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Greenlight vs GoHenry vs Modak: Which Kids' Money App Is Worth It in 2026?

One update to know before you compare: GoHenry's US service has been rebranded to Acorns Early, so a US parent shopping for "GoHenry" today is really looking at Acorns Early. The pricing below reflects that. Most comparisons of these cards skip the question that actually changes the math for families: do you need to pay a monthly fee at all? In 2026 a third option, Modak Makers, ranks alongside the two incumbents and offers a free basic plan. That reframes the whole decision from "which paid card is best" to "is a paid card worth it for my kid." Here is a neutral breakdown with no referral links, so you can decide based on your family instead of someone's commission. Full disclosure: Penny Time, which we mention below, is our own free app.

Modak vs Greenlight: which is better?

Modak is cheaper and Greenlight does more. Modak's basic plan is free, and chores, allowance and savings goals start at $2.99 a month on its MoSilver plan. Greenlight starts at $5.99 a month for up to five kids and adds investing for kids from its $10.98 Max plan. Pick Modak to keep costs low, Greenlight for investing.

These two get compared more than any other pairing on this page, so here they are side by side. Plans and fees were checked on both official sites in September 2026.

• Cost: Modak's card is free, and its chores plan works out to about $36 a year. Greenlight runs about $72 to $240 a year depending on the plan, so if price decides it, this one is not close.
• Investing: Greenlight wins. From the Max plan, kids can buy fractional shares of stocks and ETFs from $1, with you approving every trade and no trading commissions. Modak has no investing feature.
• Chores and controls: Both let parents set chores with rewards and pay allowance automatically, though Modak keeps that on its paid plans. Both send spending alerts and let you lock the card.
• Best for: Choose Modak if you want a free first card, or chores and allowance for less. Choose Greenlight if you want investing and the fuller feature set, and the subscription does not bother you.

Weighing the rebranded GoHenry too? Acorns Early sits between these two at a flat $8 a month for up to 4 kids; see the pricing table below for how it lines up. If you were hoping Greenlight had a free tier hiding somewhere, our Greenlight pricing breakdown spells out what the risk-free trial does and does not include.

Pricing in 2026

Prices shift, so confirm current rates on each provider's site before signing up. Here is the published structure, checked on each official site in September 2026:

The gap matters most for one-child households. Greenlight Core at $5.99 a month is about $72 a year, while Acorns Early's $8 flat plan runs about $96 a year. Greenlight's mid tier lands closer to $132 a year. Modak's $0 basic plan means you can test whether your kid even uses a card before paying for chores and allowance. Both paid apps charge per family, not per child, so Greenlight Core stays the cheaper of the two at every family size up to four kids.

Not sure a paid card is worth it yet?

Penny Time runs automatic allowance and a balance your child tracks, free for the whole family with no card and no subscription.

Features that separate them

Investing for kids

Greenlight is the strongest here. Its higher tiers let kids buy fractional shares of stocks and ETFs with parent approval, which is useful if you want a teen to learn investing with real (small) money. Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry US) offers kid investing only on its $12 Gold plan, through a custodial Early Invest account, and keeps the $8 Lite card focused on saving and spending. Modak's focus is the free card and money basics rather than a full brokerage. If teaching a 13-year-old to buy a fraction of an index fund is your goal, that points toward Greenlight.

Chores and earning

All three connect chores to money, with parents assigning tasks and releasing payment, though Modak keeps chores on its paid plans (from $2.99 a month). Greenlight and Acorns Early include chore lists tied to allowance on every plan. If you would rather keep the chore tracking separate from a bank app, you can run a free system at home first with our printable chore chart and only move to an app once the habit sticks.

Allowance automation

Automated allowance is standard on Greenlight and Acorns Early, and on Modak's paid plans. The real decision is the amount, not the app. Parents commonly anchor on roughly $1 per year of age per week, but that is a starting point, not a rule. Run the numbers for your kid's age with our allowance calculator before you set a recurring transfer.

Parental controls and safety

Each app gives parents real-time spend notifications and the ability to lock a card. This is table stakes in 2026, so it should not be the deciding factor between them. Read each provider's current fee schedule for ATM withdrawals and card replacement instead, since those small charges vary.

Features Greenlight and Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry) both share

Once you get past price, the two paid cards do most of the same things. Both let you:

• Send allowance automatically on a weekly or biweekly schedule
• Tie payouts to chores, so a kid earns by finishing tasks
• Set savings goals and track progress toward them
• Get a real-time notification every time the card is used
• Set spending limits on the card
• Freeze the card from the parent app the moment it goes missing

If all you want is a card a kid cannot overdraft while you watch the spending, either one covers it, and the decision comes back to cost and the extras above. Modak covers the same allowance and savings basics on its $2.99 MoSilver plan, and its free plan gives you the card on its own.

Modak vs Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry): head-to-head

This is the other pairing families ask about, especially anyone who used GoHenry before it became Acorns Early in the US back in 2024. The trade-off mirrors the Modak vs Greenlight matchup above: Modak is the low-cost card, and Acorns Early is the paid app with lessons built in and kid investing on its Gold plan.

Choose Modak if you want the lowest monthly cost: a free card, or chores and allowance for $2.99. Choose Acorns Early if you want the Money Missions lessons, or custodial kid investing on Gold, in one paid app. For the wider set of switch options after the GoHenry rebrand, see our GoHenry alternatives table.

Greenlight vs Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry): head-to-head

Because GoHenry's US service is now Acorns Early, the classic "Greenlight vs GoHenry" question is really Greenlight vs Acorns Early in 2026. Both are paid cards with chores, allowance and parental controls, so the decision comes down to price structure and how far you want the kid investing to go. If you are weighing Acorns Early against a free bank-app option, our Acorns Early vs Greenlight vs Cash App for Kids comparison drills into that matchup.

Greenlight and Acorns Early are both paid debit cards, so it helps to decide first whether your child needs a card yet. Penny Time, our own app and the third column here, is a different kind of tool: free for the whole family, with no card. You set an automatic allowance and settle cash-outs in cash, and your child can see their balance. There is no way to pay in a store with it, which is exactly what the two cards are for, so if store spending is the goal, pick one of them.

Choose Greenlight if price matters most (it is cheaper for one child and for a family of up to five), or if you want a teen buying fractional shares with your approval. Choose Acorns Early if you want the Money Missions lessons, or a custodial investing account the child keeps (on Gold, $12). Not sure either is worth paying for yet? Modak is the free starting point covered above, and our free Greenlight alternatives guide walks through the no-fee options in depth.

Comparing more than these three? Our roundup of the best allowance apps for kids and teens lines up every major card and app by price and age.

Why affiliate roundups push the paid options

Many "Greenlight vs GoHenry" articles earn a commission when you sign up through their link. A free product like Modak pays little or no referral fee, so it often gets left out of those comparisons. That is not a knock on the paid apps; it is just a reason to be skeptical of any roundup that never mentions a no-fee option. We do not use affiliate links, which is why all three are on equal footing here.

How to actually decide

1. Start with the fee question. If you are unsure your kid will use a card, begin with the free option (Modak) and upgrade later if you hit a wall.
2. Count your kids. One kid favors Greenlight's $5.99 Core plan or Modak's $0. With several kids, Acorns Early's flat $8 for up to 4 and Greenlight's flat plan for up to 5 both spread the cost.
3. Decide if investing matters. If you want real fractional-share investing for a teen, Greenlight's higher tiers are the clearest fit.
4. Separate the teaching from the tool. A debit card teaches spending, but the money conversation is the real lesson. Pair any app with a wants vs needs talk and a simple budget plan.

A note on age

For kids under about 8, a physical card is often more friction than it is worth; cash and a clear jar still teach the basics. Most families see real value once a kid is roughly 10 to 13 and starts spending outside the house. If your child just got a cash windfall and you want to turn it into a saving lesson, our birthday money calculator is a free way to start before any card is involved.

The honest takeaway: there is no single winner. Modak removes the cost barrier, Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry US) keeps a card simple at a flat $8 for up to 4 kids, and Greenlight goes deepest for families who want investing and are willing to pay. Pick the one whose trade-off fits your kid this year, and remember you can switch as they grow.

Sources

Prices, plans and fees checked on each provider's own site on September 28, 2026.

• Modak: plans (MoBasic, MoSilver, MoGold)
• Modak: account agreement and fee schedule
• Greenlight: fee disclosures
• Greenlight: plans
• Acorns: Acorns Early
• Acorns: plans and pricing

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