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Software · head to head

Wally vs Acorns

W

Wally

Software

Smart expense tracking for travel and daily life

From
Free
Rated
-
Full review
Acorns logo

Acorns

Software

Invest your spare change

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Wally has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Wally the Internet Archive's capture of wally.me on 2 January 2019 stated the app is free ('Control your money seamlessly. And, it's free.'), and claimed rankings as the #1 finance app in 22 countries and top 10 in 52 countries at that time.; 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: Wally covers Receipt OCR scanning, Acorns covers Round-up investing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Wally and Acorns actually diverge.

Attributes where Wally and Acorns differ
AttributeWallyAcorns
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20092012

Identical on both: 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 Wally

  • Receipt OCR scanning
  • Expense tracking
  • Receipt storage
  • Category management
  • Cloud storage

Only in Acorns

  • Round-up investing
  • Automated investing
  • Portfolio management
  • Recurring investments
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • Web support

Both cover

  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Wally

  • Budget Managementnot Acorns
  • Expense Trackingnot Acorns
  • Investment Trackingnot Acorns

Acorns

  • Automated investing of spare change from everyday purchasesnot Wally
  • Retirement saving through Acorns Later IRA accountsnot Wally
  • Checking and high-yield savings alongside investingnot Wally
  • Custodial investing and debit cards for children through Acorns Earlynot Wally
  • Earning cashback that is invested rather than bankednot Wally

Where each one falls short

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

Wally

  • The Internet Archive's capture of wally.me on 2 January 2019 stated the app is free ('Control your money seamlessly. And, it's free.'), and claimed rankings as the #1 finance app in 22 countries and top 10 in 52 countries at that time.

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

Wally

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Receipt scanning
    • Expense tracking
    • Basic reports
  • Premium$9.99/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Unlimited storage
    • Cloud sync

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 Wally if

  • You need receipt ocr scanning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want expense tracking.
Wally review

Choose Acorns if

  • You need round-up investing.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want automated investing.
Acorns review

Questions people ask

Is Wally or Acorns better?
Neither clearly leads. Wally 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, Wally or Acorns?
Wally has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Wally and On request for Acorns.
Does Wally or Acorns run on more platforms?
Wally runs on IOS, Android. Acorns runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Wally for free?
Yes. Wally has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acorns starts at On request.
What is Wally best used for?
Wally is most often used for budget management, expense tracking, investment tracking. Of those, budget management and expense tracking are not what Acorns is typically brought in for.
What can Wally do that Acorns cannot?
Wally covers Receipt OCR scanning, Expense tracking, Receipt storage, Category management. Acorns covers Round-up investing, Automated investing, Portfolio management, Recurring investments. Both handle IOS support, Android support.
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