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Acorns vs Credit Karma

Acorns logo

Acorns

Software

Invest your spare change

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Credit Karma logo

Credit Karma

Software

Free credit scores, reports, and more

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Credit Karma 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; Credit Karma state tax filing costs 15 USD even though federal filing is 0 USD
  • They diverge on capability: Acorns covers Round-up investing, Credit Karma covers Free credit score.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acorns and Credit Karma actually diverge.

Attributes where Acorns and Credit Karma differ
AttributeAcornsCredit Karma
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20122007

Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), 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
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards

Only in Credit Karma

  • Free credit score
  • Credit report monitoring
  • Credit card recommendations
  • Tax filing
  • Credit bureaus
  • Financial institutions

Both cover

  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android 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 Credit Karma
  • Retirement saving through Acorns Later IRA accountsnot Credit Karma
  • Checking and high-yield savings alongside investingnot Credit Karma
  • Custodial investing and debit cards for children through Acorns Earlynot Credit Karma
  • Earning cashback that is invested rather than bankednot Credit Karma

Credit Karma

  • Monitoring a credit score and the factors affecting it for freenot Acorns
  • Comparing credit card and loan offers with Approval Oddsnot Acorns
  • Filing federal tax returns at no chargenot 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

Credit Karma

  • State tax filing costs 15 USD even though federal filing is 0 USD
  • Credit Spark builds score history against TransUnion, and the site states that not all lenders use TransUnion credit reports or scores
  • Card and loan listings are advertising placements, disclosed on the site as compensation from third party advertisers
  • Send and score update frequency limits are not published on the site

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

Credit Karma

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Credit score monitoring
    • Credit reports
    • Personalized recommendations

Which should you pick?

Choose Acorns if

  • You need round-up investing.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want automated investing.
Acorns review

Choose Credit Karma if

  • You need free credit score.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want credit report monitoring.
Credit Karma review

Questions people ask

Is Acorns or Credit Karma better?
Neither clearly leads. Acorns starts at On request and Credit Karma at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acorns or Credit Karma?
Credit Karma has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Acorns and Free for Credit Karma.
Does Acorns or Credit Karma run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Credit Karma for free?
Yes. Credit Karma 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 Credit Karma is typically brought in for.
What can Acorns do that Credit Karma cannot?
Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. Credit Karma covers Free credit score, Credit report monitoring, Credit card recommendations, Tax filing. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.
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