Pearler vs Australian Ethical
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pearler
This app simplifies investing for long-term financial independence. It offers tools for share trading, ETFs, and automated investing, with a focus on community insights and a 'get rich slow' philosophy. It's designed for beginners and experienced investors alike.
- Discover investing styles (shares, LICs, ETFs)
- Low transaction fees
- Template portfolios
- Set-and-forget Autoinvest strategy
- Track financial goals
- Follow Finfluencers for insights
- Community support
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Build financial independence, no matter where you are on the investing journey. Pearler can help you get there – it’s investing made simple again. Pearler is a share trading app designed to help you invest smart to build financial independence. We don’t have all the answers (nobody does), but we’re on a mission to help you find your own. With the Pearler app, you can: • Discover your investing style through shares trading, LICs and ETF investing • Avoid hidden fees and simply pay low fees per trade • Choose assets to invest in or use a template portfolio to get you started • Build wealth while you sleep with a set-and-forget Autoinvest strategy • Track your progress towards financial independence or any other financial goal • Follow Finfluencers to learn and help you find your investing path Get rich slow – that’s the Pearler mantra. Real investing should be about going the distance. Investing should be boring. That’s why Pearler is built for long-term investors, not traders. No FOMO, no get-rich-quick stock tips, just insights from a community you can trust. With Pearler, you don’t do the journey alone. Plus, you can earn investment credits for referring your friends! Ready to build your wealth? Download the Pearler app for free and start your journey today. IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ The information is prepared by Pearler Investments Pty Ltd t/a Pearler (ABN 32 625 120 649) (Pearler) who is an authorised representative (AFS Representative No. 1281540) of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd (ABN 18 136 960 775, AFSL 337927) (Sanlam). At Pearler, we strive to make investing for your long-term goals easier and fun but we only provide general information and/ or general advice. We have not taken into consideration any of your personal circumstances, objectives, financial situation or needs nor do we use your preferences or search history to tailor your user experience. Any information is of a general nature only and does not consider your personal circumstances, objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the information, you should consider its appropriateness, having regard to your personal circumstances, objectives, financial situation and needs. You may also wish to consider seeking appropriate financial, taxation and/or legal advice. All investments carry risk. You may lose some or all of your money invested. Except as expressly disclosed otherwise, the performance of an investment or the repayment of capital is not guaranteed. Please view our Financial Services Guide (https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide) before deciding to use or invest on Pearler.
Australian Ethical
Manage your ethical investments with ease. Track portfolio value, fund balances, and contributions. Set up regular investments and manage distribution rules. Update personal information and bank details securely.
- Portfolio value summary
- Individual fund balances
- Contribution tracking
- Top 10 holdings view
- Recent transaction history
- Regular investment plan setup
- Distribution rule management
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An easy way for Australian Ethical Managed Fund investors to stay on top of their earth-changing investments. With this version of the app you’ll be able to: - Access a summary of your overall portfolio value and the value of your individual funds - View the balance of your funds - Track your contributions to individual funds - View your funds’ top 10 holdings - View recent transactions for each fund (e.g. deposits, distributions) - Set-up and make changes to a regular investment plan - Manage distribution rules for your fund e.g. re-invest funds, or payout in cash to your nominated bank account - Update your personal information, password, and bank account You will need to be an existing Australian Ethical investor to use the app. You will need your InvestorServe account details to login. If you don’t have an account or have forgotten your details, you can get these within the app. This is general information only and is not intended to provide you with financial advice or take into account your individual investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and read the Financial Services Guide, the Product Disclosure Statement and the Target Market Determination relevant to the product which is available on our website. You should consider seeking advice from a licensed financial adviser before making an investment decision. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Interests in the Australian Ethical Managed Funds are issued by Australian Ethical Investment Ltd (ABN 47 003 188 930, AFSL 229949). Australian Ethical respects your privacy. All personal information is handled in accordance with Australian Ethical’s Privacy Policy [:mav: 2.0.1]
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Pearler at weekly against Australian Ethical's every 3 months. On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pearler ships an update weekly, Australian Ethical every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Pearler | Australian Ethical |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 24.8% of reviews — better | 17.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 124 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pearler Investments | AUSTRALIAN ETHICAL INVESTMENT LTD |
Customer experience
Pearler
Australian Ethical
Bugs and requests
Pearler
Reported bugs
20 issues- Login failures and authentication errors
- Buttons not responding or not clickable
- App crashes during purchases and transactions
- Verification email code input not working
- Address field not accepting input
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- File upload rejecting documents (too large or wrong format)
- Blank screens when switching between apps
- Password reset loop - multiple resets required
- Face ID and biometric sign-in not working
- App freezing on loading screens
- Back button functionality broken
- Text overlapping and pixelated graphics
- Net wealth graph showing incorrect or broken data
- Verification process rejecting correct information
- Automatic investments not executing as scheduled
- Incorrect capital growth calculations for US stocks
- Cannot find sell functionality after UI updates
- Account reactivation blocked by email already registered error
- Chat support feature causing app crashes
- Inactive buttons until screen is reset
Requested features
15 requests- Complete UI/UX overhaul with modern design
- Dark mode option
- Back button that returns to previous screen, not top level
- Daily/YTD/annual returns data display
- Ability to see stock price trends and daily changes
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Watch list for stocks not yet owned
- Customizable dashboard with less information clutter
- Native mobile app instead of web wrapper
- Reduce frequency of mandatory updates
- Better customer service and support options
- Faster fund transfer and transaction processing
- Ability to schedule ASX purchases for later dates
- Better accessibility for vision-impaired users
- Option to choose between old and new dashboard designs
- Restore lifetime earnings display without paywall
Australian Ethical
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pearler
No in-app purchases
Australian Ethical
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Pearler free?
Is Australian Ethical free?
Do Pearler or Australian Ethical have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pearler or Australian Ethical?
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