Personal Finance · head to head
E*TRADE vs Splitwise
The short version
- Only Splitwise has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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); Splitwise the free tier limits how many expenses can be added in a day and shows adverts
- They diverge on capability: E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Splitwise covers Bill splitting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which E*TRADE and Splitwise actually diverge.
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 E*TRADE
- Advanced trading tools
- Options and futures
- Research tools
- Mobile trading
- Bank accounts
- Wire transfers
Only in Splitwise
- Bill splitting
- Expense tracking
- Group management
- Settlement tracking
- Venmo
- PayPal
Both cover
- 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 Splitwise
- Expense Trackingnot Splitwise
- Investment Trackingnot Splitwise
Splitwise
- Splitting shared household bills between flatmatesnot E*TRADE
- Tracking who owes what on a group tripnot E*TRADE
- Settling up across currencies on the Pro plannot E*TRADE
- Recording IOUs between friends over timenot 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 $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023)
Splitwise
- The free tier limits how many expenses can be added in a day and shows adverts
- Transaction import works in the United States only
- Currency conversion, receipt scanning, charts and expense search are all Pro features
- The Pro price is not shown on the product page
Pricing, plan by plan
E*TRADE
On request- Stock & ETF TradingFree
- Commission-free trades
- Real-time quotes
- Advanced Trading$undefined/month
- All Stock & ETF features
- Options, futures
- Advanced tools
Splitwise
Free- FreeFree
- Bill splitting
- Group tracking
- Mobile app
- Splitwise Pro$4.99/month
- Receipt scanning
- Advanced analytics
- No ads
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 Splitwise if
- You need bill splitting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want expense tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is E*TRADE or Splitwise better?
- Neither clearly leads. E*TRADE starts at On request and Splitwise at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, E*TRADE or Splitwise?
- Splitwise has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for E*TRADE and Free for Splitwise.
- Does E*TRADE or Splitwise run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Splitwise for free?
- Yes. Splitwise has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. E*TRADE starts at On request.
- 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 Splitwise is typically brought in for.
- What can E*TRADE do that Splitwise cannot?
- E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Options and futures, Research tools, Mobile trading. Splitwise covers Bill splitting, Expense tracking, Group management, Settlement tracking. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.