Wealthfront vs Betterment (2026): Fees on $10,000 and $100,000

Wealthfront is the cheaper robo-advisor below $24,000, unless you set up recurring deposits at Betterment, and then the two tie. At $10,000 with no deposits, Wealthfront charges $25 a year against a flat monthly fee at Betterment Digital that comes to $60. At $100,000 both base tiers charge $250 a year, while Betterment Premium costs $650.

Wealthfront charges a percentage of assets from the first dollar. Betterment Digital charges a flat monthly fee until its switch rule applies. That makes the choice a question of balance and deposits, not brand. This page prices the advisory fee alone at two balances, shows where the rule switches, and lists what the fee leaves out. Every rate was read on the firm's own pricing page on 10 October 2026.

Advisory fee at a glance

Advisory fee per year, computed on the rates each firm's pricing page showed on 10 October 2026. Fund expense ratios and cash accounts are excluded.

Toolradar data: our investment apps ranking evaluated 9 apps and ranks neither Wealthfront nor Betterment, so the figures here come from the two firms' own pricing pages. The investment apps ranking shows the wider field.

What each firm charges

Wealthfront charges 0.25% a year on the account balance. Its pricing page states no balance minimum and no flat fee for Automated Investing. The firm also says its tax-loss harvesting can cover the annual fee more than 4.2 times over for Classic portfolio clients. That is the firm's own estimate, and this page does not test it. Source: Wealthfront pricing.

Betterment Digital charges $5 a month while the account sits under the switch. The fee moves to 0.25% a year once the balance across investing accounts reaches $24,000, or once you set up recurring monthly deposits or transfers totaling $200 or more. Portions above $1 million are charged at 0.15%, and portions above $2 million at 0.10%. Source: Betterment pricing.

Betterment Premium charges 0.65% a year on the first $1 million. That is the 0.25% Digital base plus a 0.40% Premium fee. It requires a minimum eligible investment balance of $100,000 per household.

$10,000: Wealthfront wins by $35 a year with no deposits

At $10,000, Wealthfront costs 0.25%, or $25 a year, about $2.08 a month.

Betterment Digital costs $5 a month, or $60 a year, until the switch applies. That is 0.60% of the balance and $35 more than Wealthfront. The flat fee is 2.4 times the Wealthfront charge at this size.

Set up recurring deposits of $200 or more a month and Betterment drops to 0.25%, the same as Wealthfront. Premium is out of reach at this size because of its minimum eligible balance.

So the answer turns on one question: will you keep deposits going? If not, Wealthfront is cheaper on advisory fees. If yes, the gap disappears and the product itself decides.

$100,000: the base tiers tie, and Premium costs $400 more

On a balance this size, Wealthfront charges $250 a year, about $20.83 a month. Betterment Digital is past its switch, so it charges the same 0.25%. Neither base fee gives either firm an advisory-fee edge.

Betterment Premium charges 0.65%, or $650 a year. That is $400 more than either base tier. The extra cost buys the Premium service, and our fee check cannot price what that service is worth to you. Decide that on Betterment's own Premium terms before you pay.

Where the switch decides the winner

Betterment's flat fee only matters below $24,000 without deposits. Read the switch as a rule, not a rate: Digital costs more than Wealthfront below the switch and matches it above. The table shows the two sides of that line, with no deposits.

Between the switch and $1 million, Digital charges 0.25% as well, so the base fees stay level, and features and the funds in each portfolio decide the comparison. Past that point, Digital's lower tiers make it the cheaper choice on fees.

Gotchas that change the bill

• The $24,000 counts every investing account. The switch reads the total across your investing accounts, so splitting money across accounts does not keep you under it.
• The deposit test is about recurring money. The threshold applies to recurring monthly deposits or transfers. It does not depend on the balance you hold.
• Wealthfront has no floor. Its 0.25% applies from the first dollar, so a $2,000 account pays 0.25%, or about $0.42 a month, with no minimum. At that size Betterment's flat fee is 12 times larger.
• Premium's minimum is per household. Eligible investments across the household count toward the minimum, not one account at a time.

What the fee does not cover

• Fund expenses. Both firms invest in funds, and fund costs come on top of the advisory fee. Neither pricing page we read on 10 October 2026 lists a fund expense ratio beside its advisory fee, so the totals here leave them out. Check the fund fees of the portfolio you would hold before you decide.
• Cash accounts. Wealthfront Cash Account and Betterment Cash Reserve carry their own rates and terms. This page does not compare them.
• The tax claim. Wealthfront's estimate of tax savings is its own figure. This page does not price it.
• Taxes and transfers. Taxes on sales and account transfer fees are not in the table. The two firms set transfer fees separately.

Which one to choose

• Wealthfront if your balance is under the switch and you do not plan recurring deposits. It is the lower-fee pick in that case, by $35 a year at $10,000. Read our Wealthfront review for the cash account and the feature list.
• Betterment Digital if you can commit to recurring deposits, because the fee then matches Wealthfront's. Without them, the flat monthly charge costs more below the switch. Read our Betterment review for the Cash Reserve and the rest of the product.
• Betterment Premium only if the service justifies $400 more a year at the higher balance. It is not a fee-saving choice.

Above the switch with no deposits, the advisory fees tie until Betterment's lower tiers apply, so the decision rests on features, the funds in each portfolio and the cash accounts.

For a wider set, the best robo-advisors ranking puts these two alongside others. Once you hold both accounts, a portfolio tracker shows the combined balance against the switch. If you prefer to pick your own funds, compare Fidelity vs Vanguard and Webull vs Robinhood, read the Robinhood review and the Interactive Brokers review, and see Toolradar's listings for Fidelity and Robinhood. Acorns uses a different fee structure and has its own Acorns review. The investing apps ranking covers the wider field of apps.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wealthfront cheaper than Betterment?

Below the switch with no deposits, yes. Wealthfront charges 0.25% at $10,000, while Betterment Digital charges a flat monthly fee that works out to more. Set up recurring deposits and Betterment drops to 0.25%, the same as Wealthfront. The base fees match from the switch until Betterment's lower tiers apply, and past that Betterment is cheaper.

How much does Wealthfront cost?

0.25% a year of the account balance, with no balance minimum or flat fee stated for Automated Investing on its pricing page, as read on 10 October 2026.

How much does Betterment cost?

Digital costs $5 a month until the account reaches $24,000 or you set up recurring deposits. After that it costs 0.25% a year. Premium costs 0.65% a year on the first $1 million and has a minimum eligible balance.

Is Betterment Premium worth the extra fee?

At the larger balance it costs $650 a year against $250 for either base tier, so it adds $400 a year. Whether the Premium service is worth that is a question this fee comparison cannot answer. Compare its terms directly against the base tier before you pay.

Do these fees include fund costs?

No. These are advisory fees only. Fund expense ratios come on top, and neither pricing page we read on 10 October 2026 lists one beside its advisory fee.

Sources and method

Each rate was read on the firm's own pricing page on 10 October 2026. The dollar figures are our arithmetic on those rates, before taxes, with no deposits or withdrawals beyond the scenario stated. The switch thresholds follow each firm's wording: a $24,000 balance across investing accounts, or $200 or more in recurring monthly deposits or transfers.

This page is general information, not personalized financial advice. Prices change, so confirm current terms with Wealthfront and Betterment before you open an account.

Cite this: Dupple Finpresso, "Wealthfront vs Betterment (2026)", prices checked 10 October 2026.

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