Range vs Facet vs Origin Financial Planning (2026): Which AI-Powered Service Is Worth Paying For?

If you’re searching this, you probably make over $200K, have RSUs you don’t fully understand, and you’re tired of trying to do your own taxes with a stock options nightmare. Range, Facet, and Origin all promise to fix that. Two of them cost as much as a used car. One costs less than your gym membership.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth they don’t put in the marketing copy: for most people reading this article, the $156/year option does 80% of what the expensive ones do. The $3,000/year services are genuinely worth it — but only if your financial life is complex enough to justify the math.

Quick verdict: Tech worker with $200K+ salary, complex RSU/ESPP/options, net worth under $5M — Range ($2,950/yr). Established professional wanting a real CFP and traditional planning depth — Facet ($2,600-$9,950/yr). Income under $200K doing the basics — Origin ($12.99/mo, $156/yr). Net worth over $5M — none of these; you need a real wealth manager.

The math on which one actually makes sense for your income and complexity level is below.

What Each Service Actually Is

These are not the same product. Comparing them directly is like comparing a personal trainer, a fitness class, and a fitness app — they overlap, but they’re built for different people.

Range launched in 2024 as an AI-first financial planning platform targeting tech employees with equity compensation. For $2,950/year flat, you get access to their AI advisor “Rai” for routine planning questions, plus access to CFPs for complex work. Range was specifically built around the financial pain points of tech workers: RSU vesting, ESPP optimization, ISO/NSO option strategy, 83(b) elections, and secondary market sales. It’s not a general-purpose financial planner — it’s a specialist.

Facet has been doing CFP-as-a-service since 2016. You pay a flat annual fee and get matched with a real, fiduciary CFP advisor. Pricing runs from $2,600/year (Member tier) to $4,800/year (Standard) to $9,950/year (Premier). The higher tiers add tax planning, estate planning, and more dedicated CFP time. Facet is the closest thing to a traditional financial advisor relationship without the AUM-percentage fee structure that would cost you $10,000-$20,000/year at typical wealth management firms.

Origin is a financial planning app. At $12.99/month ($156/year), it covers budgeting, investing, basic retirement projections, RSU tracking, and account aggregation. In 2026, Origin launched an SEC-registered AI advisor. Origin is not a direct competitor to Range or Facet — it’s a different category. Calling them alternatives is like saying you’re choosing between hiring a CPA and buying TurboTax. Both do taxes. One does a lot more.

The Fee Math: What You Actually Pay

Pricing as of May 2026, sourced from each company’s official pricing pages.

The jump from $156 to $2,600 is not incremental. That’s a $2,444/year decision. You need to be confident the more expensive service will save you at least that much — in tax optimization, avoided mistakes, or time you’d rather not spend.

Range: AI-First Financial Planning for Tech Workers

Range is the most opinionated product in this comparison. It has a specific thesis: tech employees are underserved by traditional financial planning because their compensation structures are complex, and AI can handle the routine questions cheaply enough that you can afford a human for the hard stuff.

That thesis is largely correct.

Where Range wins: If you have RSUs at a public company, ESPP enrollment decisions, or stock options approaching expiration, Range’s tooling and advisor knowledge are specifically built for those scenarios. Avoiding one bad 83(b) election decision or mistiming a large RSU sale by a year can easily cost $10,000-$30,000 in taxes. Range’s flat $2,950 fee covers that calculus multiple times over.

The AI advisor “Rai” handles 24/7 routine questions — should I max my 401k before my ESPP contribution window? What happens to my unvested RSUs if I leave in March vs. April? These aren’t complex questions, but they’re the kind that used to require scheduling a CFP call, waiting a week, and paying for an hour of their time.

What changed in 2026: Range has moved further toward AI-first interactions, reducing the hand-holding from human advisors in their base tier. Some users see this as a feature — faster answers, less scheduling. Others wanted more human touchpoints for the fee. If you need frequent live CFP access, Facet’s model serves that better.

Range’s limits: It’s less suited to traditional retirement planning without equity comp complexity. It’s also not a great fit if your finances are primarily W-2 income, a 401k, and a brokerage account — that’s exactly what Origin handles at 5% of the cost.

Facet: Premium Human CFP at Flat Fee

Facet’s pitch is simple: you deserve a real fiduciary CFP, and you shouldn’t pay a percentage of your assets to get one. The AUM fee model — typically 0.5-1% of assets — means a $500,000 portfolio costs you $2,500-$5,000/year in advisor fees. Facet replaces that with a flat fee.

Where Facet wins: The dedicated CFP relationship. Facet matches you with a specific advisor who knows your full financial picture. They do comprehensive financial planning — retirement, education savings, insurance, estate, and yes, equity comp if you’re on the Premier tier. The 2016 founding date matters: Facet has nine years of track record, regulatory maturity, and advisor training that newer entrants don’t have.

For professionals with traditional financial planning needs — a partner income, a house, kids, a 529, retirement at 60 — Facet’s depth is hard to match. The Standard tier at $4,800/year handles most of what a full-service advisor would charge $8,000-$12,000/year to do on an AUM basis.

Facet’s tiers matter: The Member tier ($2,600) covers most planning needs but has less advisor time. Standard ($4,800) adds tax planning. Premier ($9,950) adds tax filing and comprehensive estate work. If you’re comparing Range to Facet, you’re really comparing Range to Facet Standard — both target similar audiences at similar price points. Premier is a different product.

Facet’s limits: It’s pricier than Range for the same equity-comp complexity, unless you’re on Premier. And if you want AI-first speed, Facet’s model is CFP-first — responses take longer by design.

Origin: The $156/Year Option Most People Should Try First

Origin is the uncomfortable answer in this comparison because it makes the expensive options look bad for a significant portion of their target market.

For $12.99/month, Origin does account aggregation across all your financial accounts, budgeting, investment tracking, basic retirement projections, RSU tracking, and — as of 2026 — an SEC-registered AI advisor. The AI advisor handles the kinds of questions that represent 80% of what most people actually need answered: Am I on track for retirement? Should I prioritize my 401k or pay down debt? What’s my actual net worth?

The honest case for Origin: If you earn $100K-$200K, have a 401k, a Roth IRA, maybe some company stock, and relatively predictable income, Origin’s tooling handles your financial life competently. The gap between Origin and a $3,000/year service is not 20x the value — it’s more like 3-4x for most users, and only if those users have genuine complexity.

Origin is also the right place to start. Spending three months with Origin tells you exactly what questions it can’t answer. Those are the questions that tell you whether you need Range or Facet.

Origin’s hard limits: No human CFP, ever. No complex equity strategy execution — if you have ISOs with an AMT exposure risk, 83(b) election decisions, or secondary market liquidity questions, Origin’s AI won’t have the judgment to handle those calls. No tax prep or filing. Not appropriate for $300K+ income with multi-company equity and serious complexity.

For that complexity, you need Range or Facet. But most people reading this article don’t have that complexity yet.

The Breakeven Math: When Does a $3K Service Beat a $156 App?

This is the question that actually matters. Range and Facet cost roughly $2,800-$2,950/year more than Origin. For that premium to be worth it, one of two things needs to be true:

Option A — Tax savings exceed the fee difference. If Range or Facet save you $3,000+ in tax optimization annually — through better equity comp strategy, tax-loss harvesting, retirement account decisions, or similar — you’ve broken even. At $200K+ with RSUs, this threshold is genuinely achievable. A well-timed RSU sale decision, ESPP purchase-and-sell strategy, or 401k contribution optimization can move the needle by $3,000-$8,000 per year in a higher income bracket.

Option B — Time savings justify the fee. At $200/hour effective income, you need Range or Facet to save you roughly 14 hours/year over what Origin would require. If you’re spending more than two hours per quarter wrestling with equity comp decisions, tax prep, or financial planning that Origin can’t handle — the math starts working.

Below those thresholds, Origin’s value per dollar is unbeatable.

At $120K salary with a 401k and a Roth IRA, the breakeven math doesn’t close. At $250K with three RSU tranches vesting annually, it usually does. That’s not a complicated rule — it’s just the math.

For hands-off investing and portfolio management decisions alongside your financial planning, see our comparison of the best robo-advisor for hands-off investing. And if you’re looking at broader retirement planning tools that let you run your own projections, retirement planning software like Boldin, ProjectionLab, and Empower covers that independently. If you have old 401k accounts from previous employers, free 401k rollover services are worth doing before paying for any premium planning service.

Comparison Table at a Glance

Our Verdict: Pick By Income and Complexity

Choose Range if: You’re a tech worker with $200K+ income, RSUs or stock options, and you want AI-first planning that moves fast and understands equity comp. Range’s 2026 AI push is a feature, not a bug, for people who want quick answers and CFP access for the hard questions. The $2,950 flat fee is genuinely reasonable for what it covers.

Choose Facet if: You want a real human CFP who knows your name and your financial life — and you’re willing to pay for that relationship. Facet Standard at $4,800 is the right tier for most complex financial lives. Premier at $9,950 makes sense if you want tax filing handled too. Facet is also the better pick if your financial complexity is traditional (retirement, estate, kids, multiple income sources) rather than equity-comp-specific.

Start with Origin if: Your income is under $200K, your finances don’t include multi-company equity or complex tax situations, and you haven’t yet hit the breakeven threshold where a premium service saves its own cost. Try Origin for six months. The questions it can’t answer will tell you exactly what you need next.

None of these if: Your net worth exceeds $5M or you own a private business with equity event complexity. Range and Facet aren’t built for that level. You need a traditional RIA or family office — and yes, the AUM fees will hurt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Range really replacing human advisors with AI?

Partially. Range’s 2026 direction leans heavily into AI-first interactions — “Rai” handles routine planning questions 24/7. CFPs are still available for complex needs, but with less scheduled hand-holding than Facet’s model. Whether this is a problem depends entirely on what you need. If you want quick answers at midnight about your RSU vesting schedule, Rai is better than a CFP who responds the next business day. If you want someone to call who knows your full financial picture, Facet’s model is built for that.

Can Origin replace a CFP if I make $250K with RSUs?

For most users with a single tech job and straightforward RSU vesting, Origin’s AI handles the basics competently. For multi-company equity, ESPP optimization, 83(b) election decisions, secondary market liquidity events, or AMT planning with ISOs — no. Those require human judgment and expertise that Origin’s AI isn’t positioned to provide. At $250K with serious equity comp, the breakeven math for Range or Facet typically closes.

Why is Facet more expensive than Range?

Facet’s pricing reflects more dedicated human CFP time. Range optimizes cost through AI-first interactions — Rai handles the routine questions, freeing up CFP time for genuinely complex work. Both target similar income ranges, but Facet’s model is more CFP-intensive by design. If you want to maximize human advisor face time, Facet is structured for that. If you’re fine with AI handling 80% of questions, Range’s $350/year lower base cost reflects that.

Are Range or Facet worth it for someone making $150K?

Probably not. At $150K with a 401k, a Roth, and maybe some company stock, Origin handles most of that financial profile at under $200/year. The premium services are designed for $200K+ incomes with complexity that justifies $2,600-$4,800/year in fees. Running the breakeven math at $150K rarely closes unless you have unusual equity comp or a particularly complicated tax situation.

Does Range or Facet do my taxes?

Range: yes, tax preparation is included in the base $2,950/year fee. Facet: tax planning is included across tiers; tax filing is included at the Premier tier ($9,950/year). For Standard tier Facet users, you’ll still need a separate tax filing solution. This is one area where Range’s flat fee is genuinely more comprehensive than Facet at the entry and standard price points.

What if I have over $5M net worth?

None of these services scale to that complexity. At $5M+ net worth, you typically need a traditional RIA, a multi-family office, or at minimum a fee-only financial planner with private wealth experience. Range and Facet both focus on the $200K-$5M income-and-wealth range. Above that, the planning complexity — estate tax exposure, charitable giving strategy, business succession, concentrated positions — exceeds what either platform is built to handle.

The Bottom Line

Range if you’re a tech worker with equity comp and want AI-first planning that was built for your specific financial situation. Facet if you want a real human CFP, a dedicated relationship, and traditional financial planning depth. Origin if you’re not yet earning enough to justify either — start there, run it for six months, and let the gaps tell you what you actually need.

Most people reading this article should be on Origin. The ones who need Range or Facet already know it — their last RSU vesting event cost them money they didn’t have to lose.