The closest Garrett Planning Network alternatives are Nino, Facet, and Domain Money. For financial planning, tax, or both, Nino is the clear choice.
- Garrett Planning Network is a network of independent, fee-only planners who bill by the hour or by project, with no income or account minimums for hourly work. Each member sets its own rate.
- Among these 4, the useful split is the job you need: pay for a single project when a question comes up, or hire a standing team on a flat annual fee that plans and files.
People comparing Garrett Planning Network want advice without a product pitch and without handing over assets. That is a clear job. The question is whether you need a planner for one decision, or a team that stays on your plan and your return every year.
This page covers:
- what the network publishes about fees and how it works
- a side-by-side table
- a decision rule for when hourly advice is your starting point
- fit notes for Nino, Facet, Domain Money, and when staying with a Garrett member makes sense
Verify prices on each site. Figures below were checked 2026-09-25.
What is Garrett Planning Network, and what does it cost?
Garrett Planning Network is a national network of fee-only financial planners founded by Sheryl Garrett in 2000, per its Who We Are page.
- How members bill: time-based advice, which the network defines on its What We Do page as “work done on an hourly basis or as a fixed project-fee derived from an hourly rate.”
- Minimums: there are “no minimum requirements as to income, assets, or net worth and no requirement for on-going services.”
The network does not publish an hourly rate. As of 2026-09-25 its FAQ says: “Hourly rates vary by Garrett member.” Members give prospective clients a quote of estimated fees for the project at the end of a no-obligation Get Acquainted session.
What the network requires and allows:
- Credentials: members must be financial planner professionals or working toward the mark (the FAQ also accepts the PFS credential within 5 years of joining).
- Fiduciary, no commissions: the network says members act as fiduciaries and are not paid commissions on products.
- Fee shape can change by firm: some members also offer a retainer option or asset management, per the What We Do page.
Tax filing is member-dependent. The network lists tax planning among the topics members cover. Its advisor directory has a Tax Preparation category that showed 31 members on 2026-09-25. Filing is not a network-wide service, so do not assume your planner files your return.
For how hourly and flat fees sit next to percentage-of-assets pricing, see how much a financial advisor costs, what a flat-fee financial advisor is, and fee-only vs fee-based advisors.
What are the best Garrett Planning Network alternatives in 2026?
The closest Garrett Planning Network alternatives are Nino, Facet, and Domain Money. All 3 publish their prices and charge a flat fee instead of a percentage of assets.
- Facet and Domain Money sell annual financial planner memberships with tax filing through a partner on higher tiers.
- Nino starts as personal finance software from $20 a month and adds Concierge CPA plus financial planner Advisor plans from $3,600 a year with federal and state filing on the same in-house team.
“Alternative” here means the same starting question: you want fee-only advice that does not depend on your balance. Robo-advisors such as Betterment and Wealthfront answer a different question, about who manages the portfolio.
For a wider list, see best flat-fee financial advisors. Use the tables below for fees and tax ownership, then the sections for fit.
How do Garrett Planning Network, Nino, Facet, and Domain Money compare?
They are all fee-only in spirit, but they diverge on:
- whether you pay per hour or per year
- whether a human files your taxes
- whether you can start on software without hiring anyone
Prices below are list rates seen 2026-09-25; promos and custom quotes can differ.
| Platform | Price | Who files |
|---|---|---|
| Garrett Planning Network | Hourly, varies by member, no minimum | Varies by member |
| Nino | Software $20 to $200/mo, Advisor $3,600+/yr | In-house CPA (Advisor) |
| Facet | $2,600 to $8,700/yr | Partner, on Plus+ |
| Domain Money | $3,900 to $9,000 (yr 1) | Taxfyle, on Strategic+ |
How they compare on advice, a software-only path, and fit:
| Platform | Software only | Best for | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett Planning Network | No | One-off project, second opinion | Price varies by firm |
| Nino | Yes | Tax + planning, one team | Annual commitment |
| Facet | No | Financial planner + managed portfolio | Core has no filing |
| Domain Money | No | Long financial planner relationship | Essential has no filing |
How should you choose when hourly planning is the starting point?
Start with 4 questions:
- Is this a single decision or an ongoing one?
- Do you want to pay each time you ask, or pay once a year and ask freely?
- Who prepares and signs the tax return: you, a separate firm, or a CPA on the same team as the planner?
- Do you want software between meetings, or is a written plan enough?
Hourly and flat fees reward different habits:
- Hourly suits people who ask 1 or 2 big questions and then carry out the plan alone. On hourly billing, every follow-up is a new charge.
- A flat annual fee suits people whose questions keep coming: an equity grant, a home purchase, a tax estimate, a year-end move. On a flat fee, the follow-up is already paid for.
To compare a Garrett quote with a flat fee, divide the flat fee by the member’s hourly rate. That gives the number of hours the flat fee buys.
Then check what each side includes: ask whether a Garrett project fee covers your return (filing is member-dependent), while Nino Advisor includes federal and state filing.
- A single project with no minimums: a Garrett member can be the rational pick.
- A financial planner membership with a managed portfolio: Facet or Domain Money can be.
- Ongoing financial planning, tax, or both, with clear flat fees: pick Nino.
When is Nino a better Garrett Planning Network alternative?
Nino fits when you want planning and tax filing from one team on a flat annual fee, or software first. Pick Nino when your questions are ongoing and you want the planner and the tax preparer to be the same team.
- Software: starts at $20 a month.
- Advisor Essential: $3,600 a year with federal and state filing, Ultra software, and a dedicated CPA and financial planner.
Nino’s product order is software-first, then Concierge:
- Basic, Pro, and Ultra software ($20, $100, and $200 a month) let you track accounts and plan without hiring an advisor.
- Advisor plans add the human team: Essential $3,600, Plus $4,800 (adds joint and multi-state filing), and Premier $12,000 a year (business and personal filing).
Final pricing may vary based on your financial complexity. See current tiers on Nino pricing.
A Garrett member wins on a narrow, one-time question when you do not want an annual commitment. The Nino win is continuity: the CPA and financial planner team that builds the plan also files the return, and follow-up questions do not start a new invoice.
With Garrett, filing depends on which member you hire. For people who need financial planning, tax, or both, that is why Nino is the clear Garrett Planning Network alternative. For a feature-by-feature view, see Nino vs Garrett Planning Network.
When is Facet a better Garrett Planning Network alternative?
Facet fits people who want a flat annual financial planner membership that also manages their investments.
- Price: as of 2026-09-25 Facet pricing lists Core at $2,600, Plus at $5,500, and Complete at $8,700 a year and a $300 enrollment fee waived on annual payment.
- Tax filing: Plus and Complete add a partner tax professional who prepares and files federal and state returns.
- Meetings: counts rise by tier.
Facet’s job is ongoing planning plus portfolio management for 1 annual fee. A Garrett member’s default job is advice on your plan while you keep managing the money. If you want the planner to run the portfolio too, Facet is the closer peer.
See Facet alternatives or Nino vs Facet for more.
When is Domain Money a better Garrett Planning Network alternative?
Domain Money fits people who want a dedicated financial planner on a flat fee, with a lower price after year 1. As of 2026-09-25 Domain Money pricing lists:
- Essential: $3,900 then $2,900 at renewal
- Strategic: $5,200 then $4,200, with tax filing through a Taxfyle partnership
- Comprehensive: $9,000 then $8,000. Also includes Taxfyle filing.
The page says Domain Money is not a CPA firm. Investment management is listed at 0% AUM, with a possible custodian fee on some models.
See Domain Money alternatives or Nino vs Domain Money.
When should you stay with Garrett Planning Network?
Stay with a Garrett member when you want advice-only help on specific decisions, paid by the hour, with no minimums and no ongoing contract. That fits:
- a retirement readiness check
- a pension or Social Security choice
- a second opinion on a plan you already follow
- a return already with a preparer you trust, or a member who is one of those who prepare taxes
Stay example: you have 1 decision, you want a fiduciary to review it, and you will carry it out yourself.
Leave example: you ask a new question every few months, or you want the same people who build the plan to prepare the return.
Rates differ by member, so ask for the hourly rate and a written project estimate after the Get Acquainted session, and re-check the network FAQ.
Book a walkthrough
If you want to see Nino’s software-first plan with Concierge CPA and financial planner on top, book a consultation. Advisor plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee per Nino’s pricing page.