Alinea Invest review 2026

Beginners who want a portfolio picked for them

Beginners who want a portfolio picked for them answer a short questionnaire about their income, goals, time horizon, and net assets. Alinea then proposes a conservative, moderate, aggressive growth, or opportunistic portfolio. There's no account minimum, so you can start with a small first deposit.

People who invest a set amount on a schedule

People who invest a set amount on a schedule choose the amount and how often it goes in, and Alinea invests each deposit. Set the amount high enough that $120 a year stays a small share of your balance.

Alinea Invest pros

• Flat fee: $120 a year whatever your balance, so the fee as a percentage falls as the account grows
• No minimum: Alinea's ADV states there is no account size minimum
• Picked for you: a portfolio built from a questionnaire, with automatic recurring deposits
• Regulated: an SEC-registered adviser since 2021, with accounts held at a separate broker, DriveWealth

Alinea Invest cons

• Costly on small balances: $120 is 12% of a $1,000 account and 24% of $500
• Taxable accounts only: no Roth or traditional IRA in the advisory program
• Cash held back: 1.50% of your balance must sit in cash to pay fees
• No refunds: cancelling stops renewal at the end of the annual term, with no refund for unused time

Portfolios built from a questionnaire

Alinea's portfolios are built from your questionnaire answers, and its Form ADV says managed accounts are "primarily invested in what Alinea considers high-quality stocks." You accept or reject the strategy Alinea recommends, and you can't edit it holding by holding. The ADV also says the program doesn't provide comprehensive financial or tax planning.

Allie, the AI assistant

Allie is Alinea's AI assistant, which explains market news and what's in your portfolio, and Alinea's App Store listing says "Allie does not provide personalized investment advice or recommendations."⁴ Treat Allie as an explainer, and judge the portfolio by its holdings and its fee. Alinea's documents describe human review in two different ways, so ask Alinea in writing what human review your fee buys before you pay:

• Alinea's homepage FAQ, read October 11, 2026: the $120 fee includes "a dedicated human advisor team to review your plan"
• Alinea's Form ADV brochure, dated March 10, 2026: advisory services are delivered "solely through the Alinea App," and Alinea "does not interact with clients in person, over the phone, in live chat or in any other manner"

Themed stock lists you pick yourself

Themed stock lists, which Alinea calls playlists, group stocks by theme, and Alinea's App Store listing says they "are not recommendations." Alinea's ADV says some accounts are self-directed and some are managed, so you can pick themed stocks yourself alongside a managed portfolio. A themed list of a few stocks carries more single-company risk than a broad index fund.

The $120 yearly fee and the monthly option

The $120 yearly fee is Alinea's standard price, and its ADV says some clients may be offered a monthly option of $5 to $12 instead. Over a year, the monthly option costs $60 to $144. Alinea discloses which price applies before activation, so check the sign-up screen before you fund the account.

The 1.50% you keep in cash

The 1.50% you keep in cash is Alinea's cash reserve: $15 of every $1,000 stays in cash to pay its fees and other expenses. When you withdraw, Alinea sells other holdings to keep the reserve in place. The ADV adds that if a strategy is entirely illiquid, the cash portion may not be withdrawable at once, which is one reason a withdrawal can take longer than you expect.

What $120 a year costs at your balance

Alinea's $120 fee costs 12% of a $1,000 balance and falls to 0.25%, what many robo-advisors charge, only once you have $48,000 invested. The table assumes one year at a flat balance, and the Betterment column shows its fee for an account without monthly deposits, as Betterment published it on October 10, 2026. Betterment vs Wealthfront explains how a $200 monthly deposit changes that column, and the Tweed Retirement Calculator shows what a yearly fee costs you over decades.

Renewal, refunds, and cancelling

Alinea's fee renews automatically unless you cancel before the renewal date, and cancelling takes effect at the end of the annual term with no refund for unused time. Note the renewal date the day you sign up, and cancel a week before it if you're leaving. The program charges no termination fee, but the custodian may charge wire, electronic transfer, and account termination fees, and selling holdings in a taxable account to move the cash can trigger capital gains tax.

Alinea Invest vs Robinhood

Alinea Invest vs Robinhood is a choice between paying $120 a year for Alinea to pick your stocks and paying no commission to pick them yourself. Robinhood charges no subscription unless you add Gold, and it offers IRAs with a match. Consider Robinhood if you want to choose every trade or open an IRA, and see the Robinhood review for its fees and match.

Alinea Invest vs Betterment

Alinea Invest vs Betterment is a choice between a flat $120 for picked stocks and an ETF portfolio that costs $60 a year below $24,000 without a monthly deposit, then 0.25%. Consider Betterment if you want a managed portfolio and a Roth IRA with one provider.

Run the Tweed Retirement Calculator with your balance and the fee as a percentage of it to see what the fee costs you by retirement. If the money is for retirement, compare Roth IRA options before you open a taxable account with any app.