Acorns
effortless micro-investing for absolute beginners
How it works
Acorns makes investing painless by rounding up your everyday purchases to the nearest dollar and investing the spare change into a diversified ETF portfolio. You can also open an IRA, a checking account, and an investment account for your kids — all in one app. It's designed for people who find investing intimidating and just want a set-and-forget habit.
Is it right for you?
Consider if you
- Absolute beginners who find investing intimidating
- People who want to build the saving habit automatically
- Parents wanting to open a kids investment account
Skip if you
- Investors with under $5,000 — fee math does not work
- Advanced investors wanting full portfolio control
- Anyone who wants human financial advisors
Your money and data
Acorns is an SEC-registered investment advisor. Your invested assets are SIPC-protected up to $500,000. Cash in Acorns Checking is FDIC-insured up to $250,000 through its banking partners Lincoln Savings Bank and nbkc bank.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Set-and-forget spare change Round-Ups make investing painless
- Diversified Vanguard and BlackRock ETF portfolios
- All-in-one: investing, IRA, checking, and kids accounts
Cons
- Flat $3-$12 monthly fees eat small balances — brutal under $5K
- No tax-loss harvesting unlike Betterment and Wealthfront
- $50 per ETF transfer-out fee
Pricing details
$3/month Bronze · $6/month Silver (adds 1% IRA match) · $12/month Gold (adds 3% IRA match, kids accounts, will creation) · No free trial
On acorns.com · We may earn a commission
How we evaluate tools →