If you're comparing GoHenry, you already get the idea: give kids a card with guardrails so they learn to spend and save with you watching over their shoulder. It's a well-built product with millions of families on it.
Short version: GoHenry is a good US & UK prepaid card for managing a kid's money. earnt is a different kind of tool entirely — it's built to grow the kid, not just move their money. Here's the honest breakdown so you can pick the right one for your family.
The core difference in one line
GoHenry answers "how do I manage the money my kid has?" earnt answers "how do I raise a kid who's actually capable with money — and with life?" Both are valid. They're just aiming at different targets.
Side by side
| GoHenry | earnt. | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Prepaid debit card + app | Capability-building app (no card) |
| Main goal | Manage & track a kid's spending | Build a capable kid through real work |
| Money used | Money you load onto the card | Real money & real jobs already in your home |
| Chores / jobs | Chore list with payments | Core: Family Jobs vs paid jobs, built in |
| Progress shown | Balance, spending, some lessons | Living Capability Score /100 |
| Buckets | Save / Spend / Give pots | Save, Spend, Give & Invest |
| Ongoing cost | Monthly subscription per child (check site) | $49/year for the whole family, 7-day trial |
| Best for | Hands-off money management | Actively raising a capable young adult |
Features and pricing for GoHenry change over time — always check their site for current details. This comparison reflects the two products' overall approach.
Where GoHenry shines
GoHenry's prepaid card and parental controls are genuinely strong. Kids get real spending experience with limits you set, in-app savings goals, and money lessons along the way. If you want your child handling a card of their own with a safety rail, it does that job well — and the per-child model scales cleanly if you're happy paying per kid.
Where earnt is different
earnt isn't a card and doesn't try to be. It's built to grow the child using the real money and real jobs already in your home — and to make the progress visible:
- A living Capability Score — the first thing you see isn't a balance, it's who your child is becoming across responsibility, reliability, work ethic and initiative. It climbs as they do real work.
- Family Jobs vs paid jobs — earnt separates "done because you're part of this family" from "earned through real effort," so kids learn to contribute and to earn.
- Save, Spend, Give, Invest buckets — money is split on purpose, so every dollar teaches a decision.
- No card, no monthly card fees, no fintech account — earnt runs on the real money and real jobs already in your home. You're the bank; the app is the coach.
So which should you choose?
If your priority is a kid-safe debit card with controls, GoHenry is a strong choice. If your priority is raising a genuinely capable young adult — and paying one price for the whole family rather than per child — earnt is built for that. Some families run both. Pick the one that matches the outcome you actually care about.
Try the capability-first alternative to GoHenry
See it free for 7 days. Watch your child's Capability Score climb from the very first week — no card to order, no fees, just real jobs and real progress.
Start 7 days free →The bottom line
A card teaches a kid to spend and track money they're given. That's genuinely useful. But the thing that keeps parents up at night isn't whether their kid can tap a card — it's whether they'll be capable when the door closes behind them.
That's the gap earnt was built to close. If you want a slick prepaid card, GoHenry is a solid pick. If you want to raise a capable human, that's a different tool — and it's the one we made.