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Software · head to head

Credit Karma vs Acorns

Credit Karma logo

Credit Karma

Software

Free credit scores, reports, and more

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Acorns logo

Acorns

Software

Invest your spare change

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Credit Karma has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Credit Karma state tax filing costs 15 USD even though federal filing is 0 USD; Acorns a flat monthly subscription regardless of balance, so $3 a month on Bronze is a heavy percentage on a small account
  • They diverge on capability: Credit Karma covers Free credit score, Acorns covers Round-up investing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Credit Karma and Acorns actually diverge.

Attributes where Credit Karma and Acorns differ
AttributeCredit KarmaAcorns
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20072012

Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Credit Karma

  • Free credit score
  • Credit report monitoring
  • Credit card recommendations
  • Tax filing
  • Credit bureaus
  • Financial institutions

Only in Acorns

  • Round-up investing
  • Automated investing
  • Portfolio management
  • Recurring investments
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards

Both cover

  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Credit Karma

  • Monitoring a credit score and the factors affecting it for freenot Acorns
  • Comparing credit card and loan offers with Approval Oddsnot Acorns
  • Filing federal tax returns at no chargenot Acorns

Acorns

  • Automated investing of spare change from everyday purchasesnot Credit Karma
  • Retirement saving through Acorns Later IRA accountsnot Credit Karma
  • Checking and high-yield savings alongside investingnot Credit Karma
  • Custodial investing and debit cards for children through Acorns Earlynot Credit Karma
  • Earning cashback that is invested rather than bankednot Credit Karma

Where each one falls short

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

Credit Karma

  • State tax filing costs 15 USD even though federal filing is 0 USD
  • Credit Spark builds score history against TransUnion, and the site states that not all lenders use TransUnion credit reports or scores
  • Card and loan listings are advertising placements, disclosed on the site as compensation from third party advertisers
  • Send and score update frequency limits are not published on the site

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Credit Karma

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Credit score monitoring
    • Credit reports
    • Personalized recommendations

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Credit Karma if

  • You need free credit score.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want credit report monitoring.
Credit Karma review

Choose Acorns if

  • You need round-up investing.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want automated investing.
Acorns review

Questions people ask

Is Credit Karma or Acorns better?
Neither clearly leads. Credit Karma starts at Free and Acorns at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Credit Karma or Acorns?
Credit Karma has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Credit Karma and On request for Acorns.
Does Credit Karma or Acorns run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Credit Karma for free?
Yes. Credit Karma has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acorns starts at On request.
What is Credit Karma best used for?
Credit Karma is most often used for monitoring a credit score and the factors affecting it for free, comparing credit card and loan offers with approval odds, filing federal tax returns at no charge. Of those, monitoring a credit score and the factors affecting it for free and comparing credit card and loan offers with approval odds are not what Acorns is typically brought in for.
What can Credit Karma do that Acorns cannot?
Credit Karma covers Free credit score, Credit report monitoring, Credit card recommendations, Tax filing. Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.
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