Investing comparison
Betterment vs Vanguard
Updated
Before you compare: This compares features and fees from each company's own pages. It isn't investment advice, and investing involves risk, including loss of money.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Short answer
Betterment and Vanguard are both investing apps. Betterment's base price for investing accounts is $5/month, while Vanguard Digital Advisor charges an annual gross advisory fee of 0.20% for index portfolio options or 0.25% for an active portfolio option. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026, and the official sources differ on 8 of the 10 rows in the table below.
Betterment vs Vanguard at a glance
Betterment and Vanguard are both investing apps. This page puts what each company's official pages and app store listings say side by side, with the date we checked every fact. The sources differ on 8 of the 10 rows in the table below.
Management or subscription fee
Betterment's base price for investing accounts is $5/month. It switches to 0.25% a year of your investing balance once you set up recurring monthly deposits of $200 or more or reach a $24,000 balance. Premium is 0.65% a year and needs $100,000 invested. Vanguard Digital Advisor charges an annual gross advisory fee of 0.20% for index portfolio options or 0.25% for an active portfolio option. That fee is reduced by a credit for revenue Vanguard keeps from the investments in your account. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Account minimum
Betterment says pricing for its investment portfolios begins at $5/month, with no minimum balance. Vanguard says there's no fee or minimum investment amount to open an account. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Stock and ETF commissions
Betterment says you'll pay no trading commissions on stocks and ETFs, and its management fee doesn't apply to those trades. Vanguard lists $0 for online ETF and stock trades, and a $25 broker-assisted commission per trade placed with a representative. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Account types
Betterment lists these account types: Taxable investing accounts, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, Solo 401(k) and HSA. Vanguard lists these account types: Brokerage accounts, Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs, Spousal IRAs, Custodial IRAs, UGMA/UTMA, 529 accounts, Trust accounts, Organization accounts, 403(b) services and Cash Plus Account. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Fractional shares
Vanguard says dollar-based trading lets you buy a Vanguard ETF for as little as $1, regardless of the ETF's share price. We haven't verified this for Betterment yet, so check the official site for Betterment before you decide. We checked Vanguard on Oct 24, 2026.
Automatic investing
Betterment says it automates portfolio rebalancing, dividend reinvesting and taxes for you. Vanguard says its robo-advisor uses an algorithm to automatically build and rebalance a portfolio. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Managed portfolios (robo)
Betterment says it builds a diversified portfolio and handles all trading, rebalancing and tax management for you. Vanguard Digital Advisor is Vanguard's all-digital robo-advisor. Enrolling requires at least $100 in each Vanguard Brokerage Account. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Protection
Betterment Securities is a member of SIPC, which protects securities of its members up to $500K (including $250K for claims for cash). Vanguard says its accounts are protected by SIPC, which covers up to $500,000 in securities and up to $250,000 in cash if the firm fails. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
App store rating
Betterment has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 66,106 ratings. Vanguard has 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store from 177,560 ratings. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026. Store ratings are a dated snapshot from each listing, not our score.
What it costs
BettermentBetterment's base price for investing accounts is $5/month. It switches to 0.25% a year of your investing balance once you set up recurring monthly deposits of $200 or more or reach a $24,000 balance. Premium is 0.65% a year and needs $100,000 invested.
As of · betterment.com/pricing
- Vanguard
Vanguard Digital Advisor charges an annual gross advisory fee of 0.20% for index portfolio options or 0.25% for an active portfolio option. That fee is reduced by a credit for revenue Vanguard keeps from the investments in your account.
Bars show only when every app here lists a yearly price, so these prices sit side by side without them. Prices are list prices from each app's own page, before tax and any offer. Investing fees appear as each company states them. A yearly advisory fee is a percent of your balance, not a monthly price, so it never gets a bar or a price tag.
At a glance
App Store rating
- Betterment
- 4.866,106 ratings
- Vanguard
- 4.6177,560 ratings
Source
- Betterment has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 66,106 ratings. App Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Vanguard has 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store from 177,560 ratings. App Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Platforms
- Betterment
- Not verified yet
- Vanguard
- Not verified yet
Source
- Betterment: Not verified yet.
- Vanguard: Not verified yet.
Account minimum
- Betterment
- Betterment says pricing for its investment portfolios begins at $5/month, with no minimum balance.
- Vanguard
- Vanguard says there's no fee or minimum investment amount to open an account.
Source
- Betterment says pricing for its investment portfolios begins at $5/month, with no minimum balance. betterment.com/pricing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Vanguard says there's no fee or minimum investment amount to open an account. investor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/brokerage-accounts, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Stock and ETF commissions
- Betterment
- Betterment says you'll pay no trading commissions on stocks and ETFs, and its management fee doesn't apply to those trades.
- Vanguard
- Vanguard lists $0 for online ETF and stock trades, and a $25 broker-assisted commission per trade placed with a representative.
Source
- Betterment says you'll pay no trading commissions on stocks and ETFs, and its management fee doesn't apply to those trades. betterment.com/pricing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Vanguard lists $0 for online ETF and stock trades, and a $25 broker-assisted commission per trade placed with a representative. investor.vanguard.com/client-benefits/investment-fees, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Protection
- Betterment
- Betterment Securities is a member of SIPC, which protects securities of its members up to $500K (including $250K for claims for cash).
- Vanguard
- Vanguard says its accounts are protected by SIPC, which covers up to $500,000 in securities and up to $250,000 in cash if the firm fails.
Source
- Betterment Securities is a member of SIPC, which protects securities of its members up to $500K (including $250K for claims for cash). betterment.com, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Vanguard says its accounts are protected by SIPC, which covers up to $500,000 in securities and up to $250,000 in cash if the firm fails. investor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/brokerage-accounts, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Features
We haven't verified a feature list for either app yet, so this grid is empty for now.
✓ means the official site lists it. ? means we haven't verified it yet, not that the app lacks it.
Screen by screen
Pick a task to see what each app shows for it. App Store and Google Play images are the apps' own marketing, so they can show sample data and staged layouts. Help center images come from the app's support articles. See every app's screens.
Other screens
Betterment
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 1 of 4 from the Betterment listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 2 of 4 from the Betterment listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 3 of 4 from the Betterment listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 4 of 4 from the Betterment listing.App Store listing, as of
Vanguard
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 1 of 4 from the Vanguard listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 2 of 4 from the Vanguard listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 3 of 4 from the Vanguard listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 4 of 4 from the Vanguard listing.App Store listing, as of
Betterment and Vanguard, side by side
Rows marked “Differs” are where the official sources say different things, and 8 rows do here.
Swipe the table sideways to see both apps.
| Field | BettermentInvesting appBetterment is an automated investing app with managed portfolios, IRAs and other retirement accounts, and commission-free stock and ETF trading.Visit Betterment's site | VanguardInvesting appVanguard is a fund company and brokerage with an investing app, retirement and custodial accounts, and a robo-advisor called Vanguard Digital Advisor.Visit Vanguard's site |
|---|---|---|
| Management or subscription feeDiffers | Betterment's base price for investing accounts is $5/month. It switches to 0.25% a year of your investing balance once you set up recurring monthly deposits of $200 or more or reach a $24,000 balance. Premium is 0.65% a year and needs $100,000 invested.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: betterment.com/pricing | Vanguard Digital Advisor charges an annual gross advisory fee of 0.20% for index portfolio options or 0.25% for an active portfolio option. That fee is reduced by a credit for revenue Vanguard keeps from the investments in your account.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: investor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor |
| Account minimumDiffers | Betterment says pricing for its investment portfolios begins at $5/month, with no minimum balance.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: betterment.com/pricing | Vanguard says there's no fee or minimum investment amount to open an account.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: investor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/brokerage-accounts |
| Stock and ETF commissionsDiffers | Betterment says you'll pay no trading commissions on stocks and ETFs, and its management fee doesn't apply to those trades.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: betterment.com/pricing | Vanguard lists $0 for online ETF and stock trades, and a $25 broker-assisted commission per trade placed with a representative.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: investor.vanguard.com/client-benefits/investment-fees |
| Account typesDiffers | Betterment lists these account types: Taxable investing accounts, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, Solo 401(k) and HSA.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: betterment.com/pricing | Vanguard lists these account types: Brokerage accounts, Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs, Spousal IRAs, Custodial IRAs, UGMA/UTMA, 529 accounts, Trust accounts, Organization accounts, 403(b) services and Cash Plus Account.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: investor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans |
| Fractional shares | Not verified yet. | Vanguard says dollar-based trading lets you buy a Vanguard ETF for as little as $1, regardless of the ETF's share price.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: investor.vanguard.com/investor-resources-education/article/what-is-dollar-based-investing |
| Automatic investingDiffers | Betterment says it automates portfolio rebalancing, dividend reinvesting and taxes for you.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: betterment.com | Vanguard says its robo-advisor uses an algorithm to automatically build and rebalance a portfolio.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: investor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor |
| Managed portfolios (robo)Differs | Betterment says it builds a diversified portfolio and handles all trading, rebalancing and tax management for you.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: betterment.com | Vanguard Digital Advisor is Vanguard's all-digital robo-advisor. Enrolling requires at least $100 in each Vanguard Brokerage Account.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: investor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor |
| ProtectionDiffers | Betterment Securities is a member of SIPC, which protects securities of its members up to $500K (including $250K for claims for cash).As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: betterment.com | Vanguard says its accounts are protected by SIPC, which covers up to $500,000 in securities and up to $250,000 in cash if the firm fails.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: investor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/brokerage-accounts |
| Platforms | Not verified yet. | Not verified yet. |
| App store ratingDiffers | Betterment has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 66,106 ratings.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: App Store listing | Vanguard has 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store from 177,560 ratings.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: App Store listing |
App store ratings are a dated snapshot from each store listing, not our score. “Not verified yet” means we don't have a current official source for that line. How we source and date this data. Spotted a change? Tell us if something changed.
Weighing a third option? Add up to two more apps to this table and compare up to four side by side.
Which fits your Money Type?
There are four Money Types: Strategist, Spender, Saver and Scrambler. Each card matches one type to what the sources say about these two apps.
StrategistNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Save the Raise.
SpenderNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Sleep on It.
SaverNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Put It to Work.
ScramblerNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Bills First.
Not sure which one you are? Take the free Money Types quiz. It takes about two minutes.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Another option: Fifecta
If neither Betterment nor Vanguard feels right, here is one more option to look at. Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, and it starts from your Money Type, so the plan matches how you already handle money.
FAQ
How much does Betterment charge?
Betterment's base price for investing accounts is $5/month. It switches to 0.25% a year of your investing balance once you set up recurring monthly deposits of $200 or more or reach a $24,000 balance. Premium is 0.65% a year and needs $100,000 invested. We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.
How much does Vanguard charge?
Vanguard Digital Advisor charges an annual gross advisory fee of 0.20% for index portfolio options or 0.25% for an active portfolio option. That fee is reduced by a credit for revenue Vanguard keeps from the investments in your account. We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.
What is Betterment's app store rating?
Betterment has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 66,106 ratings. That's a snapshot from the store listing on Oct 24, 2026, not our score.
What is Vanguard's app store rating?
Vanguard has 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store from 177,560 ratings. That's a snapshot from the store listing on Oct 24, 2026, not our score.
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Keep comparing
- See Betterment alternatives, closest category first.
- See Vanguard alternatives, closest category first.
- Browse our guide to the low-cost brokerage accounts.
- Want the bigger picture? Compare more money apps.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Want a plan built on your Money Type?
Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, so you know where each dollar goes.
Sources and confidence
- Last checked
- Not verified yet
- 3 of 20 facts
Betterment8 of 10 verified, 2 not verified yet, last checked Oct 24, 2026
- Management or subscription feebetterment.com/pricing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account minimumbetterment.com/pricing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Stock and ETF commissionsbetterment.com/pricing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account typesbetterment.com/pricing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Fractional sharesNot verified yet
- Automatic investingbetterment.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Managed portfolios (robo)betterment.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Protectionbetterment.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- PlatformsNot verified yet
- App store ratingApp Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026
Vanguard9 of 10 verified, 1 not verified yet, last checked Oct 24, 2026
- Management or subscription feeinvestor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account minimuminvestor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/brokerage-accounts, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Stock and ETF commissionsinvestor.vanguard.com/client-benefits/investment-fees, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account typesinvestor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Fractional sharesinvestor.vanguard.com/investor-resources-education/article/what-is-dollar-based-investing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Automatic investinginvestor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Managed portfolios (robo)investor.vanguard.com/advice/robo-advisor, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Protectioninvestor.vanguard.com/accounts-plans/brokerage-accounts, as of Oct 24, 2026
- PlatformsNot verified yet
- App store ratingApp Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Reference: sipc.org/for-investors/what-sipc-protects, checked Oct 24, 2026.
Each fact links to the official page it came from, with the date we checked it. Once a fact is older than its app's window (8 days for apps whose rates change often, 35 days for the rest), it reads “Not verified yet” until we check it again. How we source, date and index this data.
This is education, not financial advice.
