The Acorns vs Robinhood comparison used to be simple: automated investing on one side, self-directed trading on the other. That’s changed. Acorns now lets you pick individual stocks through Custom Portfolios, and Robinhood now offers professionally managed portfolios through Robinhood Strategies. Both platforms are moving toward each other, but they’re coming from opposite directions.
If you want a platform that manages your investments, helps you build consistent habits, and gives you the option to pick stocks when you’re ready, Acorns is built for that. Acorns starts with a managed, diversified portfolio and lets you add customization on top. Robinhood starts with full trading control and lets you opt into management. For most people looking to build long-term wealth without making investing a second job, Acorns’ approach can be a stronger starting point.
Acorns and Robinhood: two approaches to portfolio customization
The fundamental difference between Acorns and Robinhood is where each platform puts you on the customization spectrum.
Acorns and Robinhood take opposite approaches to investing. Acorns is an automated investing platform that builds and manages a diversified portfolio for you, with the option to add individual stocks through Custom Portfolios (Acorns Gold, $12/month). Robinhood is a self-directed trading platform where you choose every investment yourself, with the option to use Robinhood Strategies for managed portfolios (0.25% annual advisory charge).
Acorns: automation and customization, together
Acorns gives you a managed, diversified portfolio and the ability to pick your own stocks, all in the same account. Your Acorns Invest account is your Base portfolio and has a mix of ETFs from Vanguard and BlackRock (iShares), designed around the principles of Modern Portfolio Theory. Acorns selects your portfolio based on your investor profile, automatically rebalances it, and reinvests dividends. You can invest through Round-Ups® (spare change from everyday purchases), Recurring Investments, or paycheck split deposits, and Acorns can handle the rest.
With an Acorns Gold plan, Custom Portfolios let you add individual stocks and ETFs alongside your Base portfolio. Choose from a curated list and allocate between 10% to 50% of your total Invest account toward your picks. Future investments you make will automatically be split between your Base and Custom portfolios according to the percentages you set. Your Base portfolio keeps working in the background while you invest in the companies you believe in. For the full breakdown, see our guide to buying individual stocks on Acorns.
Fractional shares make Custom Portfolios accessible. If a stock trades at $500 per share, you can invest as little as $1 and own a fraction of that share.
Smart guardrails keep both sides working together. Your customization limit is set by your investor profile and ranges between 10% to 50%. When you add new stock or sell existing ones, Acorns aggregates orders and executes them at fixed times during each trading day. You get to pick stocks and take on some risk, and still have a diversified, managed portfolio to fall back on.
Robinhood: self-directed trading with a managed add-on
Robinhood is a self-directed trading platform. You choose what to buy and when, with $0 commissions on stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrency. Trades execute in real time, and there’s no account minimum.
Robinhood also offers Strategies, a managed portfolio service at a 0.25% annual advisory charge ($50 minimum to start). Strategies use ETFs and, at balances of $500 or more, individual stocks. However, it’s an add-on to a platform built for self-directed trading. Acorns’ managed portfolio is the default from day one.
How much does Acorns cost compared to Robinhood?
Acorns and Robinhood use different pricing models, and what you’re paying for is fundamentally different.
Acorns charges a flat monthly subscription: Bronze at $3/month, Silver at $6/month, and Gold at $12/month. There are no per-trade commissions. The subscription covers your Invest account, Later retirement account, Checking, and all features included in your plan. Since it’s a flat subscription, the effective percentage drops as your balance grows. At $14,400, the Bronze subscription equals 0.25% of your balance annually. Above that, it becomes progressively cheaper.
Robinhood doesn’t charge a subscription for its base self-directed trading platform, but it also doesn’t include managed investing or bundled banking. Robinhood Gold adds additional features for $5/month. Robinhood Strategies charges 0.25% annually on managed assets. Unlike Acorns’ flat subscription, that percentage stays constant regardless of balance.
When you compare the full picture, Acorns’ subscription includes managed investing, retirement accounts, Round-Ups®, Money Manager, and banking. On Robinhood, replicating that combination means stacking multiple paid features on top of the free platform.
What does Acorns include that Robinhood doesn’t?
Acorns is built as a financial wellness system, not a trading app. That distinction matters when you’re comparing what each platform includes.
What Acorns includes that Robinhood doesn’t:
Round-Ups® turn your everyday spending into automatic investments. Each purchase gets rounded up to the nearest dollar, and the difference goes straight into your portfolio. Over time, this spare change adds up. Acorns customers have collectively invested more than $4 billion through Round-Ups® alone.
Money Manager (Gold) automatically splits deposits across investing, saving, and spending. You can get bonus investments with Acorns Earn when you shop with our partner brands, and those bonus investments go directly into your Invest account. You can build an emergency fund with Emergency Savings, included in our Silver and Gold plans and built with a high APY and no minimum balance requirements.
For the kids in your life, the Acorns Early smart money app and debit card gives kids hands-on experience managing money, with parental controls, savings goals, and gamified financial lessons. Robinhood recently launched custodial investment accounts (UTMA/UGMA), but don’t include a kids’ banking app, financial education tools, or debit card.
Where Robinhood differs:
Robinhood supports options trading and direct cryptocurrency purchases, which Acorns does not offer. Acorns provides Bitcoin exposure through a Bitcoin-linked ETF within your portfolio. Robinhood also offers extended-hours trading and real-time trade execution.
What both platforms share:
Both offer diversified ETF portfolios (managed by experts at Acorns, available through Strategies at Robinhood), fractional shares, IRAs (Traditional, Roth), automatic dividend reinvestment, and mobile-first investing experiences. Both are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and covered by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) up to $500,000 per account. You can verify both registrations through FINRA BrokerCheck. For independent guidance on evaluating investment platforms, the SEC’s Investor.gov provides educational resources.
IRA match: how Acorns and Robinhood compare
Both platforms offer IRA contribution matches, but they work differently.
Acorns matches 1% on new IRA contributions for Silver customers during your first year and 3% for Gold customers during your first year. The match applies to contributions made to your Acorns Later retirement account. For 2026, the IRS has set the IRA contribution limit at $7,500 ($8,600 for those 50 and older), where Gold customers who contribute to the limit could get $225 in matched contributions, and Silver customers could get $75 in matched contributions.
Robinhood offers a 3% IRA match for Robinhood Gold members ($5/month) on self-directed IRAs. One important distinction: the match does not apply to IRAs managed through Robinhood Strategies. If you want both managed investing and the IRA match on Robinhood, you’d need two separate accounts.
With Acorns, the match applies to your managed Later retirement account by default. With Robinhood, you get the match only on the self-directed IRA, not the managed one.
Is Acorns or Robinhood the better fit?
Consider Acorns if you want to invest on autopilot and have the option to add individual stocks and ETFs when you’re ready.
Acorns is built for those who value consistency over control. Round-Ups®, Recurring Investments, and Money Manager keeps your money moving into your portfolio without requiring daily decisions.
If you also want retirement investing with an IRA match, Emergency Savings with a high APY, and investing tools for kids, Acorns bundles all of that into one app. Over 14 million customers have trusted Acorns with their investing, with more than $30 billion saved and invested collectively. To see how the subscription breaks down, check out our breakdown of whether Acorns is worth it.
For families, Acorns Gold also includes Acorns Early Invest (UGMA/UTMA custodial accounts with a 1% match) alongside the Acorns Early kids’ app with a debit card, parental controls, savings goals, and Money Missions financial education. No other platform in this comparison offers a comparable kids’ financial wellness system.
Consider Robinhood if you want to make every trading decision yourself, or you specifically need options or direct cryptocurrency trading.
Already using Robinhood? Some investors keep a Robinhood account for self-directed trading alongside Acorns for automated long-term investing, behavioral tools like Round-Ups®, and the IRA match. The two platforms serve different purposes.
Acorns was built to look after the financial best interests of everyday people. Every feature, from Round-Ups® to Money Manager to the IRA match, is designed to help you build money consistently over time, without requiring you to start as a seasoned investor. That’s the foundation everything else is built on.
Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Neither platform guarantees returns. Diversification does not ensure profits or protect against losses. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Acorns is not affiliated with Robinhood. This comparison is for informational purposes only.
Explore Acorns Custom Portfolios.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Acorns and Robinhood?
Acorns is an automated investing platform that manages a diversified portfolio for you via ETFs, with the option to add individual stocks through Custom Portfolios. Robinhood is a self-directed trading platform where you choose every investment, with the option to use Robinhood Strategies for managed portfolios.
The core difference is the default experience. Acorns starts with automation and adds customization. Robinhood starts with full control and adds management. Both are SEC-registered, FINRA members, and offer SIPC protection.
Can you pick individual stocks on Acorns?
Yes. Acorns Gold customers ($12/month) can add individual stocks and ETFs to their portfolio through Custom Portfolios. Your picks sit alongside your managed Base portfolio, and you can allocate up to 50% of your total Acorns Invest account toward your custom selections.
Custom Portfolios are non-discretionary, meaning you choose and manage your stock picks yourself. Your Base portfolio continues to be managed and rebalanced by Acorns. For the full guide, see Acorns Custom Portfolios.
How much does Acorns cost compared to Robinhood?
Acorns charges a flat monthly subscription: Bronze $3/month, Silver $6/month, Gold $12/month. There are no per-trade commissions. The subscription covers managed investing, retirement accounts with an IRA match, behavioral automation tools, and banking. Robinhood’s base trading platform is free, but doesn’t include managed investing, behavioral tools, or bundled banking. Robinhood Strategies charges 0.25% annually on managed assets, and Robinhood Gold costs $5/month.
Acorns’ subscription covers more features in a single plan than what Robinhood offers without stacking multiple paid add-ons.
Does Acorns offer an IRA?
Yes. All Acorns plans include Acorns Later, an IRA that supports Traditional, Roth, and SEP accounts. Acorns recommends the right IRA type based on your investor profile. Silver customers can receive a 1% IRA match and Gold customers can receive a 3% match on new contributions during their first year.
Robinhood also offers Traditional and Roth IRAs with a 3% match for Gold members, but the match applies only to self-directed accounts, not to IRAs managed through Robinhood Strategies.
Can you use Acorns and Robinhood together?
Yes, and many investors do. A common approach is to use Acorns for automated long-term investing, spare change investing through Round-Ups®, and the IRA match, while using Robinhood for self-directed stock trading, options, or crypto.
The two platforms serve different purposes and don’t conflict with each other. Using both lets you benefit from Acorns’ behavioral automation and bundled features alongside Robinhood’s trading flexibility.
What types of accounts does Acorns offer?
Acorns offers individual taxable investing (Acorns Invest), retirement accounts (Acorns Later, with Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRA options), custodial investment accounts for kids (Acorns Early Invest, UGMA/UTMA), the Acorns Early smart money app and debit card for kids, and Emergency Savings.
Robinhood offers individual taxable accounts, Traditional and Roth IRAs, and recently launched custodial accounts (UTMA/UGMA). Robinhood does not currently offer SEP IRAs or an integrated kids’ banking and education app.
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.
For informational purposes only. Strategies and investments discussed may not be suitable for all investors. Contents of this article have been generalized and should not be considered investment advice, a recommendation, or be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell an interest in any specific security. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, the accuracy cannot be guaranteed and is subject to change without notice. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Please consider your objectives, risk tolerance, and all fees before making any investment decisions.
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 is not affiliated with Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, or Robinhood Markets, Inc. This comparison is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any platform. Competitor pricing, features, and offerings are based on publicly available information as of April 2026 and are subject to change.
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.
Acorns Early Invest is an UTMA/UGMA investment account managed by an adult custodian until the minor beneficiary reaches the selected age of transfer, at which point the minor assumes control of the account assets. Money in a custodial account is the property of the minor.
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.
Default splits among the accounts in Money Manager take into consideration your estimated income based on verified paycheck amounts deposited to your Acorns Checking Account. Milestone targets consider the income information provided by the customer during onboarding. Money Manager may not account for all market conditions or individual circumstances, may not be suitable for all individuals, and may not consider all factors relevant to your specific financial circumstances. You should carefully consider your unique financial situation, including factors such as your investment objective, time horizon, risk tolerance, tax implications, estate planning needs, and Acorns’ fees, prior to making any allocation decisions. Acorns’ Money Manager is not a financial planning service.
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.
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.
Acorns receives compensation from business partners to promote or refer customers to such partners for the purchase of non-investment consumer products or services. This type of promotional partnership incentivizes Acorns to refer customers to these businesses instead of businesses that are not partners of Acorns. This affects the ability of Acorns to provide unbiased promotions and could mean that the products and/or services of other businesses, that do not compensate Acorns, may be more appropriate for a customer than the products and/or services promoted by Acorns. Customers are not required to purchase any products and services Acorns promotes.
Acorns is not a bank. Acorns Visa™ debit cards and banking services are issued and provided by Lincoln Savings Bank and nbkc bank, Members FDIC.
Acorns Early® is not a bank. Kids aged 6-18. Cards are issued by nbkc bank, Member FDIC, under license from Visa USA. Inc. Charges apply (min. $8/mo) until cancelled. Terms & Limits apply. Two subscriptions offered: Acorns Early Lite and Acorns Gold.
Some Acorns Gold products are accessible only through the separate Acorns app. Investment services are provided by Acorns Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Brokerage services are provided by Acorns Securities, LLC, an SEC registered Broker Dealer, Member FINRA, SIPC. Additional Acorns T&Cs apply. Investments are not FDIC-insured, are not a deposit, and may lose value.
Acorns does not provide access to invest directly in Bitcoin. Bitcoin exposure is provided to Acorns customers through an ETF that invests in Bitcoin futures. They are considered high-risk investments given the speculative and volatile nature. Investments in Bitcoin ETFs may not be appropriate for all investors and should only be utilized by those who understand and accept those risks. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of bitcoin should consider a different investment. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the fund carefully before investing. Investment policies, management fees and other information can be found in the individual ETF’s prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.
Over 14 million all-time customers and over $30 billion invested since inception as of 2/8/2026.
