Acorns vs Stash: Which Investing App Fits How You Want to Invest?

Acorns and Stash are both subscription-based investing apps built for beginners, but have different investing approaches. Acorns automatically invests your spare change and recurring deposits into an expert-built, diversified portfolio. On Acorns Gold, you can also choose individual stocks and ETFs (exchange-traded funds) with Custom Portfolios.  Stash centers on self-directed investing, where you pick your own stocks and ETFs with guidance from the start.

If you'd rather set up your investing once and use automated tools to let it run in the background, with the option to customize when you want, consider Acorns. If you want self-directed stock-picking to be the whole experience from day one, Stash leans that way.

Below, we compare what each app costs, what each monthly subscription includes, and how they handle automation, customization, retirement, kids' accounts, and more. If you're weighing automated apps more broadly, here's how Acorns vs. Betterment and Wealthfront stack up, plus a look at micro-investing in general.

How Acorns and Stash work

Both Acorns and Stash make investing approachable with a low starting amount and a flat monthly subscription. The main difference is that one automates the decisions and the other puts them in your hands.

Acorns is built around automation. You connect your accounts, answer a few questions about your goals and timeline, and Acorns recommends an expert-built, diversified portfolio of ETFs from Vanguard and BlackRock (iShares), matched to your risk level and built using the principles of Modern Portfolio Theory. From there, turn on Round-Ups® invest your spare change from everyday purchases, and enable Recurring Investments to add money on a schedule you set. You don't have to choose individual investments for it to work. Your portfolio is automatically managed and rebalanced for you over time. When you want more control, Acorns Gold lets you add your individual stocks and ETFs through Custom Portfolios, so you can have both automation and hands-on investing.

Stash takes the do-it-yourself route. You can pick your own stocks and ETFs from Stash's library with in-app guidance, or choose its managed Smart Portfolio if you'd prefer a hands-off option. Stash has Auto-Stash tools that can automate recurring transfers, but the self-directed experience of choosing what you own is the heart of the app.

Here's how the two compare at a glance:

Acorns vs Stash cost: which is cheaper?

Both apps charge a flat monthly subscription with no add-on commissions. Acorns offers three subscriptions: Acorns Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Stash offers two: Stash Starter and Stash+.

Because the charge is a fixed dollar amount, its cost as a percentage of your money decreases the higher your account value. A $3/month subscription works out to $36/year. Here's roughly how that lands as a percentage at different balances.

Robo-advisors with percentage-based pricing typically charge a fee of around 0.25% of your account balance. By comparison, a $3 monthly subscription on a $14,400 balance equals about 0.25% annually. Above that balance, the subscription works out to a lower percentage cost and below it, the flat fee represents a larger share of your money. This is true for flat-fee subscription models like Acorns and Stash.

It's worth looking at what each subscription includes, not just the price.

For Acorns

• Acorns Bronze ($3/month) covers the essentials: An Acorns Invest account with the expert-built portfolio, Round-Ups®, an Acorns Later retirement account, and Acorns Checking.
• Acorns Silver ($6/month) adds Emergency Savings with a high APY, a 1% IRA match during your first year, and matching up to 25% of rewards earned through Acorns Earn.
• Acorns Gold ($12/month) unlocks the full family suite, with Custom Portfolios for individual stocks and ETFs, a 3% IRA match during your first year, Acorns Early Invest for kids, and matching up to 50% of rewards earned through Acorns Earn, and additional benefits like a complimentary will.
   

For Stash

• With Stash, the $3 Starter plan includes self-directed investing, retirement accounts, banking, and the Stock-Back® Card
• Stash+ ($12/month) layers on a 3% IRA match, custodial accounts for kids, up to 3% back on Stock-Back®, and $10,000 in life insurance through Avibra.
   

Automated vs self-directed investing

If you want to invest without putting too much thought, Acorns has automated tools to do that. Round-Ups® can round up your everyday purchases to the next dollar and invest the difference. Acorns customers who use Round-Ups® have invested an average of $45 per month from spare change alone. Recurring Investments let you add a set amount to invest daily, weekly, or monthly, and your money goes straight into your diversified portfolio.

Stash leans on control. With self-directed investing, choose individual stocks and ETFs you want to own, and Stash offers in-app guidance to help you decide. Its Auto-Stash features can also schedule recurring transfers to invest consistently, and their managed Smart Portfolio automatically rebalances when your mix drifts. The main difference is the default: Acorns makes the picks for you automatically, and also lets you add your own stocks and ETFs on Acorns Gold, while Stash puts that selection in your hands from the start.

Choosing individual stocks and ETFs

You can choose your own stocks and ETFs with both apps. This is a common point of confusion, so to be clear: Acorns isn't automated-only. You can customize how you want to automate it.

With Acorns, you start in an expert-built, diversified base portfolio, and on Acorns Gold you can add individual stocks and ETFs to that portfolio through Custom Portfolios. You get the diversified foundation built for you, plus the freedom to buy individual stocks on Acorns and shape your own mix when you want more control. Learn more about how Custom Portfolios work.

Stash centers on this from the start: Self-directed stock and ETF selection is the core of every Stash plan, so if hands-on picking is the main experience you're after, that's Stash's strength.

Retirement accounts and the IRA match

Both apps let you invest for retirement with an individual retirement account (IRA). Acorns Later supports Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs, while Stash offers Traditional and Roth IRAs.

Both apps also offer a match. On Acorns Silver, you can get a 1% IRA match on new contributions during your first year. On Acorns Gold, you can get a 3% IRA match during your first year. Stash advertises a 3% match on IRA contributions for Stash+ subscribers.

Both are a meaningful head start, so if a retirement match matters to you, compare them against the subscription that includes the accounts you want.

Investing for kids and family

Acorns is built as a whole-family system. With Acorns Early Invest (Acorns Gold), you can open a UGMA/UTMA custodial account (Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) to invest for the kids in your life, and get a 1% match on contributions. Acorns Gold also includes Acorns Early, the smart money app and debit card made for kids, so your whole family can build money habits in one place.

Stash offers custodial investment accounts for kids too, available on the Stash+ plan, where parents or guardians can open accounts for their kids. If a family setup is a priority, Acorns covers more ground with its dedicated kids' app and card alongside the custodial investing account.

Banking, rewards, and APY (annual percentage yield)

Both apps pair investing with banking and rewards, but the perks work differently.

On banking, Acorns Checking comes with a debit card and Real-Time Round-Ups®. On Acorns Silver and Gold, you can also open an Emergency Savings account and earn a high APY. Acorns Checking includes perks like getting paid up to 2 days early with direct deposit and access to a large fee-free ATM network.

Stash also offers a banking account, provided through Stride Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, but it doesn't pay interest. Instead, Stash's Stock-Back® Card rewards you with a small amount of stock on eligible purchases: 1% in stock on up to $1,000 of monthly spending for Stash+ subscribers.

On rewards, you can earn bonus investments with Acorns Earn when you shop with participating brands, plus up to either a 25% match on Acorns Silver or 50% match on Acorns Gold.

Are Acorns and Stash safe?

Yes! Both Acorns and Stash are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This means your investments are SIPC-protected up to $500,000, and account balances are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 through partner banks. If you're new to automated investing, the SEC's overview of how a robo-advisor works is a helpful start. You can also read more about what it means for deposits to be FDIC-insured.

Acorns or Stash: which should you choose?

Here's the simple way to decide.

• Choose Acorns if you want automated investing that runs in the background, with the option to choose individual stocks and ETFs when you want, plus a whole-family system with retirement, kids' accounts, banking, and rewards in one app.
• Choose Stash if hands-on, self-directed stock-picking is the main experience you want from the start.
   

For most beginners who'd rather potentially build wealth regularly without managing it day to day, Acorns is the stronger fit because the automation does most of the work, the portfolio is diversified by experts, and the flat subscription gets cheaper as one’s balance grows. If you're a hands-on type who enjoys researching and choosing investments, Stash gives you that control.

Whichever way you prefer, the best investing app is the one you'll stick with. If that's automated, diversified investing that gives your money a chance to grow with you and your family, Acorns makes starting simple, and you can begin with just your spare change.

Start investing with Acorns.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between Acorns and Stash?

Acorns and Stash are both beginner investing apps, but differ in their default approach. Acorns automatically invests your spare change and deposits into an expert-built, diversified portfolio. For more control, Acorns Gold lets you add individual stocks and ETFs with Custom Portfolios. Stash centers on self-directed investing, where you pick your own stocks and ETFs with guidance from the start.

Is Acorns or Stash better for beginners?

Both are designed for beginners, so the better choice depends on how involved you want to be. Acorns is better if you want investing to happen automatically without picking investments yourself. Stash is better if you want to learn by choosing your own stocks and ETFs. Many beginners prefer Acorns because the expert-built portfolio and automation remove the guesswork.

Is Acorns or Stash cheaper?

They start at the same price: both Acorns and Stash begin at $3/month. Acorns offers $3, $6, and $12 monthly subscriptions, while Stash offers $3 and $12. Because both are flat subscriptions, the effective cost as a percentage of your balance falls if your account grows, and neither charges add-on commissions.

Can you pick your own stocks on Acorns or Stash?

Yes, you can pick individual stocks and ETFs with both. With Acorns, you can open a Custom Portfolio on Acorns Gold, and layer it on top of your expert-built, diversified base portfolio, so you customize without giving up the automated foundation. With Stash, self-directed stock and ETF selection is the core of every plan.

Do Acorns and Stash offer retirement and kids' accounts?

Yes. Both offer IRAs: Acorns Later supports Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs, while Stash offers Traditional and Roth. Acorns includes a 1% IRA match on Acorns Silver during your first year and 3% on Acorns Gold during your first year. Stash advertises a 3% match on Stash+. For kids, Acorns Early Invest offers UGMA/UTMA custodial accounts (with a 1% match on Acorns Gold), and Stash offers custodial accounts on Stash+.