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Software · head to head

Acorns vs Rocket Money

Acorns logo

Acorns

Software

Invest your spare change

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rocket Money logo

Rocket Money

Software

Cancel subscriptions and save money automatically

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Rocket Money 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; Rocket Money successful bill negotiation costs a one time fee of 35% to 60% of the first year's savings
  • They diverge on capability: Acorns covers Round-up investing, Rocket Money covers Subscription tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acorns and Rocket Money actually diverge.

Attributes where Acorns and Rocket Money differ
AttributeAcornsRocket Money
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20122016

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
  • Debit cards

Only in Rocket Money

  • Subscription tracking
  • Bill negotiation
  • Automatic savings
  • Spending insights
  • Credit score monitoring
  • Utility providers

Both cover

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

Rocket Money

  • Finding and cancelling unwanted subscriptionsnot Acorns
  • Tracking bills and spending in one appnot Acorns
  • Having a third party negotiate down recurring billsnot 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

Rocket Money

  • Successful bill negotiation costs a one time fee of 35% to 60% of the first year's savings
  • Premium is priced on a sliding scale and the help centre publishes no fixed monthly or annual amount, stating rates vary across platforms
  • Custom budget categories, financial goal plans, credit score tracking and real time account syncing are Premium only
  • The Premium free trial is 7 days

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

Rocket Money

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Subscription tracking
    • Spending insights
    • Bill reminders
  • Premium$12/month
    • Bill negotiation
    • Subscription cancellation
    • Smart savings

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 Rocket Money if

  • You need subscription tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want bill negotiation.
Rocket Money review

Questions people ask

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