Wealthfront vs Betterment

WWealthfront9.4Visit Betterment7.1Visit

Higher score W Wealthfront #1 in Robo-Advisor Apps 9.4/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Wealthfront

vs

Betterment #6 in Robo-Advisor Apps 7.1/10 Free plan · paid from $5/mo Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Betterment

• Wealthfront fits best

  Investors seeking customization and tax management

• Betterment fits best

  Investors pairing goal-based investing with cash savings

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Side by side

Feature	WWealthfront 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Betterment 7.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	7.1
Ranking	#1 in Robo-Advisor Apps	#6 in Robo-Advisor Apps
Best for	Investors seeking customization and tax management	Investors pairing goal-based investing with cash savings
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Phone, Docs	Phone, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Wealthfront 4/4 · Betterment 0/4
Tax-loss harvesting	✓ (best)	Not published
Goal-based portfolios	✓ (best)	Not published
Retirement accounts	✓ (best)	Not published
Socially responsible option	✓ (best)	Not published
Specs
Minimum investment	500 $	Not published
Human advisor access	None	Not published
Portfolio customization	High	Not published
Our review
Pros	Automatically invests deposits and rebalances portfolios Offers tax-loss harvesting for eligible taxable accounts Supports portfolio customization, IRAs, and socially responsible investing	Automates portfolio management, trading, and rebalancing Supports tax management, retirement planning, and recurring deposits Cash Reserve has no monthly management fees and no withdrawal limits
Cons	Requires a $500 minimum investment Charges a 0.25% annual advisory fee on invested assets Does not offer access to financial advisors	Digital costs $5 per month unless deposit or balance conditions apply Premium adds financial experts, but the plan price is not specified Cash Reserve requires a Betterment Securities brokerage account
Our verdict	Wealthfront is an online investment platform that builds and manages diversified portfolios based on an investor’s risk profile. Its Automated Investing Account is designed for people who want software to handle investing and rebalancing… Read the review →	Betterment is an online financial platform for individuals who want automated investing, cash management, and retirement planning. It builds goal-based portfolios and manages trading and rebalancing, while linked external account… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Wealthfront — where it wins

  • Automatically invests deposits and rebalances portfolios
  • Offers tax-loss harvesting for eligible taxable accounts
  • Supports portfolio customization, IRAs, and socially responsible investing

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires a $500 minimum investment
  • Charges a 0.25% annual advisory fee on invested assets
  • Does not offer access to financial advisors

• Betterment — where it wins

  • Automates portfolio management, trading, and rebalancing
  • Supports tax management, retirement planning, and recurring deposits
  • Cash Reserve has no monthly management fees and no withdrawal limits

  Where it doesn't

  • Digital costs $5 per month unless deposit or balance conditions apply
  • Premium adds financial experts, but the plan price is not specified
  • Cash Reserve requires a Betterment Securities brokerage account

• WWealthfront9.4/10 · Paid

  Automates investing and rebalancing, with customization and tax-loss harvesting for eligible accounts.

  Visit WealthfrontFull verdict →
• Betterment7.1/10 · Free plan · paid from $5/mo

  Goal-based investing and cash savings, with automated portfolio management.

  Visit BettermentFull verdict →