Expert Guide Editorially reviewed

The Best Robo-Advisors in 2026

Two charge 0.25% of assets. One is $5 a month until you hit $24k. One is $0 under $25k, then 0.35%. One advertises $0 and keeps a cash sleeve.

Louis CorneloupFounder, Dupple · 840,000+ readers · Updated Aug 2026

Independently researched. No pay-for-placement. 5 tools compared

TL;DR

Betterment: $5 a month under $24k (or skip the fee with $200+ recurring), then 0.25% a year; Premium 0.65%. Wealthfront Automated Investing is 0.25% a year. Fidelity Go: $0 advisory under $25k, 0.35% at $25k and above. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios: $0 advisory fee, $5,000 minimum, required cash allocation. This is not investment advice. Confirm current terms on each site.

Robo-advisors all build a portfolio and rebalance it. They do not charge the same way. Betterment can be a $5 flat fee or 0.25% of assets. Wealthfront is a straight 0.25%. Fidelity Go is free until $25k, then 0.35%. Schwab posts $0 and takes a cash allocation.

Those are four different invoices for the same-looking pie chart.

This list is for managed portfolios, not stock-trading apps. If you want to pick your own tickers, that is a different page.

Top Picks

Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.

Best Robo-Advisors in 2026: 5 tools compared, updated Aug 2026
Tool	Pricing	Best for
Betterment	Digital: $5/month under $24k invested, or no monthly fee with $200+ recurring deposits. 0.25%/year at $24k+ or with…	People who want a published flat-to-AUM breakpoint and a self-directed option in the same shop
Wealthfront	Automated Investing 0.25% per year. Checked 26 August 2026 on Wealthfront's investing page.	A straight AUM fee with no monthly floor
Fidelity Go	No advisory fee under $25,000. 0.35% a year at $25,000 and above, billed from average daily assets. $10 to start…	Balances under $25k, or Fidelity households that want the robot next to a brokerage account
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios	No advisory fee and no commissions on the standard program. $5,000 minimum. Schwab affiliates earn revenue on Schwab…	People who can fund $5,000 and will live with a cash sleeve in exchange for a $0 wrap
SoFi Automated Investing	SoFi markets Automated Investing on sofi.com. We did not lock a live AUM percentage from a fully rendered pricing table…	People already in the SoFi app who want a managed sleeve next to their other products

Pricing read from each vendor's own published pricing page, checked Aug 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.

Betterment

Top Pick

Best for: People who want a published flat-to-AUM breakpoint and a self-directed option in the same shop

PricingDigital: $5/month under $24k invested, or no monthly fee with $200+ recurring deposits. 0.25%/year at $24k+ or with that recurring. Premium 0.65%/year. Self-directed investing has no wrap fee. Checked 26 August 2026.

+The $5 versus 0.25% split is published, so you can do the math at your balance

+Recurring $200+ drops the monthly fee, which matters under $24k

+Self-directed is there if you outgrow the robot without leaving

−$5 a month on a small balance is a high effective rate

−Premium at 0.65% is a different product. Do not confuse it with Digital

Visit Betterment →

Wealthfront

Best for: A straight AUM fee with no monthly floor

PricingAutomated Investing 0.25% per year. Checked 26 August 2026 on Wealthfront's investing page.

+One number, which makes it easy to compare at $10k or $100k

+No monthly fee that punishes a small account the way $5 can

+Automated Investing is a clear product, not a bundle of add-ons

−0.25% on a large taxable account is still real money next to a $0 wrap

−You do not get Betterment's $5 option if a tiny balance is the starting point

Visit Wealthfront →

Fidelity Go

Best for: Balances under $25k, or Fidelity households that want the robot next to a brokerage account

PricingNo advisory fee under $25,000. 0.35% a year at $25,000 and above, billed from average daily assets. $10 to start investing. Coaching eligibility at $25k+. Form ADV (Strategic Advisers) matches that schedule. Checked 26 August 2026.

+$0 wrap under $25k is the cheapest managed option on this list at that size

+ADV fee table matches the marketing page, which is the right kind of boring

+Flex funds are marketed with no expense ratio, so the wrap is closer to the all-in number

−At $25k the fee jumps to 0.35%, which is above Betterment and Wealthfront's 0.25%

−Coaching is not a dedicated planner, and Fidelity says it will not do retirement-income planning

Visit Fidelity Go →

Schwab Intelligent Portfolios

Best for: People who can fund $5,000 and will live with a cash sleeve in exchange for a $0 wrap

PricingNo advisory fee and no commissions on the standard program. $5,000 minimum. Schwab affiliates earn revenue on Schwab ETFs and on the required cash allocation. Tax-loss harvesting from $50,000 if you enroll. From Schwab's program materials and Form ADV. Confirm cash allocation on schwab.com. Checked 26 August 2026.

+No wrap fee on the standard program

+Sits next to a Schwab brokerage relationship if you already have one

+Tax-loss harvesting is specified at $50k, so the gate is public

−Required cash is not free. You give up return on that sleeve

−$5,000 minimum knocks out the small-balance case Fidelity Go handles

Visit Schwab Intelligent Portfolios →

SoFi Automated Investing

Best for: People already in the SoFi app who want a managed sleeve next to their other products

PricingSoFi markets Automated Investing on sofi.com. We did not lock a live AUM percentage from a fully rendered pricing table on 26 August 2026. Confirm the current advisory fee and minimum on SoFi before you treat a third-party "$0" as a quote.

+Convenient if checking, lending and investing already live in SoFi

+Useful as a fifth option when the four above do not fit the household

+No new brokerage relationship if you are already a member

−Live fee was not locked on 26 August 2026, so do not budget a blog number

−App bundling is not a reason to ignore a cheaper wrap elsewhere

Visit SoFi Automated Investing →

What it is

A robo-advisor is a discretionary account that assigns you a mix of funds from a questionnaire, then rebalances. Some add tax-loss harvesting above a balance. Some add a human for a higher wrap fee. The product is the wrap, the funds inside it and any cash the program forces you to hold. Brokerage apps that let you trade are not this category.

Why it matters

The number that decides the bill is AUM versus flat versus cash drag. $5 a month on a $8k Betterment account is 0.75% a year. The same account at Fidelity Go is $0. At $50k, Betterment and Wealthfront are 0.25% and Fidelity Go is 0.35%.

Schwab's $0 still costs you the yield you are not earning on the cash sleeve. A "cheapest robo" article that ignores the breakpoint is doing the math for a balance you do not have.

Key features to look for

How the fee is charged

Flat monthly, percent of assets or $0 plus cash. Compare at your balance, not at theirs.

Account minimum

Schwab wants $5,000. Fidelity Go will start at $10. That alone knocks people off a comparison table.

Tax-loss harvesting

Often gated on balance. Read the threshold. It is not included just because the marketing page mentions it.

Human access

Betterment Premium at 0.65% and Fidelity Go coaching at $25k are different products from the base robot.

Fund expenses on top

The wrap is not the only cost. Schwab and Fidelity publish different stories about what sits underneath.

Mistakes to avoid

×Picking the "free" robo without reading the cash sleeve or the $25k breakpoint. $0 is a pricing story, not always the lowest cost.

×Paying Betterment $5 a month on a $6k balance when Fidelity Go would charge $0 at that size.

×Treating this page as a trading-app comparison. Robo-advisors manage a portfolio. Brokers execute your tickets.

Expert tips

→Compute the wrap at your balance. $5 a month, 0.25% and 0.35% change order between $10k, $24k and $50k.

→Add fund expenses and, on Schwab, the cash allocation. The wrap line is not the all-in cost.

→If you want to pick stocks, use a brokerage. Do not pay a robo wrap for a self-directed account unless the product is explicitly wrap-free, as Betterment's self-directed is.

The bottom line

Under $25k, Fidelity Go at $0 advisory is the published bargain. Above that, Betterment Digital and Wealthfront at 0.25% usually beat Fidelity Go's 0.35%. Betterment at $5 a month only wins if that is cheaper than 0.25% on your balance, or if $200 recurring waives it.

Schwab Intelligent Portfolios is $0 wrap with a $5,000 minimum and a cash sleeve. Confirm SoFi on their site. This is not a recommendation to invest.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest robo-advisor?

At a small balance, Fidelity Go's $0 under $25k. At $50k, Betterment Digital or Wealthfront at 0.25% usually beat Fidelity Go's 0.35%. Schwab's $0 wrap still has cash drag. Run the math at your number.

How much does Betterment cost?

Checked 26 August 2026: $5 a month under $24k, or no monthly fee with $200+ recurring deposits. 0.25% a year once you are over $24k or on that recurring plan. Premium is 0.65%.

How much does Wealthfront cost?

Automated Investing is 0.25% per year, checked 26 August 2026 on Wealthfront's investing page.

Is a robo-advisor the same as an investing app?

No. A robo-advisor manages a portfolio for a wrap or a cash arrangement. An investing app lets you place trades. See Finpresso's investing-apps list if you want the latter.

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