Acorns vs Wealthfront 2025: Which Robo-Advisor Wins?

If you’re comparing micro-investing with full robo-advisory services, this Acorns vs Wealthfront guide is for you. Both apps promise simple, automated investing—but in very different ways. Let’s find out which one suits your goals best.

Acorns vs Wealthfront: Quick Comparison 

Acorns is preferred for its innovative approach to micro-investing, appealing to beginners and casual investors. Wealthfront‘s platform is ideal for investors who seek a more sophisticated, automated investment strategy. Both are leading robo-advisors, but they serve distinctly different investor needs.

Best For	Micro-investors, beginners, savers	Tax-conscious investors, larger balances
Pricing	$3, $6, or $12/month (flat fee)	0.25% annually (percentage-based)
Account Minimum	$5 to start investing	$500
Break-Even Balance	Cheaper above $14,400	Cheaper below $14,400
Tax-Loss Harvesting	❌ No	✅ Yes (daily, all accounts)
Portfolio Size	5-7 ETFs	Up to 17 asset classes
Unique Feature	Round-Ups spare change investing	Path financial planning tool
IRA Match	1% (Silver) or 3% (Gold)	None
Direct Indexing	❌ No	✅ Yes ($100K+)
529 Plans	❌ No	✅ Yes

The Verdict Up Front

Choose Acorns if: You struggle to save consistently, have under $500 to start, need “forced savings” through Round-Ups, want flat predictable fees, or are investing primarily in IRAs where tax-loss harvesting doesn’t apply

Choose Wealthfront if: You have $500+ to invest, prioritize tax optimization (taxable accounts), want advanced financial planning tools, need 529 college savings plans, or have $100K+ for Direct Indexing

Pricing and Fees

Fee Structure Comparison

Acorns uses flat monthly fees, while Wealthfront charges an annual percentage of assets under management (AUM), making the break-even analysis crucial to your decision

Acorns Flat Monthly Fees:

• Bronze: $3/month = $36/year
• Silver: $6/month = $72/year
• Gold: $12/month = $144/year

Wealthfront Percentage-Based Fee:

• 0.25% annually on all account balances
• $500 minimum to open investment accounts
• Cash Account: $0 fees

Break-Even Calculation

Smaller accounts at Wealthfront incur lower fees, but once your account surpasses $24,000, the $5.00 per month family plan at Acorns is cheaper

Acorns Bronze ($36/year):

• $100 balance = 36% annual fee ❌
• $1,000 balance = 3.6% annual fee ❌
• $5,000 balance = 0.72% annual fee ❌
• $14,400 balance = 0.25% (matches Wealthfront)
• $20,000 balance = 0.18% (cheaper than Wealthfront) ✅
• $50,000 balance = 0.072% (much cheaper) ✅

Wealthfront (0.25%):

• $100 balance = Would need $500 minimum
• $1,000 balance = $2.50/year ✅
• $5,000 balance = $12.50/year ✅
• $14,400 balance = $36/year (matches Acorns)
• $20,000 balance = $50/year (more expensive) ❌
• $50,000 balance = $125/year (much more expensive) ❌

Critical Insight: Unless you have more than $14,400 in assets under management (AUM), Betterment’s fees are lower. The same math applies to Wealthfront at 0.25%.

Additional Costs: ETF Expense Ratios

Acorns:

• 0.03-0.25% for most ETFs
• Bitcoin ETF: 0.95%
• Average: ~0.15%

Wealthfront:

• 0.06-0.18% average
• Lower than industry average
• No Bitcoin ETF in standard portfolios

Total All-In Costs

At $5,000 Balance:

• Acorns: $36 + $7.50 (0.15% ER) = $43.50/year (0.87%)
• Wealthfront: $12.50 + $7.50 (0.15% ER) = $20/year (0.40%)
• Winner: Wealthfront by $23.50 annually

At $25,000 Balance:

• Acorns: $36 + $37.50 = $73.50/year (0.294%)
• Wealthfront: $62.50 + $37.50 = $100/year (0.40%)
• Winner: Acorns by $26.50 annually

At $100,000 Balance:

• Acorns: $36 + $150 = $186/year (0.186%)
• Wealthfront: $250 + $150 = $400/year (0.40%)
• Winner: Acorns by $214 annually

Investment Philosophy and Portfolio Quality

Portfolio Construction

Acorns: Acorns has 7 ETF’s (exchange-traded funds) that they will invest you in, depending on the risk level you select

Portfolio Options:

• 5 core portfolios (Conservative to Aggressive)
• 4 ESG portfolios (Conservative ESG to Moderately Aggressive ESG)
• 5-7 ETFs per portfolio
• Developed with Nobel Laureate Dr. Harry Markowitz

Asset Classes:

• US Stocks (large, mid, small-cap)
• International Developed Markets
• Emerging Markets
• Real Estate (REITs)
• Government & Corporate Bonds

Wealthfront: Wealthfront’s diversified portfolio spans across 18 ETF’s and nine asset classes

Portfolio Options:

• Classic portfolios (Risk Score 0.5-10)
• Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)
• US Direct Indexing ($100K+)
• S&P 500 Direct Portfolio ($5K+, 0.09% fee)
• Smart Beta ($500K+)

Asset Classes (up to 17):

• US Stocks (large, mid, small-cap)
• Dividend Stocks
• International Developed Markets
• Emerging Markets
• Real Estate (REITs)
• Natural Resources
• US Government Bonds
• Corporate Bonds
• Municipal Bonds
• TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities)
• Mortgage-Backed Securities

Winner: Wealthfront offers significantly more diversification (up to 17 asset classes vs. 5-7) and more sophisticated portfolio construction

Tax Optimization

Tax-Loss Harvesting

This is one of the biggest differences between these platforms and often the deciding factor for taxable account investors.

Acorns:

❌ No tax-loss harvesting

❌ No tax coordination

❌ No tax optimization tools

Wealthfront:

✅ Daily tax-loss harvesting for ALL taxable accounts (no minimum)

✅ Stock-level TLH for $100K+ accounts (US Direct Indexing)

✅ Tax Coordination (optimizes asset location)

✅ Municipal bonds for high-income investors

Tax-Loss Harvesting Impact:

Wealthfront generated an estimated $1 billion in tax savings for clients through 2024. The average benefit from tax-loss harvesting is 1.63% annually—6.5 times the 0.25% management fee. 96% of clients using tax-loss harvesting had their advisory fees totally covered by the tax savings.

Example Scenario:

• $50,000 taxable account
• Capital gains during year: $5,000
• Tax bracket: 24%

Without TLH (Acorns):

• Taxes owed on gains: $1,200
• Total cost: $36 (fee) + $1,200 (taxes) = $1,236

With TLH (Wealthfront):

• Harvested losses: -$2,000
• Net taxable gains: $3,000
• Taxes owed: $720
• Tax savings: $480
• Total cost: $125 (fee) + $720 (taxes) = $845
• Net benefit vs. Acorns: $391/year

Critical Point: This means that you can potentially earn more with smart investing for tax-loss harvesting with Betterment since the robo-advisor builds a custom tax-coordinated strategy that reduces capital gains taxes. The same applies to Wealthfront.

Winner: Wealthfront by a massive margin for taxable accounts

Unique Features

Acorns’ Signature Features

1. Round-Ups (Spare Change Investing)

Acorns rounds up everyday transactions, using the “spare change” to fund investments. Those who find it difficult to save on their own love the service

How It Works:

• Link unlimited debit/credit cards
• $4.75 coffee → rounds to $5.00 → invests $0.25
• $127.32 groceries → rounds to $128 → invests $0.68
• Once round-ups reach $5, automatically invests

Multipliers: Can boost by 2x, 3x, or 10x

Impact: 100 purchases/month × $0.30 average = $30/month = $360/year invested effortlessly

2. Found Money (Acorns Earn)

Acorns offers cash back at over 450 retailers

• Shop at 450+ partner brands (Walmart, Nike, Apple, Airbnb)
• Earn cashback automatically invested
• Silver: 25% match up to $200
• Gold: 50% match up to $200

3. IRA Matching

• Silver: 1% match on new contributions
• Gold: 3% match on new contributions
• Must keep contributions 4 years
• On $7,000 contribution: $210 free (Gold)

4. Acorns Early (Kids’ Accounts)

• UGMA/UTMA custodial accounts (Gold tier only)
• Early debit cards for kids
• 1% match on kids’ investments

Wealthfront’s Signature Features

1. Path Financial Planning Tool

Wealthfront offers advanced planning tools to help provide a complete picture of your financial health and track your goals

Completely free (even without Wealthfront account):

• Retirement planning with Social Security integration
• College savings planning (specific college cost estimates)
• Home buying affordability calculator
• Custom goal tracking (unlimited goals)
• Net worth tracking
• Spending analysis
• Credit score monitoring

2. Self-Driving Money

Automatically moves excess cash to investment accounts:

• Set maximum Cash Account balance
• Surplus automatically transfers to taxable account, IRA, or 529
• Prioritizes tax-advantaged accounts
• Fully automated wealth building

3. US Direct Indexing ($100K+)

Own individual S&P 500 stocks instead of ETFs:

• Stock-level tax-loss harvesting
• More TLH opportunities (individual stocks vs. ETF movements)
• Can harvest losses even when market is up
• Lower expense ratios (0% on owned stocks)

4. 529 College Savings Plans

Wealthfront offers a 529 College account, while Acorns’ Family plan allows parents to set up investment accounts for their children

• Nevada-sponsored 529 plan
• 20 personalized age-based glide paths
• Automatic risk reduction as college approaches
• Total fees: 0.42-0.46%

5. Portfolio Line of Credit

• Borrow up to 30% of portfolio value
• APR: 7.65-8.90%
• Requires $25,000+ in taxable account
• No credit check required

Account Types Available

Both Offer:

• Individual taxable accounts
• Traditional IRA
• Roth IRA
• SEP IRA

Acorns Additionally Offers:

• Acorns Checking (all tiers)
• Emergency Savings account (Silver/Gold: 3.82% APY)
• UGMA/UTMA custodial accounts (Gold only)

Wealthfront Additionally Offers:

• Joint accounts
• Trust accounts
• 529 College Savings Plans
• Rollover IRA (streamlined 401k transfers)
• High-yield Cash Account (3.75% APY, up to $8M FDIC)
• Stock Investing Account (separate self-directed)

Winner: Wealthfront—offers more account types including crucial 529 plans for college savings

User Experience

Mobile App Design

Acorns: Acorns has a beautiful mobile app and a beautiful website. It’s one of the best-designed apps on my phone by a long shot. I’m, of course, not the only one to notice this – they’ve won some sort of design award nearly every year since they opened their doors

App Ratings:

• iOS: 4.7/5 stars (1M+ reviews)
• Android: 4.6/5 stars (750K+ reviews)

Praised For:

• Gorgeous, award-winning interface
• Extremely intuitive for beginners
• Gamification makes saving fun

Wealthfront: App Ratings:

• iOS: 4.8/5 stars
• Android: 4.6/5 stars

Praised For:

• Clean, sophisticated design
• Data-rich dashboards
• Path tool integration
• Comprehensive features

Winner: Acorns wins on pure design aesthetics; Wealthfront wins on functionality and features

Account Setup

Acorns:

• 5-10 minutes setup
• Answer simple risk questions
• Link cards for Round-Ups
• Deposit $5 minimum
• Completely automated thereafter

Wealthfront:

• 10-15 minutes setup
• Comprehensive financial questionnaire
• Risk assessment (score 0.5-10)
• Link bank account
• Deposit $500 minimum
• Path tool setup (optional)

Winner: Acorns—simpler, faster, lower minimum

Customer Support

Acorns:

• Phone support: 7 days/week, 5 AM-7 PM PT
• Live chat: Limited hours
• Email support
• Help center/FAQ
• No human financial advisors

Wealthfront:

• Phone support: M-F, 11 AM-8 PM EST
• Email support
• Help center/FAQ
• Product specialists (FINRA-registered, Series 7/66)
• No human financial advisors

Winner: Acorns—better phone support hours (7 days vs. 5 days)

Pros and Cons

Acorns Pros ✅

✅ Effortless micro-investing through Round-Ups
✅ Award-winning app design
✅ $5 minimum to start investing
✅ Cheaper for balances over $14,400
✅ Flat predictable monthly fees
✅ Found Money cashback (450+ partners)
✅ IRA matching (1-3%)
✅ Kids’ custodial accounts (Gold)
✅ Emergency savings account (3.82% APY)
✅ Free for college students

Acorns Cons ❌

❌ Extremely expensive for small balances (36% on $100)
❌ No tax-loss harvesting (0.5-1.5% annual disadvantage)
❌ Smaller portfolios (5-7 ETFs vs. 17 asset classes)
❌ No 529 college savings plans
❌ Limited customization
❌ No Direct Indexing
❌ High transfer-out fees ($50 per ETF)
❌ Recent price increases (20-33%)

Wealthfront Pros ✅

✅ Daily tax-loss harvesting (all taxable accounts)
✅ Stock-level TLH for $100K+ accounts
✅ Cheaper for balances under $14,400
✅ Path financial planning tool (free)
✅ 529 college savings plans
✅ Up to 17 asset classes (better diversification)
✅ Self-Driving Money automation
✅ Portfolio Line of Credit
✅ High-yield Cash Account (3.75% APY, $8M FDIC)
✅ Smart Beta ($500K+)

Wealthfront Cons ❌

❌ $500 minimum to start (vs. $5)
❌ More expensive for balances over $14,400
❌ No Round-Ups feature
❌ No IRA matching
❌ No human financial advisors
❌ More complex setup process
❌ Limited phone support hours

Wealthfront or Acorns: Which Platform Should You Choose?

Choose Acorns If You:

Are a Complete Beginner: Acorns is preferred for its innovative approach to micro-investing, appealing to beginners and casual investors

Struggle to Save Consistently: Round-Ups provide “forced savings” mechanism

Have Less Than $500: $5 minimum is accessible to everyone

Invest Primarily in IRAs: Tax-loss harvesting doesn’t apply to IRAs, so Wealthfront’s advantage disappears

Have Over $14,400 Invested: Flat fees become cheaper than 0.25% percentage-based fees

Want Predictable Flat Fees: No surprise percentage calculations

Value Award-Winning Design: Most beautiful investing app

Choose Wealthfront If You:

Have $500+ to Invest: Can meet minimum requirement

Invest in Taxable Accounts: Wealthfront’s platform is ideal for investors who seek a more sophisticated, automated investment strategy. Tax-loss harvesting can save 0.5-1.5% annually

Have Under $14,400: Percentage-based fees are cheaper than Acorns’ flat fees

Need 529 College Savings: Only Wealthfront offers this

Want Advanced Features: Path tool, Direct Indexing ($100K+), Smart Beta ($500K+)

Prioritize Tax Optimization: Daily TLH often exceeds management fees

Value Maximum Diversification: 17 asset classes vs. 5-7

Compare

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Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: 23-Year-Old with $200, Struggles to Save

Acorns:

• Fee: $36/year (18% of balance)
• Round-Ups add ~$360/year automatically
• Forces savings habit
• Best choice ✅

Wealthfront:

• Cannot open account (requires $500 minimum)
• Even if you could: $0.50/year (0.25%)

Winner: Acorns—Wealthfront not even an option

Scenario 2: 30-Year-Old with $10K Taxable Account

Acorns:

• Fee: $36/year (0.36%)
• No tax-loss harvesting
• Opportunity cost: ~$150/year in lost tax savings
• Total effective cost: 1.86%

Wealthfront:

• Fee: $25/year (0.25%)
• TLH saves ~$150/year (1.5%)
• Net benefit: 1.25% gain
• Best choice ✅

Winner: Wealthfront—tax benefits flip the equation

Scenario 3: 45-Year-Old with $50K in Roth IRA

Acorns:

• Fee: Silver $72/year or Gold $144/year for IRA match
• 1% or 3% IRA match
• On $7,000 contribution: $70 (Silver) or $210 (Gold)
• Net cost with Gold: $144 – $210 = -$66 (profit)

Wealthfront:

• Fee: $125/year (0.25%)
• No IRA match
• No TLH in IRAs (tax-deferred)
• Net cost: $125

Winner: Acorns Gold—IRA matching makes flat fee profitable

Scenario 4: Investor with $100K Taxable Account

Acorns:

• Fee: $36/year (0.036%)
• No tax-loss harvesting
• Lost tax savings: ~$1,500/year
• Total effective cost: 1.536%

Wealthfront:

• Fee: $250/year (0.25%)
• TLH saves ~$1,630/year (1.63%)
• Direct Indexing available (even better TLH)
• Net benefit: 1.38% gain
• Best choice ✅

Winner: Wealthfront—massive tax optimization advantage

The Bottom Line

Overall Ratings

Acorns: 4.0/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Brilliant for beginners and micro-investors
• Award-winning app design
• Fees prohibitively high for small balances
• Lack of tax-loss harvesting is critical weakness for taxable accounts

Wealthfront: 4.6/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Superior for most serious investors
• Tax-loss harvesting provides exceptional value
• Advanced features justify costs
• $500 minimum excludes true beginners

Choosing between them hinges on your priorities: Acorns for effortless saving and beginners, Wealthfront for comprehensive planning and tax optimization.

If you have the $500 minimum and investing discipline, Wealthfront is objectively better for most investors due to tax-loss harvesting alone. But if you struggle to save consistently, Acorns’ Round-Ups behavioral nudge may be worth the premium—it’s hard to optimize taxes on money you never invest in the first place.

Get started:

• Acorns: acorns.com
• Wealthfront: wealthfront.com

Disclaimer: This Acorns vs Wealthfront comparison is for educational purposes. Investment decisions should be based on your personal situation. All information accurate as of October 2025 but subject to change.