Compare robo-advisors
Hands-off investing: it builds and rebalances a portfolio for you, for a yearly fee.
Checked on each provider's site,
Pick in 10 seconds
- BettermentBest for: Goal-based planning, with human help as an optionDetails on Betterment
0.25% a year
Advisory fee
$0
To start
- WealthfrontBest for: Hands-off investors with taxable accountsDetails on Wealthfront
0.25% a year
Advisory fee
$500
To start
- Schwab Intelligent PortfoliosBest for: Investors with $5,000+ who want no advisory feeDetails on Schwab Intelligent Portfolios
$0
Advisory fee
$5,000
To start
- Vanguard Digital AdvisorBest for: Low-cost index investing, run for youDetails on Vanguard Digital Advisor
0.20% a year (gross)
Advisory fee
$100
To start
- Fidelity GoBest for: Beginners starting with a small balanceDetails on Fidelity Go
$0 under $25K; 0.35% above
Advisory fee
$0 to open
To start
As of · conditions and sources in Details
At a glance
Quick checks
| Provider | No advisory fee | No minimum | Tax-loss harvesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betterment | No0.25% a year | Yes | Yes |
| Wealthfront | No0.25% a year | No$500 | Yes |
| Schwab Intelligent Portfolios | Yes | No$5,000 | Yes, with conditionsYes, at $50,000+ |
| Vanguard Digital Advisor | No0.20% a year (gross) | No$100 | Yes |
| Fidelity Go | Yes, with conditions$0 under $25K; 0.35% above | Yes, with conditions$0 to open | Yes, with conditionsYes, at $25,000+ |
Yearly advisory fee on a $10,000 balance
uFIRE's arithmetic from each published fee. Fund expenses are extra.
- Betterment$60. $5/month. $25 if you set up $200+ monthly deposits.
- Wealthfront$25
- Schwab Intelligent Portfolios$0. Cash allocation is an indirect cost.
- Vanguard Digital Advisor$20. Gross fee; your net fee is lower after Vanguard's credit.
- Fidelity Go$0
Yearly advisory fee on a $50,000 balance
Same arithmetic, bigger balance.
- Betterment$125. 0.25% (balance over $24K).
- Wealthfront$125
- Schwab Intelligent Portfolios$0. Cash allocation is an indirect cost.
- Vanguard Digital Advisor$100. Gross fee; your net fee is lower after Vanguard's credit.
- Fidelity Go$175. 0.35% once the account is $25,000+.
Money needed to start
As each service lists it.
- Betterment$0. No minimum balance.
- Wealthfront$500
- Schwab Intelligent Portfolios$5,000
- Vanguard Digital Advisor$100
- Fidelity Go$10. Investing starts once you've added $10.
Details: every number and source
Side by side
| Provider | Annual advisory fee | Minimum to start | Tax-loss harvesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| BettermentGoal-based planning, with human help as an option | 0.25% a yearOr $5/month unless you deposit $200+/month or have $24K+. Premium: 0.65%.As of · source | $0No minimum balance.As of · source | YesAs of · source |
| WealthfrontHands-off investors with taxable accounts | 0.25% a yearAs of · source | $500As of · source | YesAs of · source |
| Schwab Intelligent PortfoliosInvestors with $5,000+ who want no advisory fee | $0Schwab earns income on the portfolio's cash allocation.As of · source | $5,000As of · source | Yes, at $50,000+As of · source |
| Vanguard Digital AdvisorLow-cost index investing, run for you | 0.20% a year (gross)Index portfolios. Reduced by a credit for the funds' own expenses.As of · source | $100As of · source | YesAs of · source |
| Fidelity GoBeginners starting with a small balance | $0 under $25K; 0.35% aboveAs of · source | $0 to openInvesting starts once you've added $10.As of · source | Yes, at $25,000+In taxable accounts.As of · source |
About robo-advisors
A robo-advisor builds and looks after a diversified portfolio for you. You answer some questions, set up deposits, and it rebalances automatically. It's a calm, hands-off way to invest for people who'd rather not pick funds themselves.
The main cost is a yearly advisory fee, a percentage of your balance, on top of the fees of the funds inside the portfolio. Here are five well-known options side by side.
What to look for in a robo-advisor
- The advisory fee and the fund fees together. Both come out of your returns every year.
- The minimum to start, and whether the fee changes as your balance grows.
- Account types: IRAs and Roth IRAs, not just taxable accounts.
- Extras like tax-loss harvesting (only helpful in taxable accounts) and access to a human when you want one.
- How the portfolio holds cash. A big cash slice can lower returns over time.
How we put this together
- Every fee, price, minimum and rate was read on the provider's own website on , and links to the page it came from.
- If we couldn't confirm a number there, we say “Check provider site” instead of guessing.
- Review summaries are in our own words, with a link to every review we drew on.
- No provider paid to be listed, and none can pay to be ranked higher or described differently.
Reviews we drew on across this page: NerdWallet, “Best robo-advisors”. Each provider page lists its own sources.
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