Personal Finance · head to head
Coinbase vs Betterment
Coinbase
Personal Finance
Buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrency with ease
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Coinbase has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Coinbase the App Store listing states standard Coinbase trades carry fees and that a paid Coinbase One subscription is needed for zero trading fees and boosted staking rewards, and that fractional stock shares start at $1.; Betterment digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
- They diverge on capability: Coinbase covers Cryptocurrency Trading, Betterment covers Automated investing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Coinbase and Betterment actually diverge.
| Attribute | Coinbase | Betterment |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $5/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2012 | 2008 |
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 Coinbase
- Cryptocurrency Trading
- Staking
- Coinbase Wallet
- Coinbase Card
- Bank transfers
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Ios support
Only in Betterment
- Automated investing
- Retirement planning
- Financial advisory
- Goal tracking
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- IOS support
Both cover
- Web support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Coinbase
- Exchangesnot Betterment
- Tradingnot Betterment
- Walletsnot Betterment
Betterment
- Small investors starting with automated investing at no minimum balancenot Coinbase
- Fee-only digital wealth management for accounts under $24,000 via $5/month flat feenot Coinbase
- Premium advisory access for high-net-worth individuals with $100,000+ balancenot Coinbase
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Coinbase
- The App Store listing states standard Coinbase trades carry fees and that a paid Coinbase One subscription is needed for zero trading fees and boosted staking rewards, and that fractional stock shares start at $1.
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
Coinbase
Free- FreeFree
- Buy and sell crypto
- Coinbase Wallet
- Staking rewards
- Coinbase One$29.99/month
- Zero trading fees
- Priority support
- Advanced trading tools
Betterment
$5/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Betterment review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Coinbase if
- You need cryptocurrency trading.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want staking.
Choose Betterment if
- You need automated investing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want retirement planning.
Questions people ask
- Is Coinbase or Betterment better?
- Neither clearly leads. Coinbase starts at Free and Betterment at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Coinbase or Betterment?
- Coinbase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Coinbase and $5/month for Betterment.
- Does Coinbase or Betterment run on more platforms?
- Coinbase runs on Web, Ios, Android. Betterment runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Coinbase for free?
- Yes. Coinbase has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Betterment starts at $5/month.
- What is Coinbase best used for?
- Coinbase is most often used for exchanges, trading, wallets. Of those, exchanges and trading are not what Betterment is typically brought in for.
- What can Coinbase do that Betterment cannot?
- Coinbase covers Cryptocurrency Trading, Staking, Coinbase Wallet, Coinbase Card. Betterment covers Automated investing, Retirement planning, Financial advisory, Goal tracking. Both handle Web support, Android support.