KOHO is a card. We’re an app.
KOHO is a prepaid Visa with cashback rewards and a basic savings feature. Useful as a card. Not a substitute for a real budgeting app. PocketSpend connects to your TD, RBC, BMO, Scotia and CIBC accounts simultaneously, tracks TFSA/RRSP/FHSA room, and exports CRA-ready expense reports — things KOHO simply doesn’t do.
PocketSpend
C$9.99/mo
Save 47%
cheaper, every month
KOHO
C$19/mo (Everything)
Why people are leaving KOHO
- 1.KOHO is a prepaid Visa card with cashback — the spending visibility is limited to what you charge on the KOHO card, not your real chequing/savings/credit cards at TD/RBC/BMO/Scotia/CIBC.
- 2.KOHO has no TFSA room calculator, no RRSP carry-forward tracking, no FHSA limit warnings. You still need a separate tool for CRA-aware finances.
- 3.KOHO Everything at C$19/mo is more expensive than PocketSpend Premium at C$9.99/mo — and PocketSpend covers all your accounts, not just the KOHO card.
- 4.KOHO’s budgeting interface is intentionally simple to keep prepaid users engaged. It is not designed for power users running a household budget across 6+ accounts.
Feature-by-feature: PocketSpend vs KOHO
| Feature | PocketSpend | KOHO |
|---|---|---|
| Connects all Canadian banks | TD, RBC, BMO, Scotia, CIBC + 80 more | Only the KOHO card |
| TFSA room calculator | ✓ | ✗ |
| RRSP carry-forward tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| FHSA contribution tracker | ✓ | ✗ |
| T2125 / CRA expense export | ✓ | ✗ |
| GST/HST tracker (sole props) | Business tier | ✗ |
| Cashback on card | Use your existing card | 0.5-2% on KOHO Visa |
| Monthly price (top tier) | C$9.99 | C$19 (Everything) |
| Bi-weekly budgeting | ✓ | Basic |
What PocketSpend does that KOHO can't
Real TFSA tracking
Live calculator showing 2026 annual limit ($7,500), cumulative lifetime room, and warnings when you approach the 1% monthly CRA over-contribution penalty. KOHO has nothing comparable.
Connects every bank, not just one card
Plaid Canada syncs your TD chequing, RBC credit cards, Scotia mortgage, BMO investments and KOHO card simultaneously. One dashboard, full picture.
CRA-ready exports
For T1 General filing: deductible expense roll-ups by category, Form T2125 prep for sole props, GST/HST tracking. KOHO doesn’t touch tax.
Investments inside TFSA/RRSP
Connect Wealthsimple, Questrade, RBC Direct via Plaid. Portfolio value rolls into net worth. KOHO investing is GIC-only and locked to KOHO.
The verdict
KOHO is a solid prepaid Visa with cashback. If that’s what you want, use KOHO. But it is not a budgeting app — it can’t see your TD chequing, your RBC credit card, your Scotia mortgage or your Wealthsimple TFSA. PocketSpend at C$9.99/month is half the price of KOHO Everything and gives you a real, CRA-aware finance dashboard across every account you actually own.
Common questions
Is KOHO a budgeting app?▼
No. KOHO is a prepaid Visa card with cashback. It tracks only KOHO-card spending, not your real chequing, savings or credit cards. To budget across your TD/RBC/BMO/Scotia/CIBC, you need a budgeting app like PocketSpend.
Can I use both KOHO and PocketSpend?▼
Yes — keep KOHO for the cashback, connect it to PocketSpend as one of your accounts. You get KOHO rewards plus a unified dashboard across every other account.
How accurate is the TFSA room calculator?▼
We track contributions to all connected accounts and reconcile against CRA’s annual limits ($7,500 in 2026, $7,000 in 2025, etc). For most users it matches CRA MyAccount to the dollar. We do not have CRA API access — always confirm against MyAccount before maxing.
Does PocketSpend offer cashback?▼
No — cashback comes from your existing card’s rewards programme. KOHO’s 0.5-2% is competitive; we focus on the budgeting + tax + investing layer on top.
Try PocketSpend free
Free plan forever. No credit card. Cancel anytime.