Acorns vs. Citi Self Invest and J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
Highlights:
• Citi Self Invest and J.P. Morgan Investing both offer self-directed brokerage accounts.
• Automated investing is available through Acorns and also through Citi Wealth Builder.
• The strongest trading experience is generally found at J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing.
If you want an investing account that has a chance of doing better than a typical bank deposit, take a look at Citi Self Invest, Acorns, and J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing. Here is an overview of these three investment providers:
Cost
| Broker Fees |
Stock/ETF
Commission |
Mutual Fund
Commission |
Options
Commission |
Maintenance
Fee |
Annual IRA
Fee |
|
Acorns
|
na
|
na
|
na
|
$3, $6, or $12 per month
|
$3, $6, or $12 per month
|
|
Chase
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0.65 per contract
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
Citibank
|
$0
|
$0
|
na
|
$0
|
$0
|
Services
| Broker Review |
Cost |
Investment Products |
Trading Tools |
Customer Service |
Research |
Overall Rating |
|
Acorns
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chase
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Citibank
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investment Services
Citi Self Invest and J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing let customers open brokerage accounts with access to securities such as:
Exchange-traded funds
Stocks
Mutual funds
Real Estate Investment Trusts
American Depository Receipts
J.P. Morgan Investing also adds access to bonds and options contracts.
Acorns does not provide a self-directed trading account, but it does offer robo portfolios. Those portfolios use a limited lineup of ETFs. Acorns also offers an add-on feature that lets investors include some individual stocks inside an automated portfolio.
J.P. Morgan Investing no longer offers its robo program, so automated investing is not an option there. Citi, meanwhile, does provide robo accounts through Citi Wealth Builder, which is affiliated with Citi Self Invest. These advisory accounts charge 0.25% per year. Acorns, by comparison, charges a flat monthly subscription that can run from $3 to $12.
Citi and J.P. Morgan also offer full-service wealth-management accounts with human advisors. These programs can be accessed through local branches.
Winner: Citi
Margin Trading
Citi Self Invest and J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing both support margin, while Acorns accounts remain cash-only because it operates as a robo advisor.
At J.P. Morgan Investing, an account generally needs $2,000 in equity to use margin. Citi Self Invest, by comparison, requires $7,500. New Citi Self Invest accounts begin as cash accounts and can be upgraded to margin after meeting the funding requirement through the Citi website.
On borrowing costs, Citi margin interest follows a tiered schedule that begins at 11.75% and falls to 5.25%. J.P. Morgan Investing, by comparison, charges between 12.25% and 6.18%.
Winner: Draw between Citi Self Invest and J.P. Morgan Investing
Websites
Websites start the tour of each broker’s software. Because Acorns lacks a self-directed option, its website does not include trading tools.
Citi Self Invest customers do get an order ticket with these trade types:
Market
Limit
Stop
Stop limit
It’s clearly not built for power traders, but it’s still a step up from Acorns. Stock pages show quick stats like volume, shares outstanding, and recent EPS history. Charts display up to 10 years of pricing, but offer few tools beyond that.
The experience improves at J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing. Here, charting includes multiple plot styles along with indicators and drawing tools. Alerts and multiple watchlists are available, and the order ticket adds one more order type: market on close.
Winner: J.P. Morgan Investing
Mobile Apps
Mobile apps extend the digital comparison. The Acorns app focuses on account management and also connects users to other Acorns products, such as banking, but it does not provide trading tools.
Citi Self Invest uses the same Citi Mobile app that Citibank customers already use. Inside the investing area, you’ll find stock details, the same basic order ticket available on the website, and very simple charting. Watchlists also sync with the website experience.
The Chase mobile app acts as the main hub for J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing. The investing section includes short market updates, including notable movers for the day. The trade ticket includes the same five order types found on the website. Charts can be viewed horizontally, and the same tools we saw on the website show up again, creating a more advanced feel.
Winner: J.P. Morgan Investing
Added Services
Citi Self Invest and J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing both support automatic mutual fund investing.
Dividend Reinvestment Plans can be enabled at all three firms.
Citi Self Invest brokerage accounts support fractional-share trading.
None of the three firms in this comparison provides IPO access.
All three offer IRAs. Citi Self Invest charges $75 to close an IRA, while J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing lists a $75 termination fee.
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing provides extended-hours trading.
Fully-paid securities lending is available at J.P. Morgan’s advisory programs, though not in its self-directed offering.
Winner: J.P. Morgan
Our Recommendations
For frequent stock trading, we prefer J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing among these three. Interactive Brokers would be an even stronger choice.
For retirement planning and long-term investing, Acorns is the strongest of the three.
If you have a small amount to start with, Citi Self Invest is a better pick for a taxable brokerage account. For IRAs and/or automated accounts, we would skip all three and choose Fidelity instead.
Beginners may want an advisory-style account at Acorns or Citi Wealth Builder.
For mutual fund investors, we give the nod to J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing.
Result
Investors who prefer to manage trades themselves should find what they need at J.P. Morgan Self-Directed
Investing. For advice and broader planning, Citi looks like the best option. Acorns works well for
simple, hands-off investing.
Open Account
Updated on 3/25/2026.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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