Softwr

Personal Finance · head to head

Square Cash vs Betterment

S

Square Cash

Personal Finance

Send money easily with Square Cash

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Betterment logo

Betterment

Personal Finance

Your path to financial independence

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square Cash has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Square Cash cash App Green status (higher savings rate, free in-network ATM withdrawals, overdraft coverage) requires spending $500 or depositing $300 in Qualifying purchases/deposits per month, per the App Store listing; Betterment digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
  • They diverge on capability: Square Cash covers Money transfers, Betterment covers Automated investing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Square Cash and Betterment actually diverge.

Attributes where Square Cash and Betterment differ
AttributeSquare CashBetterment
Starting priceFree$5/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20142008

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 Square Cash

  • Money transfers
  • Instant deposits
  • Transaction history
  • Customer support

Only in Betterment

  • Automated investing
  • Retirement planning
  • Financial advisory
  • Goal tracking
  • Investment accounts
  • 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.

Square Cash

  • Budget Managementnot Betterment
  • Expense Trackingnot Betterment
  • Investment Trackingnot Betterment

Betterment

  • Small investors starting with automated investing at no minimum balancenot Square Cash
  • Fee-only digital wealth management for accounts under $24,000 via $5/month flat feenot Square Cash
  • Premium advisory access for high-net-worth individuals with $100,000+ balancenot Square Cash

Where each one falls short

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

Square Cash

  • Cash App Green status (higher savings rate, free in-network ATM withdrawals, overdraft coverage) requires spending $500 or depositing $300 in Qualifying purchases/deposits per month, per the App Store listing

Betterment

  • Digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
  • Premium advisory service requires minimum balance of $100,000 in eligible investments
  • Foreign transaction fees apply to checking account (though reimbursed after the fact)
  • High-balance fee discounts only available above $1,000,000 account balance

Pricing, plan by plan

Square Cash

Free
  • FreeFree
    • P2P transfers
    • Instant deposits
    • Mobile app

Betterment

$5/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Betterment review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Square Cash if

  • You need money transfers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want instant deposits.
Square Cash review

Choose Betterment if

  • You need automated investing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Betterment review

Questions people ask

Is Square Cash or Betterment better?
Neither clearly leads. Square Cash starts at Free and Betterment at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Square Cash or Betterment?
Square Cash has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Square Cash and $5/month for Betterment.
Does Square Cash or Betterment run on more platforms?
Square Cash runs on IOS, Android. Betterment runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Square Cash for free?
Yes. Square Cash has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Betterment starts at $5/month.
What is Square Cash best used for?
Square Cash is most often used for budget management, expense tracking, investment tracking. Of those, budget management and expense tracking are not what Betterment is typically brought in for.
What can Square Cash do that Betterment cannot?
Square Cash covers Money transfers, Instant deposits, Transaction history, Customer support. Betterment covers Automated investing, Retirement planning, Financial advisory, Goal tracking. Both handle Bank accounts, IOS support, Android support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Square Cash

More on Betterment

Keep looking

Other head to heads