SoFi Automated Investing vs Betterment (2026)
SoFi Automated Investing charges 0.25% at any balance with no minimum, but offers no tax-loss harvesting and does not publish its fund costs on a page we could read. Betterment charges 0.25%, or $5 a month under $24,000 without a $200 monthly deposit, and adds optional tax-loss harvesting and CFP access on Premium.
By Wealthy Pot Editorial · Facts checked October 19, 2026
| Feature | SoFi Automated Investing | Betterment |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Standalone | Standalone |
| Advisory fee | 0.25%/yr (since Nov 2024) | $5/mo under $24k (unless $200+/mo deposits), else 0.25%/yr; Premium 0.65% |
| Year cost on $5,000 | $12.50 + funds | $62.50 to $66.50 |
| Year cost on $25,000 | $62.50 + funds | $75 to $95 |
| Year cost on $100,000 | $250 + funds | $300 to $380 |
| Account minimum | $0 ($50 to start investing) | $0 ($10 first deposit) |
| Tax-loss harvesting | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Best for | SoFi members who want a simple managed portfolio inside the SoFi app | Goal-based automated investing with tax-loss harvesting and no account minimum |
Year-cost rows are our arithmetic: advisory fee plus typical fund expenses, balance held flat for a year, using each firm's published fee rules. Hypothetical, not a quote.
Key differences
Both list 0.25% a year, but small balances are billed differently. SoFi charges 0.25% at any balance and does not charge it on its cash allocation, generally about 1%. Betterment charges $5 a month under $24,000 unless you set a $200+ monthly recurring deposit. Hypothetically, on $5,000 with no recurring deposit, SoFi costs $5,000 x 0.25% = $12.50 a year, or about $12.38 if 1% sits in cash; Betterment costs $60. SoFi's fee is recent: it went from 0% to 0.25% in November 2024.
Tax-loss harvesting is the clearest gap. Betterment offers it as an option on taxable accounts with no stated balance threshold, plus Tax Coordination across account types. SoFi offers none; neither SoFi Wealth brochure describes it. For an IRA-only investor that matters less, since IRA gains are not taxed each year. SoFi's models come from BlackRock's Aladdin platform and use mostly iShares ETFs plus the SoFi Select 500 ETF (SFY); SoFi does not publish their expense ratios on a page we could read. Betterment shows 0.05% to 0.13% for its Core portfolio.
Human help differs in kind. SoFi members can book one 30-minute session with a financial planner, with periodic sessions on SoFi Plus, but the planners do not manage the robo account. Betterment Premium adds calls and video with CFP professionals at 0.65% a year from $100,000. Leaving costs money at both: Betterment charges $75 per transfer out, and SoFi's outbound ACAT transfers carry an Apex Clearing fee outside the wrap fee. Both have SEC orders on record: SoFi Wealth $300,000 in August 2021, Betterment $9 million in April 2023.
Where SoFi Automated Investing wins
- No account minimum; investing starts at $50
- The 0.25% fee is not charged on the roughly 1% cash allocation
- A 30-minute session with a financial planner for SoFi members
- A Sustainable Investing portfolio option
Where Betterment wins
- No minimum balance and a $10 first deposit
- Optional tax-loss harvesting and Tax Coordination, with no balance threshold stated
- 0.25% at any balance with a $200+ monthly recurring deposit
- CFP professionals on Premium from $100,000
- Lower rates on balances above $1 million (0.15%, then 0.10%)
Which should you choose?
Pick SoFi Automated Investing if
- You already bank or borrow with SoFi and want the robo in the same app.
- You are starting small: there is no account minimum and deposits are invested from $50.
- You hold mainly an IRA, where tax-loss harvesting does not apply anyway.
Pick Betterment if
- You invest every month and can set a recurring deposit of $200 or more, so the 0.25% fee applies at any balance.
- You hold a taxable account and want optional tax-loss harvesting with no stated balance threshold.
- You have $100,000 or more and want calls with CFP professionals for 0.65% a year.
- You want an HSA or Solo 401(k) managed in the same place as your IRA.
SoFi Automated Investing vs Betterment: FAQ
Is SoFi cheaper than Betterment on $10,000?
Hypothetically, SoFi charges 0.25% on $10,000, $25 a year, or about $24.75 if 1% sits in cash. Betterment charges $5 a month, $60 a year, unless you set a recurring deposit of $200 or more a month, which drops it to 0.25%, or $25. Fund costs come on top at both.
Which does tax-loss harvesting, SoFi or Betterment?
Betterment, as an option on taxable accounts with no balance threshold stated. SoFi Automated Investing does not offer it; neither SoFi Wealth brochure describes it. Any tax saving depends on your own situation.
Which has human advice?
Both, in different forms. SoFi members get one 30-minute session with a financial planner, more on SoFi Plus, and the planners do not manage the account. Betterment Premium gives calls and video with CFP professionals at 0.65% a year, with $100,000 in eligible investments.
Compare these against every option in our robo-advisors comparison.
We summarize each company's published terms and pricing, not user reviews or our own testing. Facts come from our full reviews of both services, each checked against the firm's own fee pages and SEC filings on October 19, 2026 with every source listed. We do not earn a commission from either service. Nothing here is investment advice.