Personal Finance · head to head
EveryDollar vs Acorns
The short version
- Only EveryDollar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: EveryDollar the free version has no bank connection, so every transaction is entered by hand; 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: EveryDollar covers Zero-based budgeting, Acorns covers Round-up investing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which EveryDollar and Acorns actually diverge.
| Attribute | EveryDollar | Acorns |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2014 | 2012 |
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 EveryDollar
- Zero-based budgeting
- Transaction tracking
- Budget planning
- Financial insights
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.
EveryDollar
- Zero based monthly budgeting using the Ramsey methodnot Acorns
- Tracking bills and sinking funds by categorynot Acorns
- Automatically importing bank transactions into a budget on Premiumnot Acorns
Acorns
- Automated investing of spare change from everyday purchasesnot EveryDollar
- Retirement saving through Acorns Later IRA accountsnot EveryDollar
- Checking and high-yield savings alongside investingnot EveryDollar
- Custodial investing and debit cards for children through Acorns Earlynot EveryDollar
- Earning cashback that is invested rather than bankednot EveryDollar
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
EveryDollar
- The free version has no bank connection, so every transaction is entered by hand
- CSV export of budget data is Premium only
- Spending reports and historical comparisons are Premium only
- Premium costs $17.99 per month billed monthly, and the $6.67 headline rate requires paying $79.99 for a year up front
- The free trial lasts 14 days and is limited to new users
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
EveryDollar
Free- FreeFree
- Manual budget entry
- Plus$14.99/month
- Bank sync
- Mobile app
- Transaction tracking
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 EveryDollar if
- You need zero-based budgeting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want transaction tracking.
Choose Acorns if
- You need round-up investing.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want automated investing.
Questions people ask
- Is EveryDollar or Acorns better?
- Neither clearly leads. EveryDollar 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, EveryDollar or Acorns?
- EveryDollar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for EveryDollar and On request for Acorns.
- Does EveryDollar 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 EveryDollar for free?
- Yes. EveryDollar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acorns starts at On request.
- What is EveryDollar best used for?
- EveryDollar is most often used for zero based monthly budgeting using the ramsey method, tracking bills and sinking funds by category, automatically importing bank transactions into a budget on premium. Of those, zero based monthly budgeting using the ramsey method and tracking bills and sinking funds by category are not what Acorns is typically brought in for.
- What can EveryDollar do that Acorns cannot?
- EveryDollar covers Zero-based budgeting, Transaction tracking, Budget planning, Financial insights. Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. Both handle Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support, Android support.