Best Robo-Advisors: Top Picks for 2024
These top robo-advisors charge low fees but still offer high-quality features, including automated portfolio rebalancing, exposure to a range of asset classes and financial planning tools. Many also offer access to financial advisors.
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If you're in the market for a robo-advisor, there are plenty of providers to choose from — but important factors like fees, investment portfolios, account minimums and other features can vary widely.
In our analysis, the two robo-advisors with the top scores were Wealthfront and Betterment. Wealthfront stands out as a low-cost option with flexible, diversified investment portfolio choices. Betterment has similarly low management fees, and we like that you can add on human advice for an additional cost if you need it.
That said, all the robo-advisors on this list scored highly and impressed our testers, so the best one for you probably depend on your individual needs. And if cost is your bottom line, there are a few free options on our list below, too.
Get matched with a financial advisor in minutes through NerdWallet Advisors Match
Why trust NerdWallet
If you're in the market for a robo-advisor, there are plenty of providers to choose from — but important factors like fees, investment portfolios, account minimums and other features can vary widely.
In our analysis, the two robo-advisors with the top scores were Wealthfront and Betterment. Wealthfront stands out as a low-cost option with flexible, diversified investment portfolio choices. Betterment has similarly low management fees, and we like that you can add on human advice for an additional cost if you need it.
That said, all the robo-advisors on this list scored highly and impressed our testers, so the best one for you probably depend on your individual needs. And if cost is your bottom line, there are a few free options on our list below, too.
Best Robo-Advisors: Top Picks
| Broker | NerdWallet rating | Fees | Account minimum | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wealthfront Learn more on Wealthfront's website AD Paid non-client promotion | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024 Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | 0.25% management fee | $500 | Get a $50 customer bonus when you fund your first taxable investment account | Learn more on Wealthfront's website AD Paid non-client promotion |
 Vanguard Digital Advisor Learn more on Vanguard's website AD Paid non-client promotion | Reviewed in: Oct. 2023 Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2023 | 0.15% per year
(approximately) | $100 | No advisory fees your first 90 days of Vanguard Digital Advisor investment management (Enrollment requires a Vanguard account with a minimum of $100) | Learn more on Vanguard's website AD Paid non-client promotion |
 Betterment Learn more on Betterment's website AD Paid non-client promotion | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024 Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | 0.25% with a balance over $20K or qualifying recurring deposit. Otherwise, $4/month. | $0 $10 to start | Get 1% match of your net Roth and traditional IRA contributions until December 30, 2024. Terms apply. | Learn more on Betterment's website AD Paid non-client promotion |
 SoFi Automated Investing Learn more on SoFi Invest's website AD Paid non-client promotion | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024 Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | 0% management fee | $0 | 1% match on rollovers and contributions Terms and conditions apply. Roll over a minimum of $20K to receive the 1% match offer. Matches on contributions are made up to the annual limits. | Learn more on SoFi Invest's website AD Paid non-client promotion |
 Acorns Learn more on Acorns' website AD Paid non-client promotion | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024 Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | $3 - per month | $0 | $10 sign- | Learn more on Acorns' website AD Paid non-client promotion |
5.0
/5Reviewed in: Oct. 2024
Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024
on Wealthfront's website
AD
Paid non-client promotion
0.25%
management fee
$500
Get a $50 customer bonus
when you fund your first taxable investment account
Pros
Get $50 customer bonus when you fund your first taxable investment account (NerdWallet promotion).
Low ETF expense ratios.
Daily tax-loss harvesting.
DIY and automated investing options.
Low portfolio management fee.
Cons
$500 account minimum.
Why We Like It
Wealthfront is our highest-scoring robo-advisor thanks to its blend of automated investment portfolios and DIY stock investing portfolios, its wide variety of account options, excellent tax strategy and low management fee. Wealthfront's only weak spots are its account minimum ($500) and its lack of access to human advisors.
Best Robo-Advisor for Low-Cost Investing 2024
4.8
/5Reviewed in: Oct. 2023
Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2023
on Vanguard's website
AD
Paid non-client promotion
0.15%
per year (approximately)
$100
No advisory fees
your first 90 days of Vanguard Digital Advisor investment management (Enrollment requires a Vanguard account with a minimum of $100)
Pros
Access to Vanguard’s investing expertise and ETFs.
Low portfolio management fee.
Low investment expense ratios.
Cons
Limited portfolio options and customization.
$100 account minimum.
Why We Like It
Vanguard Digital Advisor is an affordable robo-advisory service that uses several of Vanguard’s key ETFs to create a personalized retirement plan and portfolio. But Vanguard Digital Advisor doesn't offer much portfolio customization or access to a human advisor.
5.0
/5Reviewed in: Oct. 2024
Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024
on Betterment's website
AD
Paid non-client promotion
0.25%
with a balance over $20K or qualifying recurring deposit. Otherwise, $4/month.
$0
$10 to start
Get 1% match
of your net Roth and traditional IRA contributions until December 30, 2024. Terms apply.
Pros
Multiple portfolio options, including customization.
Low portfolio management fee.
Fractional shares allow all cash in portfolios to be invested.
Goal-based financial planning tools.
Cryptocurrency portfolio available.
No account minimum ($10 required to start investing).
Cons
No direct indexing.
Why We Like It
Betterment offers a powerful combination of goal-based tools, affordable management fees and no account minimum.
4.6
/5Reviewed in: Oct. 2024
Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024
on SoFi Invest's website
AD
Paid non-client promotion
0%
management fee
$0
1% match on rollovers and contributions
Terms and conditions apply. Roll over a minimum of $20K to receive the 1% match offer. Matches on contributions are made up to the annual limits.
Pros
Free portfolio management.
Very low expense ratios on investments used.
Free access to certified financial planners.
1% match on IRA rollovers and contributions.
No account minimum.
Cons
No socially responsible portfolio options.
No tax-loss harvesting.
Why We Like It
Free management and access to financial advisors and career counselors make SoFi Automated Investing a solid choice for beginning and younger investors. Unfortunately there is limited tax strategy and no socially responsible portfolio.
4.6
/5Reviewed in: Oct. 2024
Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024
on Acorns' website
AD
Paid non-client promotion
$3 - $12
per month
$0
$10 sign-up bonus
Pros
Automatically invests spare change.
Cash back at select retailers.
Educational content available.
No account minimum ($5 required to start investing).
IRA match at some service tiers.
High interest rate on checking and savings at some service tiers.
Cons
Monthly fees can be significant for small balances.
$35 per ETF to transfer funds to another broker.
No tax-loss harvesting.
Why We Like It
Acorns is known for its automatic roundups that make saving and investing easy. The downside? At small account balances, Acorns' fees can cut into investment returns. Acorns has great tools for kids at the most expensive tier, such as a bank account and debit card designed to help them learn about all things money. But Acorns has zero financial advisor access or tax tools and higher than average transfer fees.
4.7
/5Reviewed in: Oct. 2023
Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2023
on Ellevest's website
AD
Paid non-client promotion
$12
per month
$0
2 months free
with promo code "nerdwallet"
Pros
Goal-focused investing approach.
Portfolio mix that factors women’s needs.
Members get discounted sessions with coaches and certified financial planners.
No account minimum.
Cons
No tax-loss harvesting.
Some portfolios have minimum investment requirements.
Why We Like It
Ellevest offers a single flat-fee plan which costs $12 a month — that's on the pricier end of robo-advisors. Clients get discounted access to professional financial planning, alongside free educational resources and the only investing platform that factors in women’s pay gaps, career breaks and longer lifespans. Ellevest does not include any banking options.
Unpaid non-advisory client promotion
0% - 0.35%
management fee
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Free portfolio management on balances under $25,000.
No investment expense ratios.
Human oversight of portfolio allocations.
Integration with other Fidelity accounts.
No account minimum ($10 required to start investing).
Cons
No tax-loss harvesting.
Why We Like It
Fidelity's robo-advisor, Fidelity Go, frequently makes our list of the best robo-advisors for its low fees — including free management on balances below $25,000 — integration with other Fidelity accounts and its use of Fidelity Flex funds (Fidelity mutual funds), which have no expense ratios. Fidelity Go does not offer tax-loss harvesting.
Want to compare more options? Here are our other top picks:
Learn more about robo-advisors before you open an account
What does a robo-advisor do?
Robo-advisors automate investment management by using computer algorithms to build and manage an investment portfolio for you, based on your goals and your tolerance for risk. Since portfolio management is handled by software rather than a human financial advisor, robo-advisors charge lower fees, which can translate to higher long-term returns for investors. A few of the advisors on our list even offer completely free portfolio management.
Robo-advisor services range from automatic rebalancing to tax optimization, and require little to no human interaction. A robo-advisor might be a good fit if you prefer to be largely hands-off with your investments and you don’t have the kind of complex financial situation that requires a direct relationship with a human financial advisor.
That said, many providers offer access to human advisors available for questions related to account management or long-term investment planning — though these services may cost more.
How do you open a robo-advisor account?
Opening a robo-advisor account is very similar to opening a brokerage account or bank account: You'll provide some personal information and then link an existing account from which you can transfer money to fund the new account. The primary difference is in most cases, robo-advisors will take you through an onboarding quiz to help determine how to invest your portfolio. These quizzes generally ask about your investment goals, risk tolerance and time horizon, and the robo-advisor will use your answers to build the most optimal portfolio for you.
How do robo-advisors get paid?
Robo-advisors are paid through their account management fee. This is usually shown as a percentage, such as 0.25%. This means the fee is a percentage of the money that you invest. For example, if you put $1,000 into a robo-advisor investment account, and it charges a 0.25% fee, you'd pay $2.50 for that year's worth of investment management. If you put in $100,000 you'd pay $250. Both of those figures are significantly lower than what they would be if you worked with a traditional financial advisor.
Expense ratios are different from management fees: They are not paid to the robo-advisor, but to the people and institutions that manage the funds you're invested in.
What factors should you consider when picking the best robo-advisor?
Here’s what you'll want to look at:
Management fees. This is what you’ll pay annually to have an account at a robo-advisor. See our calculator below to help you analyze these.
Expense ratios. These are like management fees, only they’re paid not to the robo-advisor, but to the investments the robo-advisor uses. Mutual funds, index funds and exchange-traded funds all charge this annual fee to cover the costs of running the fund.
Account types. Investment accounts fall into two general categories: Retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, that offer tax advantages while adhering to certain rules; and taxable accounts, where there are no specific tax advantages but also no limits on contributions or distributions.
Investments. Most robo-advisors use low-cost index funds and ETFs.
Rebalancing. Portfolios are fluid, and market fluctuations can cause the mix of investments you hold to get out of sync with your goals. Rebalancing brings that allocation back to its original mix.
Access to human advisors. Many robo-advisors have merged computer-driven portfolio management with access to human financial advisors. Some services offer a dedicated advisor to individual clients; others offer only email or online chat with a team of advisors.
Last updated on October 1, 2024
Methodology
NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks the largest U.S. brokers and robo-advisors. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgements on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 20 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).
For more details about the categories considered when rating providers and our processes, read our full broker ratings methodology and our full robo-advisor ratings methodology.
To recap our selections...
