Best Robo-Advisors: March 2026
Automated investing platforms compared on fees, tax efficiency, minimums, and the rare ones that include a human when you need one.
Updated March 2026
The best robo-advisors charge 0% to 0.25% per year in management fees as of March 2026 — a fraction of the 1%+ typical of traditional financial advisors. All five platforms below build and rebalance diversified portfolios automatically; where they differ most is in tax efficiency, human advisor access, and how much you need to get started.
| Platform | Annual Fee | Min. Investment | Tax-Loss Harvesting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BettermentBest Overall Betterment LLC | 0.25%/yr | $0 | Yes | View on Betterment |
WealthfrontBest for Tax Optimization Wealthfront Corporation | 0.25%/yr | $500 | Yes | View on Wealthfront |
Empower Personal WealthBest for High-Net-Worth Investors Empower Advisory Group | 0.89%/yr | $100,000 | Yes | View on Empower |
Fidelity GoBest for Small Balances Fidelity Investments | 0%/yr | $0 | No | View on Fidelity Go |
SoFi Automated InvestingBest Free Option SoFi Wealth LLC | 0%/yr | $1 | No | View on SoFi |
Wealthfront
Wealthfront Corporation
0.25%
per year
Empower Personal Wealth
Empower Advisory Group
0.89%
per year
Betterment LLC
No account minimum — start with any amount
Wealthfront Corporation
Direct indexing available at $100K+ for superior tax-loss harvesting
Empower Advisory Group
Dedicated human financial advisor included — rare at this fee level
Fidelity Investments
Zero management fee on balances under $25,000 — unmatched in the category
SoFi Wealth LLC
$0 management fee with no balance minimum — the lowest cost way to get automated investing
What a 0.25% annual fee means in dollars
On a $10,000 portfolio, 0.25%/yr costs you $25 per year. The traditional advisor benchmark of 1%/yr costs $100 on the same balance — four times as much. At $100,000, that gap widens to $750/yr saved. Over 30 years at 7% growth, saving $750/yr in fees compounds to roughly $70,000 more in your pocket. Use our Compound Interest Calculator to run your specific numbers.
How we chose these robo-advisors
Most automated investing platforms will build you a reasonable diversified portfolio. The differences that matter are fee structure, what happens when you hit taxes, and whether there's a human on the other end when you need one. We narrowed the field to five using these criteria.
Fee structure transparency
We looked at the total cost of ownership — management fee plus underlying fund expense ratios. A platform charging 0.25% that invests in funds with 0.20% expense ratios costs more than one charging 0.25% in zero-expense-ratio funds. Every platform here publishes clear, complete fee information.
Tax-loss harvesting availability
On taxable accounts, TLH can meaningfully improve after-tax returns — Wealthfront estimates 0.5% or more in annual after-tax benefit for typical investors. We evaluated whether TLH is available, at what balance threshold, and how sophisticated the implementation is (ETF-level vs. direct indexing).
Account minimums and accessibility
Robo-advisors vary from $0 to $100,000 minimums. We included the full range so this list is useful whether you're just starting out or have a significant portfolio to move.
Human advisor access
Some investors eventually need to talk to a person — about an inheritance, a divorce, a job transition. We evaluated whether each platform offers human CFP or advisor access, at what cost, and how well-reviewed that service is.
What we excluded: Platforms with opaque fee structures, those that invest exclusively in proprietary high-expense-ratio funds (a conflict of interest), and services that require a financial advisor relationship as a condition of robo-advisory access. We also excluded crypto-only or crypto-primary platforms — they're in a different risk category and comparison framework.
Platform details
The table above shows the headline numbers. Here's what matters about each platform before you move money.
Betterment
Best OverallBetterment LLC
0.25%
per year
Best for
Most investors who want a well-rounded, low-cost automated portfolio with no minimum
Pros
- +No account minimum — start with any amount
- +Tax-loss harvesting on all taxable accounts at no extra cost
- +Socially responsible portfolio options and flexible goal-setting tools
Cons
- –Human advisor access costs extra (Premium plan)
- –0.25% fee is competitive but not the lowest available
Wealthfront
Best for Tax OptimizationWealthfront Corporation
0.25%
per year
Best for
Tax-conscious investors who want direct indexing and deep automation
Pros
- +Direct indexing available at $100K+ for superior tax-loss harvesting
- +US Direct Indexing holds individual stocks — more tax-loss opportunities than ETF-based TLH
- +Includes 529 college savings accounts, which most robo-advisors skip
Cons
- –$500 minimum to open — higher than Betterment or Fidelity Go
- –No human advisor access at any price point
Empower Personal Wealth
Best for High-Net-Worth InvestorsEmpower Advisory Group
0.89%
per year
Best for
Investors with $100K+ who want professional oversight alongside automation
Pros
- +Dedicated human financial advisor included — rare at this fee level
- +Holistic financial planning across accounts you hold elsewhere
- +Institutional-quality portfolio construction with individual security selection
Cons
- –$100,000 minimum is a significant barrier
- –0.89% fee is notably higher than pure robo-advisors — justifiable only if you use the advisor
Fidelity Go
Best for Small BalancesFidelity Investments
0%
per year
Best for
Beginning investors who want free management on balances under $25,000
Pros
- +Zero management fee on balances under $25,000 — unmatched in the category
- +Invests in Fidelity Flex mutual funds with 0% expense ratios
- +Backed by Fidelity's brand, customer service, and full brokerage ecosystem
Cons
- –No tax-loss harvesting at any balance tier
- –0.35% fee above $25K is middle-of-the-road, and TLH absence makes Betterment/Wealthfront more competitive at that level
SoFi Automated Investing
Best Free OptionSoFi Wealth LLC
0%
per year
Best for
Cost-focused investors who want $0 management fees and human advisor access included
Pros
- +$0 management fee with no balance minimum — the lowest cost way to get automated investing
- +Certified Financial Planner access included free of charge
- +Integrates with SoFi checking, savings, and loan products in one app
Cons
- –No tax-loss harvesting
- –Portfolio customization is limited compared to Betterment or Wealthfront
Who benefits most
A robo-advisor is the right tool if you want professional-grade portfolio construction and automatic rebalancing without paying a traditional advisor's fee. It's not the right tool for every investor.
Good fit if…
- You want a diversified portfolio but don't want to pick funds yourself
- You have a taxable account and want tax-loss harvesting without doing it manually
- You're investing for a goal 5+ years out and want automatic rebalancing
- You'd otherwise leave the money in cash or a target-date fund by default
Consider alternatives if…
- →You're confident selecting and rebalancing your own funds — a self-directed brokerage at 0% saves you the management fee entirely
- →You want pure set-it-and-forget-it with no interface — a target-date fund inside your 401(k) accomplishes this for free
- →Your primary need is tax planning, estate planning, or complex financial decisions — a fee-only human CFP is a better fit
- →You need active stock selection or alternative assets — robo-advisors hold diversified ETF portfolios only
Fee context: The 0.25%/yr standard robo fee is well below the traditional advisor benchmark, but it's not nothing. On a $500,000 portfolio, you're paying $1,250/year. If you're comfortable building a three-fund portfolio yourself, platforms like Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard let you do exactly that at $0 advisory cost with $0 commissions. Our Retirement Savings Calculator can help you model how fee differences compound over time.
Frequently asked questions
Are robo-advisors safe for my money?
Yes, with appropriate caveats. Your investments are held in your name at an underlying broker-dealer and are SIPC insured up to $500,000 (including $250,000 in cash) in the event of broker failure. This protects against broker insolvency — not against market losses. Your portfolio will fluctuate with markets; that's the nature of investing, not a product failure.
Is 0.25% per year a meaningful cost?
It depends on your balance and time horizon. On $10,000 over 10 years at 7% growth, the 0.25% fee costs you roughly $350 in forgone returns. On $200,000 over 30 years, that same fee costs closer to $48,000. It's real money — worth knowing, but also worth comparing against what you'd pay (or the mistakes you'd make) managing it yourself. Betterment and Wealthfront publish their own after-fee performance data for transparency.
What is tax-loss harvesting and do I need it?
Tax-loss harvesting (TLH) is the practice of selling investments at a loss to offset capital gains taxes elsewhere — then immediately reinvesting in a similar (not identical) asset to maintain your target exposure. It only applies to taxable brokerage accounts; in an IRA or 401(k), there are no capital gains taxes to offset. If your robo-advisor account is inside an IRA, TLH doesn't add value. If it's taxable and you have a reasonable balance, TLH can meaningfully improve after-tax returns, especially in volatile years.
Can I move my existing investments to a robo-advisor?
Yes. Most robo-advisors accept ACATS transfers (in-kind transfers) of existing brokerage accounts. The catch is that transferring assets in-kind means the robo-advisor will sell holdings that don't fit its model, which can trigger capital gains taxes in a taxable account. Wealthfront's tax-minimized onboarding is designed specifically to handle this. IRAs transfer without tax consequences.
Should I use a robo-advisor or a target-date fund in my 401(k)?
If your 401(k) plan offers low-cost target-date index funds (expense ratio under 0.15%), that's usually the simplest and lowest-cost option for retirement money — no separate robo account needed. Robo-advisors add the most value in taxable brokerage accounts where TLH matters, or as a supplement to a 401(k) for additional retirement savings via an IRA.
Ready to put your investing on autopilot?
Both accounts below take under 10 minutes to open and invest in broad index funds automatically.