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Best robo-advisor

Short answer: What is the best robo-advisor?

Wealthfront is VaultRubric's pick: it scores 86.6% vs Betterment's 80.3% (a 6.3-point lead).

Data as of · Last updated · By VaultRubric Research · How we score · Not investment advice.

Robo-advisors build and rebalance a portfolio for you. We compare Betterment and Wealthfront, the two dedicated robo-advisors in our dataset, on minimums, IRA options, transfer-out fees, SIPC protection and regulatory record. Advisory (management) fees are shown in the facts where sourced but are not separately scored.

Rates change often — verify on the bank's or broker's site before opening an account. Every value shows its as-of date; ⚑ marks figures from third-party sites. Not financial advice.

VaultRubric pick: Wealthfront

Weights: Trading costs 9%, Account minimum 20%, IRA options 20%, Transfer-out fee 14%, Protection (SIPC) 17%, Regulatory record 20%

#BrokerScoreOptions/contractNotes
1Wealthfront86.6% cov 100%not found
2Betterment80.3% cov 100%not foundRegulatory: SEC: $9M tax-loss harvesting

Top 3 compared

FactWealthfrontBetterment
Stock/ETF commission$0 src · 2026-10-10$0 src · 2026-10-10
Options (per contract)not foundnot found
Account minimum$1 (stock account); 0.25% advisory fee for Automated Investing src · 2026-10-10$0; $5/mo under $24K or 0.25%/yr with $200+/mo deposits or $24K+ src · 2026-10-10
Fractional sharesYes src · 2026-10-10not found
IRA typesTraditional, Roth, SEP, Rollover src · 2026-10-10Traditional, Roth, SEP, Rollover src · 2026-10-10
IRA matchnone foundNone advertised src · 2026-10-10
Transfer-out fee$0 src · 2026-10-11$75 src · 2026-10-11
SIPC memberYes src · 2026-10-10Yes src · 2026-10-10
FINRA CRDCRD 153407 src · 2026-10-10CRD 47788 src · 2026-10-10
Regulatory actions (5 yrs)none found in last 5 yrs src · 2026-10-102023-04-18 SEC: $9M tax-loss harvesting src
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FAQ

What is the best robo-advisor?

On this rubric, Wealthfront scores highest. Your answer depends on your priorities; adjust the weights in the tool.

How does VaultRubric score these?

Only from our curated dataset (official pages, regulators, and flagged third-party sites), with fixed formulas shown in “Show math”. No AI or live scraping, so the same comparison always gives the same result. Not financial advice.

Disclosures

Not investment or financial advice. VaultRubric compares platforms, not investments. Crypto is risky and rates change often; verify details on the provider's official site. Affiliate disclosure: some links may be affiliate links and we may earn a commission; this never changes scores. Details.