Greenlight vs. Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry) vs. a No-Bank Alternative: An Honest 2026 Comparison

If you're a parent looking at "Greenlight vs. GoHenry," there's one thing to know first: in the US, GoHenry is now called Acorns Early. Acorns describes Acorns Early as the app formerly known as GoHenry [8][9]. People still search for the old name, so we use both here.

This guide compares three different ways to teach a kid about money. Two of them move real money. One doesn't.

The short version

• You want your kid to have a real debit card that works in stores and online: choose Greenlight or Acorns Early. FamilyBank can't do that, and doesn't try to.
• You want to teach allowance, saving, chores and how the stock market moves, without opening accounts, verifying your identity, or paying a monthly fee: a virtual option like FamilyBank is worth a look.
• On price: Greenlight's plans start at $5.99 a month per family [1][2]. Acorns Early starts at $8 a month per family [7][8]. FamilyBank is free.

Prices below were checked on September 28, 2026 and can change. Always confirm on the provider's own site.

What each one is

Greenlight is a debit card and app for kids. Parents fund a wallet, kids get a Mastercard debit card, and parents control where it can be used. Greenlight says it is a financial technology company, not a bank; its banking services and cards are provided through Community Federal Savings Bank, Member FDIC [2]. One plan covers up to five kids [1].

Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry) is also a card and app for kids, for ages 6 to 18, with a Visa prepaid debit card [9][15]. Acorns says Acorns Early is not a bank [9][11]. It is built around allowance, chores and short lessons called Money Missions [8][9].

FamilyBank (ours) works differently. No real money moves at all. A parent keeps a balance for each child, recording the allowance they owe, and the kid can "invest" that virtual balance in real stocks and index funds at real market prices, refreshed about every four hours. There is no card, no bank account and no real trade. It is an educational tool that uses real prices.

I'm Amir, and I built FamilyBank. It started with a much more ordinary parent problem than investing: keeping track of the money my kids had saved. Whenever we were out and about and they wanted something I didn't want to buy, they could buy it with their own money, and I would deduct it in the app. No sticky notes, no Google Keep, no spreadsheet, no trying to remember. That simple ledger is still the core of the app. Investing at real market prices came later, as a hands-on way for kids to put that balance to work. Today FamilyBank is live and used by real families.

Side by side

What real-money apps give you that a virtual app can't

This is the honest part, because it's the reason many families should pick Greenlight or Acorns Early.

• Kids can actually spend the money. A card means they can buy something, learn to check a balance, and feel what it's like when the money is gone.
• Parental controls on real spending. Spending alerts, limits, and the ability to lock a card are the point of these products [2][9].
• Real investing, with real stakes. If you want your child to own real fractional shares, Greenlight's Max plan lets kids propose trades of stocks and ETFs, and parents approve each one; the investing account is held in the parent's name [4][5]. Acorns Gold includes a custodial investment account for kids [8][11]. Real investments carry real risk and can have tax consequences; this article is not financial advice.
• A real account at a financial institution. FamilyBank holds no money and isn't a bank account or a card. It's a ledger of what you owe your child.

What a virtual app gives you that they don't

• No fee. FamilyBank is free, with no subscription and no ads. The real-money apps are monthly subscriptions [1][7].
• No account opening. No identity verification, no Social Security number, no US phone number, no card in the mail.
• Nothing real at risk inside the app. The app never moves money. If a 10-year-old "loses" half their virtual Nintendo shares, no real money is lost unless you decide to make it real at home.
• Kids sign in without an email or password. A parent generates an invite link and a PIN, and the kid opens it on their own device.

How real it feels is up to your family. The balance in FamilyBank is money you owe your child, so you decide what that means. Some parents treat gains and losses as real and settle them in cash, some cover half, some don't settle at all. Kids tend to take a lesson more seriously when the parent does. One thing to keep in mind: you set the interest rates and any Stock Boost, so you also set how much you could end up owing. Pick numbers you'd be comfortable paying.

About the other no-bank apps

FamilyBank isn't the only allowance app that doesn't need a bank. Simple virtual trackers such as Bomad and Tiny Ledger also keep a running balance without linking a bank account [13][14], and they may be all you need if a ledger is your only goal. What FamilyBank adds is investing at real market prices, plus savings plans and approved chores. We haven't audited every alternative, so compare before you decide.

Who should choose what

Choose Greenlight if you want a card for a teenager, or a single family subscription that covers up to five kids, and you're comfortable paying monthly and verifying your identity.

Choose Acorns Early if you like its lesson-based approach for younger kids (6 and up) or already use Acorns and want kids' investing under the same subscription.

Choose a virtual app like FamilyBank if your kids are still learning what money is, you mostly want a place to track allowance and try investing ideas safely, or you want to try the whole idea before paying for anything.

Use both. They don't conflict. Plenty of families could keep a free virtual practice ground for younger kids and add a real card later, when the kid is older.

Where FamilyBank falls short

We'd rather you hear it from us:

• No card and no real spending, ever.
• The stock and index catalog is a curated list of names kids recognize, not every listed company.
• Investing is off by default until a parent turns it on.

How we wrote this

Prices, plans and requirements come from each provider's own help center and product pages, checked on September 28, 2026. Where we relied on a partner's or third party's description, we say so in the source list. We make one of the products compared here, so we tried to state only facts we could source, and to say plainly where the real-money apps are the better fit. Spot something out of date or wrong? Email [email protected] and we'll check and fix it.

FamilyBank is an educational tool that uses real market prices. It does not trade real securities or move real money, and nothing in this article is financial advice. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners; FamilyBank is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.

Sources

All accessed September 28, 2026.

1. Greenlight Help Center, "How much does Greenlight cost?" https://help.greenlight.com/hc/en-us/articles/235739508-How-much-does-Greenlight-cost
2. Greenlight Help Center, "What fees are associated with Greenlight?" https://help.greenlight.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404247122587-What-fees-are-associated-with-Greenlight
3. Greenlight Help Center, "How do I sign up for Greenlight?" https://help.greenlight.com/hc/en-us/articles/115007225408-How-do-I-sign-up-for-Greenlight
4. Greenlight Help Center, "How does Greenlight's investing feature work?" https://help.greenlight.com/hc/en-us/articles/1260801287590-How-does-Greenlight-s-investing-feature-work
5. Greenlight, "Stock investing for kids: A parent's guide to investing with Greenlight" https://greenlight.com/learning-center/investing/a-parents-guide-to-investing-for-kids
6. Greenlight Help Center, "How do I start investing in the Greenlight app?" https://help.greenlight.com/hc/en-us/articles/1260801287570-How-do-I-start-investing-in-the-Greenlight-app-How-do-I-access-investing-tools-and-education-through-Greenlight
7. Acorns, "Acorns Early vs. Greenlight: Full Comparison" (published by Acorns, a competitor of Greenlight; used here for Acorns' own pricing) https://www.acorns.com/learn/acorns/acorns-early-vs-greenlight/
8. Acorns Early on Google Play (pricing, up to 4 kids, card timing) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.acorns.early&hl=en_US
9. Acorns, "Debit Card for Teens" (ages 6 to 18, Visa, "formerly GoHenry", not a bank) https://www.acorns.com/teen-debit-card/
10. Acorns, "Finish Sign up" (account approval contingent on verification; 18+; US only) https://www.acorns.com/finish-sign-up/
11. Acorns, "Complete Acorns Registration" (18+, US, Early Invest is a UTMA/UGMA account) https://www.acorns.com/complete-registration/
12. Greenlight FAQ as published by Trustmark, a partner bank (no minimum or maximum age) https://www.trustmark.com/content/dam/trustmark/pdf/personal/banking/greenlight-faqs.pdf
13. Bomad, App Store listing https://apps.apple.com/us/app/-/id6446114229
14. Tiny Ledger, official site https://tinyledger.club/
15. Acorns, "What age can you get a debit card in the US?" (describes Acorns Early as a prepaid debit card, available from age six) https://www.acorns.com/learn/kids/what-age-can-you-get-a-debit-card-in-the-us/