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6 best robo-advisors for 2026

Nicolas StrautBy Nicolas StrautPublished 12 min read
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Key takeaways

  • Betterment charges $5 a month on balances up to $24,000 unless you set up $200 or more in monthly deposits, which is $60 a year, or 1.2% of a $5,000 balance.1
  • When choosing a robo-advisor, compare three things: the fee in dollars at your own balance, the account minimum, and any balance where the fee changes, because a percentage alone hides flat fees and fee cliffs.
  • The best robo-advisors for 2026 are Wealthfront, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, and Fidelity Go, because Wealthfront charges one 0.25% fee from a $500 minimum, Schwab charges no advisory fee from $5,000, and Fidelity Go charges nothing under $25,000.
In this article

The best robo-advisor for most hands-off investors in 2026 is Wealthfront, which charges 0.25% a year from a $500 minimum. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios charges no advisory fee from $5,000, Fidelity Go charges nothing under $25,000, and Vanguard Digital Advisor costs about $15 to $16 a year per $10,000.

A robo-advisor's fee is charged on top of the funds' own expense ratios, and two of the six change what they charge at a set balance. This guide compares six robo-advisors on what each one costs in dollars, from $5,000 to $100,000, and on which ones manage an IRA.

The best robo-advisors at a glance

The best robo-advisors at a glance, with each advisory fee turned into dollars at $10,000 and $50,000.

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Robo-advisorAdvisory feeAccount minimumFee on $10,000 a yearFee on $50,000 a yearBest for
Wealthfront0.25%$500$25$125A hands-off portfolio and cash in one app
Schwab Intelligent PortfoliosNo advisory fee$5,000$0$0No advisory fee
Fidelity Go$0 under $25,000, then 0.35%$0 to open, $10 to invest$0$175Balances under $25,000
Vanguard Digital AdvisorUp to 0.2% (all-index)$100About $15 to $16Up to $100Low-cost index portfolios
Betterment$5 a month, or 0.25% with $200 a month in deposits or $24,000+No minimum balance$60, or $25 with recurring deposits$125Automatic monthly deposits
SoFi Automated Investing0.25%$50$25$125An IRA match

Fees and minimums from each provider's own site, October 10, 2026. Fund expense ratios are charged separately by the funds. Subject to change.

Best robo-advisors

Best for a hands-off portfolio and cash in one app: Wealthfront

Ideal for: An investor who wants one 0.25% fee at every balance, with the portfolio picked, rebalanced, and tax-loss harvested without having to touch it.

Our take: Wealthfront charges a 0.25% annual advisory fee on its Automated Investing account, and its account minimum is $500.2 That is $25 a year per $10,000, with no flat fee or balance threshold to plan around.

Tax-loss harvesting is listed among the account's features, and a separate Stock Investing account with no commissions starts at $1 for anyone who also wants to pick shares. The Wealthfront review covers its Cash account and the cost to leave, and Wealthfront vs Schwab is the closest no-fee comparison.

Open a Wealthfront Automated Investing account

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
SpecWealthfront
CategoryBest for a hands-off portfolio and cash in one app
Advisory fee0.25%
Account minimum$500
Fee on $10,000 a year$25
Fee on $50,000 a year$125

Pros:

  • One 0.25% fee at every balance
  • Tax-loss harvesting listed on the Automated Investing account
  • Stock Investing account with no commissions from $1

Cons:

  • $125 a year on $50,000, where Schwab charges no advisory fee
  • $500 minimum, higher than Fidelity Go's $10 or SoFi's $50
  • $62.50 a year at $25,000, where Fidelity Go charges $0 just below that line

Best for no advisory fee: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios

Ideal for: An investor with at least $5,000 who wants a managed portfolio with no advisory fee and live support at any hour.

Our take: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios charges no advisory fee and no commissions, and you need $5,000 to start.3 You'll still pay the operating expenses of the ETFs in your portfolio, Schwab's own ETFs included.

Based on your risk profile, Schwab places part of every portfolio in an FDIC-insured deposit at Charles Schwab Bank, and it says some cash alternatives outside the program pay a higher yield. That cash holding is how the no-fee model works, so check the cash share on your proposed portfolio before you fund it.

Schwab lists 24/7 live support, automatic rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and brokerage, IRA, custodial, and trust accounts. Wealthfront vs Schwab prices the two at three balances.

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
SpecSchwab Intelligent Portfolios
CategoryBest for no advisory fee
Advisory feeNo advisory fee
Account minimum$5,000
Fee on $10,000 a year$0
Fee on $50,000 a year$0

Pros:

  • No advisory fee and no commissions
  • 24/7 live support from US-based service staff
  • Brokerage, IRA, custodial, and trust accounts

Cons:

  • $5,000 minimum, the highest of the six
  • Part of every portfolio held in a bank deposit Schwab says can pay less than other cash options
  • ETF operating expenses still apply, as at every robo here

Best for balances under $25,000: Fidelity Go

Ideal for: An investor starting with less than $25,000 who wants a managed account that costs nothing until the balance reaches that line.

Our take: Fidelity Go charges no advisory fee under $25,000 and 0.35% a year at $25,000 and above, and that fee is calculated and charged on the whole account.4 So the fee goes from $0 to $87.50 a year when the balance reaches $25,000, and 0.35% is the highest percentage on this list.

There is no minimum to open, and the balance must be at least $10 before Fidelity invests it. Wealthfront vs Fidelity shows where the two cross.

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
SpecFidelity Go
CategoryBest for balances under $25,000
Advisory fee$0 under $25,000, then 0.35%
Account minimum$0 to open, $10 to invest
Fee on $10,000 a year$0
Fee on $50,000 a year$175

Pros:

  • No advisory fee under $25,000
  • No minimum to open and $10 to start investing
  • One login for anyone who already has a Fidelity account

Cons:

  • 0.35% at $25,000 and above, the highest percentage here
  • Fee applies to the whole balance, so $0 becomes $87.50 a year at $25,000
  • $175 a year on $50,000, vs $125 at Wealthfront or SoFi

Best for low-cost index portfolios: Vanguard Digital Advisor

Ideal for: An investor who wants an all-index portfolio of Vanguard funds at the lowest paid advisory fee on this list.

Our take: Vanguard Digital Advisor charges a net advisory fee of no more than 0.2% a year on its all-index option, and Vanguard puts the cost at about $15 to $16 a year per $10,000 in an all-index portfolio.5 You need $100 in each Vanguard brokerage account you enroll, and you'll pay no advisory fee for the first 90 days.

Digital Advisor lists tax-loss harvesting among its tools, and it manages traditional, Roth, and rollover IRAs. The active/index option costs up to 0.25%. Wealthfront vs Vanguard prices the two side by side.

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
SpecVanguard Digital Advisor
CategoryBest for low-cost index portfolios
Advisory feeUp to 0.2% (all-index)
Account minimum$100
Fee on $10,000 a yearAbout $15 to $16
Fee on $50,000 a yearUp to $100

Pros:

  • Lowest paid advisory fee of the six
  • $100 minimum per account
  • No advisory fee for the first 90 days

Cons:

  • Net fee depends on your holdings, so Vanguard gives a range, not an exact amount
  • Taxable account balances must sit in the settlement fund to enroll
  • Active/index option costs up to 0.25%

Best for automatic monthly deposits: Betterment

Ideal for: An investor who will set up $200 or more a month in automatic deposits, or who already has $24,000 or more to invest.

Our take: Betterment's base price is $5 a month, and it switches to 0.25% a year once you set up $200 or more a month in recurring deposits or hold $24,000 or more across Betterment investing accounts, Cash Reserve included. There's no minimum balance.

The $5 equals 0.25% at exactly $24,000, but on $5,000 with no recurring deposits it comes to $60 a year, or 1.2%. So set up the monthly deposit before you fund the account.

Betterment Premium adds advisor access for a 0.65% annual fee. Betterment vs Wealthfront is the closest pairing on this list, since both charge 0.25% once Betterment's flat fee falls away.

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
SpecBetterment
CategoryBest for automatic monthly deposits
Advisory fee$5 a month, or 0.25% with $200 a month in deposits or $24,000+
Account minimumNo minimum balance
Fee on $10,000 a year$60, or $25 with recurring deposits
Fee on $50,000 a year$125

Pros:

  • No minimum balance
  • 0.25% from the first dollar once $200 a month in deposits is set up
  • Cash Reserve balances count toward the $24,000 line

Cons:

  • $5 a month flat below $24,000 without recurring deposits
  • That flat fee is 1.2% of a $5,000 balance
  • Premium advisor access costs 0.65%, more than double the base rate

Best for an IRA match: SoFi Automated Investing

Ideal for: A saver opening a traditional or Roth IRA who wants a managed portfolio and a match on what they contribute.

Our take: SoFi Automated Investing charges a 0.25% annual advisory fee on your account value, and you can start with $50. SoFi pays a 1% match on contributions and rollovers into its Automated IRA and Automated Roth IRA, up to the annual limit, and matched money must stay for five years.

At the 2026 IRA limit of $7,500, that's a $75 match, which is more than the $18.75 a year the fee costs on that $7,500. SoFi also includes a complimentary 30-minute session with a financial planner, and it manages taxable brokerage accounts and SEP IRAs.

The SoFi IRA review covers the match rules, and best Roth IRA accounts covers providers outside the robo category.

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
SpecSoFi Automated Investing
CategoryBest for an IRA match
Advisory fee0.25%
Account minimum$50
Fee on $10,000 a year$25
Fee on $50,000 a year$125

Pros:

  • 1% match on contributions to its automated IRAs
  • $50 to start
  • Complimentary 30-minute session with a financial planner

Cons:

  • Matched money must stay in the account for five years
  • No tax-loss harvesting listed on its automated investing page
  • $125 a year on $50,000, where Schwab charges no advisory fee

Methodology for choosing the best robo-advisors

  • The six picks are the robo-advisors that Google's AI Overview and the top-ranking roundups named for this search on October 10, 2026. Also screened and not picked: Robinhood Strategies, E*TRADE Core Portfolios, Merrill Guided Investing, Acorns, and M1 Finance.
  • Every fee and minimum was read from the provider's own pricing, product, or support page on October 10, 2026. No accounts were opened.
  • Four things decided the order: the advisory fee in dollars at $10,000 and $50,000, the account minimum, any balance where the fee changes, and whether the robo manages an IRA.
  • Returns were not compared, because each robo's results follow the stock and bond mix you choose.

How much does a robo-advisor cost?

A robo-advisor costs between $0 and $350 a year in advisory fees on balances up to $100,000 among these six, plus the expense ratios of the funds it buys.

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
BalanceWealthfrontSchwab IPFidelity GoVanguard DA (gross)Betterment, no recurring depositsBetterment, $200+ a monthSoFi
$5,000$12.50$0$0$10$60$12.50$12.50
$10,000$25$0$0$20$60$25$25
$25,000$62.50$0$87.50$50$62.50$62.50$62.50
$50,000$125$0$175$100$125$125$125
$100,000$250$0$350$200$250$250$250
  • A flat monthly fee costs more as a percentage the smaller the balance, which is why Betterment's $5 a month is 1.2% of $5,000.
  • A fee that starts at a threshold can jump the day you cross it, which is why Fidelity Go goes from $0 to $87.50 a year at $25,000.
  • Vanguard's column is the most you'll pay; Vanguard's own estimate for an all-index portfolio is about $15 to $16 per $10,000.
  • Schwab charges no advisory fee, and the cost to weigh there is the cash share described in its pick. Its first row is its $5,000 minimum.

Is it worth paying for a robo-advisor?

Paying for a robo-advisor is worth it if you'll use the rebalancing and tax features and wouldn't keep a portfolio balanced yourself, and it isn't if you'd hold one broad index fund either way. The benefits and risks below set out what the fee buys and what it doesn't.

Benefits of a robo-advisor

A robo-advisor's benefits are automatic rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and a low minimum.

Automatic rebalancing

Automatic rebalancing means the robo-advisor trades to bring your portfolio back to its target mix of stocks and bonds as markets move. Schwab, SoFi, and Vanguard describe it on their own pages.

Tax-loss harvesting on taxable accounts

Tax-loss harvesting sells an investment that has fallen in value so the loss can offset taxable gains, which only helps in a taxable account. Wealthfront, Schwab, and Vanguard list it on their own pages.

A low entry point

A low entry point lets you start with a small balance and add to it. Four of the six start at $100 or less: Betterment with no minimum balance, Fidelity Go at $10, SoFi at $50, and Vanguard at $100.

Risks of a robo-advisor

A robo-advisor's risks are market loss, a fee on top of fund costs, and limited human help.

Market loss

Market loss is the main risk, because a robo portfolio holds stocks and bonds that can fall in value. No insurance covers a market loss, and a robo can't prevent one.

A fee on top of fund expenses

The advisory fee is charged in addition to each fund's expense ratio, so your total cost is the two added together. A fund held on its own in a brokerage account carries only the expense ratio.

Limited human help

Most of these accounts are software-only, and advisor access costs more where it's offered, such as Betterment Premium at 0.65%. Comparing a robo with hiring a person is a separate question from which robo to pick, and it starts with what a robo-advisor does.

How to choose a robo-advisor in 4 steps

To choose a robo-advisor, work through 4 steps in order: the amount you'll invest, the account type, the fee at your balance, and the cash in the portfolio.

Step 1: Start with the amount you'll invest

Start with the amount you'll invest, because minimums here run from no minimum balance at Betterment to $5,000 at Schwab. Under $5,000, Schwab is out.

Step 2: Pick the account type before the robo

Pick the account type before the robo, because an IRA changes which perks apply. SoFi's 1% match applies only to its IRAs, and best Roth IRA accounts covers the Roth decision.

Step 3: Price the fee at your balance and the next threshold

Price the fee in dollars at your balance today and at the balance you expect next year, because two robos here change what they charge at a set line. Betterment's line is $24,000 and Fidelity Go's is $25,000, and the cost table above shows both.

Step 4: Check how much of the portfolio sits in cash

Check how much of your proposed portfolio sits in cash before you fund it, because cash earns less than stocks over long periods and some robos hold more of it. Schwab says its cash allocation is set by your risk profile.

How to see what a robo-advisor's fee costs by retirement

To see what a robo-advisor's fee costs by retirement, run the Tweed Retirement Calculator twice: once with your expected return, and once with that return lowered by the advisory fee. The gap between the two projected balances is what the fee costs you by your retirement date, for example 0.25 percentage points for Wealthfront or SoFi.

Open a Wealthfront Automated Investing account

Frequently asked questions about the best robo-advisors

Which is better for me, a robo-advisor or an ETF?

A robo-advisor and an ETF are not an either-or choice, because most robo-advisors build your portfolio from ETFs. Buying one broad ETF yourself costs only that fund's expense ratio. A robo-advisor adds an advisory fee for choosing the mix, rebalancing it, and on some taxable accounts, harvesting tax losses for you.

What's the average return of a robo-advisor?

There's no single average return for a robo-advisor, because each portfolio's return follows its mix of stocks and bonds. Two clients at the same robo can earn very different results. Compare the published performance of a portfolio at your own risk level, after the advisory fee, before you choose.

Do I need an advisor for my Roth IRA?

No, you don't need an advisor for a Roth IRA, because you can open one at a brokerage and buy a broad index fund or target-date fund yourself. A robo-advisor is an option if you want the portfolio picked and rebalanced for you. SoFi Automated Investing and Vanguard Digital Advisor both manage Roth IRAs.

Sources

  1. https://www.betterment.com/pricing
  2. https://www.wealthfront.com/pricing and https://support.wealthfront.com/hc/en-us/articles/213576166-Open-an-Automated-Investing-Account
  3. https://www.schwab.com/intelligent-portfolios
  4. https://www.fidelity.com/why-fidelity/pricing-fees
  5. https://investor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor, https://www.sofi.com/invest/automated/ and https://www.sofi.com/invest/ira/

Fees and minimums were read from each provider's own site on October 10, 2026, and providers change them. Tweed describes and compares these accounts; it is not a financial advisor and doesn't know which one fits your situation.

Tweed provides educational estimates, not financial advice. Confirm your specific situation with a qualified financial professional.

Nicolas Straut
Nicolas Straut

Personal finance writer, former Forbes contributor and This Week in Fintech writer. He isn't a financial advisor or a CPA.

nicstraut.com