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Personal Finance · head to head

Acorns vs Skrill

Acorns logo

Acorns

Personal Finance

Invest your spare change

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Skrill logo

Skrill

Personal Finance

Fast and secure money transfer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Skrill 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; Skrill a currency conversion fee of 4.49 percent applies to most conversions
  • They diverge on capability: Acorns covers Round-up investing, Skrill covers Money transfers.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acorns and Skrill actually diverge.

Attributes where Acorns and Skrill differ
AttributeAcornsSkrill
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptiontransaction
Free tierNoYes
Founded20122001

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
  • Debit cards

Only in Skrill

  • Money transfers
  • Digital wallet
  • Currency conversion
  • Prepaid card

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

Skrill

  • Sending money internationally from a prepaid digital walletnot Acorns
  • Funding and withdrawing from online merchants and gaming sitesnot Acorns
  • Buying and selling cryptocurrency inside a wallet accountnot 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

Skrill

  • A currency conversion fee of 4.49 percent applies to most conversions
  • An inactivity fee of EUR 5.00 is deducted monthly after six months with no login or transaction
  • Card deposits carry a 2.50 percent fee
  • SWIFT bank withdrawals cost 2.80 percent with a minimum fee of EUR 3.5
  • Skrill to Skrill transfers cost 2.99 percent with a EUR 0.50 minimum on standard accounts, reduced to 1.45 percent only for True Skriller accounts
  • Crypto trading fees are tiered by VIP status, from 1.50 percent standard down to 1.30 percent at Gold and Diamond VIP

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

Skrill

Free
  • Free AccountFree
    • Money transfers
    • Digital wallet
  • Premier Account$undefined/month
    • Higher limits
    • Special rates

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 Skrill if

  • You need money transfers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want digital wallet.
Skrill review

Questions people ask

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