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Personal Finance · head to head

Banktivity vs Betterment

Banktivity logo

Banktivity

Personal Finance

Personal finance for Mac and iOS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Betterment logo

Betterment

Personal Finance

Your path to financial independence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Banktivity runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version; Betterment digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
  • They diverge on capability: Banktivity covers Account tracking, Betterment covers Automated investing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Banktivity and Betterment actually diverge.

Attributes where Banktivity and Betterment differ
AttributeBanktivityBetterment
PlatformsMac, IOSWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20072008

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), 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 Banktivity

  • Account tracking
  • Bill management
  • Investment tracking
  • Budget forecasting
  • Mac support

Only in Betterment

  • Automated investing
  • Retirement planning
  • Financial advisory
  • Goal tracking
  • Web support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • IOS support

What people use each for

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

Banktivity

  • Personal budgeting and money management on a Macnot Betterment
  • Investment and net worth trackingnot Betterment
  • Retirement planning projectionsnot Betterment
  • Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot Betterment

Betterment

  • Automated portfolio managementnot Banktivity
  • High-yield cash savingsnot Banktivity
  • Self-directed investingnot Banktivity

Where each one falls short

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

Banktivity

  • Runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version
  • Pricing is not shown on the product page and sits behind a separate plans page

Betterment

  • Digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
  • Premium advisory service requires minimum balance of $100,000 in eligible investments
  • Foreign transaction fees apply to checking account (though reimbursed after the fact)
  • High-balance fee discounts only available above $1,000,000 account balance

Pricing, plan by plan

Banktivity

On request
  • Monthly$4.99/month
    • Full feature access
    • Cloud sync
  • Annual$39.99/month
    • All monthly features
    • Discounted rate

Betterment

On request
  • Automated Investing$null/month
    • AUM-based or flat monthly advisory fees
  • Premium Service$0.4/percent of AUM
    • Requires $100,000 minimum balance
  • Self-Directed InvestingFree
    • No wrap fee
  • High-Yield Cash$4/APY promotional
    • $10 minimum deposit
    • New customer boost through 1/15/2027

Which should you pick?

Choose Banktivity if

  • You need account tracking.
  • You work on Mac, IOS.
  • You also want bill management.
Banktivity review

Choose Betterment if

  • You need automated investing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Betterment review

Questions people ask

Is Banktivity or Betterment better?
Neither clearly leads. Banktivity starts at On request and Betterment at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Banktivity or Betterment?
Banktivity starts at On request and Betterment at On request.
Does Banktivity or Betterment run on more platforms?
Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS. Betterment runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Banktivity best used for?
Banktivity is most often used for personal budgeting and money management on a mac, investment and net worth tracking, retirement planning projections, connecting to over 14,000 financial institutions. Of those, personal budgeting and money management on a mac and investment and net worth tracking are not what Betterment is typically brought in for.
What can Banktivity do that Betterment cannot?
Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Investment tracking, Budget forecasting. Betterment covers Automated investing, Retirement planning, Financial advisory, Goal tracking. Both handle Bank accounts, Investment accounts, IOS support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Banktivity: Does Banktivity offer a free trial?

Yes. Banktivity offers a 30-day free trial at any subscription level with no credit card required. This allows you to test the platform before committing.

Source
Betterment: What is the minimum to start investing with Betterment?

Betterment requires only $10 to open an account and begin either automated or self-directed investing.

Source
Banktivity: What devices does Banktivity support?

Banktivity is available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad with cross-device sync. Data is encrypted end-to-end across all devices.

Source
Betterment: How much does Betterment's Premium Service cost?

Premium Service charges an additional 0.40% fee on your invested balances and requires a minimum account balance of $100,000.

Source
Banktivity: How many banks does Banktivity connect to?

Banktivity connects to 14,000+ banks, allowing direct connections to most major financial institutions.

Source
Betterment: What APY does Betterment's High-Yield Cash offer?

High-Yield Cash offers 3.25% base APY plus a new customer boost of 0.75% APY (up to $1M) through January 15, 2027, totaling 4.00% promotional APY.

Source
Banktivity: What financial planning tools does Banktivity include?

Banktivity includes budgeting, financial reporting, investment portfolio tracking, retirement planning tools, and net worth tracking across all your accounts.

Source
Betterment: Does Betterment charge a wrap fee on self-directed accounts?

No, Betterment waives its wrap fee for self-directed investing accounts, allowing customers to invest without advisory fees.

Source
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