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Hilton Honors Amex Aspire vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex

At our sample profile ($31,100/yr spend, only “easy” credits counted), the Hilton Honors Amex Aspire comes to $1,192 in the first year and $292 a year after that; the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex comes to $597 and $489. Annual fees are $550 and $650, against $819 and $330 a year in stated credits. Figures from the issuers’ pages, checked October 23, 2026; your spending will change the result.

Data checked by Chris Manns · Last updated October 23, 2026

	Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card	Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Issuer	American Express	American Express
Annual fee	$550	$650
Welcome bonus	200,000 points≈ $900after $6,000 in 6 months	100,000 points≈ $720after $6,000 in 6 months
Rewards currency	Hilton Honors	Marriott Bonvoy
Value per point	~0.45¢ each, median of 6 published valuations	~0.72¢ each, median of 6 published valuations
Earning	14x Hilton only Hotels (booked with the hotel) 7x Flights (booked with the airline), Dining & takeout 3x everything else	6x Marriott only Hotels (booked with the hotel) 3x Dining & takeout, Flights (booked with the airline) 2x everything else
Fee vs stated credits	$550 vs $819stated credits a year (face value) · + 2 free nights	$650 vs $330stated credits a year (face value) · + 1 free night
Yearly cost after year 1	$250fee − $300 of “easy” credits (our default)	$8fee − $642 of “easy” credits (our default)
Year 2+ value*	$292 each year after the first, after the annual fee	$489 each year after the first, after the annual fee
First-year value*	$1,192	$597
Credits & perks	Annual Free Night Reward easy 1 night ≈ $150 · one in your first year of membership and every year on renewal Hilton Resort credit niche $400/yr · up to $200 Jan–Jun + $200 Jul–Dec Flight credit niche $200/yr · up to $50 each quarter CLEAR+ credit niche $219/yr · up to $219 per calendar year Extra Free Night Rewards from spend easy 1 night ≈ $150 · one after $30,000 and another after $60,000 in a calendar year (we count the first)	Brilliant dining credit niche $300/yr · up to $25/mo Free Night Award (up to 85,000 points) easy 1 night ≈ $612 · one every year after your card renewal month Global Entry ($120) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85) fee credit easy $120 every 4 yrs ≈ $30/yr · once every 4 years (Global Entry) / 4.5 years (TSA PreCheck)
Perks (no $ unless the issuer states one)	Hilton Honors Diamond status National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status (enrollment required)	Priority Pass membership, unlimited visits to 1,300+ lounges (enrollment required) Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status 25 Elite Night Credits each calendar year Up to $100 property credit at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis (2-night minimum, special rate)
Source	Issuer page	Issuer page

Face value isn’t real value: a credit only saves you money if you’d have spent it anyway. *Year 2+ and first-year values use our sample profile and default credit ticks. Add a third card · How we calculate

Hilton Honors Amex Aspire vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex: quick answers

Which has the bigger welcome bonus, Hilton Honors Amex Aspire vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex?

The Hilton Honors Amex Aspire has the bigger headline bonus in dollars: 200,000 points (≈$900) vs 100,000 points (≈$720), at median published point values, checked October 23, 2026.

Which has the lower annual fee?

The Hilton Honors Amex Aspire: $550 vs $650 a year.

Which costs less after year 1, once credits are counted?

Yearly cost after year 1 (annual fee minus the easy credits we count by default): Hilton Honors Amex Aspire $250, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex $8. Tick the credits you’d really use on each card page to get your own figure.