Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Annual fees: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card $550/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card $650/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card on hotels, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card on flights.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
American Express
American Express
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 14X | 2X |
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card wins in 5 of 5 categories. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card leads in 0.
Hotels
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 14X vs 2X
Car Rentals
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 7X vs 2X
Flights
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 7X vs 3X
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 7X vs 3X
Everyday purchases
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 3X on all other spending vs 2X
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
| Scenario | Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 3X on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card vs 2X on the other card.
Published annual fees: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card $550/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card $650/yr — a $100 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| Car Rentals | 7X | 2X |
| Dining | 7X | 3X |
| Flights | 7X | 3X |
| Everything Else | 3X | 2X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $173 Credits (our usable estimate): $545 − Annual fee ($550) Ongoing: $168 Year one: $768 | Rewards: $181 Credits (our usable estimate): $252 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: -$217 Year one: $833 | Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $691 Credits (our usable estimate): $545 − Annual fee ($550) Ongoing: $686 Year one: $1,286 | Rewards: $722 Credits (our usable estimate): $252 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: $324 Year one: $1,374 | Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use |
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card costs $650/yr — that's $100 more than the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card ($550/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $100 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card includes dining credits, lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, complimentary hotel status. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $100 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $100 fee gap means the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card needs roughly $100 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on flights and dining and everyday spend.
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card if you:
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
