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Personal Finance · head to head

Moneydance vs Robinhood

Moneydance logo

Moneydance

Personal Finance

Cross-platform personal finance management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Robinhood logo

Robinhood

Personal Finance

Investing for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Robinhood has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Moneydance the free trial is limited to 100 manually entered transactions; Robinhood robinhood Gold costs 5 USD a month after a 30 day free trial
  • They diverge on capability: Moneydance covers Bill tracking, Robinhood covers Commission-free trading.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Moneydance and Robinhood actually diverge.

Attributes where Moneydance and Robinhood differ
AttributeMoneydanceRobinhood
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelone-timefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, IOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20012013

Identical on both: 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 Moneydance

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

Only in Robinhood

  • Commission-free trading
  • Options trading
  • Crypto trading
  • Fractional shares
  • Crypto wallets
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Bank 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 Robinhood
  • Importing and reconciling bank and credit card transactions locallynot Robinhood
  • Tracking investments and budgets without a cloud-only servicenot Robinhood

Robinhood

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFs from a phonenot Moneydance
  • Options and futures trading for retail investorsnot Moneydance
  • Holding an IRA with a contribution matchnot 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

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

Moneydance

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

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 Moneydance if

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

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.
Robinhood review

Questions people ask

Is Moneydance or Robinhood better?
Neither clearly leads. Moneydance starts at On request and Robinhood at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Moneydance or Robinhood?
Robinhood has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Moneydance and Free for Robinhood.
Does Moneydance or Robinhood run on more platforms?
Moneydance runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android. Robinhood runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Robinhood for free?
Yes. Robinhood has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Moneydance starts at On request.
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 Robinhood is typically brought in for.
What can Moneydance do that Robinhood cannot?
Moneydance covers Bill tracking, Investment monitoring, Budget tracking, Financial forecasting. Robinhood covers Commission-free trading, Options trading, Crypto trading, Fractional shares. Both handle Bank accounts, IOS support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Moneydance: How much does Moneydance cost?

Moneydance pricing is not disclosed on the main website; customers must visit the purchase page to view rates. The software includes a 90-day money back guarantee.

Source
Robinhood: What is the minimum amount needed to open a Robinhood account?

You can get started with as little as $1.

Source
Moneydance: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Moneydance offers a free trial that is fully functional but limited to entering up to 100 manually entered transactions.

Source
Robinhood: What does Robinhood Gold cost and what does it include?

Robinhood Gold is $5 per month and includes zero management fees on portfolios exceeding $100,000 through Robinhood Strategies.

Source
Robinhood: Are there trading commissions on Robinhood?

Robinhood offers 24/5 commission-free stock and ETF trading. Other fees may apply to your brokerage account as detailed in the RHF Fee Schedule.

Source
Robinhood: What cash back rate does Robinhood's credit card offer?

The Robinhood Agentic Credit Card offers 3% cash back on purchases.

Source
Robinhood: How much FDIC insurance coverage do Robinhood Cash Card accounts have?

Cash Card accounts are covered up to $250,000 through FDIC insurance via Sutton Bank.

Source
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