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Personal Finance · head to head

Apple Pay vs Robinhood

Apple Pay logo

Apple Pay

Personal Finance

The easier way to pay and send money

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Robinhood logo

Robinhood

Personal Finance

Investing for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apple Pay apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets; Robinhood robinhood Gold costs 5 USD a month after a 30 day free trial
  • They diverge on capability: Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Robinhood covers Commission-free trading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apple Pay and Robinhood actually diverge.

Attributes where Apple Pay and Robinhood differ
AttributeApple PayRobinhood
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsIOS, WatchOS, MacOSWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20142013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Apple Pay

  • Digital wallet
  • Secure payments
  • Contactless transactions
  • P2P money transfers
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • WatchOS support
  • MacOS support

Only in Robinhood

  • Commission-free trading
  • Options trading
  • Crypto trading
  • Fractional shares
  • Crypto wallets
  • Web support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Bank accounts
  • IOS support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apple Pay

  • Contactless in store payment from iPhone and Apple Watchnot Robinhood
  • Paying in apps and on the web without entering card detailsnot Robinhood
  • Sending money between Apple users with Apple Cash and Tap to Cashnot Robinhood

Robinhood

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFs from a phonenot Apple Pay
  • Options and futures trading for retail investorsnot Apple Pay
  • Holding an IRA with a contribution matchnot Apple Pay

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apple Pay

  • Apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets
  • Apple Cash is available only in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
  • Apple Cash Family accounts and Tap to Cash transactions are each capped at 2000 USD within a rolling seven day period
  • Mac support requires a Touch ID equipped model
  • A card works only if the issuing bank supports Apple Pay, and banks may charge their own overseas usage fees

Robinhood

  • Robinhood Gold costs 5 USD a month after a 30 day free trial
  • The 3.35 percent APY on brokerage cash is available only to Gold subscribers
  • The 3 percent IRA contribution match requires keeping the Gold subscription for one year and leaving the assets in the IRA for five years, and is capped at 225 USD against 2026 contribution maximums
  • Reduced contract fees of 0.50 USD per futures contract and 0.35 USD per index option apply only to Gold subscribers
  • Management fees are waived only above 100K USD in expert managed portfolios

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple Pay

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Secure payments
    • P2P transfers
    • Transit passes

Robinhood

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Commission-free trading
    • Real-time data
    • Mobile app
  • Gold$4.99/month
    • All Free features
    • Extended hours trading
    • Premium research

Which should you pick?

Choose Apple Pay if

  • You need digital wallet.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS.
  • You also want secure payments.
Apple Pay review

Choose Robinhood if

  • You need commission-free trading.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want options trading.
Robinhood review

Questions people ask

Is Apple Pay or Robinhood better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple Pay starts at Free and Robinhood at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple Pay or Robinhood?
Apple Pay starts at Free and Robinhood at Free.
Does Apple Pay or Robinhood run on more platforms?
Apple Pay runs on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS. Robinhood runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Apple Pay for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apple Pay best used for?
Apple Pay is most often used for contactless in store payment from iphone and apple watch, paying in apps and on the web without entering card details, sending money between apple users with apple cash and tap to cash. Of those, contactless in store payment from iphone and apple watch and paying in apps and on the web without entering card details are not what Robinhood is typically brought in for.
What can Apple Pay do that Robinhood cannot?
Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Secure payments, Contactless transactions, P2P money transfers. Robinhood covers Commission-free trading, Options trading, Crypto trading, Fractional shares. Both handle Bank accounts, IOS support.
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