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Personal Finance · head to head

Acorns vs EveryDollar

Acorns logo

Acorns

Personal Finance

Invest your spare change

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
EveryDollar logo

EveryDollar

Personal Finance

Budget every dollar, build wealth faster

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only EveryDollar 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; EveryDollar the free version has no bank connection, so every transaction is entered by hand
  • They diverge on capability: Acorns covers Round-up investing, EveryDollar covers Zero-based budgeting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acorns and EveryDollar actually diverge.

Attributes where Acorns and EveryDollar differ
AttributeAcornsEveryDollar
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20122014

Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

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
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards

Only in EveryDollar

  • Zero-based budgeting
  • Transaction tracking
  • Budget planning
  • Financial insights

Both cover

  • Bank accounts
  • 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 EveryDollar
  • Retirement saving through Acorns Later IRA accountsnot EveryDollar
  • Checking and high-yield savings alongside investingnot EveryDollar
  • Custodial investing and debit cards for children through Acorns Earlynot EveryDollar
  • Earning cashback that is invested rather than bankednot EveryDollar

EveryDollar

  • Zero based monthly budgeting using the Ramsey methodnot Acorns
  • Tracking bills and sinking funds by categorynot Acorns
  • Automatically importing bank transactions into a budget on Premiumnot 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

EveryDollar

  • The free version has no bank connection, so every transaction is entered by hand
  • CSV export of budget data is Premium only
  • Spending reports and historical comparisons are Premium only
  • Premium costs $17.99 per month billed monthly, and the $6.67 headline rate requires paying $79.99 for a year up front
  • The free trial lasts 14 days and is limited to new users

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

EveryDollar

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Manual budget entry
  • Plus$14.99/month
    • Bank sync
    • Mobile app
    • Transaction tracking

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 EveryDollar if

  • You need zero-based budgeting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want transaction tracking.
EveryDollar review

Questions people ask

Is Acorns or EveryDollar better?
Neither clearly leads. Acorns starts at On request and EveryDollar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acorns or EveryDollar?
EveryDollar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Acorns and Free for EveryDollar.
Does Acorns or EveryDollar run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use EveryDollar for free?
Yes. EveryDollar 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 EveryDollar is typically brought in for.
What can Acorns do that EveryDollar cannot?
Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. EveryDollar covers Zero-based budgeting, Transaction tracking, Budget planning, Financial insights. Both handle Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support, Android support.
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