Personal Finance · head to head
Simplifi vs E*TRADE
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Simplifi there is no free tier at all; E*TRADE stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023)
- They diverge on capability: Simplifi covers Budget tracking, E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Simplifi and E*TRADE actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 Simplifi
- Budget tracking
- Spending analysis
- Goal tracking
- Cash flow insights
- Credit cards
Only in E*TRADE
- Advanced trading tools
- Options and futures
- Research tools
- Mobile trading
- Wire transfers
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.
Simplifi
- Personal budgeting with automatic bank transaction importnot E*TRADE
- Tracking spending, savings goals and net worth in one placenot E*TRADE
E*TRADE
- Budget Managementnot Simplifi
- Expense Trackingnot Simplifi
- Investment Trackingnot Simplifi
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Simplifi
- There is no free tier at all
- The advertised $3.99 a month requires annual billing, against $6.99 paying monthly
- The subscription auto renews yearly at the then current price, which the terms state is subject to change rather than fixed
E*TRADE
- Stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023)
Pricing, plan by plan
Simplifi
On request- Monthly$5.99/month
- Budget tracking
- Spending insights
- Goal setting
- Annual$59.99/month
- All monthly features
- Discounted rate
E*TRADE
On request- Stock & ETF TradingFree
- Commission-free trades
- Real-time quotes
- Advanced Trading$undefined/month
- All Stock & ETF features
- Options, futures
- Advanced tools
Which should you pick?
Choose Simplifi if
- You need budget tracking.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want spending analysis.
Choose E*TRADE if
- You need advanced trading tools.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want options and futures.
Questions people ask
- Is Simplifi or E*TRADE better?
- Neither clearly leads. Simplifi starts at On request and E*TRADE at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Simplifi or E*TRADE?
- Simplifi starts at On request and E*TRADE at On request.
- Does Simplifi or E*TRADE run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Simplifi best used for?
- Simplifi is most often used for personal budgeting with automatic bank transaction import, tracking spending, savings goals and net worth in one place. Of those, personal budgeting with automatic bank transaction import and tracking spending, savings goals and net worth in one place are not what E*TRADE is typically brought in for.
- What can Simplifi do that E*TRADE cannot?
- Simplifi covers Budget tracking, Spending analysis, Goal tracking, Cash flow insights. E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Options and futures, Research tools, Mobile trading. Both handle Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support, Android support.