Acorns Review (2026)
Acorns suits beginners who invest spare change and small recurring amounts and may want savings in the same app. The one thing to know: you pay a flat monthly subscription, $4, $8 or $12 for sign-ups since August 17, 2026, of which only $0.10 is the advisory fee, so on a small balance the cost is a large percentage. There is no tax-loss harvesting and no human advice.
By Wealthy Pot Editorial · Facts checked October 19, 2026
Facts checked October 19, 2026 against Acorns's own Form ADV brochures, fee pages and fund documents (4 sources, listed below). We re-check prices about once a month. We do not earn a commission from Acorns.
Acorns at a glance
| Subscription fee | Bronze $4, Silver $8, Gold $12 a month for sign-ups on or after August 17, 2026; earlier sign-ups keep Bronze $3 and Silver $6 [3] |
|---|---|
| Advisory part | $0.10 a month of each subscription is the advisory fee; the rest is the Acorns Grow Program Fee for banking, education and Earn [1] |
| Minimum | No minimum account size; most clients can start with $5 and add $5 or more; Round-Ups can invest smaller amounts [1] |
| Fund costs | Core portfolio ETFs at 0.03% to 0.07% a year (VOO, IJH, IJR, IXUS, ISTB, AGG, per Acorns' undated fund page) [4] |
| Portfolios | 5 Core portfolios (conservative to aggressive) and 4 ESG portfolios [1] |
| Tax-loss harvesting | Not offered; Acorns says its profile method does not consider taxes [1] |
| Human advice | None; Acorns does not provide financial planning, tax or legal advice [1] |
| Account types | Individual taxable (Invest), IRA (Later), UGMA/UTMA (Early Invest, Gold only); no joint or trust accounts [1] |
| Rebalancing | Deposits and withdrawals steer toward target; full rebalance when holdings deviate by 5% or more [1] |
| Extras by tier | Custom Portfolios of stocks and ETFs (Gold only, 10% to 50% of Invest by risk profile); optional bitcoin-linked ETF capped at 1% to 5% [1] |
| IRA match | First-year match on new IRA contributions: 1% on Silver, 3% on Gold [3] |
| Emergency Savings APY | 3.59% as of September 22, 2026, Silver and Gold only (nbkc bank, Member FDIC) [3] |
| Transfer out | Fees may apply to outgoing asset transfers, manual rollovers and in-kind withdrawals; the brochure gives no amounts [1] |
| Custody | Acorns Securities, LLC (FINRA, SIPC); RBC Capital Markets holds ETFs; DriveWealth for Custom Portfolio stocks; Forge Trust is IRA custodian [1] |
| Company | Acorns Advisers, LLC (CRD 165926, SEC 801-78602); brochure dated August 3, 2026; parent Acorns Grow Incorporated, in which a BlackRock affiliate holds a minority share [2] |
What a year with Acorns costs
| Balance | Advisory fee | Fund expenses | Total a year | As % of balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $48 | $1.50 to $3.50 | $49.50 to $51.50 | 0.99% to 1.03% |
| $25,000 | $48 | $7.50 to $17.50 | $55.50 to $65.50 | 0.22% to 0.26% |
| $100,000 | $48 | $30 to $70 | $78 to $118 | 0.08% to 0.12% |
Hypothetical, our arithmetic from Acorns's published fee rules and 0.03% to 0.07% a year in fund expenses, as Acorns states them, read on October 19, 2026, assuming the balance stays the same all year. Uses Bronze at $4 a month (Silver $8, Gold $12; customers who signed up by August 16, 2026 keep $3 and $6). Acorns calls this a subscription fee, of which $0.10 a month is the advisory fee. Fund range covers the Core portfolio ETFs.
What Acorns costs
| Plan | Paying monthly, 1 year | Annual plan, 1 year | 3 years (cheapest way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | $48 | - | $144 |
| Silveradds Emergency Savings and a 1% first-year IRA match | $96 | - | $288 |
| Goldadds Early Invest for kids, Custom Portfolios, a 3% first-year IRA match | $144 | - | $432 |
Our arithmetic from the listed prices, before sales tax, assuming today's prices hold; subscriptions can renew at a different rate. Prices for customers who sign up on or after August 17, 2026. Customers who signed up on or before August 16, 2026 pay $3 (Bronze) and $6 (Silver); Gold is $12 for everyone. Some clients are on older fee schedules that may be higher or lower. Each subscription includes a $0.10 monthly advisory fee.
How Acorns works
You link a card and Acorns rounds up each purchase to the next dollar, then invests the spare change along with any recurring deposits. Your money goes into one of 5 Core ETF portfolios, from conservative to aggressive, or one of 4 ESG portfolios. Acorns' fund page lists Vanguard and iShares ETFs for the Core portfolios, at 0.03% to 0.07% a year. Gold adds Custom Portfolios, where you can put 10% to 50% of the Invest account into stocks and ETFs you pick, and you can add a bitcoin-linked ETF capped at 1% to 5% by risk profile. Our micro-investing guide covers the approach.
The price is a subscription, not a percentage. Only $0.10 a month is the advisory fee; the rest of the $4, $8 or $12 is what Acorns calls the Grow Program Fee, covering banking, education and Acorns Earn. Silver adds Emergency Savings (3.59% APY as of September 22, 2026) and a 1% first-year IRA match. Gold adds kids' accounts, Custom Portfolios and a 3% first-year match, which Acorns says comes to $225 on a maxed-out contribution. Acorns lists fees for outgoing transfers and rollovers in its brochure without amounts, so check them before you move money out.
Acorns does not offer tax-loss harvesting; its brochure says the portfolio method does not consider taxes. It also gives no financial planning or tax advice. Rebalancing happens through new deposits and withdrawals, plus a full rebalance when holdings drift 5% or more. Accounts cannot be joint or held in a trust.
A hypothetical Bronze account shows why balance matters. $4 x 12 = $48 a year. On a $500 balance that is 9.6% a year. On $5,000 it is 0.96%. Only at $19,200 does $48 equal 0.25% of the balance, the rate several percentage-fee robos charge. Try your own numbers in our compound interest calculator.
Pros
- No minimum account size; most clients start with $5
- Round-Ups invest spare change automatically
- Core portfolio ETFs at 0.03% to 0.07% a year
- First-year IRA match of 1% on Silver or 3% on Gold
- Emergency Savings in the same app on Silver and Gold
Cons
- A flat $48 to $144 a year, 9.6% of a $500 balance on Bronze
- Only $0.10 of the monthly fee is for investment advice
- No tax-loss harvesting or human advice
- No joint or trust accounts
- Transfer-out fees exist but the brochure gives no amounts
Who Acorns fits, and who should skip it
A good fit if
- You want to start investing with spare change and $5 deposits.
- You want Emergency Savings (Silver and Gold) and investing in one app and will use what the subscription pays for.
- You plan to contribute to an IRA in your first year on Silver or Gold and want the 1% or 3% match.
Look elsewhere if
- Your balance is small and you only want investing: Fidelity Go charges $0 in advisory fees under $25,000.
- You want tax-loss harvesting: Betterment offers it on taxable accounts with no stated threshold.
- You want a joint or trust account: Acorns does not offer them; Wealthfront does.
Limitations to know
- The monthly subscription is charged whatever the balance, so on a small account it can exceed what the investments earn. [1]
- Acorns accounts cannot be held jointly, through a trust, or funded from a business checking account. [1]
- Kids' accounts (Early Invest) and Custom Portfolios are on Gold only, at $12 a month. [1]
- Acorns' fund page is undated and names Lincoln Savings Bank, while the pricing page names nbkc, so check the current fund list in the app. [4]
- Fees may apply to manual rollovers, outgoing asset transfers and in-kind withdrawals; the brochure does not state the amounts. [1]
Acorns compared with alternatives
| Robo | Advisory fee | Minimum | Tax-loss harvesting | Year cost on $25,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acorns | $4, $8 or $12 a month (Bronze / Silver / Gold) for sign-ups since Aug 17, 2026 | $0 (most start at $5) | No | $55.50 to $65.50 |
| Fidelity Go | $0 under $25k, then 0.35%/yr on the whole balance | $0 ($10 to start investing) | Yes | $87.50 |
| SoFi Automated Investing | 0.25%/yr (since Nov 2024) | $0 ($50 to start investing) | No | $62.50 + funds |
| Betterment | $5/mo under $24k (unless $200+/mo deposits), else 0.25%/yr; Premium 0.65% | $0 ($10 first deposit) | Yes | $75 to $95 |
- Pick Fidelity Go if you have under $25,000 and want $0 in advisory fees with investing from $10.
- Pick SoFi Automated Investing if you want no minimum and a 0.25% fee instead of a flat monthly charge.
- Pick Betterment if you want tax-loss harvesting and 0.25% with a $200+ monthly recurring deposit.
Security and privacy
- Acorns Securities, LLC is a FINRA member and a member of SIPC. RBC Capital Markets holds ETF shares as custodian, DriveWealth holds Custom Portfolio stocks and Forge Trust is the IRA custodian. SIPC does not cover market losses. [1]
- Emergency Savings and checking are held at nbkc bank, Member FDIC. [3]
- Acorns Advisers' brochure reports no disciplinary events. [1]
- We could not verify two-factor login options on a page we could read, so they are not listed here. [2]
Recent changes
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2026 | New sign-ups pay more: Bronze $3 to $4, Silver $6 to $8; Gold unchanged at $12. [1] |
| Nov 10, 2025 | Mighty Oak checking no longer offered to new clients. [1] |
| Jul 1, 2024 | Current Bronze, Silver and Gold subscription plans introduced. [1] |
Acorns FAQ
How much does Acorns cost?
Bronze is $4, Silver $8 and Gold $12 a month for sign-ups on or after August 17, 2026: $48, $96 or $144 a year. Earlier sign-ups keep $3 and $6 for Bronze and Silver. Fund expenses of 0.03% to 0.07% for the Core ETFs come on top.
Is Acorns safe?
Acorns Advisers is an SEC-registered adviser (CRD 165926). Investments are held through Acorns Securities, a FINRA and SIPC member, with RBC Capital Markets as custodian. Its brochure reports no disciplinary events. SIPC does not cover market losses.
Does Acorns do tax-loss harvesting?
No. Acorns says its portfolio method does not take tax considerations into account.
What is the minimum for Acorns?
There is no minimum account size. Most clients can start with $5, and Round-Ups can invest smaller amounts.
Acorns vs Betterment?
Acorns charges a flat $4 to $12 a month and has no tax-loss harvesting. <a href="/robo-advisors/betterment/">Betterment</a> charges $5 a month under $24,000 unless you deposit $200+ a month, then 0.25% a year, and offers tax-loss harvesting on taxable accounts. Acorns Silver and Gold include Emergency Savings; Betterment has Cash Reserve.
Is Acorns worth it?
On Bronze, the $48 a year is 9.6% of a $500 balance and 0.96% of $5,000; it falls to 0.25% only at $19,200. If you use Emergency Savings, Round-Ups or the IRA match, part of that pays for those. If you only want investing, <a href="/robo-advisors/fidelity-go/">Fidelity Go</a> charges $0 in advisory fees under $25,000.
How we researched this review
We did not get paid or receive a free account for this page. We read Acorns's own pricing page, help center, security and privacy pages and app-store listing on October 19, 2026, quoted each fact from those pages, and link every one below. We did not run a long-term hands-on test, so we do not score the app; where a point rests on what the company says rather than something we can check, we attribute it to Acorns. Cost figures are our own arithmetic. We re-check prices and plans about once a month and log changes in the table above.
Sources
- Acorns Advisers, LLC, Wrap Fee Program Brochure (August 3, 2026), checked October 19, 2026.
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Acorns Advisers, LLC (CRD 165926), checked October 19, 2026.
- Acorns, Pricing, checked October 19, 2026.
- Acorns, Portfolio funds, checked October 19, 2026.
This review is general information, not investment advice. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal; past performance does not predict future results. Fees change; check the firm's Form ADV brochure and pricing page before you enroll.