Software · head to head
Skrill vs Acorns
The short version
- Only Skrill has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Skrill a currency conversion fee of 4.49 percent applies to most conversions; Acorns a flat monthly subscription regardless of balance, so $3 a month on Bronze is a heavy percentage on a small account
- They diverge on capability: Skrill covers Money transfers, Acorns covers Round-up investing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Skrill and Acorns actually diverge.
Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), 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 Skrill
- Money transfers
- Digital wallet
- Currency conversion
- Prepaid card
Only in Acorns
- Round-up investing
- Automated investing
- Portfolio management
- Recurring investments
- Debit cards
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
- Web support
- IOS support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Skrill
- Sending money internationally from a prepaid digital walletnot Acorns
- Funding and withdrawing from online merchants and gaming sitesnot Acorns
- Buying and selling cryptocurrency inside a wallet accountnot Acorns
Acorns
- Automated investing of spare change from everyday purchasesnot Skrill
- Retirement saving through Acorns Later IRA accountsnot Skrill
- Checking and high-yield savings alongside investingnot Skrill
- Custodial investing and debit cards for children through Acorns Earlynot Skrill
- Earning cashback that is invested rather than bankednot Skrill
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Skrill
- A currency conversion fee of 4.49 percent applies to most conversions
- An inactivity fee of EUR 5.00 is deducted monthly after six months with no login or transaction
- Card deposits carry a 2.50 percent fee
- SWIFT bank withdrawals cost 2.80 percent with a minimum fee of EUR 3.5
- Skrill to Skrill transfers cost 2.99 percent with a EUR 0.50 minimum on standard accounts, reduced to 1.45 percent only for True Skriller accounts
- Crypto trading fees are tiered by VIP status, from 1.50 percent standard down to 1.30 percent at Gold and Diamond VIP
Acorns
- A flat monthly subscription regardless of balance, so $3 a month on Bronze is a heavy percentage on a small account
- The emergency savings account and the 1 percent IRA match need Silver at $6 a month
- Custom portfolios, Acorns Early for children and Money Manager are Gold tier only at $12 a month
- There is no free tier
Pricing, plan by plan
Skrill
Free- Free AccountFree
- Money transfers
- Digital wallet
- Premier Account$undefined/month
- Higher limits
- Special rates
Acorns
On request- Lite$4.99/month
- Round-up investing
- Automated portfolio
- Plus$9.99/month
- All Lite features
- Checking account
- Dollar-based investing
- Premier$19.99/month
- All Plus features
- Premium investing
Which should you pick?
Choose Skrill if
- You need money transfers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want digital wallet.
Choose Acorns if
- You need round-up investing.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want automated investing.
Questions people ask
- Is Skrill or Acorns better?
- Neither clearly leads. Skrill starts at Free and Acorns at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Skrill or Acorns?
- Skrill has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Skrill and On request for Acorns.
- Does Skrill or Acorns run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Skrill for free?
- Yes. Skrill has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acorns starts at On request.
- What is Skrill best used for?
- Skrill is most often used for sending money internationally from a prepaid digital wallet, funding and withdrawing from online merchants and gaming sites, buying and selling cryptocurrency inside a wallet account. Of those, sending money internationally from a prepaid digital wallet and funding and withdrawing from online merchants and gaming sites are not what Acorns is typically brought in for.
- What can Skrill do that Acorns cannot?
- Skrill covers Money transfers, Digital wallet, Currency conversion, Prepaid card. Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. Both handle Bank accounts, Credit cards, Web support, IOS support.