Wealthfront vs Fidelity Go (2026)
Fidelity Go charges no advisory fee under $25,000 and 0.35% on the whole balance from there, adding phone coaching and tax-loss harvesting at that line. Wealthfront charges 0.25% from a $500 minimum, harvests losses in taxable accounts at any balance and has no human advisors.
By Wealthy Pot Editorial · Facts checked October 19, 2026
| Feature | Wealthfront | Fidelity Go |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Standalone | Broker-owned |
| Advisory fee | 0.25%/yr (Bond Ladder 0.15%, S&P 500 Direct 0.09%) | $0 under $25k, then 0.35%/yr on the whole balance |
| Year cost on $5,000 | $12.50 + funds | $0 |
| Year cost on $25,000 | $62.50 + funds | $87.50 |
| Year cost on $100,000 | $250 + funds | $350 |
| Account minimum | $500 | $0 ($10 to start investing) |
| Tax-loss harvesting | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Best for | Automated investing with tax-loss harvesting from $500 and direct indexing from $100,000 | Balances under $25,000 that want management with no advisory fee |
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
Under $25,000 Fidelity Go charges no advisory fee and Wealthfront charges 0.25%. From $25,000 the order flips, because Fidelity Go's 0.35% applies to the whole balance. Hypothetically, at $10,000 Wealthfront costs $25 a year and Fidelity Go $0; at $40,000 Wealthfront costs $100 and Fidelity Go $140. Fidelity Go judges each account on its own, so two $20,000 accounts stay at $0. Fund costs are harder to compare: Fidelity's Flex funds show 0.00% "with limited exceptions", while Wealthfront shows its fund expense ratios in the app, not on public pages.
Tax-loss harvesting is where small taxable accounts differ. Wealthfront runs it on taxable portfolios with no minimum balance. Fidelity Go harvests only in taxable accounts with at least $25,000 invested and stops if the account falls below that. At $100,000 in a taxable account, Wealthfront adds US Direct Indexing at no extra fee, holding many of the individual stocks in place of a US stock fund so losses can be harvested stock by stock; Fidelity Go portfolios hold Flex mutual funds only. Any saving depends on your own gains and tax bracket.
From $25,000 Fidelity Go includes unlimited phone coaching with a team of Fidelity advisors; Wealthfront has no human advisors at any balance. Leaving also differs: Wealthfront lists no transfer or closing fees, while Fidelity Go's Flex funds can only be held in Fidelity fee-based accounts, so moving to another firm means they are sold, which can create taxable gains. Fidelity Go lists HSAs and SEP IRAs; Wealthfront lists joint, trust and custodial accounts and a Nevada 529, none of which Fidelity Go lists.
Where Wealthfront wins
- Tax-loss harvesting on taxable portfolios with no minimum balance
- US Direct Indexing from $100,000 and Smart Beta from $500,000 at no extra fee
- No transfer, closing, withdrawal or trading fees
- Lower-fee options: Bond Ladder 0.15%, S&P 500 Direct 0.09%
- Joint, trust and custodial accounts besides IRAs
Where Fidelity Go wins
- $0 advisory fee for every account under $25,000
- Flex index funds such as FDFIX and FIBUX list 0.00% total annual operating expenses
- No minimum to open; investing starts at $10
- HSA and SEP IRA are eligible account types
- Unlimited phone coaching from $25,000 at no extra fee
Which should you choose?
Pick Wealthfront if
- You want tax-loss harvesting in a taxable account at any balance.
- You want a percentage fee with no flat monthly charge and no transfer-out fee.
- You have $100,000 or more in a taxable account and want US direct indexing at no extra fee.
- You want a Treasury ladder (0.15%) or an S&P 500 direct index (0.09%) managed alongside.
Pick Fidelity Go if
- You have under $25,000 to invest and want it managed with no advisory fee and 0.00% fund expenses on the Flex index funds.
- You want a managed IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA or HSA with no minimum to open.
- You already bank or invest at Fidelity and want the managed account next to your other accounts.
- You have $25,000 or more in one account and want phone coaching included in the 0.35% fee.
Wealthfront vs Fidelity Go: FAQ
Is Fidelity Go cheaper than Wealthfront on $25,000?
On the advisory fee, no. At $25,000 Fidelity Go charges 0.35% of the whole balance, $87.50 a year, and Wealthfront charges 0.25%, $62.50. Fidelity's Flex funds show 0.00% expenses with limited exceptions; Wealthfront's fund costs come on top and are shown in its app. Under $25,000, Fidelity Go charges no advisory fee.
Which harvests tax losses on a small account?
Wealthfront runs tax-loss harvesting on taxable portfolios with no minimum balance, from its $500 account minimum. Fidelity Go harvests only in taxable accounts with at least $25,000 invested. Neither applies it in IRAs.
Which has human advice?
Fidelity Go, from $25,000: unlimited phone coaching with a team of Fidelity advisors, included in the 0.35% fee. Wealthfront is software only; its brochure says it is probably not the most appropriate service for someone who wants frequent feedback from an advisor.
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.