Yes, you can pick individual stocks on Acorns through Custom Portfolios, a feature available to Acorns Gold subscribers. Custom Portfolios let you add individual stocks and ETFs (exchange traded funds) alongside your expert-built, diversified Base portfolio, giving you more control over where your money goes.
If you’ve been researching how to grow your money, you might have heard that Acorns only invests in pre-set portfolios. While our mission is built on the power of diversified, expert-built portfolios, that’s only part of the story.
How Acorns Custom Portfolios Work
By default, the Acorns app helps you start small by investing your spare change into a Base portfolio. This is a diversified mix of ETFs—essentially baskets of stocks and bonds—designed by experts to help give your money a chance to grow over time.
When you upgrade to Acorns Gold, you unlock the ability to create a Custom Portfolio. Here is how the two-part structure works:
- Base portfolio: This remains the foundation of your account, managed by Acorns and diversified in ETFs which invest in thousands of stocks and bonds.
- Custom portfolio: This is where you choose specific companies or specialized ETFs you want to own.
Allocation Limits and Your Investment Profile
To help you stay diversified, Acorns uses guardrails. Depending on your investment profile, you can allocate up to 50% of your total Acorns Invest account to your Custom portfolio. For example, if your profile is set to Moderate, you might have 70% of your money in your diversified Base portfolio and 30% in your Custom portfolio picks.
Investing in Specific Companies
With Custom Portfolios, you aren’t limited to broad market funds. You can invest in specific companies from a curated list of individual stocks. Whether you want to back a brand you use every day or a company whose mission you believe in, you can add those shares directly to your account.
Your Round-Ups® and Recurring Investments are also automated to support your choices. When you transfer money into your Invest account, it is automatically split between your Base and Custom portfolios according to the percentages you’ve set.
The Case for Diversification: What the Data Shows
While picking individual stocks can be exciting, it’s important to understand the risks. Diversification—the practice of spreading your investments across many different assets—is designed to help manage risk.
The historical data suggests that for most people, a diversified approach is a reliable path to long-term wealth which also helps mitigate market risk:
- Active vs. Passive: Over a 15-year period, more than 90% of U.S. large-cap active equity funds lagged the S&P 500 (Source: SPIVA U.S. Mid-Year 2025 Report).
- Stock Performance: A study from Arizona State University found that 58.6% of individual stocks actually reduced shareholder wealth between 1926 and 2022 (Source: Hendrik Bessembinder, ASU, 2023).
At Acorns, we provide the tools for you to pick stocks, but we always lead with the Base portfolio to ensure your financial foundation remains strong.
Is Acorns Gold Right for You?
Acorns offers three main subscription tiers to fit your stage of life:
- Acorns Bronze ($3/mo): Includes essential investing tools like Round-Ups® and a diversified Base portfolio.
- Acorns Silver ($6/mo): Adds features like a 1% IRA match in your Acorns Later retirement account.
- Acorns Gold ($12/mo): Unlocks the full suite of tools, including Custom Portfolios, a 3% IRA match, and a no-cost Will (valued at $259) to help plan for your family’s future.
Can you buy or pick individual stocks on Acorns?
Yes. You can add individual stocks and ETFs to your portfolio using the Custom Portfolios feature, which is available on the Acorns Gold plan.
What percentage of my portfolio can be in individual stocks?
You can allocate up to 50% of your total Acorns Invest account to individual securities in your Custom portfolio, depending on your investment profile.
Which Acorns plan do you need to invest in individual stocks?
You need an Acorns Gold subscription to invest in individual stocks.
What's the difference between the Base portfolio and Custom Portfolio?
The Base portfolio is an expert-built, diversified mix of ETFs managed by Acorns, while the Custom Portfolio is a selection of individual stocks and ETFs chosen by you.
How do I get started with Custom Portfolios on Acorns?
To get started, tap Customize your portfolio within the Invest tab of your Acorns app. Choose from a curated list of individual stocks and ETFs and how much to invest for each. After saving your choices, your portfolio’s ready to go!
Start Managing Your Future
Whether you want the total automation of our expert-built portfolios or the added control of picking your own stocks, Acorns is built to help you look after your financial best interests.
Tap here to start investing with Acorns. 🌱
This material has been presented for informational and educational purposes only. The views expressed in the articles above are generalized and may not be appropriate for all investors. The information contained in this article should not be construed as, and may not be used in connection with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or hold, an interest in any security or investment product. There is no guarantee that past performance will recur or result in a positive outcome. Carefully consider your financial situation, including investment objective, time horizon, risk tolerance, and fees prior to making any investment decisions. No level of diversification or asset allocation can ensure profits or guarantee against losses. Article contributors are not affiliated with Acorns Advisers, LLC. and do not provide investment advice to Acorns’ clients. Acorns is not engaged in rendering tax, legal or accounting advice. Please consult a qualified professional for this type of service.
Investment advisory products and services offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC ("Acorns"), an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Brokerage products and services are provided by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC registered broker-dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC.
Acorns Invest is an individual investment account which invests in a portfolio of ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) recommended to customers based on their responses to the Acorns investor profile questionnaire.
Acorns Later is an Individual retirement account consisting of a Traditional, ROTH or a SEP IRA selected for customers based on investor profile questionnaire answers.
Custom Portfolios are non-discretionary investment advisory accounts, managed by the customer. Custom Portfolios are available only to Acorns Gold customers with an open Acorns Invest Account and are not available as a stand alone account. Custom portfolios are not instant trading. Customers wanting more control over order placement and execution may need to consider alternative investment platforms before adding a Custom Portfolio account. This is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as, and may not be used in connection with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or hold, an interest in any security or investment product. Acorns Advisers does not provide investment advice with regard to orders directed in a Custom Portfolio.
Automatic investing does not ensure a profit or protect against losses. It involves continuous investing regardless of fluctuating price levels.
The ETFs comprising the Acorns portfolios charge fees and expenses that will reduce a customer’s return. Investors should read each fund's prospectus and consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the funds carefully before investing. Investment policies, management fees and other information can be found in the individual ETF’s prospectus.
Spare change invested with Round-Ups® is transferred from your linked funding source (checking account) to your Acorns Invest account when activated. Round-Up investments from an external account will be processed when your Pending Round-Ups reach or exceed $5.
Effective March 26, 2025, customers who open an Acorns Gold or Acorns Silver subscription plan or upgrades to an Acorns Gold or Silver subscription plan can opt into the Acorns Later Match feature and receive either a 3% or 1% IRA match, respectively, on new contributions made to an Acorns Later account during the first year subscribed to these subscription plans. New customers in these subscription plans are automatically eligible for the Later Match feature at the applicable 3% and 1% match rate on all contributions made during the first subscription year. All Later funds for customers must be held in an Acorns Later account for at least four years to keep the earned IRA match and all or a portion of IRA Match may be subject to recapture by Acorns if customer downgrades to a Subscription Plan with a lower monthly fee. See full terms and conditions. Terms and conditions applicable to those who opened an Acorns Gold or Acorns Silver subscription plan before March 26, 2025 and opted into Later Match are unchanged.
For informational purposes only. This is solely intended to provide notification of an available product or service. This is not a recommendation to buy, sell, hold, or roll over any asset, adopt an investment strategy, or use a particular account type. This information does not consider the specific investment objectives, tax and financial conditions or particular needs of any specific person. Investors should discuss their specific situation with their financial professional.
