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Personal Finance · head to head

Tiller Money vs Vanguard

Tiller Money logo

Tiller Money

Personal Finance

Spreadsheet-based personal finance

From
$79/year
Rated
-
Vanguard logo

Vanguard

Personal Finance

Investing for your future

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Tiller Money no native mobile app means mobile access limited to Google Sheets or Excel apps; Vanguard a 25 USD annual account service fee applies unless the account uses e-delivery, is a Cash Plus Account, is enrolled in an advisory service, or holds 1 million USD or more in qualifying assets
  • They diverge on capability: Tiller Money covers Auto-populates financial data, Vanguard covers Low-cost index funds.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tiller Money and Vanguard actually diverge.

Attributes where Tiller Money and Vanguard differ
AttributeTiller MoneyVanguard
Starting price$79/yearOn request
Pricing modelUnknowntransaction
PlatformsWeb, Google Sheets, Microsoft ExcelWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20151975

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 Vanguard

  • Low-cost index funds
  • Commission-free trading
  • Retirement accounts
  • Financial advisors
  • 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 Vanguard
  • Expense Trackingnot Vanguard
  • Investment Trackingnot Vanguard

Vanguard

  • Holding low cost index mutual funds and ETFs for long term investingnot Tiller Money
  • Running IRAs and taxable brokerage accountsnot Tiller Money
  • Employer retirement plan participationnot 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

Vanguard

  • A 25 USD annual account service fee applies unless the account uses e-delivery, is a Cash Plus Account, is enrolled in an advisory service, or holds 1 million USD or more in qualifying assets
  • Broker assisted trades cost 25 USD each, waived only at 1 million USD in qualifying assets or with an advisory service
  • Options trades carry a 1 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • Transaction fee mutual funds cost 20 USD per online trade below 1 million USD in qualifying assets, falling to 8 USD only at higher tiers
  • Outgoing wire transfers cost 10 USD unless the account is a retirement account or holds 1 million USD or more
  • Commission levels are tied to a Qualifying Assets balance, so the cheapest rates require 1 million USD or more

Pricing, plan by plan

Tiller Money

$79/year
  • Annual Subscription$79/year
    • Unlimited transaction import
    • Up to 5 connected spreadsheets
    • AutoCat categorization

Vanguard

On request
  • Self-Directed Investor$undefined/month
    • Low-cost index funds
    • Commission-free trading
  • Advisory Services$undefined/month
    • All Self-Directed features
    • Financial advisors

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 Vanguard if

  • You need low-cost index funds.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want commission-free trading.

Questions people ask

Is Tiller Money or Vanguard better?
Neither clearly leads. Tiller Money starts at $79/year and Vanguard at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tiller Money or Vanguard?
Tiller Money starts at $79/year and Vanguard at On request.
Does Tiller Money or Vanguard run on more platforms?
Tiller Money runs on Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel. Vanguard 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 Vanguard is typically brought in for.
What can Tiller Money do that Vanguard cannot?
Tiller Money covers Auto-populates financial data, Customizable spreadsheets, Budget tracking, Financial templates. Vanguard covers Low-cost index funds, Commission-free trading, Retirement accounts, Financial advisors. 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.

Source
Vanguard: How much are Vanguard's expense ratios?

Vanguard's average ETF and mutual fund expense ratio is 0.07%, compared to the industry average of 0.44%, representing significantly lower fees.

Source
Tiller 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.

Source
Vanguard: Does Vanguard offer advisory services?

Yes. Vanguard Advisers, Inc. provides retail direct investment advisory strategies, though specific advisory costs are not disclosed on the public pages and require direct inquiry.

Source
Tiller 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.

Source
Tiller 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.'

Source
Tiller 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
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