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Personal Finance · head to head

Acorns vs MakerDAO

Acorns logo

Acorns

Personal Finance

Invest your spare change

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MakerDAO logo

MakerDAO

Cryptocurrency & Blockchain

The decentralized stablecoin protocol

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MakerDAO 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; MakerDAO makerDAO is governed as a decentralized autonomous organization by MKR token holder vote rather than a vendor, so it has no company-set price list, subscription tiers or sales contact; access and fees (stability fee, liquidation ratio) are set by on-chain governance vote rather than published as a product price
  • They diverge on capability: Acorns covers Round-up investing, MakerDAO covers DAI Stablecoin.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acorns and MakerDAO actually diverge.

Attributes where Acorns and MakerDAO differ
AttributeAcornsMakerDAO
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryPersonal FinanceCryptocurrency & Blockchain
Founded20122015

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • IOS support

Only in MakerDAO

  • DAI Stablecoin
  • Vaults
  • Stability Fees
  • Liquidations
  • Governance
  • MKR Token
  • DAI
  • Spark Protocol

Both cover

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

MakerDAO

  • Definot Acorns
  • Stablecoinnot Acorns
  • Lendingnot 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

MakerDAO

  • MakerDAO is governed as a decentralized autonomous organization by MKR token holder vote rather than a vendor, so it has no company-set price list, subscription tiers or sales contact; access and fees (stability fee, liquidation ratio) are set by on-chain governance vote rather than published as a product price

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

MakerDAO

Free
  • FreeFree
    • DAI minting
    • Vaults
    • Governance

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 MakerDAO if

  • You need dai stablecoin.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want vaults.
MakerDAO review

Questions people ask

Is Acorns or MakerDAO better?
Neither clearly leads. Acorns starts at On request and MakerDAO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acorns or MakerDAO?
MakerDAO has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Acorns and Free for MakerDAO.
Does Acorns or MakerDAO run on more platforms?
Acorns runs on Web, IOS, Android. MakerDAO runs on Web.
Can I use MakerDAO for free?
Yes. MakerDAO 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 MakerDAO is typically brought in for.
What can Acorns do that MakerDAO cannot?
Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. MakerDAO covers DAI Stablecoin, Vaults, Stability Fees, Liquidations. Both handle Web support.
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