Personal Finance · head to head
Tiller Money vs Betterment
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Tiller Money no native mobile app means mobile access limited to Google Sheets or Excel apps; Betterment digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
- They diverge on capability: Tiller Money covers Auto-populates financial data, Betterment covers Automated investing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Tiller Money and Betterment actually diverge.
| Attribute | Tiller Money | Betterment |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $79/year | $5/month |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel | Web, iOS, Android |
| Founded | 2015 | 2008 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Tiller Money
- Auto-populates financial data
- Customizable spreadsheets
- Budget tracking
- Financial templates
- Google Sheets
- Excel
Only in Betterment
- Automated investing
- Retirement planning
- Financial advisory
- Goal tracking
- Investment accounts
- IOS support
- Android support
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Tiller Money
- Budget Managementnot Betterment
- Expense Trackingnot Betterment
- Investment Trackingnot Betterment
Betterment
- Small investors starting with automated investing at no minimum balancenot Tiller Money
- Fee-only digital wealth management for accounts under $24,000 via $5/month flat feenot Tiller Money
- Premium advisory access for high-net-worth individuals with $100,000+ balancenot Tiller Money
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Tiller Money
- No native mobile app means mobile access limited to Google Sheets or Excel apps
- Spreadsheet-based interface can be intimidating for non-technical users unfamiliar with formulas
- Requires manual customization and setup of templates and formulas for advanced features
- No built-in investment performance tracking or analysis at the depth some competitors offer
- Customer support is email and community-based, not real-time chat or phone support
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
Tiller Money
$79/year- Annual Subscription$79/year
- Unlimited transaction import
- Up to 5 connected spreadsheets
- AutoCat categorization
Betterment
$5/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Betterment review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Tiller Money if
- You need auto-populates financial data.
- You work on Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel.
- You also want customizable spreadsheets.
Choose Betterment if
- You need automated investing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want retirement planning.
Questions people ask
- Is Tiller Money or Betterment better?
- Neither clearly leads. Tiller Money starts at $79/year and Betterment at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Tiller Money or Betterment?
- Tiller Money starts at $79/year and Betterment at $5/month.
- Does Tiller Money or Betterment run on more platforms?
- Tiller Money runs on Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel. Betterment runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- What is Tiller Money best used for?
- Tiller Money 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 Tiller Money do that Betterment cannot?
- Tiller Money covers Auto-populates financial data, Customizable spreadsheets, Budget tracking, Financial templates. Betterment covers Automated investing, Retirement planning, Financial advisory, Goal tracking. Both handle Bank accounts, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Tiller Money: How much does Tiller Money cost?
Tiller Money costs $79 per year with no free tier. A 30-day free trial is available. The annual subscription includes 5 connected spreadsheets and unlimited categories.
SourceTiller Money: Does Tiller work with Google Sheets and Excel?
Yes. Tiller automatically feeds daily bank transactions and account balances to Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel spreadsheets you own. Your data remains yours permanently.
SourceTiller Money: How many banks and financial institutions does Tiller connect to?
Tiller connects to 21,000+ US banks, credit card accounts, brokerages, and loan servicers via Yodlee and MX data providers. New banks are added weekly.
SourceTiller Money: What is AutoCat in Tiller?
AutoCat is Tiller's 100% customizable automatic categorization feature that learns your spending patterns. You can set rules like 'file all grocery store transactions above $10 as groceries and below $10 as snacks.'
SourceTiller Money: Does Tiller have a mobile app?
Tiller does not have a dedicated mobile app. Instead, it uses Google Sheets and Excel apps on mobile devices to access your spreadsheets. Mobile access is primarily for viewing, not transaction entry.
Source