Personal Finance · head to head
EveryDollar vs Robinhood
The short version
- Each has a real cost: EveryDollar the free version has no bank connection, so every transaction is entered by hand; Robinhood robinhood Gold costs 5 USD a month after a 30 day free trial
- They diverge on capability: EveryDollar covers Zero-based budgeting, Robinhood covers Commission-free trading.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which EveryDollar and Robinhood actually diverge.
| Attribute | EveryDollar | Robinhood |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 | 2013 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Robinhood
- Commission-free trading
- Options trading
- Crypto trading
- Fractional shares
- Crypto wallets
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 Robinhood
- Tracking bills and sinking funds by categorynot Robinhood
- Automatically importing bank transactions into a budget on Premiumnot Robinhood
Robinhood
- Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFs from a phonenot EveryDollar
- Options and futures trading for retail investorsnot EveryDollar
- Holding an IRA with a contribution matchnot 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
Robinhood
- Robinhood Gold costs 5 USD a month after a 30 day free trial
- The 3.35 percent APY on brokerage cash is available only to Gold subscribers
- The 3 percent IRA contribution match requires keeping the Gold subscription for one year and leaving the assets in the IRA for five years, and is capped at 225 USD against 2026 contribution maximums
- Reduced contract fees of 0.50 USD per futures contract and 0.35 USD per index option apply only to Gold subscribers
- Management fees are waived only above 100K USD in expert managed portfolios
Pricing, plan by plan
EveryDollar
Free- FreeFree
- Manual budget entry
- Plus$14.99/month
- Bank sync
- Mobile app
- Transaction tracking
Robinhood
Free- FreeFree
- Commission-free trading
- Real-time data
- Mobile app
- Gold$4.99/month
- All Free features
- Extended hours trading
- Premium research
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 Robinhood if
- You need commission-free trading.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want options trading.
Questions people ask
- Is EveryDollar or Robinhood better?
- Neither clearly leads. EveryDollar starts at Free and Robinhood at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, EveryDollar or Robinhood?
- EveryDollar starts at Free and Robinhood at Free.
- Does EveryDollar or Robinhood 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?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Robinhood is typically brought in for.
- What can EveryDollar do that Robinhood cannot?
- EveryDollar covers Zero-based budgeting, Transaction tracking, Budget planning, Financial insights. Robinhood covers Commission-free trading, Options trading, Crypto trading, Fractional shares. Both handle Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support, Android support.