Acorns vs. Stash: 2024 Comparison
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Acorns and Stash are investment apps aimed at beginners who want their money to grow but may not have the time or the expertise to manage it. Each one mixes education and automation to help users understand how to invest and reach their goals, but which one is the better pick? That depends on which features are most important to you.
In general, Stash is most likely to appeal to DIY, hands-on investors, while Acorns tends to be a better fit for investors who want to outsource management of their investments. But Stash also offers a managed portfolio.
Below, a full comparison of Stash and Acorns.
Acorns is best for:
Hands-off investors.
People who struggle to save.
Earning cash-back rewards.
Acorns at a glance
Reviewed: Oct. 2023
Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2023
Account minimum | $0 to open account; $5 required to start investing. |
Account management fee | $3, $5 or $9 per month. |
Investment expense ratios | 0.05% to 0.18%. |
Account fees (annual, transfer, closing) | $35 per ETF to have them transferred to another broker when you close your taxable Acorns account; no charge to sell your investments and have the resulting cash transferred. |
Portfolio mix | Well-diversified portfolio with exposure to domestic and international stocks, bonds, REITs and a Bitcoin-linked ETF. |
Socially responsible portfolio options | Sustainable portfolio built with ESG ETFs available for no extra cost. |
Accounts supported | Individual non-retirement accounts. Roth, traditional and SEP IRAs. UTMA/UGMA accounts available at the $9-per-month tier. |
Tax strategy | Not available. |
Automatic rebalancing | Free on all accounts. |
Human advisor option | Not available. |
Bank account/cash management account | Acorns offers impressive high-yield checking and savings accounts. The checking account earns 3% APY and the savings account earns 5% APY, with no minimum balance to receive the interest rate. The checking account has no overdraft fees and access to 55,000+ fee-free ATMs. |
Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website) | Customer support is available 7 days/week from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT via live chat, phone and email. |
» Read our full review of Acorns
Stash is best for:
Beginners who want to learn how to invest.
Investors who want to buy fractional shares.
Investors who want to choose their own investments and get automated portfolios.
Stash at a glance
Reviewed: Oct. 2023
Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2023
Account minimum | $0 ($5 for Smart Portfolios). |
Account management fee | $3 per month for automated investing. $9-a-month tier available with access to Kids Portfolios (custodial accounts) and higher Stock-Back® rewards. Full details about each option below. |
Investment expense ratios | 0.08% to 0.14%. |
Account fees (annual, transfer, closing) | $0 standard transfer fee, or 1% fee for instant transfers. Outgoing ACAT full transfer fee: $75. |
Portfolio mix | Smart Portfolio mix is well-diversified but lacks exposure to non-market correlated assets like REITs and commodities. Smart Portfolio has a small amount of exposure to cryptocurrency. Over 4,000 individual stocks and ETFs are available in the DIY individual brokerage account. |
Socially responsible portfolio option | No automated socially responsible portfolio. Themed ETFs, including socially responsible ETFs, are available in the DIY individual brokerage account. |
Accounts supported |
Note: Only individual brokerage accounts are available to be managed with Smart Portfolios. IRA and UTMA/UMGA accounts are available for DIY management only. |
Tax strategy | Not available. |
Automatic rebalancing | Smart Portfolios option features automatic rebalancing upon withdrawals or contributions, plus quarterly rebalancing. |
Human advisor option | Not available. |
Bank account/cash management account | Stash offers access to an online banking account with a stock-back rewards debit card, but the account doesn't pay interest. |
Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website) | Phone and email support Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern. |
» Read our full review of Stash
via Zoe Financial
» Compare more: View our list of the best investment apps
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