Facet, Range, Domain Money
These are the three primary competitors to compare with Flames for comprehensive planning, while advisor continuity, filing, estate work, and implementation still vary materially.
Compare financial planning options
Compare Flames FP With Flat-Fee Advisors, Robo-Advisors, and Finance Apps
A fair comparison starts with the job you need done. These pages separate comprehensive advice from software, investment implementation from account tracking, and tax planning from tax filing.
Reviewed August 26, 2026 by Joel Miller, CFP. Pricing and services can change; confirm current terms with each provider.
Short answer
Which Financial Planning Model Should You Compare First?
Start with the service model. Facet, Range, and Domain Money are Flames FP's three closest direct competitors in this comparison. Compare Betterment or Empower when AUM-based managed investments are the center of the need. Compare Monarch or Origin when software is the primary goal. Nino is included as a newly launched beta entrant rather than an established peer.
Betterment and Empower
The advisory fee changes with invested assets, and human-advisor access depends on the product and minimum.
Monarch, Origin, and Nino
Monarch and Origin are software-first. Nino describes itself as a beta. None should be treated as an established one-to-one peer without checking scope and track record.
Side by side
Nine Financial Planning and Money-Management Options Compared
Use this as a routing table, then open the detailed head-to-head page for the closest substitute.
| Option | Published fee | Human relationship | Investments | Tax and estate | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flames FP | $3,600 Planning; $6,600 Premier annualized | Dedicated advisor in Planning/Premier | Personalized management included | Eligible Premier filing; Wealth.com documents in Planning/Premier | Minnesota households wanting one ongoing advisor and no annual commitment |
| Facet | $2,600 Core; $5,500 Plus; $8,700 Complete/year | CFP access, team, or dedicated CFP by tier | Listed; scope varies by tier | Partner filing in Plus/Complete; estate add-on | National flat-fee planning with a structured meeting cadence |
| Range | $3,950 Premium; $5,950 Platinum; $12,500 Titanium/year | Team of specialists; not one advisor | 0% AUM; direct indexing listed | Filing in Titanium; estate documents in Platinum/Titanium | Households wanting a broad specialist team and technology platform |
| Domain Money | $3,900/$5,200/$9,000 year one; lower renewals | Dedicated CFP; partner included | 0% AUM through Altruist | Filing and estate documents from Strategic | Households preferring annual coaching counts and renewal pricing |
| Betterment | $5/month or 0.25% automated investing; Premium 0.65% | Digital advice; CFP access in Premium | Automated portfolio management | Not comprehensive tax advice; no return filing | Low-cost automated investing; Premium requires $100,000 eligible balance |
| Empower | 0.89% AUM from $100,000 to $1 million; breakpoints above | Advisory team; two advisors at higher tiers | Managed portfolios | Tax optimization; tax filing is a separate product | Investors comfortable with AUM pricing and a $100,000 minimum |
| Monarch | $99.99 Core or $199.99 Plus/year | No personalized advisor relationship | Tracking only, not investment management | Tax exports in Plus; not tax or legal advice | Budgeting, net-worth tracking, and household collaboration |
| Origin | $1 first-year promotion shown on review date; verify renewal terms | AI financial-advisor experience | Investment monitoring and affiliated RIA services | AI guidance and tax product; verify human and filing scope | Software-first budgeting, forecasting, and AI guidance |
| Nino | $2,000 Core; $3,500 Plus; $6,000+ Ultra/year; filing add-ons | CFP + CPA + platform | Read-only connections; confirm implementation | In-house tax planning; filing add-on; legacy planning in Ultra | People specifically evaluating a newly launched beta; verify operating history, capacity, and implementation |
Fees are based on publicly available information reviewed August 26, 2026. Actual fees may vary based on account size, services, negotiation, household complexity, and other factors. Prospective clients should review each adviser's current Form ADV and advisory agreement.
A service can be excellent without being a direct substitute. Monarch's $99.99 software plan and Flames Planning's $3,600 advisory relationship solve different problems.
Direct comparisons
Compare Flames With the Closest Flat-Fee Alternatives
Flames FP vs Facet
Flat fees, annual commitment, advisor relationship, meeting cadence, filing, estate documents, and Minnesota fit.
Flames FP vs Range
One dedicated advisor versus a pooled specialist team, plus direct indexing, tax, estate, and pricing differences.
Flames FP vs Domain Money
Quarterly ongoing pricing versus first-year and renewal fees, coaching counts, filing, and estate services.
Flames FP vs Nino
Compare Flames' dedicated-advisor investment management with Nino's newly launched CFP-and-CPA platform, read-only connections, and filing add-ons.
Facet alternatives
Start With the Full Facet Alternatives Guide
The pillar guide centers Flames FP, Range, and Domain Money as the closest direct alternatives, then separates AUM advice, software, and Nino's beta-stage offer.
Read Best Facet Alternatives in 2026 to compare flat-fee firms, AUM advisors, robo-advisors, and finance apps without treating them as identical services.
What to compare
Seven Service Boundaries That Matter More Than a Brand Name
- Advisor continuity: one dedicated advisor, a dedicated team, or a pooled specialist bench.
- Investment authority: recommendations only, automated portfolios, or personalized management and rebalancing.
- Tax scope: education, projections, return review, or preparation and filing.
- Estate scope: beneficiary guidance, document-platform access, attorney coordination, or legal drafting.
- Meeting access: fixed annual counts, quarterly calls, or conversations as needed.
- Commitment: monthly software, quarterly membership, annual renewal, or nonrefundable annual agreement.
- Total cost: planning fee plus fund expenses, custodian, TAMP, tax, legal, and other third-party charges.
Sources and method
How This Comparison Was Built
We reviewed each provider's public pricing and service pages on August 26, 2026. We compare published list prices, advisor relationship, investment implementation, tax scope, estate scope, commitment structure, and stated service limits. We do not treat a lower headline price as automatically better when the scope is different.
- Flames official pricing or product page
- Facet official pricing or product page
- Range official pricing or product page
- Domain Money official pricing or product page
- Betterment official pricing or product page
- Empower official pricing or product page
- Monarch official pricing or product page
- Origin official pricing or product page
- Nino official pricing or product page
- Nino beta launch announcement — Nino describes its July 2026 launch as a beta
Company names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Flames Financial Planning is not affiliated with or endorsed by the compared companies. This page is educational, reflects public information available on August 26, 2026, and is not individualized investment, tax, or legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Financial Advisor Comparison Questions
How should I compare flat-fee financial advisors?
Compare the advisor relationship, investment implementation, tax planning versus filing, estate-document scope, meeting cadence, commitment, spouse or partner coverage, complexity limits, and all third-party fees. Do not compare price without scope.
Does a flat fee always mean no investment minimum?
No. Flat-fee pricing and investment minimums are separate decisions. Flames, Range, and Domain Money publicly state no AUM advisory fee, but every provider's minimums and account requirements should be confirmed.
Is a robo-advisor the same as a flat-fee planner?
No. A robo-advisor primarily automates investment portfolios. A comprehensive planner may coordinate investments, taxes, retirement, insurance, estate decisions, cash flow, and implementation with a human advisor.
Why does Flames compare itself with competitors?
People already compare these models. Publishing sources, prices, limits, and situations where another provider may fit better makes the decision more transparent and keeps the comparison verifiable.
How often are these comparison pages reviewed?
This comparison cluster was reviewed on August 26, 2026. Each page links to the providers' official sources so readers can confirm changes before deciding.
Compare the fit
The Best Option Is the One Whose Scope Matches Your Financial Life.
If a dedicated Minnesota advisor, transparent flat quarterly pricing, personalized investment management, and coordinated planning are important to you, schedule a discovery meeting and ask direct questions before deciding.