By Jozsef Huszar • Updated: October 24, 2026
The best robo-advisors do not all charge the same way, and the difference can reach thousands of dollars over a decade. We compared nine robo-advisor services and tiers from Betterment, Wealthfront, Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard and Empower, using a fee table researched on October 24, 2026. Robo-advisor fees run from $0 to 0.89% a year, and minimums run from $0 to $1,000,000. Numbers come from the providers’ own pricing pages. For the basics of how automated investing works, see our robo-advisor basics guide.
Quick comparison
The table below lists each service’s minimum, advisory fee, main features and human advisor access, exactly as researched. Start with the Advisory Fee and Account Minimum columns. Then check the last column, because paying for a human advisor is where the biggest price differences begin.
| Provider / Product | Account Minimum ($) | Advisory Fee | Portfolio / Service Feature | Human Advisor Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betterment – Automated Investing | $0 ¹ | 0.25% annually ² | Automated, globally diversified portfolios with automatic rebalancing, dividend reinvestment, and tax-loss harvesting. | No (access to human advice may require an additional service or fee) |
| Betterment – Premium | $100,000 | 0.65% annually, with progressive discounts on balances over $1 million | Personalized financial planning, tailored investment guidance, priority support, a Cash Reserve APY boost, and access to a securities-backed line of credit. | Yes — access to financial advisors, including CFP® professionals |
| Wealthfront – Automated Investing | $500 | 0.25% annually ³ | Globally diversified portfolio of low-cost index funds, automatic rebalancing and dividend reinvestment, tax-loss harvesting, and optional direct indexing for accounts over $100,000. | No — automated investing; customer support is available from certified professionals. |
| Schwab Intelligent Portfolios® | $5,000 | $0 advisory fee; ETF operating expenses and indirect cash-allocation costs apply | Diversified ETF portfolio tailored to goals and risk tolerance, automatic monitoring and rebalancing, FDIC-insured cash allocation, and optional tax-loss harvesting for accounts with at least $50,000 invested. | Yes — 24/7 live support from U.S.-based service professionals; automated portfolio management. |
| Fidelity Go® | $10 to begin investing | $0 for balances under $25,000; 0.35% annually for balances of $25,000 or more | Professionally managed portfolio with automatic rebalancing, goal-based investing, and tax-loss harvesting opportunities in eligible taxable accounts. | Yes — unlimited one-on-one financial coaching calls with eligible clients holding at least $25,000; dedicated Fidelity representative may be available to eligible clients with $500,000 or more at Fidelity. |
| Vanguard Digital Advisor® | $100 | 0.20% gross annually for index portfolios or 0.25% for active portfolios, reduced by applicable fee credits; first ~90 days waived for eligible new enrollments | Personalized, diversified portfolios of stock and bond ETFs, automatic rebalancing, portfolio customization, and tax-loss harvesting where appropriate. Index, active/index, and ESG investment options available. | No — fully digital investment management; Vanguard Personal Advisor is a separate service with access to an advisor. |
| Empower Personal Strategy – Investment Services | $100,000 | Tiered annual fee based on assets under management; exact rate not provided in the supplied text | Professionally managed ETF portfolio, retirement and financial planning guidance, portfolio reviews upon request, and digital financial tools. | Yes — financial advisors provide planning guidance. |
| Empower Personal Strategy – Wealth Management | $250,000 | Tiered annual fee based on assets under management; exact rate not provided in the supplied text | Customized portfolio with individual stocks, tax optimization, regular portfolio reviews, and specialist support for real estate, stock options, and other financial needs. | Yes — two dedicated financial advisors. |
| Empower Private Client | $1,000,000 | Tiered annual fee based on assets under management; exact rate not provided in the supplied text | Comprehensive personalized financial and wealth planning, customized investments, specialist support, and potential access to private equity investments for eligible investors. | Yes — two dedicated financial advisors, with priority access to specialists and the investment committee. |
Notes:
¹ The pasted information does not specify the account minimum, so verify the current minimum before publishing.
² The 0.25% advisory fee is not stated in the supplied text; confirm Betterment’s current pricing before using it in the table.
³ The $500 minimum is stated in the provided text. The advisory fee of 0.25% is not included in the pasted material, so verify the current rate on Wealthfront’s official pricing page before publishing.
Among the services with a stated fee, prices range from $0 at Schwab, and at Fidelity Go below $25,000, to 0.65% at Betterment Premium. Minimums climb from $0 to $1,000,000. Only Empower leaves its rate out of the fee table, so we looked it up on Empower’s own page for the cost tables below.
How we chose and what protection applies
We used the nine rows in the fee table as given and did not add or remove any. Some rows are separate products from the same company, such as Betterment’s two plans and Empower’s three tiers, because each has its own minimum and fee.
Robo-advisors are investment advisory services, so none of them is an FDIC-insured deposit. Your account can lose value. What protection exists is specific. SIPC protects the cash and securities in a brokerage account up to $500,000, including $250,000 for cash, if a member brokerage firm fails, but not market losses. See the SIPC explanation. Some cash features are different: Schwab’s own pages say the cash allocation in Intelligent Portfolios is placed in FDIC-insured deposit accounts at Charles Schwab Bank, up to $250,000 per depositor. The advisory arms are registered investment advisers: Betterment LLC and Empower Advisory Group, LLC each describe themselves as SEC-registered. Our investor protection guide explains the difference between FDIC and SIPC coverage.
What a typical investor looks like
Fees depend on your balance, so we test three starting balances: $10,000, $100,000 and $250,000. They match the entry points of different products, from a small starter account to Empower’s Wealth Management minimum. We assume no new deposits, with one exception: Betterment’s low-balance fee depends on deposits, and we show that range.
For the ten-year view, we assume the portfolio grows 6% a year before fees, and the fee is charged on the balance at the start of each year. The 6% is a round figure used to compare fees, not a forecast. Where a product has a minimum above your balance, we write “Below minimum.” The first-year figures are simply the fee rate times the balance, so you can scale them to your own balance easily.
What it costs in real life
Table 2 shows the advisory fee in dollars for the first year at each balance, plus the total advisory fees over ten years at $250,000. We chose a ten-year view at $250,000 because every product in the table, except Empower Private Client, is available at that balance. Where the rate is a range, such as Vanguard’s, both ends are calculated and shown as X-Y. Schwab’s $0 advisory fee does not include fund and cash costs.
| Provider / Product | Rate used | Year 1 at $10,000 | Year 1 at $100,000 | Year 1 at $250,000 | 10 years at $250,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betterment – Automated Investing | 0.25% ² (or $5 a month) | $25-$60 | $250 | $625 | $8,142 |
| Betterment – Premium | 0.65% | Below minimum | $650 | $1,625 | $20,776 |
| Wealthfront – Automated Investing | 0.25% ³ | $25 | $250 | $625 | $8,142 |
| Schwab Intelligent Portfolios® | $0 advisory fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fidelity Go® | $0 below $25,000; 0.35% above | $0 | $350 | $875 | $11,345 |
| Vanguard Digital Advisor® | 0.15%-0.20% | $15-$20 | $150-$200 | $375-$500 | $4,908-$6,529 |
| Empower Personal Strategy – Investment Services | 0.89% | Below minimum | $890 | Wealth Management tier applies | See Wealth Management |
| Empower Personal Strategy – Wealth Management | 0.89% | Below minimum | Below minimum | $2,225 | $28,130 |
Notes:
² The 0.25% advisory fee is not stated in the supplied text; confirm Betterment’s current pricing before using it in the table.
³ The $500 minimum is stated in the provided text. The advisory fee of 0.25% is not included in the pasted material, so verify the current rate on Wealthfront’s official pricing page before publishing.
We confirmed the rates in the table on each provider’s pricing page. Betterment charges 0.25% on Digital and 0.65% on Premium, Wealthfront 0.25%, Fidelity Go 0.35% from $25,000, and Vanguard 0.20% gross, with a net cost of about $15 to $16 per $10,000 after fee credits. Empower lists 0.89% from $100,000 up to $999,999.
At $250,000, ten years of fees cost $4,908 to $6,529 at Vanguard, $8,142 at Betterment Automated and Wealthfront, $11,345 at Fidelity Go, $20,776 at Betterment Premium and $28,130 at Empower. Empower costs $19,988 more than Wealthfront for the same balance, so you should be sure you will use the advisor time. Schwab’s $0 is not free: it is paid for through the cash allocation we cover next.
The first year can hide a cliff in some products. The next table shows where the price jumps.
What happens if you cross or miss a threshold
Robo-advisor pricing changes at specific balances, and some rules depend on how you fund the account. Table 3 shows the thresholds that matter most, with the dollar effect on a typical balance. It combines the fee table with the providers’ pricing pages. Read the last column as the cost of being on the wrong side of the line, then decide whether to wait, deposit more or choose another provider.
| Provider / Product | Threshold | What changes | Dollar effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betterment – Automated Investing ² | Balance under $24,000 and recurring deposits under $200 a month | $5 a month replaces the 0.25% fee | At $5,000: $60.00 a year instead of $12.50. At $10,000: $60.00 instead of $25.00. |
| Fidelity Go® | $25,000 | $0 becomes 0.35% on the whole balance | At $24,999: $0.00. At $25,000: $87.50 a year. At $50,000: $175.00. |
| Betterment – Premium | $100,000 minimum | 0.65% replaces 0.25% | At $100,000: $650 against $250 a year, $400 more. Over 10 years at 6%: $5,054 more. |
| Schwab Intelligent Portfolios® | $5,000 minimum; $50,000 for tax-loss harvesting | $0 advisory fee, but a required cash allocation (6.90% to 15.00% in Schwab’s example portfolios) | On $10,000: $690 to $1,500 in cash. On $100,000: $6,900 to $15,000 in cash. |
| Empower Personal Strategy – Investment Services | $100,000 minimum | 0.89% from the first dollar | At $100,000: $890 a year, $640 more than Wealthfront’s $250. |
| Empower Private Client | $1,000,000 minimum | 0.79% on the first $3 million replaces 0.89% | At $999,999: $8,899.99 a year. At $1,000,000: $7,900.00. |
Notes:
² The 0.25% advisory fee is not stated in the supplied text; confirm Betterment’s current pricing before using it in the table.
The Betterment and Fidelity rows are the most important for small investors. At Betterment, $5,000 invested without a $200 monthly deposit costs 1.20% a year, nearly five times the 0.25% rate. At Fidelity Go, reaching $25,000 turns a free account into an $87.50-a-year account, but it also unlocks coaching calls and tax-loss harvesting. Schwab’s cost is not a fee but a decision to hold cash: Schwab’s own FAQ shows example portfolios holding 6.90%, 10.50% and 15.00% in cash. Betterment’s discount structure above $1 million is a further reason to compare rates at high balances.
Which one fits you
You are starting with a small balance
Fidelity Go is the cheapest start: $10 to begin investing and no advisory fee below $25,000. Wealthfront asks for $500 and charges 0.25%, which is $12.50 a year on $5,000. Vanguard Digital Advisor needs $100 and waives its fee for about the first 90 days. Avoid Betterment’s $5-a-month default unless you set up $200 in monthly deposits, because it costs $60 a year.
You want the lowest fee as your balance grows
Vanguard Digital Advisor is the lowest-priced paid option in our table at about 0.15% to 0.20%, which is $75 to $100 a year on $50,000. Wealthfront and Betterment Automated cost $125 a year on $50,000, and Fidelity Go costs $175. Over ten years at $250,000, that gap between Vanguard and Wealthfront is $1,613 to $3,234.
You want human advice
Betterment Premium costs $650 a year on $100,000 and gives access to CFP professionals. Fidelity Go offers unlimited coaching calls from $25,000 at 0.35%, or $87.50 at that balance. Empower costs $890 a year on $100,000, adds a team of advisors, and gives you two dedicated advisors from $250,000. If you rarely need advice, the cheaper fully digital options will save you hundreds of dollars a year.
You want no advisory fee and accept the trade-offs
Schwab charges no advisory fee, but it requires a cash allocation and offers tax-loss harvesting only from $50,000. If you hold $100,000, between $6,900 and $15,000 of it sits in cash under Schwab’s example portfolios. That is fine for a cautious investor and costly for one who wants to be fully invested.
Our bottom line: start with the fee you will really pay at your balance, then add features you will use. For a balance under $25,000, Fidelity Go is the lowest-cost option in the table. Above $50,000, compare Vanguard, Wealthfront and Fidelity Go on both price and tax features before you consider a premium service.
What we did not cover
We did not cover sign-up offers, cash account yields, retirement account types, or fees for the underlying funds, which Empower puts at an average of 0.06% for its ETFs. We also left out tax-loss harvesting results, direct indexing, Betterment’s lending and cash features, and the effect of deposits and withdrawals over time. Employer plans and Vanguard Personal Advisor, a separate service, are outside this comparison. Your own situation may justify paying more for advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are robo-advisors FDIC insured?
No. Robo-advisor accounts hold investments, which can lose value, so FDIC insurance does not apply. SIPC may protect the cash and securities in your brokerage account up to $500,000, including $250,000 for cash, if the firm fails. It does not protect against market losses. Schwab places its cash allocation in FDIC-insured deposit accounts.
Is Schwab Intelligent Portfolios really free?
Schwab charges no advisory fee, but you still pay ETF operating expenses, and part of your money sits in a required cash allocation. Schwab’s FAQ shows example portfolios with 6.90%, 10.50% and 15.00% in cash. On $100,000 that is $6,900 to $15,000 held in cash instead of invested.
Why does Betterment charge $5 a month on small balances?
Betterment’s base price is $5 a month. You switch to 0.25% a year by reaching $24,000 or by setting up $200 or more in recurring monthly deposits. On $10,000 the $5 monthly fee costs $60 a year, against $25 at 0.25%. Setting up the monthly deposit is the easiest fix.
Does Fidelity Go charge 0.35% on the whole balance or only the part over $25,000?
Fidelity says you pay no advisory fee on a balance under $25,000, or 0.35% per year on balances of $25,000 and over. At $25,000, that means about $87.50 a year. It also unlocks coaching calls and tax-loss harvesting in eligible taxable accounts, so compare the extra cost with those benefits.
What does Vanguard Digital Advisor really cost?
Vanguard states a gross advisory fee of 0.20% for index portfolios and 0.25% for active portfolios, reduced by fee credits. It describes the net cost as roughly $15 to $16 per $10,000 invested for an all-index portfolio. New clients get about 90 days without an advisory fee, and the minimum is $100.
Methodology and last update
The provider list and values come from a fee table researched on October 24, 2026. We checked rates on each provider’s pricing page and calculated all dollar figures ourselves at a 6% hypothetical return. We review the guide monthly. Pricing changes often, so confirm current terms with the provider before opening an account. This guide is general information and not personalized financial advice.