Personal Finance · head to head
E*TRADE vs Acorns
The short version
- Each has a real cost: E*TRADE stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023); 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: E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Acorns covers Round-up investing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which E*TRADE and Acorns actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 E*TRADE
- Advanced trading tools
- Options and futures
- Research tools
- Mobile trading
- Wire transfers
Only in Acorns
- Round-up investing
- Automated investing
- Portfolio management
- Recurring investments
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- Web support
- IOS support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
E*TRADE
- Budget Managementnot Acorns
- Expense Trackingnot Acorns
- Investment Trackingnot Acorns
Acorns
- Automated investing of spare change from everyday purchasesnot E*TRADE
- Retirement saving through Acorns Later IRA accountsnot E*TRADE
- Checking and high-yield savings alongside investingnot E*TRADE
- Custodial investing and debit cards for children through Acorns Earlynot E*TRADE
- Earning cashback that is invested rather than bankednot E*TRADE
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
E*TRADE
- Stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023)
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 $12 a month
- There is no free tier
Pricing, plan by plan
E*TRADE
On request- Stock & ETF TradingFree
- Commission-free trades
- Real-time quotes
- Advanced Trading$undefined/month
- All Stock & ETF features
- Options, futures
- Advanced tools
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 E*TRADE if
- You need advanced trading tools.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want options and futures.
Choose Acorns if
- You need round-up investing.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want automated investing.
Questions people ask
- Is E*TRADE or Acorns better?
- Neither clearly leads. E*TRADE starts at On request and Acorns at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, E*TRADE or Acorns?
- E*TRADE starts at On request and Acorns at On request.
- Does E*TRADE or Acorns run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is E*TRADE best used for?
- E*TRADE is most often used for budget management, expense tracking, investment tracking. Of those, budget management and expense tracking are not what Acorns is typically brought in for.
- What can E*TRADE do that Acorns cannot?
- E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Options and futures, Research tools, Mobile trading. Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. Both handle Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support, Android support.