Email FacebookTwitterMenu burgerClose thin

The Best Robo-Advisors of 2025

SmartAsset maintains strict editorial integrity. It doesn’t provide legal, tax, accounting or financial advice and isn’t a financial planner, broker, lawyer or tax adviser. Consult with your own advisers for guidance. Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this post are only the author’s and for informational purposes. This post may contain links from advertisers, and we may receive compensation for marketing their products or services or if users purchase products or services. | Marketing Disclosure
Share

Robo-advisors are quite popular due to their low fees and simple, hands-off investment approach. But as more robo-advisors come about, the harder it becomes to figure out which one you should go with. To help you decide, SmartAsset created this list of robo-advisors to consider investing with in 2025. Look through each company’s fees, minimum initial investments and other services to help you decide which is best suited to your needs.

Would you prefer more hands-on help with your investments? Talk to a local financial advisor today.

1. Fidelity Go

Annual FeesFree up to $25,000 invested, then 0.35%
Minimum Investment$10
Apple App Store Rating4.8
Google Play Store4.6

Fidelity Go stands out as a top-tier robo-advisor for investors who want a hands-off, professionally managed portfolio without the complexity or high fees that often come with traditional financial advising. Designed by Fidelity Investments, a long-established name in the world of finance, Fidelity Go offers an accessible entry point for new investors while still delivering robust features that appeal to more seasoned traders.

There’s no minimum required to open an account and a low $10 minimum to invest. There are no management fees either if you have less than $25,000 invested. Once your account balances passes $25,000, you can unlock these benefits:

  • Access to a team of Fidelity advisors who can answer questions and offer guidance
  • Unlimited 30-minute one-on-one phones to discuss strategy and future planning

If you have an eligible Fidelity brokerage or retirement account, you can convert it to a Fidelity Go account. Investment strategies are selected for you based on your goals, time horizon and risk tolerance. Fidelity Go accounts hold a mix of Fidelity Flex funds, which offer exposure to domestic and foreign stocks, bonds and short-term investments, all with zero expense ratios.

2. Ally Invest

Annual Fees0% for cash-enhanced portfolios; 0.3% for market-focused portfolios
Minimum Investment$100
Apple App Store Rating4.7
Google Play Store4.4

Ally Invest offers an affordable, easy-to-use automated investing solution that’s backed by a well-known digital bank.This robo-advisor brings together low-cost portfolio management with the convenience of being fully integrated into Ally Bank’s broader suite of financial tools that includes checking, savings and lending services. 

There are two ways to invest:

  • Cash-enhanced portfolios, which keep around 30% of your balance in cash
  • Market-focused portfolios, which hold only around 2% of your funds in cash and invest the rest

Cash holdings in either portfolio earn 3.50% in annual interest, and Ally automatically readjusts your allocation when you make withdrawals. The minimum to invest is a bit higher, at $100, but you can enjoy fee-free advisory services with the cash-enhanced portfolio. Should you decide to go with the market-focused option, you’ll pay 0.3% for the annual management fee.

3. Acorns

Annual Fees$3 – $12
Minimum Investment$5
Apple App Store Rating4.7
Google Play Store4.7

Acorns takes the spare change from your everyday purchases and invests it according to your risk tolerance. The app rounds up all your transactions to the nearest dollar and uses the difference to invest in a range of ETFs. You can connect a debit card, credit card or checking account to your Acorns account.

The service is not ideal for big retirement savings balances, but it is a pain-free way for people to start saving and investing. Opening an account is free, but management fees vary by account type. You can invest up to 5% of your portfolio into a Bitcoin-linked ETF and eligible investors can get a 3% match on IRA contributions made through the Acorns app.

With the Personal package, you’ll receive an investment account, as well as a retirement account and a checking account. This will allow you to cover most of your financial needs at a single financial institution. Should you also need access to an investment account for your children’s college savings, the Family package can provide that for a slightly higher fee. Acorns Gold includes a debit card for kids, $10,000 in life insurance and no-cost will planning.

4. Betterment

Annual Fees$48 for balances below $20,000; 0.25% with a $250 monthly deposit or a balance ranging from $20,000 to $1 million
Minimum InvestmentNone
Apple App Store Rating4.8
Google Play Store4.7

Betterment offers automated investing that’s powered by human expertise. This robo-advisor helps you build a portfolio around your goals, with regular monitoring by advisors to ensure your investments are on track. 

There are two pricing tiers, based on your balance:

  • $4 per month for balances under $20,000
  • 0.25% annually when you deposit $250 or or more monthly, or invest $20,000 to $1 million

Betterment’s annual advisory fee is lower than what you’ll pay with other advisors, which may be a good incentive to consider setting up a monthly direct deposit or investing at least $20,000 if that’s doable. You can invest for retirement with an IRA, rollover 401(k) or solo 401(k) or open a taxable brokerage account. 

Should you upgrade to Betterment’s premium plan with a minimum of $100,000, your fee will jump to 0.65%, though you’ll gain access to a number of other services. Balances over $1 million receive progressive pricing discounts. Premium benefits include unlimited phone calls with a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®),  advice on your 401(k) and other outside investment accounts and more. Betterment also offers trust accounts.

5. Stash

Annual Fees$3 per month for Stash Growth; $9 per month for Stash+
Minimum Investment$5
Apple App Store Rating4.7
Google Play Store3.7

Stash takes a different approach from traditional robo-advisors by blending automated investing with hands-on financial education and personal empowerment. It’s designed for beginners who not only want to invest but also want to learn how to manage their money better along the way. 

There are two plan tiers, Stash Growth and Stash+. Stash Growth offers:

  • Investment advice
  • Portfolio-building with stocks and ETFs
  • Smart portfolios and Retirement portfolios
  • Banking services, including direct deposit
  • $1,000 in life insurance offered by Avibra

Stash+ comes with those benefits but increases your life insurance coverage up to $10,000.

You can invest automatically, or build a portfolio yourself. Fractional share investing is available for thousands of stocks, which is a plus if you’d like to own some of the bigger movers in the market but only have a smaller amount to invest.

6. Ellevest

Annual Fees0.35% to 1.25% for wealth management services; $3,600 flat fee for financial planning
Minimum Investment$1 million
Apple App Store Rating4.7
Google Play StoreNo longer supported

Ellevest is a registered investment advisor (RIA) that offers wealth management and financial planning services to all, but with a focus on women who are interested in increasing their net worth.  The financial planning team is headed by a team of all-women certified financial planners (CFPs) who have fiduciary status, so you can trust that your money is in good hands.

On the wealth management side you can choose customizable investments that are managed by the Ellevest team of expert advisors. The Ellevest platform is designed to help you earn competitive returns with private investments that are less sensitive to market fluctuations.

7. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios

Annual FeesNone
Minimum Investment$5,000
Apple App Store Rating4.8
Google Play Store2.7

Schwab Intelligent Portfolios is the robo-advisor arm of Charles Schwab. This robo-advisor doesn’t charge advisory fees, commissions or account service fees, but you will need at least $5,000 to invest which is higher than some other robo-advisors require.

As a Schwab customer, you’ll have an opportunity to invest in a portfolio of low-cost ETFs, with a portion of your funds held in cash. Schwab’s robo-advisor monitors your investments daily and automatically rebalances when needed to keep your asset allocation aligned with your goals. 

If you need to talk to a financial professional, you can talk to a CFP® at no cost. You can open a taxable brokerage account, tax-advantated IRA or a custodial account, depending on your needs and goals.

8. SoFi

Annual Fees0.25%
Minimum Investment$5 for Active Investing; $50 for Robo Investing
Apple App Store Rating4.8
Google Play Store 3.9

SoFi has branched out its services beyond lending and banking to include automated investment services. There are two ways to build a portfolio: Active Investing and Robo Investing. 

The Active Investing path is designed for people who prefer to build a portfolio themselves. The advantages of Active Investing include a lower minimum investment requirement, commission-free trading and up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account. Robo Investing, meanwhile, offers completely automated portfolios that are tailored to your goals, with one low annual management fee. 

Investors who choose the automated option can select one of three portfolios: 

  • Classic, which is performance-driven and balanced
  • Classic with alternatives
  • Sustainable

Fractional share trading is also available, starting at $5. SoFi also offers other investment opportunities, including IPOs and cryptocurrency. 

9. Wealthfront

Annual Fees0.25%
Minimum Investment$500
Apple App Store Rating4.8
Google Play Store 4.9

Wealthfront offers robo-advising for many account types, including IRAs, 529 college savings plans, personal and joint investment accounts and trust accounts. The minimum balance requirement is $500, while clients with $100,000 or more get access to the company’s tax-optimized direct indexing service. The management fee is a flat 0.25%, which is one of the lowest fees around.

Portfolios are built around low-cost index funds to offer diversified exposure with consistent returns and risk that’s tailored to you. If you’d like more control of your portfolio you can invest in individual stocks and fractional shares. The minimum to get started is just $1 and there are no commissions or trading fees.

10. Vanguard

Annual Fees0.20% to 0.25%
Minimum Investment$100
Apple App Store Rating4.7
Google Play Store3.5

Vanguard Digital Advisor offers automated investing with a $0 advisory fee for the first 90 days. After that, you’ll pay a low annual advisory fee. The minimum to open an account is $100 and there are multiple portfolio options to suit different needs, timelines and risk tolerance levels.

If you need something more from an automated investing experience, you might consider Vanguard Personal Advisor Services or Personal Advisor Select. Both offer automated investing with help and support from a human advisor when you need it. 

You’ll need $50,000 to enroll in Personal Advisor Services and a minimum of $500,000 for Personal Advisor Select. Management fees for both are slightly higher than Digital Advisor, but you get the benefit of more in-depth expert help with your financial plan.

How Robo-Advisors Work

Traditionally, having a financial advisor meant turning up to an office for a sit-down conversation about your money and investments. However, some investors balk at the fees charged by financial advisors. And some advisors have minimum investment requirements that exclude people with a lower net worth.

Now the financial advice landscape is shifting. Robo-advisors offer advice based on sophisticated algorithms, without the steep fees.Although these offerings are automatic, some also have financially savvy human advisors on staff as well. The difference is that these companies use fewer working hours on each account, allowing them to pass the resultant savings on to their customers.

The core of any portfolio that a robo-advisor builds is the client’s risk tolerance. A robo advisor typically determines your risk tolerance level through a series of questions. These delve into what your goals are for the future, how much money you want to save by retirement and more. Based on your answers, the firm will create a portfolio that includes investments that line up with your profile.

Bottom Line

Best Robo-Advisors

Robo-advisors are competing to offer lower fees than their peers, and all that competition can be good for the consumer. The trend toward offering robo-advising services is a response to the preferences of Americans who would prefer easy, online advisory services with mobile apps to match.

Keep in mind that robo-advisors rely on your answers to questions that give them a sense of your goals, investment preferences and risk tolerance. Make sure you answer these questions honestly, or you could end up with an investment strategy that’s more or less aggressive than what you really want. Additionally, look for the best deal you can get, while still meeting your personal needs.

Investing Tips

  • While there are certainly financial and practical benefits to a robo-advisor, they don’t fully replace a human financial advisor. This is especially true when it comes to the personalized financial planning services that many advisors offer. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
  • As you age and get closer to retirement, your tolerance for investment risk will likely drop. It’s important to do this so you can protect your money as your transition into retirement. To get an idea of what your portfolio’s composition should look like, consider using an asset allocation calculator.

Next Steps

Do you want to learn more about financial advisors? Check out these articles:

Photo credit: iStock/sompong_tom, iStock/miniseries