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Personal Finance · head to head

Fidelity vs Monarch Money

Fidelity logo

Fidelity

Personal Finance

Building a better financial future

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Monarch Money logo

Monarch Money

Personal Finance

All-in-one wealth management platform

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fidelity options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission; Monarch Money the free trial is one week, after which a paid subscription is required to keep using the app
  • They diverge on capability: Fidelity covers Commission-free trading, Monarch Money covers Budget management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fidelity and Monarch Money actually diverge.

Attributes where Fidelity and Monarch Money differ
AttributeFidelityMonarch Money
Starting priceOn request$99/year
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Founded19462022

Identical on both: 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 Fidelity

  • Commission-free trading
  • Retirement planning
  • Advisory services
  • Research tools

Only in Monarch Money

  • Budget management
  • Investment tracking
  • Tax planning
  • Financial insights
  • Cryptocurrency

Both cover

  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Fidelity

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFsnot Monarch Money
  • Holding IRAs, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accountsnot Monarch Money
  • Trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one accountnot Monarch Money

Monarch Money

  • Tracking household budgets and spending across linked bank accountsnot Fidelity
  • Shared budgeting between partners in one accountnot Fidelity
  • Monitoring net worth and investment balances alongside cash accountsnot Fidelity

Where each one falls short

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

Fidelity

  • Options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • Non Fidelity mutual funds carry a 49.95 USD transaction fee per purchase
  • Secondary market bonds cost 1.00 USD per bond, while new issues are free
  • A foreign settlement fee of 50 USD applies per trade
  • Margin rates are tiered by debit balance, from 11.825 percent below 25,000 USD down to 7.50 percent at 1 million USD or more, against a base rate of 10.575 percent effective 12 December 2025
  • Margin liquidation by the broker costs 32.95 USD per liquidation

Monarch Money

  • The free trial is one week, after which a paid subscription is required to keep using the app
  • The advertised 30 percent discount with code WELCOME applies to the first year only and is restricted to new users
  • There is no free tier, and a Plus tier gates features above the base subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

Fidelity

On request
  • Brokerage$undefined/month
    • Commission-free trading
    • Research tools
  • Advisory$undefined/month
    • Personal advisor
    • Wealth management

Monarch Money

$99/year
  • Core Plan$99/year
    • 7-day free trial
  • Plus$null/year
    • Premium features

Which should you pick?

Choose Fidelity if

  • You need commission-free trading.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Fidelity review

Choose Monarch Money if

  • You need budget management.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want investment tracking.
Monarch Money review

Questions people ask

Is Fidelity or Monarch Money better?
Neither clearly leads. Fidelity starts at On request and Monarch Money at $99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fidelity or Monarch Money?
Fidelity starts at On request and Monarch Money at $99/year.
Does Fidelity or Monarch Money run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Fidelity best used for?
Fidelity is most often used for commission free trading of us stocks and etfs, holding iras, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accounts, trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one account. Of those, commission free trading of us stocks and etfs and holding iras, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accounts are not what Monarch Money is typically brought in for.
What can Fidelity do that Monarch Money cannot?
Fidelity covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Advisory services, Research tools. Monarch Money covers Budget management, Investment tracking, Tax planning, Financial insights. Both handle Bank accounts, Investment accounts, Web support, IOS support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Monarch Money: How much does Monarch Money cost?

Monarch Money Core plan costs 99 USD/year, referenced in customer testimonials and promo code terms. Additional Plus tier exists but specific pricing is not disclosed on the main page.

Source
Monarch Money: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Monarch Money offers a 7-day free trial for new users with no credit card required.

Source
Monarch Money: Are there discounts available?

Monarch Money offers 30% off the first year with promo code WELCOME for new members on annual Core plan subscriptions. Cannot be combined with other offers.

Source
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