Stash vs. Acorns vs. Robinhood Comparison

When it comes to investing online or on your phone, Stash, Acorns and Robinhood are three companies at the top of the industry. Each was designed to simplify investing for retail investors, offering straightforward apps that are easy to use and understand. While there are larger players in the brokerage space, these companies are certainly some of the most dynamic. All three offer multiple ways to invest your money, but it is important to note the differences, especially considering only two of the three allow you to invest in individual stocks. The differences do not stop there, so it is important to understand options and fees before you signing up. We can help.

Consider working with a financial advisor to create the right investment strategy based on your long-term goals and risk tolerance.

Stash vs. Acorns vs. Robinhood: Overview

All three online brokerage platforms are fairly new to the market, at least when compared with longstanding institutions like Vanguard, Fidelity or Charles Schwab. Mobile users will find that it is easy to open an account with any of these companies. However, each offers different services and fees, so it pays to know how they stack up.

Robinhood is one of the better-known online investment platforms out there. It is free to open an account, and Robinhood does not charge trading commissions, which is a trend that has taken over the industry. You can use the platform to invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options and even cryptocurrencies.

Acorns takes a different approach that does not allow users to invest in individual stocks. Instead, it functions more as an accumulation account that invests for you. There are three tiers of Acorns accounts:

Acorns Bronze: The entry-level tier provides both an investment account and retirement account with no matching benefits for $3 per month.
Acorns Silver: This package includes both a basic taxable investing account and an IRA with 1% matching for $6 per month..
Acorns Gold: This includes 3% matching for your IRA, in addition to an Acorns Early account, which is an investment account for kids, for $12 a month.

This brokerage can provide an all-in-one service at a relatively low cost. However, the inability to invest in individual stocks may be a dealbreaker for many. However, you can set up recurring deposits, enjoy roundups from card purchases and even earn more by shopping with certain Acorns partners.

Stash can be viewed as a combination of both Robinhood and Acorns, featuring the package-based approach of Acorns with a wider range of investments like Robinhood. Stash also supports many different account types, including taxable brokerage accounts, retirement accounts and a bank account that comes with a debit card.

A Stash brokerage account will let you invest in ETFs and individual stocks as you please, much like any other brokerage, albeit with fewer offerings. Stash has the added benefit of investment recommendations based on your financial goals and standing.

There are different levels of investment plans:

Growth: At $3 a month, this offers low-cost investment options through a personal investing account with access to banking and insurance services. It also gives users tax benefits for their retirement investing, plus a smart portfolio.
Stash+: At $9 a month, this plan is designed for the entire family with available kids portfolios, plus investing market insights with banking and insurance access.

Stash vs. Acorns vs. Robinhood: Fees

An image of a person on their computer in front of a stock chart.

As is the case with most brokerage accounts these days, fees are relatively low when comparing Stash vs. Acorns vs. Robinhood.

Stash

Stash has two tiers of monthly fees. For $3 per month withStash Growth, you receive:

A taxable investment account
Checking account with a debit card and stock rewards for purchases
Investment advice
Access to life insurance
Access to an IRA
Retirement savings advice

The higher tier, ,Stash+, costs $9 per month and includes all of the above, plus two custodial accounts for children and more individualized investment advice.

You can trade individual stocks and ETFs with Stash, and you will not be on the hook for any trading fees or commissions.

Acorns

Acorns also has three plans:

Bronze: This includes both an investment and checking account for $3 per month.
Silver: For $6 a month, you can receive 1% matching on your IRA and a 25% match on bonus investments.
Gold: At $12 a month, Gold members receive 3% retirement matching and a 50% match on bonus investments, plus access to life insurance and an Acorns Early debit card for your kids.

At $3 per month, you can enroll in Acorns Personal, which gives you a checking account, checking and tax-advantaged retirement accounts. At $5 per month you can enroll in Acorns Personal Plus, which adds investment accounts for dependents and educational resources. (For any account that has more than $1 million in it, these fees increase to $100 per month.) Acorns Premium starts at $9 per month. While a niche part of its service, Acorns also charges a very high fee to transfer securities out of its platform at $50 per asset.

Robinhood

Robinhood is the only platform that allows users to open an account and trade completely fee-free. Also, there are no inactivity fees, no transfer fees for moving money and very few non-trading fees.

Instead, Robinhood makes money by pocketing the small difference between the buying and selling price of an asset. This generates very little money, typically only pennies or less per share traded, but after millions of transactions, those pennies add up.

Robinhood Gold also offers margin trading with the first $1,00- interest-free to subscribers who pay a $5 monthly fee or $50 annually. Gold customers also get investment information, such as analysis, earnings reports and other financial news.

Stash vs. Acorns vs. Robinhood: Services and Features

When it comes to comparing the services and features of Stash vs. Acorns vs. Robinhood, they are all slightly different, with Stash offering the most comprehensive package of both savings and investment accounts. However, depending on what you are looking to accomplish, it may be optimal to consider more than just one platform.

Of these three online brokerages, Robinhood is a great option when it comes to straightforward trading. With a free Robinhood account, you will be able to trade stocks, ETFs, options and cryptocurrencies. You cannot trade anything individual with an Acorns account, and even Stash’s trading capabilities are pretty limited. Despite Robinhood’s dynamic trading platform, it does not offer much beyond investing. In other words, you won’t be able to open IRAs, savings accounts or checking accounts with Robinhood.

Acorns, on the other hand, does not allow you to trade individual stocks or any other specific investments. Instead, it does the investing work for you, functioning more like an accumulation account, as it encourages users to save with features like debit and credit roundups that divert directly into savings.

Acorns provides multiple levels of service, adding an extra level of flexibility. The Acorns Silver plan adds retirement matching through an IRA, and the Acorns Gold plan includes the ability to get custodial accounts for your kids. In fact, Stash’s account tiers are roughly the same, although the highest tier is $9 per month, and Stash provides users with specific investment advice.

Acorns and Stash are remarkably similar platforms, in that they make investing and savings easy and accessible for low monthly fees. They each provide access to checking accounts, debit cards, retirement accounts, custodial accounts and individual investment accounts. Additionally, they each make it simple to earn more. Stash’s debit card has a stock back feature that functions much like a cash back card. With Acorns, you can earn more by shopping with partner brands.

The main difference between Acorns and Stash is that you can invest in individual stocks and ETFs with Stash. However, trading functionality is greatly diminished when compared to the capabilities of Robinhood.

With Stash, you will only be able to execute trades at certain times of day, so it is much more difficult to precisely time the market or take advantage of short-term fluctuations in stock price. You will also have access to a more limited number of investments, although Stash does claim to place an emphasis on socially conscious investing. However, this is a step above Acorns, as you are notable to manage your portfolio much with Acorns.

Stash vs. Acorns vs. Robinhood: Online and Mobile

Stash, Acorns and Robinhood are all mobile-centric brokerage platforms. You can download each brokerage’s app on the App Store or Google Play. In turn, each is designed for a mobile experience, so that is where you will see the most functionality, even if you can access certain features by logging in from your desktop or laptop.

The Robinhood app is fairly well-rated. At time of writing, Robinhood holds a rating of 4.2 stars out of 5 on Google Play and a 4.3 rating on the App Store.

You can access certain Acorns features by logging in on your desktop computer, but the platform is designed to be used on a mobile device. Its mobile app has solid ratings, as well. -On both the App Store and Google Play, the Acorns app earns a 4.7 rating.

Stash is available as both a mobile app and desktop platform, giving it great overall functionality out of the three firms. Stash’s app receives a 3.7 rating on Google Play, and a much higher 4.7 rating on the App Store.

Overall, each of these brokerage platforms offer a solid online and mobile experience, largely because they were born out of a demand for easy-to-use online brokerage platforms.

Pros and Cons of Each Platform

Below is a quick comparison of the main advantages and drawbacks of Stash vs. Acorns vs. Robinhood. This chart can help you weigh the tradeoffs at a glance so you can choose the one that best aligns with your financial goals and investing strategy.

Platform	Pros	Cons
Stash	Offers both individual stocks and ETFs for more flexibilityIncludes retirement and custodial accountsPersonalized investment recommendationsStock-back debit card rewardsSocially conscious investment options	Monthly fees ($3–$9) even if inactiveFewer investment choices and less trading flexibility than RobinhoodTrades only execute at specific times of dayBasic investment education compared to full-service advisors
Acorns	Fully automated saving and investingIncludes checking, retirement and custodial accountsRound-Up feature invests spare changePartner brand rewards boost savingsSimple, beginner-friendly interface	No option to pick individual stocks or fundsLimited portfolio controlMonthly fees can hurt small balancesHigh $50 per-security transfer-out fee
Robinhood	No trading fees or account minimumsFull control over stock, ETF, options and crypto tradesReal-time trade executionPremium research & margin trading with Robinhood GoldIntuitive app for active traders	No retirement, checking or savings featuresNo personalized advice or portfolio managementFewer educational resources than competitorsMargin trading adds riskCustomer support has been limited

Who Should Use Stash, Acorns and Robinhood?

If you are seeking a simple way to invest in a wide variety of different stocks, ETFs and even cryptocurrencies, Robinhood is for you. While you will not have access to savings accounts, checking accounts and other wealth management tools like you would with Stash or Acorns, Robinhood is a fantastic option when it comes to pure investing. You can trade as you like, with very few restrictions when compared to Stash or Acorns.

Acorns, on the flip side, is better for those who do not want to deal with the details of investing. If you want to simultaneously focus on both saving and investing for retirement, Acorns makes things really simple. With its multiple tiers of investment and savings offerings, you can save to invest, invest for retirement or even invest for your kids with custodial accounts. Just make sure you are okay with not picking your own investments, as you will not have the option to do so with Acorns.

Those looking for a mix of both savings and self-directed investing should strongly consider using Stash. Stash is essentially a mix of Robinhood and Acorns, although you will not have quite as much functionality as either one individually. Stash gives users investment advice, but it is not as easy to automate your savings. You can still invest in individual stocks and ETFs but not as many as you can with Robinhood. Keep in mind that trades also only process at set times, so you do not have as much flexibility, which is something to be wary of. However, Stash is the most wide-ranging platform of the three.

Bottom Line

A man reads reviews for Stash vs. Acorns vs. Robinhood.

When comparing Stash vs. Acorns vs. Robinhood, you will find that each serves a slightly different purpose. Whether you should use one or the other fully depends on what you are looking to get out of your brokerage platform. If you are looking for a sleek, modern platform that can help you save while investing and you do not want to work with an older institution like Fidelity or Vanguard, any of these could be good options for you. Robinhood offers the most when it comes to investing, and Acorns is a great option for set-it-and-forget-it savers. Stash combines the upsides of both with only a little less functionality. All three are solid online brokerage options, though, depending on your needs.

Consider working with a financial advisor to create an investment strategy based on your retirement and savings goals.

Tips for Investing

Investing your hard-earned money isn’t always the easiest task. When things get complicated, it could pay to have a dedicated financial advisor in your corner helping you make sense of everything. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
If you decide to go at your investments yourself by using apps like Stash, Acorns or Robinhood, it’s a good idea to be prepared. SmartAsset has you covered with free online investment resources. Check out our free investment calculator today.