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.
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Acorns is best for:
- Hands-off investors.
- People who struggle to save and would benefit from roundups.
- Earning cash-back rewards.
- IRA investors.
Acorns at a glance
Reviewed: Oct. 2025
Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2025
Account minimum | $0 to open account; $5 required to start investing. |
Account management fee | Prices are per month: Bronze Tier: $3. Silver Tier: $6. Gold Tier: $12. IRA match for qualifying contributions at Silver and Gold tiers could wipe out management fees. |
Investment expense ratios | 0.04% to 0.22%. |
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 |
|
Tax strategy | Not available. |
Human advisor option | Not available. |
Bank account/cash management account | Acorns offers impressive high-yield checking and savings accounts. At the time of this review, the checking account earns 2.57% APY and the savings account earns 4.05% 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. Live chat and chat bot available 24/7. |
» 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. 2025
Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2025
Account minimum | $0 ($5 for Smart Portfolios). |
Account management fee | $3 per month for automated investing. $12-a-month tier available with access to Kids Portfolios (custodial accounts) and higher Stock-Back® rewards. |
Investment expense ratios | 0.06% to 0.08%. |
Account fees (annual, transfer, closing) | $0 standard transfer fee, or 1% fee for instant transfers. Outgoing ACAT full or partial transfer fee: $75. |
Portfolio mix | Smart Portfolio mix is well-diversified but lacks exposure to non-market correlated assets like REITs and commodities. Over 4,000 individual stocks and ETFs are available in the DIY individual brokerage account. |
Socially responsible portfolio option | Offers six socially responsible portfolios focused on gender diversity, clean energy and more. |
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. |
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
» Compare more: View our list of the best investment apps
Methodology
How do we review brokers and robo-advisors?
All NerdWallet reviews and lists of the best investing products are created by our editorial team of full-time writers and editors, independent of any business relationships. In this case, our investing team's comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks the largest U.S. brokers and robo-advisors. Our aim is to provide an independent, balanced assessment of investment accounts to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgements on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 20 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).
For more details about the categories considered when rating providers and our processes, read our full broker ratings methodology and our full robo-advisor ratings methodology
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