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Software · head to head

Moneydance vs Fidelity

Moneydance logo

Moneydance

Software

Cross-platform personal finance management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fidelity logo

Fidelity

Software

Building a better financial future

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Moneydance the free trial is limited to 100 manually entered transactions; Fidelity options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • They diverge on capability: Moneydance covers Bill tracking, Fidelity covers Commission-free trading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Moneydance and Fidelity actually diverge.

Attributes where Moneydance and Fidelity differ
AttributeMoneydanceFidelity
Pricing modelone-timetransaction
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, IOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20011946

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Moneydance

  • Bill tracking
  • Investment monitoring
  • Budget tracking
  • Financial forecasting
  • OFX import
  • Windows support
  • Mac support
  • Linux support

Only in Fidelity

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

Both cover

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

What people use each for

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

Moneydance

  • Desktop personal finance management on macOS, Windows and Linuxnot Fidelity
  • Importing and reconciling bank and credit card transactions locallynot Fidelity
  • Tracking investments and budgets without a cloud-only servicenot Fidelity

Fidelity

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

Where each one falls short

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

Moneydance

  • The free trial is limited to 100 manually entered transactions
  • A one-time Buy Once purchase covers Moneydance 2024 plus one free upgrade to the next major release, not all future versions
  • Bank connection features are sold separately as the Moneydance Plus subscription rather than included in the one-time purchase
  • Business use requires one licence per computer, while the household licence covers personal use only

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Moneydance

On request
  • Perpetual License$59.99/month
    • Full feature set
    • Free updates

Fidelity

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Moneydance if

  • You need bill tracking.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android.
  • You also want investment monitoring.
Moneydance review

Choose Fidelity if

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

Questions people ask

Is Moneydance or Fidelity better?
Neither clearly leads. Moneydance starts at On request and Fidelity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Moneydance or Fidelity?
Moneydance starts at On request and Fidelity at On request.
Does Moneydance or Fidelity run on more platforms?
Moneydance runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android. Fidelity runs on Web, IOS, Android.
What is Moneydance best used for?
Moneydance is most often used for desktop personal finance management on macos, windows and linux, importing and reconciling bank and credit card transactions locally, tracking investments and budgets without a cloud-only service. Of those, desktop personal finance management on macos, windows and linux and importing and reconciling bank and credit card transactions locally are not what Fidelity is typically brought in for.
What can Moneydance do that Fidelity cannot?
Moneydance covers Bill tracking, Investment monitoring, Budget tracking, Financial forecasting. Fidelity covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Advisory services, Research tools. Both handle Bank accounts, Investment accounts, IOS support, Android support.
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