SoFi vs Robinhood comes down to one question: do you want investing tucked inside an app that also does your banking, or do you want a trading app first? Both let you buy stocks and ETFs with no commissions. The differences are in everything around the trade.
Pick SoFi Invest if you want stocks, ETFs, IPO shares and a hands-off robo portfolio in the same app as your checking account, with no subscription to unlock the basics. Pick Robinhood if you trade a lot, want crypto, futures or prediction markets, and you’d actually use what its $5 a month Gold plan unlocks. And if what you really want is commission-free stocks plus a solid yield on idle cash with no monthly fee, Public is the one to look at.
The smart move: Don’t pay a subscription to fix a problem you don’t have. Robinhood Gold’s 3.6% APY only beats Public‘s free 3.30% once you keep about $20,000 in cash there. Below that, the free account wins. And if you never want to pick a stock at all, Acorns does the picking for a flat monthly price.
SoFi vs Robinhood at a glance
Here’s how the two stack up on what each company shows on its own site, as of October 2026. Rates and perks move, so check the live terms before you sign up.
Robinhood Gold’s first 30 days are free, then it’s $5 a month. Keep the IRA match only if you stay on Gold for a year and leave the money in the IRA for five.
The differences that matter
Most rows above are a tie. Free stock trades are table stakes now. These are the ones that actually change which app you should open.
What it costs you each month
Neither one charges you to buy a stock. SoFi Invest says it charges no fees to open or keep an account. Robinhood is free too, but a lot of what makes it interesting sits behind Gold at $5 a month. That’s $60 a year. Not a lot, but it only pays off if you use the perks.
Quick gut check: if you’d sign up for Gold just for the cash rate and you hold a few hundred bucks in cash, you’re paying more than you earn back. Run the math first. It’s in the next section.
Interest on cash you haven’t invested yet
Robinhood pays 3.6% APY on eligible brokerage cash, but only with Gold. There’s no cap and no minimum once you’re in. SoFi’s investing page doesn’t list a rate for uninvested cash, so if a cash yield is the point, look at its savings account instead, or at Public, which pays 3.30% APY on its high-yield cash account with no fees and no minimums.
Paying for yield only works past a certain balance. Gold’s 3.6% beats Public’s free 3.30% by 0.30%. On $20,000 that’s $60 a year, exactly what Gold costs. Keep less than that in cash and the free account comes out ahead.
The IRA match
This is where Gold earns its keep. Robinhood adds 3% to new IRA contributions with Gold, up to $225 a year based on the 2026 limit. Put $2,000 in and the $60 match covers the subscription. Put in the max and you’re $165 ahead. Just remember the strings: a year of Gold and five years in the IRA, or you give some back.
SoFi’s 1% match is a SoFi Plus perk, and it applies to eligible non-retirement deposits into SoFi Invest, not your IRA. Public gives a 1% match on annual IRA contributions without a subscription.
What you can trade
Robinhood has the longer menu. Crypto trades around the clock, futures and prediction markets are in there, and stocks trade 24 hours a day, five days a week. If you’re an active trader, that’s the draw. SoFi covers stocks, ETFs, options and IPO shares at IPO prices, with crypto in a separate account. For most people buying index funds every month, both menus are more than enough.
If you’d rather not pick stocks
Both have an autopilot option. SoFi‘s automated investing starts at $50. Robinhood’s is Robinhood Strategies, an expert-managed portfolio, and Gold members pay no management fee on every dollar over $100,000. If you want the whole thing automated down to your spare change, that’s Acorns’ entire pitch, and it gets its own section below.
Open a SoFi Invest account and fund it with as little as $5 to start.
SoFi, Robinhood, Public and Acorns side by side
Most people searching SoFi vs Robinhood are also eyeing Public and Acorns. Here are all four on the same rows.
| App | Best for | Stock trades | Cash yield | IRA match | Monthly cost | Sign up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public | Commission-free stocks, bonds, Treasuries | Free during regular market hours | 3.30% APY, no fee | 1%, no subscription | $0 (Reserve plan $20) | Get Started |
| SoFi | Investing next to your bank account | Free | Not listed for Invest | 1% match on Invest deposits with SoFi Plus | $0 | Open an Account |
| Acorns | Hands-off investing and Round-Ups | Expert-built portfolio, no picking | 3.59% APY Emergency Savings (Silver and Gold) | 1% (Silver) or 3% (Gold) in your first year | $4, $8 or $12 | Get My $20 Bonus |
| Robinhood | Active traders, crypto, futures | Free, 24 hours a day, 5 days a week | 3.6% APY with Gold | 3% with Gold | $0 (Gold $5) | In the Robinhood app |
From each company’s own site, as of October 2026. APYs are variable. Acorns Emergency Savings comes with its Silver and Gold plans.
Public vs Robinhood
Public vs Robinhood is the closest matchup on this page. Both give you commission-free stock trades and both chase the same reader. The difference is what you pay for the extras.
Public doesn’t make you subscribe to earn on cash. Its high-yield cash account pays 3.30% APY with no fees and no minimums, and it adds a 1% match on IRA contributions for free. It also goes further on fixed income than Robinhood, with corporate bonds you can buy in fractions and Treasuries. Options trades carry no commissions or per-contract fees, and Public pays rebates on stock and ETF options based on your monthly volume.
Robinhood wins on range and on the IRA match if you’re a Gold member: 3% vs 1%. It also has futures and stock trading 24 hours a day on weekdays. Public’s free trades cover regular market hours, and its disclosures say commissions can apply to extended-hours trades.
So who wins? If you hold cash between trades or just hate subscriptions, Public. If you trade often, want futures, or will max out an IRA and stay on Gold for a year, Robinhood.
Public could make sense if you want commission-free stocks, bonds and Treasuries in one place and 3.30% APY on idle cash without paying a monthly fee.
Acorns vs Robinhood
Acorns vs Robinhood isn’t really a fair fight, because they’re built for opposite people. Robinhood hands you the controls. Acorns takes them away on purpose.
With Acorns you sign up, it recommends an expert-built, diversified portfolio, and it invests for you. Round-Ups sweep your spare change in: buy $2.50 fries and $0.50 gets invested. You can add a recurring investment from $5 a day, week or month. Gold members can add individual stocks and ETFs on top.
The catch is the price. Acorns is a subscription: Bronze is $4 a month, Silver $8 and Gold $12. On a $1,000 balance, $4 a month is $48 a year, or 4.8% of your money. On $10,000 it’s under half a percent. So Acorns makes the most sense once the balance grows, or if the automation is the only thing that gets you investing at all.
Right now Acorns gives a $20 bonus investment after your first successful recurring investment of at least $5, paid within 40 days.
Robinhood costs nothing until you choose Gold, and you can start with $1. But nothing happens unless you make it happen. If you’ll actually set up an automatic deposit and buy a fund every month, Robinhood is cheaper. If you know you won’t, Acorns is worth the fee.
Acorns could make sense if you’d rather invest on autopilot with Round-Ups and a recurring deposit than pick anything yourself, and a flat monthly price is fine with you.
More: Acorns review: plans, fees and who it fits
Who should pick which
- One app for banking and investing? SoFi. Stocks, ETFs and a $50 robo portfolio sit next to your checking and savings.
- Free cash yield and commission-free stocks? Public. 3.30% APY with no fees, and bonds when you want them.
- Want it all on autopilot? Acorns. Round-Ups and recurring deposits into a portfolio picked for you, for a monthly fee.
- Trade a lot, or want crypto and futures? Robinhood. Gold is worth it if you hold $20,000 or more in cash or fund an IRA every year.
More: More Robinhood alternatives worth a look
SoFi vs Robinhood: the bottom line
Bottom line: SoFi is the better fit if you want investing to live next to the rest of your money and you don’t want to pay for perks. Robinhood is the better fit if you’re a hands-on trader who’ll use Gold. And if you just want free trades and a decent rate on idle cash, Public beats both without a subscription.
Whatever you pick, the smart part isn’t the app. It’s setting up an automatic deposit and not touching it.
SoFi Invest could make sense if you want commission-free stocks and ETFs, IPO shares and an automated option in the same app as your banking, starting with as little as $5.
Public could make sense if you’d rather earn 3.30% APY on cash for free than pay $5 a month for Robinhood Gold.
SoFi vs Robinhood FAQ
For most beginners, SoFi is the easier start. There’s no subscription, you can begin with $5, and its automated investing builds a portfolio for you from $50. Robinhood is fine for beginners too, but a lot of its best features sit behind its $5 a month Gold plan, and its menu leans toward active trading.
It depends on what you use. Public pays 3.30% APY on cash with no fees and adds a 1% IRA match for free, and it offers bonds and Treasuries. Robinhood pays 3.6% APY and a 3% IRA match, but only with Gold at $5 a month, and it has futures and stock trading 24 hours a day on weekdays.
Acorns is better if you want investing on autopilot, with Round-Ups and a portfolio picked for you, and you’re fine paying $4 to $12 a month. Robinhood is better if you’ll pick your own investments and want to pay nothing. On a small balance, the Acorns fee is a big slice of your money, so it makes more sense as the balance grows.
SoFi Invest says it charges no fees to open or maintain an account and no commissions on stock and ETF trades. Options trades carry no commissions or contract fees, though other fees apply. ETFs have their own expense ratios either way.
Only if you use it. Gold’s 3.6% APY on cash beats a free 3.30% account like Public’s by enough to cover the $60 a year once you hold about $20,000 in cash. Its 3% IRA match covers the cost once you contribute about $2,000 a year, as long as you keep Gold for a year and the money in the IRA for five.
Yes. Plenty of people keep a long-term account in one app and trade in the other. Just watch for subscriptions you’re paying on both sides, and keep your retirement money where the match is best.
Take the next step.
Two free ways to start, depending on whether you want your bank in the same app.
No commissions on stocks and ETFs. Start with as little as $5. IPO shares at IPO prices.
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