Wealthfront vs Fidelity for robo investing and your IRA in 2026
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Key takeaways
- 41% of IRA assets, or $8.0 trillion, was invested in mutual funds at the end of the second quarter of 2026.1
- When choosing between Wealthfront and Fidelity, start with how much you'll have managed, because Fidelity Go's fee changes at $25,000, before you compare features.
- Fidelity Go is the stronger fit for a hands-off saver with less than $25,000, and Wealthfront for a larger managed balance, where its 0.25% fee runs below Fidelity Go's 0.35%.
In this article
- Wealthfront vs Fidelity at a glance
- What is Wealthfront?
- What is Fidelity Go?
- Wealthfront vs Fidelity features compared
- Wealthfront vs Fidelity fees at $10,000, $50,000 and $100,000
- Wealthfront vs Fidelity for a Roth IRA
- Should you choose Wealthfront or Fidelity?
- Run your balance through the fee before you open
- Frequently asked questions about Wealthfront vs Fidelity
Key takeaways
- 41% of IRA assets, or $8.0 trillion, was invested in mutual funds at the end of the second quarter of 2026.1
- When choosing between Wealthfront and Fidelity, start with how much you'll have managed, because Fidelity Go's fee changes at $25,000, before you compare features.
- Fidelity Go is the stronger fit for a hands-off saver with less than $25,000, and Wealthfront for a larger managed balance, where its 0.25% fee runs below Fidelity Go's 0.35%.
Wealthfront vs Fidelity depends on your balance: Fidelity Go charges no advisory fee under $25,000, and Wealthfront charges 0.25% a year from the first dollar.2From $25,000, Fidelity Go charges 0.35% on the whole balance, so Wealthfront becomes the cheaper robo advisor as the account grows. The two cash products people compare next to them also measure yield in different ways. This guide compares Wealthfront and Fidelity across advisory fees, minimums, cash yield, and IRAs.
Wealthfront vs Fidelity at a glance
Wealthfront is a robo-first app, and Fidelity is a full-service broker with a robo advisor inside it. The comparison comes down to fees and to how many brokerage features you want next to the portfolio. Every figure below comes from the company's own site, with the observation date shown wherever a rate moves.
| Wealthfront | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|
| Robo advisory fee | 0.25% a year | Fidelity Go: $0 under $25,000, 0.35% of the whole balance at $25,000 and up |
| Account minimum | $500 for Automated Investing | $0, invest from $1 |
| Self-directed investing | Fractional shares, no commissions, from $1 | $0 online US stock, ETF, and options trades, plus $0.65 per options contract |
| Cash | Cash account, 3.55% base APY as of October 2026 | SPAXX money market fund, 3.49% 7-day yield as of October 5, 2026 |
| IRA types | Traditional, Roth, SEP, 401(k) rollovers | Traditional, Roth, rollover |
| IRA match | None shown | None |
| Full account transfer out | $0 | $0 |
What is Wealthfront?
Wealthfront is a robo advisor whose Automated Investing Account builds and manages a portfolio for 0.25% a year.3Wealthfront also offers fractional stock investing with no commissions and a cash account. As of October 6, 2026, Wealthfront's Cash page offers new clients a 0.65% boost for 3 months on balances up to $150,000, with no end date stated.
Wealthfront is a Tweed partner. The Wealthfront review covers its cash account, its IRAs, and its fees in more depth.
What is Fidelity Go?
Fidelity Go is Fidelity's robo advisor, and it charges no advisory fee until the balance reaches $25,000. Fidelity describes it as designed for goals at least 3 years away. Because Fidelity Go sits inside a full-service broker, the same Fidelity login also gives you ZERO index funds, options trading, Treasuries, and a money market core position for idle cash.
Wealthfront vs Fidelity features compared
Each section below opens with whichever company comes out ahead on that feature. On advisory fees, the winner depends on your balance.
Advisory fees
Fidelity Go wins below $25,000, where it charges no advisory fee. Wealthfront wins from $25,000 up, because Fidelity Go's 0.35% then covers the whole account and Wealthfront's 0.25% is the lower percentage. The fee changes all at once at $25,000, not gradually.
Minimums
Fidelity wins on minimums: $0, with investing from $1. Wealthfront's Automated Investing Account has a$500 minimum, though its self-directed stock investing starts at $1.
Wealthfront cash account vs Fidelity money market
Wealthfront's cash account shows the higher headline rate. Its APY and Fidelity's SPAXX 7-day yield measure different things, so a point-for-point comparison of the two rates tells you less than it seems to. An APY is a bank deposit rate that includes compounding over a year. Wealthfront's cash is held at program banks with FDIC insurance eligibility up to $8 million.4A 7-day yield annualizes what a money market fund earned over its last seven days, after fund expenses. SPAXX is a security, not a bank deposit, so FDIC insurance doesn't apply.5
| Wealthfront cash account | Fidelity SPAXX | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Bank deposits at program banks | Money market mutual fund |
| Rate shown | 3.55% base APY, October 2026 | 3.49% 7-day yield, October 5, 2026 |
| What the rate measures | Annual yield including compounding | Last seven days of fund income, annualized, after expenses |
| FDIC insurance | Eligible up to $8 million across program banks | No, it's a security |
| How often it moves | Variable, subject to change | Changes daily |
Funds and trading beyond the robo
Fidelity wins on breadth, because its brokerage charges $0 online for US stocks, ETFs, and options and adds $0.65 per options contract. Wealthfront's self-directed side is fractional stock investing, which suits holding a few individual stocks next to a robo portfolio. It isn't built for assembling your own fund portfolio.
Transferring an account out
Neither wins on the exit. Fidelity charges $0 to transfer an account out and $0 to close an IRA, and Wealthfront charges $0 in account transfer fees.
Wealthfront vs Fidelity fees at $10,000, $50,000 and $100,000
Wealthfront vs Fidelity fees depend on how Fidelity Go charges. Fidelity's pricing page says the fee is calculated and charged at the account level, so 0.35% applies to the whole balance once it reaches $25,000. Every table uses the advisory fee alone, on a balance that doesn't change, and leaves out returns, contributions, cash yield, and fund expense ratios.
A new investor with $10,000
At $10,000 Fidelity Go costs nothing, and Wealthfront costs $25 a year.
| $10,000 portfolio | Wealthfront at 0.25% | Fidelity Go |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory fee, one year | $25 | $0 |
| Advisory fee, five years | $125 | $0 |
A mid-career saver with $50,000
At $50,000 Fidelity Go costs $50 a year more than Wealthfront, because the 0.35% now covers every dollar in the account. Over five years that's $250.
| $50,000 portfolio | Wealthfront at 0.25% | Fidelity Go at 0.35% |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory fee, one year | $125 | $175 |
| Advisory fee, five years | $625 | $875 |
A $100,000 portfolio
At $100,000 the gap in Wealthfront's favor reaches $100 a year, and it keeps growing with the balance.
| $100,000 portfolio | Wealthfront at 0.25% | Fidelity Go at 0.35% |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory fee, one year | $250 | $350 |
| Advisory fee, five years | $1,250 | $1,750 |
Wealthfront vs Fidelity for a Roth IRA
Wealthfront vs Fidelity for a Roth IRA is the same robo comparison inside a tax-free account, since neither pays an IRA match and the advisory fees work the same way. Fidelity's Roth has no opening fee or minimum. Wealthfront's retirement page lists SEP IRAs and support for thebackdoor Roth. A backdoor Roth is how savers above the income limit get money into a Roth.
| Roth IRA | Wealthfront | Fidelity |
|---|---|---|
| Managed Roth fee | 0.25% a year | Fidelity Go, $0 under $25,000, 0.35% of the whole balance from $25,000 |
| IRA match | None shown | None |
| Other IRA types | Traditional, SEP, 401(k) rollovers | Traditional, rollover |
| Fee to close or transfer out | $0 | $0 |
The 2026 IRA limit of $7,500 applies at either company. Direct Roth contributions phase out between $153,000 and $168,000 of income for single filers. At those incomes, Wealthfront's backdoor Roth support starts to matter.
Should you choose Wealthfront or Fidelity?
Should you choose Wealthfront or Fidelity? The managed balance decides most of it, because the fee gap favors Fidelity Go under $25,000 and Wealthfront from $25,000 up. The rest depends on whether you value Fidelity's full brokerage more than an FDIC-eligible cash account in the same app as your robo advisor. If you're weighing a robo with no advisory fee at all, Wealthfront vs Schwab compares Schwab Intelligent Portfolios with Wealthfront, and Schwab vs Fidelity compares Fidelity Go with the same robo advisor.
Choose Wealthfront if
- You'll have $25,000 or more managed, where 0.25% beats 0.35%
- You want a cash account with FDIC eligibility through program banks next to your robo
- You need a SEP IRA or want help with a backdoor Roth
Choose Fidelity if
- You're managing less than $25,000 and want to pay no advisory fee
- You want $0 to transfer out, written on the pricing page before you open
- You'd like ZERO index funds and full brokerage trading at the same company
Run your balance through the fee before you open
Compare your own balance with the tables above, then put it into the Tweed Retirement Calculator to see what a 0.10-point fee gap compounds to by the time you retire. The best IRA accounts list compares both companies with the self-directed brokers. If Wealthfront fits, you can open a Wealthfront account.
Frequently asked questions about Wealthfront vs Fidelity
What happens if Wealthfront goes under?
If Wealthfront goes under, money in its cash account is still held at program banks with FDIC insurance eligibility. Invested money is held as securities, which fall under SIPC: up to $500,000 per customer, including $250,000 for cash, if a member broker fails. Neither protection covers a fall in market value.
What is Fidelity's margin rate?
Fidelity's margin rate depends on how much you borrow. A loan under $25,000 pays 12.075%, so a small loan costs more than the headline rate suggests. The advertised base rate is 10.825%, effective September 18, 2026, and loans above $1,000,000 pay as little as 7.75%.
Is anything better than Fidelity?
Something is better than Fidelity for a few specific savers. Schwab's robo advisor charges no advisory fee from $5,000, Robinhood pays an IRA match of up to 3% with Gold, and Wealthfront is cheaper than Fidelity Go on a large managed balance. For low-cost funds and a free exit, Fidelity is hard to beat.
What is better, Fidelity or Webull?
Fidelity is better than Webull for fund investors and anyone who wants a free exit, and Webull is better for an IRA saver chasing a match. Webull pays 3.5% on IRA contributions with its Premium plan. Webull also charges $75 to transfer stock out, vs $0 at Fidelity.
Is Interactive Brokers better than Fidelity?
Interactive Brokers is better than Fidelity for very active traders on its Pro plan, and Fidelity is better for most long-term savers. IBKR pays no interest on the first $10,000 of idle cash. Fidelity sweeps cash into a money market fund and charges $0 online commissions on US stocks and ETFs.
Does Wealthfront offer tax-loss harvesting?
Yes, Wealthfront offers tax-loss harvesting in Automated Investing, listed on its pricing page alongside the 0.25% advisory fee. Tax-loss harvesting matters most in a taxable account, because realized gains and dividends there are taxed in the year they occur. Inside an IRA, gains aren’t taxed year to year, so harvesting adds little there.
Who is better, Fidelity or Schwab?
Fidelity and Schwab are close for most savers, because both charge $0 online for US stocks and ETFs. Fidelity has 0% expense ratio ZERO funds and a $0 transfer-out fee. Schwab's robo advisor charges no advisory fee at any balance from its $5,000 minimum, which beats Fidelity Go above $25,000.
Sources
- https://www.ici.org/statistical-report/ret_26_q2
- https://www.fidelity.com/why-fidelity/pricing-fees
- https://www.wealthfront.com/pricing
- https://www.wealthfront.com/cash
- https://fundresearch.fidelity.com/mutual-funds/summary/31617H102
Personal finance writer, former Forbes contributor and This Week in Fintech writer. He isn't a financial advisor or a CPA.
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