Alternatives to GoHenry (Now Acorns Early)

GoHenry, now Acorns Early, is a popular kids’ banking app offering a debit card and financial education tools for children aged 6 to 18. It includes some nice features, including budgeting tools, strong parental controls, chore tracking and custom card designs. However, with fees starting at $5 per month for one kid or $10 for up to four kids, it may not be the best pick for large families.

5 alternatives to Acorns Early

• Alternative for multiple kids: Greenlight
• Alternative for no monthly fees: Step
• Alternative for teens: Current teen banking
• Alternative for rewards: Modak
• Alternative for a traditional bank: Chase First Banking

Finder Score	Fee	Age requirements
Alternative for multiple kids
Finder score 9.2 Excellent Greenlight Finder Award	Finder score 9.2 Excellent	$5.99 per month	Any age	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Unlike Acorns Early, Greenlight lets parents add up to five kids per plan. Starting at $5.99 per month, it's priced similarly to Acorns Early's one-kid plan, but it's a better value for large families. It features granular parental controls like Acorns Early, letting parents set spending limits by store or category, receive spending alerts, instant no-fee reloads and tons of extra safety perks. It also includes chore and allowance tracking like Acorns Early. Pros & cons Pros Up to five kids per plan Robust parental controls Includes savings and investment tools Chore management and allowance tracking Cons Can't avoid monthly fee
Alternative for no monthly fees
Finder score 8.8 Great Step	Finder score 8.8 Great	$0 per month	Any age	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it If you'd rather step away from Acorns Early because of its monthly fee, check out Step. Step combines a no-fee banking app with a secured Visa card to help teens build credit while managing their money. You can choose from a parent-managed account, where you do all the handling, or go for an adult-sponsored account, which provides your kiddo with their own login. However, Step is primarily designed for teens and doesn't have a chore tracker, but it does offer automatic transfers that can function as an allowance. Pros & cons Pros No monthly fees Secured card that can build credit Parent-managed account or adult-sponsored account Cons Limited features for younger kids No chore tracking
Alternative for teens
Finder score 9.6 Excellent Current teen banking	Finder score 9.6 Excellent	$0 per month	Any age	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Acorns Early accepts ages up to 18, but so does Current Teen Banking. This account lets teens manage their money while parents stay in control, and it accepts direct deposit, which can be great for working teens. Current Teen is designed for ages 13 to 17 and has no monthly fees, and tools for parents include chore tracking and automated allowances. Teens can also use the savings roundup feature to help reach savings goals. However, parents must have their own Current account before setting one up for their teen. The good news is that the regular Current account also has no monthly fees. Pros & cons Pros Ages 13 to 17 No monthly or overdraft fees Roundup savings Chore and automated allowance features Cons No investment features Parents must have Current account $3.50 cash deposit fee
Alternative for rewards
Finder score 7.6 Great Modak	Finder score 7.6 Great	$0 per month	Any age	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Modak Makers has no monthly fees, making it a more affordable alternative to Acorns Early. It doesn't charge overdraft or foreign transaction fees either, and it's available for all ages. Kids can earn Mobucks rewards by completing parent-set or app challenges, which they can redeem for cash. Parents can reload the card using Apple Pay, Google Pay, direct deposit or ACH transfers. However, the card can't be used at ATMs, and there are fees for some reload options. Pros & cons Pros No monthly fees Cash-redeemable rewards Offers savings goals for kids Chore and allowance tracking Cons $0.50 + 3% reload fee via Apple Pay Google Pay or credit card $0.50 reload fee via debit card Card doesn't work at ATMs
Alternative for a traditional bank
Finder score 8.6 Great Chase First Banking	Finder score 8.6 Great	$0 per month	6 to 17 years old	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it If you'd rather avoid digital banking options or fintechs like Acorns Early, consider Chase First Banking. The account is designed for ages 6 to 17. It has no monthly fee but requires a parent to have an eligible Chase checking account. Parents can choose spending limits, opt in for alerts, set up chore allowances, create ATM withdrawal limits and transfer funds from their Chase account. This account is also powered by Greenlight but doesn't come with Greenlight's monthly fee. Pros & cons Pros No monthly fee Chores and allowances Manage within Chase app Ages 6 to 17 Cons Requires parent to have eligible Chase account Only one parent can manage No direct or mobile check deposits Can't add card to mobile wallets

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How Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry) compares

GoHenry, now known as Acorns Early, remains a solid option for kids aged 6 to 18, offering robust financial education tools and customizable debit cards. It stands out for its educational features, including Money Missions, which teaches topics such as investment and basic money management. There are three Money Mission levels, each designed for different ages, and they offer short films and quizzes for more engagement.

However, you can’t get around that monthly fee. If you have more than one kiddo to add, you’ll pay $10 per month for the family plan. Fortunately, there’s a free trial to try before you buy.

Bottom line

Acorns Early can offer great tools for kids’ financial education, but it’s not the only option. Whether you’re looking for stronger parental controls, savings tools or credit-building features, alternatives like Greenlight, Modak Makers and Step provide unique benefits.

Think about your child’s financial needs and explore these options to find the best fit. For even more choices, compare the best overall kids’ debit cards and the best free kids’ banking options.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Bethany Hickey

Banking editor

Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto. Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt. Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others. Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio

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