The closest Garrett Planning Network alternatives are Nino, Facet, and Domain Money. 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. For financial planning, tax, or both, Nino is the clear choice.
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, then 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.
A naming note: Garrett Planning Network is named for its founder, Sheryl Garrett. It has no connection to Nino or to anyone at Nino.
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. Members offer 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.” 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. So the real price is 1 member’s hourly rate times the hours that member estimates. Ask for both in writing.
Members must be CFP professionals or working toward the mark (the FAQ also accepts the PFS credential within 5 years of joining). The network says members act as fiduciaries and are not paid commissions on products. Some members also offer a retainer option or asset management, per the What We Do page, so fee shape can change by firm.
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 CFP 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 CFP 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, and 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 | Fee shape | Published cost (2026-09-25) | Tax filing owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett Planning Network | Hourly or project fee, set by member | No network rate; hourly rates vary by member; quote after no-obligation Get Acquainted session; no minimums | Member-dependent; some members list tax preparation |
| Nino | Software + Advisor flat | Software $20 to $200/mo; Advisor $3,600 / $4,800 / $12,000/yr | In-house CPA on Advisor |
| Facet | Flat annual membership | Core $2,600; Plus $5,500; Complete $8,700/yr list (promos shown lower) | Partner tax pro on Plus and Complete |
| Domain Money | Flat fee, first year then renewal | Essential $3,900/$2,900; Strategic $5,200/$4,200; Comprehensive $9,000/$8,000 | Taxfyle partner on Strategic and Comprehensive |
How they compare on advice, a software-only path, and fit:
| Platform | Advice model | Software-only option | Best fit | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett Planning Network | Independent CFP-track planner; some add asset management | No | One-off project or second opinion | Price and filing scope differ firm to firm |
| Nino | CPA + CFP Concierge + software | Yes ($20+/mo) | Tax + planning on 1 team, or DIY software | Annual commitment is more than a single short project |
| Facet | CFP membership with investment management | No | Ongoing CFP meetings plus managed portfolio | Core has no tax filing |
| Domain Money | Dedicated CFP, set sessions per year | No | Ongoing CFP relationship, lower renewals | Essential has no tax filing; session limits by tier |
Sources: Garrett Planning Network FAQ, Garrett Planning Network What We Do, Garrett tax preparation directory, Nino pricing, Facet pricing, Domain Money pricing. Verify on each provider’s site. Not personalized advice.
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. A flat annual fee suits people whose questions keep coming: an equity grant, a home purchase, a tax estimate, a year-end move. On hourly billing, every follow-up is a new charge. 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. Nino Advisor Essential at $3,600 a year, Facet Core at $2,600, or Domain Money Strategic at $5,200 in year 1 each equal that many hours at the rate your Garrett member quotes. This is fee math on an illustrative quote, not a claim about typical Garrett Planning Network clients. 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.
If your need is a single project with no minimums, a Garrett member can be the rational pick. If you want a CFP membership with a managed portfolio, Facet or Domain Money can be. When the need is 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. Software starts at $20 a month. Advisor Essential is $3,600 a year with federal and state filing, Ultra software, and a dedicated CPA and CFP. Pick Nino when your questions are ongoing and you want the planner and the tax preparer to be the same team.
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 CFP 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 CFP membership that also manages their investments. As of 2026-09-25 Facet pricing lists Core at $2,600, Plus at $5,500, and Complete at $8,700 a year, with lower promotional prices shown and a $300 enrollment fee waived on annual payment. Plus and Complete add a partner tax professional who prepares and files federal and state returns. Meeting 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 CFP on a flat fee, with a lower price after year 1. As of 2026-09-25 Domain Money pricing lists Essential at $3,900 then $2,900 at renewal, Strategic at $5,200 then $4,200, and Comprehensive at $9,000 then $8,000. Strategic and Comprehensive include tax filing through a Taxfyle partnership; 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.
Strategic over 2 years is $9,400 at list prices, assuming no price change. If you expect to keep a planner for several years, compare that total with the hours a Garrett member would bill you over the same period. 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, or a second opinion on a plan you already follow. It also fits when your return is already with a preparer you trust, or when your member 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 CFP on top, book a consultation. Advisor plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee per Nino’s pricing page.