$9.99/month
- All Lite features
- Checking account
- Dollar-based investing
- Premier$19.99/month
- All Plus features
- Premium investing
Apple Pay
Free- FreeFree
- Secure payments
- P2P transfers
- Transit passes
Which should you pick?
Choose Acorns if
- You need round-up investing.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want automated investing.
Choose Apple Pay if
- You need digital wallet.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS.
- You also want secure payments.
Questions people ask
- Is Acorns or Apple Pay better?
- Neither clearly leads. Acorns starts at On request and Apple Pay at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Acorns or Apple Pay?
- Apple Pay has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Acorns and Free for Apple Pay.
- Does Acorns or Apple Pay run on more platforms?
- Acorns runs on Web, IOS, Android. Apple Pay runs on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS.
- Can I use Apple Pay for free?
- Yes. Apple Pay has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acorns starts at On request.
- What is Acorns best used for?
- Acorns is most often used for automated investing of spare change from everyday purchases, retirement saving through acorns later ira accounts, checking and high-yield savings alongside investing, custodial investing and debit cards for children through acorns early. Of those, automated investing of spare change from everyday purchases and retirement saving through acorns later ira accounts are not what Apple Pay is typically brought in for.
- What can Acorns do that Apple Pay cannot?
- Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Secure payments, Contactless transactions, P2P money transfers. Both handle Bank accounts, Credit cards, Debit cards, IOS support.