Morningstar IDs Best Robo-Advisers of 2025

As companies continue to develop and enhance robo-advisers, 2025 brings a mix of affordability, investment strategy and customer access to certified financial planners. Morningstar Inc. released rankings of the various options, and Vanguard Digital Advisor ranked first, while competitors such as Fidelity Go, Betterment and Wealthfront provided strong alternatives with various pricing models and features.

Robo-advisers generally offer service levels somewhere between a wealth manager and a do-it-yourself trading platform. Morningstar defines robo-advisers as platforms that offer automated, semi-tailored strategic asset-allocation investment portfolios directly to retail customers.

1. Vanguard Digital Advisor was Morningstar’s top choice due to its low fees and recent reduction of its minimum investment to just $100. It leverages Vanguard’s Life-Cycle Investing Model to create customized exchange-traded-fund portfolios tailored to investors’ risk tolerance and goals. The service’s fees are 0.20% annually, including underlying funds. Clients with $50,000+ qualify for Vanguard Personal Advisor Services (0.30% annual fee) and CFP access, with higher tiers receiving additional perks such as estate planning.

2. Fidelity Go, according to Morningstar, stands out for its simple, research-driven approach and lack of management fees for accounts worth less than $25,000. Accounts with more than this threshold include adviser access for a 0.35% annual fee. However, a downside is that it offers no tax-loss harvesting.
3. Betterment’s platform offers a glide path strategy that gradually reduces risk over time. Core portfolios consist of low-cost ETFs, and a crypto ETF option is available at a fee of 0.12%. Fees are 0.25% annually and 0.65% for Betterment Premium, which includes CFP access for clients with balances of more than $100,000.
4. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios offers free robo-advisory services with solid underlying investments and tax-loss harvesting. A premium version with CFP access costs $30 per month. Cash allocations range from 6% to 30%, potentially limiting returns.
5. Wealthfront integrates risk profiling, tax efficiency and behavioral economics into its investment strategies, offering a diversified portfolio with 20 risk levels and a 0.25% annual advisory fee.
6. SigFig: offers services free for accounts with up to $10,000 but lacks transparency in ETF selection.
7. E-Trade Core Portfolios charges 0.30% annually but does not adjust for investors’ risk capacity.
8. Acorns is known for rounding up everyday purchases for investment, but it has a steep fee structure for small balances.
9. Merrill Guided Investing is weighed down by high fees (0.45% to 0.85%) that detract from its otherwise strong features.
10. SoFi Wealth recently introduced a 0.25% fee, but it now includes access to CFPs.
11. Wells Fargo Intuitive Investor provides decent option for Wells Fargo clients but lacks transparency in portfolio composition.
12. Ally Invest offers both fee-based and cash-heavy portfolios, but it falls behind in innovation.
13. Empower Personal Wealth is comprehensive but expensive, with fees starting at 0.89%.
14. Citi Wealth Builder lowered its fees but eliminated fund fee waivers.
15. UBS Advice Advantage has diminished appeal due to its costs (0.75%) and poor transparency.
16. Titan is the most expensive robo-adviser, with a $250 annual membership and a 0.20% advisory fee, leading to total costs of 1.87% for a $15,000 account.

For investors seeking cost efficiency, Vanguard Digital Advisor and Fidelity Go continue to set the standard. Betterment and Wealthfront provide strong competition with innovative portfolio management and reasonable fees. Meanwhile, platforms like Titan and Merrill Guided Investing ranked lower due to their high costs, Morningstar found.

Investors should carefully consider fees, portfolio construction and available financial planning services when selecting a provider in 2025.