Hiatus vs. Rocket Money [An In-Depth Comparison]

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Editor’s Note: Rocket Money is the same exact product that was previously known as Truebill, just with new and improved aesthetics.

If you’re looking for a finance app to help you save money by reducing fees and canceling subscriptions, both Hiatus and Rocket Money provide these valuable services. While these two apps have a lot in common, there are several features that set them apart from each other.

In the review below, we’ll be walking you through the pros and cons of each app. We’ll also compare their features and pricing to help you find the right app for your needs. By the end of this side-by-side comparison, you’ll have a good idea of what Hiatus and Rocket Money have to offer.

What is Hiatus?

Hiatus is a finance app that allows users to manage their recurring bills and track subscriptions. This paid app provides a number of features that help users cancel their unwanted subscriptions and negotiate better fees on their recurring bills.

This app allows users to take more control of their finances, saving money and transforming the state of their finances. Hiatus also keeps all the user’s financial accounts and bills in one place, making it easier for them to track their finances and stay on top of upcoming bills.

What is Rocket Money?

Rocket Money is another financial app that helps users control their subscriptions and other recurring bills. Unlike Hiatus, they offer both a free and a paid version. However, their primary services are unlocked through their premium subscription, making it an essential purchase to make the most of the app.

This app has over two million users, making it one of the leading apps in the money management space. Users can view all their subscriptions in one place, stay on top of upcoming bills, and use their cancellation concierge to get rid of unwanted subscriptions.

Comparison of Hiatus vs. Rocket Money Features

Hiatus and Rocket Money have several key features in common:

• Both offer financial tracking to keep track of subscriptions and other upcoming bills.
• Both have tools that allow you to set up and manage a budget.
• Both provide alerts to help you prevent overdraft fees.
• Both allow you to cancel unwanted subscriptions.
• Both provide services to help you negotiate lower fees for recurring bills and subscriptions.
• Both have security measures and encryption to keep your financial information safe.

There aren’t any features unique to Hiatus. However, Rocket Money has the following features that Hiatus doesn’t have:

• The free version offers credit score tracking with Experian and the paid version includes full credit reports.
• The paid version allows you to get up to a $120 advance on your paycheck.
• The paid version gives you a savings account to help with your financial goals.
• The paid version allows you to access shared accounts with a spouse or other household member.
• The paid version has tools that allow you to export your financial data.

When it comes to the number of features offered, Rocket Money outshines Hiatus. However, both apps provide the same core features. That means either app can work well for people mainly interested in negotiating bills and tracking subscriptions.

Pros and Cons of Hiatus

Hiatus Pros

Hiatus has a number of benefits for users. The first and most significant benefit is their clear pricing structure. Users pay a flat rate of $9.99 a month to unlock their premium features. Since there is no free version, there’s no confusion about what features are and aren’t included in the subscription.

Taken at face level, the lack of free features might sound like a drawback. However, it’s the one place where Hiatus truly outshines Rocket Money. The most you’ll ever pay for Hiatus’ service is $9.99, plain and simple. If they save you money via their negotiations on your bills, you still pay $9.99 max.

Contrast that with Rocket Money, where you get charged 30-60% for any savings they are able to negotiate on your bills.

The second benefit of Hiatus is the financial tracking features that allow you to view your entire financial situation in one place. Users can look at their student debt, mortgage, car payments, insurance, utilities, and subscriptions, all within Hiatus’ app.

A third benefit of Hiatus is the app’s ease of use. Their features are easy to understand, and the app offers a great overview of your financial situation. Users appreciate the intuitive features and functions of Hiatus.

Hiatus Cons

Despite the great things about Hiatus, there are some drawbacks. The biggest drawback is their track record. While there are some great reviews, there isn’t as much of a user history with Hiatus as there is with Rocket Money. In most respects, Rocket Money is better reviewed and more carefully vetted by financial professionals.

The other drawback of Hiatus is their once-daily financial updates. Instead of updating information in real-time like the premium version of Rocket Money, Hiatus only updates financial information once a day. While this may be adequate for some, other users may want more frequent updates.

Check out our full review of Hiatus here!

Pros and Cons of Rocket Money

Rocket Money Pros

Rocket Money has its own benefits. One of the most significant benefits is the option to use a free version of the app before committing to a paid subscription. Their free budgeting and tracking features are some of the best out there among finance apps. Although there are some ads on the free version, they aren’t intrusive.

The second benefit is the seven-day free trial for people interested in their premium services. Users can enjoy testing their features before committing to any monthly fees. Combined with the number of free features, Rocket Money is giving a lot to users before they’ve even paid for any services.

Rocket Money also offers real-time syncing with the premium version of their app. That means all your financial information is updated as you make payments or receive deposits. This is a great way for you to keep track of everything as it occurs. Their free version only updates financial records once a day, which is how often Hiatus updates as well.

Rocket Money Cons

Although Rocket Money is better than Hiatus in most respects, there are a few important places where it falls short. Hiatus has a flat monthly rate of $9.99. However, Rocket Money charges a monthly rate and a percentage of your annual savings.

That means that if Rocket Money negotiates a $20 per month savings on your phone bill, you’ll save $240 over the course of a year. However, Rocket Money will take 30-60% of these savings. Even worse, they require an up-front payment of this lump sum. That’s an extra $72 (at minimum, assuming a 30% cut) you’ll have to pay all at once for savings you’ll fully realize over the course of a year.

Their pricing structure is also relatively confusing. There are several different monthly rates on top of their bill negotiation charges. This makes it more difficult to use, especially for people who haven’t broken free from the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.

Check out our full review of Rocket Money here!

How Much Does Hiatus Cost?

Hiatus charges $9.99 a month for their app and all its features. They used to charge a 50% fee on the annual savings from their bill negotiation service, but that fee is no longer a part of their pay structure. This makes their fees very easy to understand. As an added bonus, the most you’ll pay monthly is only $9.99, you may be able to save a lot more than the $9.99 fee.

How Much Does Rocket Money Cost?

Rocket Money, on the other hand, has a more complicated pay structure. Their free app provides several features with minimal interference from ads. However, their paid version costs between $3 and $12 a month. They also charge a 30-60% “success fee” (you get to choose the percentage) for the annual savings you get by using their premium features. These fees are paid upfront, making it a costly option for people struggling to get out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. However, if you can afford it, it can be very rewarding.

Apps Like Hiatus and Rocket Money

If you don’t think Hiatus or Rocket Money is the perfect fit for you, or you’d like to explore your options, there are other apps that offer similar functionality to these two. Note that each app has its own unique features, so it may be worthwhile delving deeper into each of them to see what’s right for you.

Here are some apps like Hiatus and Rocket Money that could serve as an alternative:

• Trim (Check out our Trim vs. Truebill comparison)
• Mint (Check out our Mint vs. Truebill comparison)
• BillShark (Check out our BillShark review)
• Prism (Check out our Prism review)

Is Hiatus Legit?

Hiatus is indeed legit. Most people give positive feedback regarding the fact that the Hiatus app does what it says it’ll do. It is commended as a great service that saves users a ton of money and provides a reliable negotiation team. Furthermore, the application is very easy to use.

In terms of being able to reach customer service, sending an email or communicating with them directly via chat usually brings about helpful results. Phone number to reach is unfortunate but not a dealbreaker for most people, especially in this day and age.

Is Rocket Money Legit?

Rocket Money is indeed legit, and it’s probably the most legit bill-saving app in terms of reputation. They’ve been around for quite a while and garner great reviews. In its early startup stages, Rocket Money was able to raise $45M in a Series D round, gaining the company a $500M+ valuation. It’s only improved since then, more than doubling the staff soon after. The app itself is very comprehensive as a personal finance tool in addition to helping save you money. Furthermore, it’s got a great, easy-to-use interface.

Is Hiatus Safe?

Hiatus is committed to taking privacy and data security seriously using 256-bit encryption – which is a standard level of encryption for banks.

They claim to keep your information private, which is also very important since you’re giving Hiatus tons of personal information in order to make the most use of their app. Hiatus does not share or sell any of your private information.

Is Rocket Money Safe?

With the amount of access you are giving to Rocket Money, it’s essential to know whether or not your identity and financial information are safe. Take a look at the following safety features claimed on their website:

• 256-bit encryption for security
• They use Plaid, which is a separate third-party service to connect with financial institutions, so you won’t actually be giving Rocket Money any of your banking information.
• They promise not to share or sell any of your private information.
• Amazon Web Services is where your data is hosted. Security is top-notch, so much so that the Department of Defense stores sensitive data there as well.

So, while it might be somewhat alarming to give an app every detail about your financial life, Rocket Money seems to do its due diligence in ensuring that you are protected. I would give this one an overall yes, assuming their claims are backed by their actions.

User Reviews of Hiatus vs. Rocket Money

User reviews for Hiatus vary greatly between iOS and Android users. In the Apple App Store, there’s an average rating of 4.2 and on Google Play there’s an average rating of 2.4. Most of Hiatus’ negative reviews point out that the app listing doesn’t mention the monthly fees, so many users are surprised by the $9.99 a month charge.

Good reviews point out that it’s a user-friendly app that helps people stay organized. Their bill negotiation tools work, saving people money. Best of all, they no longer charge a percentage of your savings.

Rocket Money’s reviews are more consistent across iOS and Android users. In the Apple App Store, there’s an average rating of 4.5 and on Google Play there’s an average rating of 4.4. The negative reviews mostly point out that 30-60% is a steep price to pay for savings, especially paid upfront. They also point out that there doesn’t seem to be much support to help with in-app bugs.

However, their features provide even more financial insight than Hiatus. The fees are steep, but the services work. Over two million users have saved money using Rocket Money’s app, giving them a huge track record of former success.

If neither of these apps is what you are looking for, check out these similar apps.

In Conclusion

Overall, Rocket Money is better reviewed than Hiatus. Not only are there more reviews available, but the overall star ratings are significantly higher (especially on Google Play). It’s quite impressive that despite the steep price to pay for savings, Rocket Money still beats out Hiatus on ratings. To me, that says a lot about Rocket Money’s effectiveness and customer satisfaction.

For users who want to try the app before purchasing premium features, Rocket Money is also a clear winner. Their free services are extensive, although the bulk of the savings come from their premium features.

However, users who want a simple and straightforward pay structure with a lower cost of entry may prefer Hiatus over Rocket Money. Users pay at most, $9.99 a month to unlock all the features. Users love that they no longer take a percentage of the projected savings, allowing users to save even more.

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