PickedFinance
Comparison guide

Best robo-advisors

A robo-advisor builds and rebalances a portfolio for you for an advisory fee, usually a small percentage of your balance each year, plus the expense ratios of the funds it uses. We read each firm’s own page on Nov 10, 2026.

By PickedFinance Editorial TeamLast updated Rates checked Nov 10, 2026

Disclosure: links on this page currently go straight to each provider’s own site, and we don’t earn a commission from them. If we join a provider’s affiliate program later, that will never change which products we include or how we order them. How we make money.

How this page was made: it’s built from each provider’s own terms, rate and fee pages and from regulator sources, all listed at the bottom. We haven’t opened these accounts or products to test them, and we don’t give scores. Every rate shows the day we checked it. Our methodology.

Quick answer

Short answer: for balances under $25,000, Fidelity Go charged no advisory fee on Nov 10, 2026, and Schwab Intelligent Portfolios charges none at any balance but needs $5,000 and holds part of your portfolio in cash. Betterment and Wealthfront charge 0.25% a year; Vanguard Digital Advisor’s gross fee is 0.20% for its index option. Fund expense ratios can add to the cost.

Last updated Rates checked Nov 10, 2026

Key facts at a glance

Key facts (each rate shows the day we checked it on the provider’s page)
PickProductBest forKey terms
Free advice on smaller balancesFidelity GoGetting started with a small balance$0 under $25,000; 0.35% a year at $25,000+ as of Nov 10, 2026
No advisory fee at any balanceSchwab Intelligent PortfoliosLarger balances that want no advisory feeNo advisory fee ($5,000 minimum) as of Nov 10, 2026
Lowest stated fee on an all-index portfolioVanguard Digital AdvisorIndex investors who want planning tools0.20% a year gross advisory fee (index) (reduced by a credit for fund revenue; 0.25% for the active option) as of Nov 10, 2026

We read each firm’s pricing or product page on Nov 10, 2026. We don’t score robo-advisors, and we have no affiliate relationship with any firm here. All investing involves risk, including possible loss of the money you invest; past performance isn’t shown or relied on here.

Our picks

Free advice on smaller balances
Fidelity Go
$0 under $25,000; 0.35% a year at $25,000+ as of Nov 10, 2026; invest with as little as $10.
Visit Fidelity (opens in a new tab)
No advisory fee at any balance
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios
No advisory fee ($5,000 minimum) as of Nov 10, 2026.
Visit Schwab (opens in a new tab)
Lowest stated fee on an all-index portfolio
Vanguard Digital Advisor
0.20% a year gross advisory fee (index) (reduced by a credit for fund revenue; 0.25% for the active option) as of Nov 10, 2026; $100 to enroll.
Visit Vanguard (opens in a new tab)

How do they compare?

From each firm’s page, Nov 10, 2026
Robo-advisorAdvisory feeMinimumNote
Fidelity Go$0 under $25,000; 0.35% a year at $25,000+ as of Nov 10, 2026None to open; invest from $10Coaching and tax-loss harvesting (taxable) at $25,000+
Schwab Intelligent PortfoliosNo advisory fee ($5,000 minimum) as of Nov 10, 2026$5,000Includes a cash allocation at Schwab Bank, which earns Schwab income
Vanguard Digital Advisor0.20% a year gross advisory fee (index) (reduced by a credit for fund revenue; 0.25% for the active option) as of Nov 10, 2026$100 per enrolled accountNo advisory fee for the first 90 days
Betterment$5/month or 0.25% a year (0.25% with $200+/month recurring deposits or a $24,000+ balance) as of Nov 10, 2026No minimum balancePremium needs $100,000
Wealthfront0.25% a year (advisory fee) as of Nov 10, 2026Not stated on the pricing page we readTax-loss harvesting featured

The picks in detail

Free advice on smaller balances

1. Fidelity Go

Best for: Getting started with a small balance

Fidelity shows $0 advisory fees under $25,000 and 0.35% a year for accounts of $25,000 and above, which adds financial coaching sessions and, for taxable accounts, tax-loss harvesting. There’s no minimum to open and you can invest with as little as $10.

Key terms: $0 under $25,000; 0.35% a year at $25,000+ as of Nov 10, 2026 Fidelity terms

Pros

  • No advisory fee under $25,000
  • $10 to start investing

Cons

  • 0.35% above $25,000 is the highest rate here
Visit Fidelity (opens in a new tab)
No advisory fee at any balance

2. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios

Best for: Larger balances that want no advisory fee

Schwab says it doesn’t charge an advisory fee for Intelligent Portfolios, and the minimum is $5,000. It also explains the trade-off: portfolios include a cash allocation held at Charles Schwab Bank, Schwab Bank earns more the larger that allocation, and some cash alternatives outside the program pay a higher yield.

Key terms: No advisory fee ($5,000 minimum) as of Nov 10, 2026 Schwab terms

Pros

  • No advisory fee

Cons

  • $5,000 minimum
  • Required cash allocation is an indirect cost
Visit Schwab (opens in a new tab)
Lowest stated fee on an all-index portfolio

3. Vanguard Digital Advisor

Best for: Index investors who want planning tools

Vanguard’s page lists a gross advisory fee of 0.20% a year for index portfolios (0.25% for the active option), reduced by a credit for revenue Vanguard earns on your funds, and says you’ll pay no more than $20 per $10,000 a year on the all-index option. You need at least $100 in each enrolled Vanguard Brokerage Account, and there’s no advisory fee for roughly the first 90 days. Tax-loss harvesting is included.

Key terms: 0.20% a year gross advisory fee (index) (reduced by a credit for fund revenue; 0.25% for the active option) as of Nov 10, 2026 Vanguard terms

Pros

  • Low stated all-in cap ($20 per $10,000) on index portfolios
  • $100 to enroll

Cons

  • Some holdings may need to be sold before enrolling
  • Active option costs more
Visit Vanguard (opens in a new tab)
Best for People who will set up a recurring deposit

4. Betterment automated investing

Best for: People who will set up a recurring deposit

Betterment charges $5 a month on balances under $24,000, switching to 0.25% a year if you set up $200+ in recurring monthly deposits or reach $24,000. There’s no minimum balance for investing accounts. Fund fees are in addition to Betterment’s fee. Its Premium tier requires $100,000 in eligible investments.

Key terms: $5/month or 0.25% a year (0.25% with $200+/month recurring deposits or a $24,000+ balance) as of Nov 10, 2026 Betterment terms

Pros

  • No minimum balance
  • 0.25% with a $200 monthly deposit

Cons

  • $5 a month is a high percentage on very small balances
Visit Betterment (opens in a new tab)
Best for Hands-off investors who value tax-loss harvesting

5. Wealthfront automated investing

Best for: Hands-off investors who value tax-loss harvesting

Wealthfront’s advisory fee for The Wealthfront Portfolio is 0.25% a year (advisory fee) as of Nov 10, 2026, and its pricing page features tax-loss harvesting. We didn’t see the robo portfolio’s minimum on the pricing page we read, so it isn’t listed.

Key terms: 0.25% a year (advisory fee) as of Nov 10, 2026 Wealthfront terms

Pros

  • Simple flat 0.25% fee

Cons

  • Minimum not shown on the page we read
Visit Wealthfront (opens in a new tab)

What the fee costs in dollars

A 0.25% annual fee is $25 a year per $10,000 invested; 0.35% is $35. Fund expense ratios can add to these costs. Betterment’s flat $5 a month is $60 a year, which on a $2,000 balance works out to 3%, so set up the $200 recurring deposit or choose a firm without a flat fee if you’re starting small.

Who should skip this

  • You may need the money within a few years. Investments can fall; use savings or CDs.
  • You’re comfortable buying one or two index funds yourself. A brokerage account avoids the advisory fee.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest robo-advisor?
By advisory fee on Nov 10, 2026: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios (no advisory fee, $5,000 minimum, required cash allocation) and Fidelity Go ($0 under $25,000). Vanguard Digital Advisor’s gross fee is 0.20% for index portfolios before a fund-revenue credit.
Are fund fees included?
Not at Betterment or Vanguard: Betterment says fund fees are in addition to its fee, and Vanguard says its fee doesn’t include fund expense ratios (it credits fund revenue it keeps against the gross fee). Check each firm’s disclosures for the others.
Is money in a robo-advisor insured?
Brokerage accounts at SIPC[6] member firms are protected up to $500,000 (including $250,000 cash) if the firm fails and assets are missing, but SIPC doesn’t protect against market losses.
Can I use a robo-advisor for an IRA?
Yes at Vanguard Digital Advisor, which lists traditional, Roth and rollover IRAs among eligible accounts. Check each firm for its account types. See Roth vs. traditional IRA.
Do you earn money from these firms?
No. We have no affiliate relationship with any firm on this page.

Sources

Every source below was opened and read for this page (rates last checked Nov 10, 2026). Providers’ own pages are labeled with the provider’s name; regulator pages are labeled with the agency. Rates and terms change often, so confirm on the provider’s site before you apply.

  1. Fidelity: Fidelity Go overview (fidelity.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
  2. Schwab: Intelligent Portfolios (schwab.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
  3. Vanguard: Digital Advisor (investor.vanguard.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
  4. Betterment: Pricing (betterment.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
  5. Wealthfront: Pricing (wealthfront.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
  6. SIPC: What SIPC protects (sipc.org, checked Nov 10, 2026)
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