Wealthfront Review
What the 0.25% advisory fee costs at three balances, what the Cash Account pays, and where Fidelity Go comes out cheaper and Betterment ties, checked on each vendor's own pages in October 2026.
Wealthfront is worth its 0.25% a year for an investor with $25,000 or more to invest who wants automatic tax-loss harvesting and a cash account in one app. The fee is the same at every balance, so it costs $25 a year at $10,000 and $250 at $100,000, on the pricing page read on 10 October 2026.
Below the Fidelity threshold, Fidelity Go is cheaper because it charges no advisory fee. Above that point, Wealthfront undercuts Fidelity Go's 0.35% and ties Betterment's 0.25%. The Cash Account pays a 3.55% base APY as of October 1, 2026, with zero account fees.
Read the fee as a floor, not the full bill. The funds inside a portfolio carry expense ratios of their own, and this page does not price them.
Key factsBest for: Investors with $25,000 or more who want automatic tax-loss…
- Ties Betterment on fees at larger balances and beats Fidelity Go there, with a 3.55% base cash rate and zero account fees.
- Automated Investing fee: 0.25% a year at every balance
- Cash Account base APY: 3.55% as of October 1, 2026
- FDIC coverage through program banks: Up to $8 million, or $16 million joint
- Stock Investing fee: No advisory fee, with fractional shares and no commissions
Pros
- 0.25% a year at every balance, with no flat monthly charge quoted.
- The Cash Account pays a 3.55% base APY with zero account fees, and FDIC coverage up to $8 million through program banks.
- Automatic tax-loss harvesting, which the firm says has covered its advisory fee more than seven times over.
Cons
- Below the Fidelity threshold, Fidelity Go charges no advisory fee, and Wealthfront costs $25 a year at $10,000.
- The cash boost is 0.65% for three months on up to $150,000 for new clients, then the rate is 3.55%.
- Advisory fees are not the whole cost, because the funds in the portfolio carry expense ratios of their own.
The fee is the whole argument, and it is easier to read than most robo pricing. Automated Investing charges a percentage of your balance with no flat monthly bill, so the cost rises in line with the account.
Betterment switches from a flat monthly fee to 0.25% at $24,000 or once $200 a month of deposits starts, and Fidelity Go steps up at its threshold, so the cheapest firm depends on where your balance sits.
Dupple data: across the three fee schedules read on 10 October 2026, Wealthfront is the cheapest paid option under $24,000 for an investor without monthly deposits, because Betterment's flat monthly fee applies there: $25 a year on $10,000 against $60 on Betterment's Digital plan with no deposits.
Fidelity Go is cheaper still below its threshold. At larger balances, Wealthfront ties Betterment at $62.50 on $25,000 and beats Fidelity Go's $87.50.
Methodology: every price here was checked on 10 October 2026 on the vendor's own pages: Wealthfront's pricing, cash and investing pages, Betterment's pricing page and Fidelity Go's page.
We priced advisory fees only, at three balances, with no monthly deposits and no fund expense ratios. Each cash rate is the base APY the vendor states, with the date printed on its page.
Brokers that charge a subscription on top of free trades take a different route, and our Robinhood review covers one.
The wider field sits in the robo-advisor ranking.
What is Wealthfront?
This review covers three Wealthfront products. The Automated Investing Account builds and rebalances a portfolio of funds for an advisory fee. The Stock Investing Account sells you fractional shares without commissions or advisory fees.
The Cash Account holds uninvested money and pays interest.
Wealthfront's investing page says its software captures tax losses automatically each day, and it offers direct indexing for accounts over $100,000.
Micro-investing is a different product again, and our Acorns review covers that category if small balances are your question.
How Wealthfront works
The advisory fee is the only charge on Automated Investing. You pay 0.25% a year of assets, and the investing page says performance is calculated net of advisory fees and expenses.
The page says accounts can start with as little as $500 and quotes no flat dollar price, so the bill moves with the balance.
Tax-loss harvesting is the feature that needs proof. Wealthfront says its tax savings have covered the advisory fee more than seven times over.
Those are the firm's own figures, and we could not test them, so treat them as a claim. Harvesting only earns its fee in a taxable account that has losses to harvest.
The Cash Account is the stronger feature. It pays a 3.55% base APY as of October 1, 2026.
New clients get a 0.65% boost for three months on up to $150,000, and the rate then drops back to 3.55%. Deposits sit at program banks with FDIC insurance up to $8 million, or $16 million for joint accounts. Account fees are zero, and Wealthfront reimburses up to two out-of-network ATM fees a month, up to $7.50 each.
Instant withdrawals to RTP or FedNow-eligible accounts run every day, weekends included.
For a wider view of where monthly cash goes, see the budgeting apps ranking.
The Stock Investing Account is a different product. You buy fractional shares with no commissions and no advisory fee, and Wealthfront does not build or rebalance the portfolio.
If you pick stocks yourself, the stock screeners ranking covers the research side.
Wealthfront key features
Wealthfront pricing
Automated Investing costs 0.25% a year. On $10,000 that is $25 a year, and on $100,000 it is $250. These are advisory fees only.
The funds inside the portfolio carry their own expense ratios, which we did not price, so the all-in cost is these figures plus those ratios.
Against Fidelity Go, the comparison turns at $25,000. Fidelity charges nothing under that line and 0.35% a year from it, which is $87.50 at the threshold against $62.50 at Wealthfront.
Against Betterment, the two match at 0.25% once the balance reaches $24,000 or a $200 monthly deposit is set up.
Under that point Betterment's flat monthly fee is $60 a year, which is $35 more than Wealthfront.
The Premium tier is the expensive option. Betterment Premium charges 0.65% a year and needs an eligible balance of $100,000, which makes it 2.6 times the Wealthfront fee.
Wealthfront's investing page mentions certified professionals but prices no planner tier, so ongoing advice is not priced here.
Sources, checked 10 October 2026: Wealthfront pricing, Wealthfront Cash Account, Wealthfront investing, Betterment pricing and Fidelity Go.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wealthfront Automated Investing | 0.25% a year | Percent of assets at every balance, with no flat dollar price quoted |
| Wealthfront Stock Investing | No advisory fee | Fractional shares and no commissions, $1 to get started |
| Wealthfront Cash Account | 3.55% APY | Base rate as of October 1, 2026, with zero account fees and FDIC coverage through program banks |
| Betterment Digital | $5/mo or 0.25% a year | A flat monthly fee below $24,000, unless $200 of monthly deposits are set up |
| Betterment Premium | 0.65% a year | Requires a minimum eligible investment balance of $100,000 |
| Fidelity Go below the threshold | $0 advisory fee | No advisory fee below the threshold, with a $10 balance to begin investing |
| Fidelity Go above the threshold | 0.35% a year | Applies to accounts at or above $25,000 |
Wealthfront pros and cons
What we like
- 0.25% a year at every balance, with no flat monthly charge quoted.
- The Cash Account pays a 3.55% base APY with zero account fees, and FDIC coverage up to $8 million through program banks.
- Automatic tax-loss harvesting, which the firm says has covered its advisory fee more than seven times over.
What could be better
- Below the Fidelity threshold, Fidelity Go charges no advisory fee, and Wealthfront costs $25 a year at $10,000.
- The cash boost is 0.65% for three months on up to $150,000 for new clients, then the rate is 3.55%.
- Advisory fees are not the whole cost, because the funds in the portfolio carry expense ratios of their own.
Who Wealthfront is for
Wealthfront fits an investor who holds a balance at or above the Fidelity threshold and wants the portfolio built, rebalanced and tax-harvested for them. At that size the fee matches Betterment's and beats Fidelity Go's 0.35%, so the features decide the choice.
It also suits a saver with a large cash balance.
The Cash Account's 3.55% base APY sits a little above Betterment's 3.50% as of September 21, 2026, so idle cash earns a similar rate at either firm.
To see the full balance across accounts, our portfolio trackers ranking is the place to start.
It is the wrong buy for someone below the threshold who wants the lowest fee. Fidelity Go charges nothing there, and Betterment's Digital plan costs the same as Wealthfront once recurring deposits start.
It is also the wrong pick for anyone who needs a planner included in the fee, since the pages we read price no planner tier.
Best Wealthfront alternatives
If Wealthfront is not the right fit, these are the closest options.
| Tool | Best for | Starts at | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wealthfront | Investors with $25,000 or more who want automatic tax-loss harvesting and a cash account in one app. | 0.25% a year on Automated Investing at every balance | Visit → |
| Betterment | Savers who make recurring monthly deposits, and Premium clients who hold at least $100,000. | $5/mo, or 0.25% a year with $200 monthly deposits or a $24,000 balance | Visit → |
| Fidelity Go | Investors below the threshold who want zero advisory fees, and anyone who already banks with Fidelity. | No advisory fee below the threshold, then 0.35% a year at $25,000 and | Visit → |
The bottom line
Choose Wealthfront for the features at larger balances, not for the lowest fee. Above the Fidelity threshold its 0.25% matches Betterment and beats Fidelity Go, and the Cash Account gives idle money a 3.55% base APY with zero account fees.
Below that threshold, the cheapest fee is Fidelity Go's zero, which is worth checking before you open anything.
Compare the fee schedules on Betterment's pricing page if you plan recurring deposits, because that setting makes the two fees identical.
The robo-advisor ranking puts the rest of the field on the same fee basis, and the investing apps ranking covers the apps around them.
If you would rather trade than hand over a portfolio, Webull and Public are in our tool directory, and the options platforms ranking covers the trading side.
This page is general information, not personalized financial advice.
Confirm the live fees, APY and FDIC terms with Wealthfront before you open an account or move money.
Cite this: Finpresso, "Wealthfront Review 2026: Fees, Cash APY, Is It Worth It?", October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
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