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Betterment vs Acorns

Betterment is a great robo-advisor for beginners with low fees, good tools, and tax strategies. How does it compare to Acorns? Read our comparison chart below.

Betterment offers automatic investing starting at $4/month for accounts with less than $20,000. There is no fee to open an account and no minimum deposit required. All balances get automatic rebalancing, tax loss harvesting, and access to financial experts.

While Acorns is geared towards young investors who have trouble saving. This investment app automatically rounds up and invests your spare change whenever you make a purchase. The service fee starts at $3/month for accounts. There is no minimum to open.

Compare Betterment with Acorns, side-by-side. Read on for an in-depth look, including ratings, reviews, pros and cons.

 Acorns
 Learn MoreVisit Site
 

Betterment

Acorns

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$20 Investment Bonus - Learn More

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Benefits and Features

Savings
  • Betterment Cash Reserve - Earn 4.75% APY**
No
Stock Trading Part of service fee. No add-on trading fees.
Options Trading 
No
Annual Fee
  • Digital: 0.25% annual fee for accounts with $20,000 or more or with monthly recurring deposits of $250 or more, $4/month for accounts with less than $20,000
  • Premium: 0.65% for accounts $100,000 or more
  • Acorns Bronze ($3/mo) - includes personal taxable account, IRA, and checking account
  • Acorns Silver ($6/mo) - includes everything in Bronze, emergency fund, 25% match on rewards, and 1% IRA match on Acorns Later contributions
  • Acorns Gold ($12/mo) - includes everything in Silver, investment accounts for kids, 50% match on rewards, custom portfolio, Trust & Will, $10K Life Insurance, free GoHenry account, and 3% IRA match on Acorns Later contributions
Cryptocurrency Trading 
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$0
Checking
No-Fee Checking
Yes
Mutual Fund Trading 
No
Commission Free ETFs A selection automatically chosen by Acorns
Phone Support
Yes
Yes
Live Chat Support
No
No
Email Support
Yes
Yes
Human Advisors
Yes ($100k minimum)
No
Robo Advisor
Yes
Yes
Assets Under Management
$50+ Billion
$4.7 Billion
Minimum Investment
$0
 
Tax Loss Harvesting
Yes
No
Goal Tracker
Yes
Yes
Automatic Deposits
Yes
Yes
Broker Assisted Trades Acorns automatically invest and trade for you
Good For Beginners; Passive investors; Those who have trouble saving/investing on their own
Inactivity Fee None, but you will keep paying the monthly fee
Maintenance Fee 
Monthly fee for the service
Online Platform
Yes
Yes
iPhone App
Yes
Yes (4.7 stars, 760k ratings)
Android App
Yes
Yes (4.3 stars, 156k ratings)
BankingOffers checking account with a free debit card, and a high-yield cash accountIncluded in Acorns Bronze ($3/mo). Free metal debit card, no minimum balance, no overdraft fees, and 55,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide.
Mobile App
iOS & Android
iOS & Android
Two-Factor Authentication 
Yes
Locations 
No
Online Community 
No
Seminars 
No
Virtual Trading 
No
Single Stock Diversification
No
 
Fractional Shares
Yes
Yes
Taxable Accounts
Yes
Yes
401k Plans
Yes
No
IRA Accounts
Yes
Yes
Roth IRA Accounts
Yes
Yes
SEP IRA Accounts
Yes
Yes
Trust Accounts
Yes
No
529 Plans
No
No
 

CreditDonkey® Reviews

 Acorns
Annual FeeStarStarStarStarHalf StarStarStarStarEmpty StarEmpty Star
Minimum DepositStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar
Human AdvisorsStarStarStarEmpty StarEmpty Star
Customer ServiceStarStarStarStarEmpty StarStarStarStarEmpty StarEmpty Star
Mobile AppStarStarStarStarHalf Star
Ease of UseStarStarStarStarStar
Pros & ConsPros:
  • No minimum investment
  • Customized portfolios
  • Automatically invest extra funds
Cons:
  • Limited investment options
  • High fees for large investors
Pros:
  • No minimum to open account
  • Invest with spare change
  • Cash-back program
Cons:
  • Fees are high for small balances
  • No tax benefits
  • Limited investment options
Bottom LineGreat robo-advisor for beginners with low fees, good tools, and tax strategies... Read full reviewInvestment app that automatically invests your spare change. Good for young investors to get into the habit... Read full review
 Learn MoreVisit Site

Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details.

Betterment: Pricing information from published website as of 04/04/2018

Acorns: Pricing information from published website as of 09/28/2020.

Acorns

$20 Investment Bonus

  • Open an Acorns account (new users only)
  • Set up the Recurring Investments feature
  • Have your first investment be made successfully via the Recurring Investments feature

Which is Better: Betterment or Acorns?

Still need help deciding which investing is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing Betterment or Robinhood.

In short: Betterment's annual fee and customer service are noteworthy.


Articles on Betterment

Betterment Reviews

Betterment offers low fees and good returns. But there are risks you should NOT ignore. Read this review to see if Betterment is better.

Is Betterment Worth The Fee

Betterment will manage your investments, but they charge a fee. Is Betterment worth the fee? Read on to answer all your questions.

Betterment Roth IRA

Is Betterment a good way to invest for retirement? What about the fees and withdrawals? Read on to learn how Betterment's Roth IRA account works.

Betterment vs Wealthfront

Betterment and Wealthfront are two of the oldest and most popular robo-advisors. Is there a difference? Which is better for you? Read on to find out.

Articles on Acorns

Acorns App

Acorns automatically invests your spare change. But can it help make you money? Find out if this app is safe and legit.

Apps Like Acorns

Acorns is one of the best micro-investing apps out there. But is it for everyone? Read on to see some of your alternatives.

Is Acorns Safe

Acorns lets you invest spare change from every purchase. But is it safe to use? Learn just how secure the micro-investing app is.

How to Make Money Using Acorns

Acorns "rounds up" everyday purchases and invests it for you. What's the catch? Read this review to find out how to make money using the app.

Comments

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