Personal Finance · head to head
Acorns vs Tiller Money
The short version
- 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; Tiller Money no native mobile app means mobile access limited to Google Sheets or Excel apps
- They diverge on capability: Acorns covers Round-up investing, Tiller Money covers Auto-populates financial data.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Acorns and Tiller Money actually diverge.
| Attribute | Acorns | Tiller Money |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $79/year |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web, IOS, Android | Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel |
| Founded | 2012 | 2015 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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
- IOS support
- Android support
Only in Tiller Money
- Auto-populates financial data
- Customizable spreadsheets
- Budget tracking
- Financial templates
- Google Sheets
- Excel
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- 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 Tiller Money
- Retirement saving through Acorns Later IRA accountsnot Tiller Money
- Checking and high-yield savings alongside investingnot Tiller Money
- Custodial investing and debit cards for children through Acorns Earlynot Tiller Money
- Earning cashback that is invested rather than bankednot Tiller Money
Tiller Money
- Budget Managementnot Acorns
- Expense Trackingnot Acorns
- Investment Trackingnot 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
Tiller Money
- No native mobile app means mobile access limited to Google Sheets or Excel apps
- Spreadsheet-based interface can be intimidating for non-technical users unfamiliar with formulas
- Requires manual customization and setup of templates and formulas for advanced features
- No built-in investment performance tracking or analysis at the depth some competitors offer
- Customer support is email and community-based, not real-time chat or phone support
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
Tiller Money
$79/year- Annual Subscription$79/year
- Unlimited transaction import
- Up to 5 connected spreadsheets
- AutoCat categorization
Which should you pick?
Choose Acorns if
- You need round-up investing.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want automated investing.
Choose Tiller Money if
- You need auto-populates financial data.
- You work on Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel.
- You also want customizable spreadsheets.
Questions people ask
- Is Acorns or Tiller Money better?
- Neither clearly leads. Acorns starts at On request and Tiller Money at $79/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Acorns or Tiller Money?
- Acorns starts at On request and Tiller Money at $79/year.
- Does Acorns or Tiller Money run on more platforms?
- Acorns runs on Web, IOS, Android. Tiller Money runs on Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel.
- 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 Tiller Money is typically brought in for.
- What can Acorns do that Tiller Money cannot?
- Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. Tiller Money covers Auto-populates financial data, Customizable spreadsheets, Budget tracking, Financial templates. Both handle Bank accounts, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Tiller Money: How much does Tiller Money cost?
Tiller Money costs $79 per year with no free tier. A 30-day free trial is available. The annual subscription includes 5 connected spreadsheets and unlimited categories.
SourceTiller Money: Does Tiller work with Google Sheets and Excel?
Yes. Tiller automatically feeds daily bank transactions and account balances to Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel spreadsheets you own. Your data remains yours permanently.
SourceTiller Money: How many banks and financial institutions does Tiller connect to?
Tiller connects to 21,000+ US banks, credit card accounts, brokerages, and loan servicers via Yodlee and MX data providers. New banks are added weekly.
SourceTiller Money: What is AutoCat in Tiller?
AutoCat is Tiller's 100% customizable automatic categorization feature that learns your spending patterns. You can set rules like 'file all grocery store transactions above $10 as groceries and below $10 as snacks.'
SourceTiller Money: Does Tiller have a mobile app?
Tiller does not have a dedicated mobile app. Instead, it uses Google Sheets and Excel apps on mobile devices to access your spreadsheets. Mobile access is primarily for viewing, not transaction entry.
Source