Nels vs. Era
Era isn't one app — it's three. Context is an MCP server that hands your financial data to Claude, ChatGPT, or any AI agent you already use. Agency is a companion app that acts on your accounts automatically, under rules you set. Thesis, investment research and model portfolios run through an SEC-registered investment adviser, is still in private beta. None of the three hold a household budget.
| Feature | Nels | Era |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From $3/month or $30/year | Free, then from $9.99/month or $95.88/year |
| Log expenses by chatting | Yes | Partial |
| Writable budget, not just a dashboard | Yes | No |
| Envelope / zero-based budgeting | Yes | No |
| Household sharing | Yes | No |
| Audit log of changes | Yes | No |
| Automatic bank syncing | Partial | Yes |
| Passwordless sign-in | Yes | Yes |
| AI spending insights | Yes | Yes |
| Savings and debt goals | Yes | No |
| Human financial advisors | No | No |
| Retirement projections | No | No |
Yes · Partial · No
Compared using publicly available pricing as of 2026-07-27. Era
Who each one is for
If you want your existing AI assistant to see your accounts and act on them with your permission, or you want serious investment research, Era is built for exactly that — and for a more technical buyer than Nels is. Running a shared household budget together is a separate need, and Nels is built for that instead.
What Era does better
Context is genuinely open: it's built on MCP, an open protocol, and works with Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible agent instead of locking you into one. Thesis brings real investment research and model portfolios run through an SEC-registered investment adviser — backtesting and portfolio analysis — that Nels has never attempted. If what you want is your own AI tools reading your finances, or a serious research platform for investing, Era already covers that ground; Nels doesn't try to.
The honest verdict
Era is infrastructure for someone who already has an AI workflow and wants their finances plugged into it. Nels is one product: a shared household budget with envelope categories, meant to be the whole tool rather than a layer under a bigger one. Pick Era to extend the AI stack you already have; pick Nels to run the budget itself.
Frequently asked questions
Is Era a budgeting app?
Not really. Context gives AI agents read and, with your permission, write access to your accounts; Agency automates money moves; Thesis is investment research and model portfolios run through an SEC-registered investment adviser. None of the three maintain envelope categories or a shared household plan the way Nels does.
Does Era work with Claude and ChatGPT?
Yes. Context is built on MCP, the open protocol, so it connects to Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible agent instead of replacing them. Nels is a standalone product with its own assistant, not something you plug another AI into.
Can my household share a budget in Era?
Not in any of its three products. Context, Agency, and Thesis are built around one person's AI workflow or investing, not a shared plan. Nels is built for households, with a shared ledger, per-person permissions, and an audit log.