Investing comparison
Vanguard vs Wealthfront
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
Vanguard and Wealthfront are both investing apps. Vanguard Digital Advisor charges an annual gross advisory fee of 0.20% for index portfolio options or 0.25% for an active portfolio option, while Wealthfront's advisory fee for The Wealthfront Portfolio is 0.25% annually. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026, and the official sources differ on 9 of the 10 rows in the table below.
Vanguard vs Wealthfront at a glance
Vanguard and Wealthfront 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 9 of the 10 rows in the table below.
Management or subscription fee
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. Wealthfront's advisory fee for The Wealthfront Portfolio is 0.25% annually. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Account minimum
Vanguard says there's no fee or minimum investment amount to open an account. Wealthfront says The Wealthfront Portfolio account lets you start investing for as little as $500. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Stock and ETF commissions
Vanguard lists $0 for online ETF and stock trades, and a $25 broker-assisted commission per trade placed with a representative. Wealthfront's Brokerage Account lists zero commissions on stock and ETF trades. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Account types
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. Wealthfront lists these account types: Taxable Accounts (Personal, Joint, Trust), Retirement Accounts (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP) and 529 Education Savings Accounts. 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. Wealthfront says all of the stocks on its app are available as fractional shares, and you can start investing with as little as $1. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Automatic investing
Vanguard says its robo-advisor uses an algorithm to automatically build and rebalance a portfolio. Wealthfront lists automatic trades and automatic rebalancing for The Wealthfront Portfolio. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Managed portfolios (robo)
Vanguard Digital Advisor is Vanguard's all-digital robo-advisor. Enrolling requires at least $100 in each Vanguard Brokerage Account. The Wealthfront Portfolio uses expert-built portfolios managed by Wealthfront's software. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Protection
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. Wealthfront says that as a member of SIPC, your investments are insured up to $500K (including $250K for cash) if Wealthfront were to go under. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
App store rating
Vanguard has 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store from 177,560 ratings. Wealthfront has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 17,502 ratings. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026. Store ratings are a dated snapshot from each listing, not our score.
What it costs
- 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.
WealthfrontWealthfront's advisory fee for The Wealthfront Portfolio is 0.25% annually.
As of · wealthfront.com/pricing
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
- Vanguard
- 4.6177,560 ratings
- Wealthfront
- 4.817,502 ratings
Source
- Vanguard has 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store from 177,560 ratings. App Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Wealthfront has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 17,502 ratings. App Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Platforms
- Vanguard
- Not verified yet
- Wealthfront
- Not verified yet
Source
- Vanguard: Not verified yet.
- Wealthfront: Not verified yet.
Account minimum
- Vanguard
- Vanguard says there's no fee or minimum investment amount to open an account.
- Wealthfront
- Wealthfront says The Wealthfront Portfolio account lets you start investing for as little as $500.
Source
- 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.
- Wealthfront says The Wealthfront Portfolio account lets you start investing for as little as $500. wealthfront.com/investing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Stock and ETF commissions
- Vanguard
- Vanguard lists $0 for online ETF and stock trades, and a $25 broker-assisted commission per trade placed with a representative.
- Wealthfront
- Wealthfront's Brokerage Account lists zero commissions on stock and ETF trades.
Source
- 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.
- Wealthfront's Brokerage Account lists zero commissions on stock and ETF trades. wealthfront.com/brokerage, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Protection
- 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.
- Wealthfront
- Wealthfront says that as a member of SIPC, your investments are insured up to $500K (including $250K for cash) if Wealthfront were to go under.
Source
- 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.
- Wealthfront says that as a member of SIPC, your investments are insured up to $500K (including $250K for cash) if Wealthfront were to go under. wealthfront.com/investing, 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
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
Wealthfront
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 1 of 4 from the Wealthfront listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 2 of 4 from the Wealthfront listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 3 of 4 from the Wealthfront listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 4 of 4 from the Wealthfront listing.App Store listing, as of
Vanguard and Wealthfront, side by side
Rows marked “Differs” are where the official sources say different things, and 9 rows do here.
Swipe the table sideways to see both apps.
| Field | 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 | WealthfrontInvesting appWealthfront is an automated investing app with The Wealthfront Portfolio, a brokerage account for stocks and ETFs, and retirement and 529 accounts.Visit Wealthfront's site |
|---|---|---|
| Management or subscription feeDiffers | 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 | Wealthfront's advisory fee for The Wealthfront Portfolio is 0.25% annually.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: wealthfront.com/pricing |
| Account minimumDiffers | 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 | Wealthfront says The Wealthfront Portfolio account lets you start investing for as little as $500.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: wealthfront.com/investing |
| Stock and ETF commissionsDiffers | 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 | Wealthfront's Brokerage Account lists zero commissions on stock and ETF trades.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: wealthfront.com/brokerage |
| Account typesDiffers | 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 | Wealthfront lists these account types: Taxable Accounts (Personal, Joint, Trust), Retirement Accounts (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP) and 529 Education Savings Accounts.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: wealthfront.com |
| Fractional sharesDiffers | 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 | Wealthfront says all of the stocks on its app are available as fractional shares, and you can start investing with as little as $1.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: wealthfront.com/brokerage |
| Automatic investingDiffers | 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 | Wealthfront lists automatic trades and automatic rebalancing for The Wealthfront Portfolio.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: wealthfront.com/pricing |
| Managed portfolios (robo)Differs | 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 | The Wealthfront Portfolio uses expert-built portfolios managed by Wealthfront's software.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: wealthfront.com/pricing |
| ProtectionDiffers | 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 | Wealthfront says that as a member of SIPC, your investments are insured up to $500K (including $250K for cash) if Wealthfront were to go under.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: wealthfront.com/investing |
| Platforms | Not verified yet. | Not verified yet. |
| App store ratingDiffers | Vanguard has 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store from 177,560 ratings.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: App Store listing | Wealthfront has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 17,502 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 Vanguard nor Wealthfront 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 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.
How much does Wealthfront charge?
Wealthfront's advisory fee for The Wealthfront Portfolio is 0.25% annually. We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.
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.
What is Wealthfront's app store rating?
Wealthfront has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 17,502 ratings. That's a snapshot from the store listing on Oct 24, 2026, not our score.
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Keep comparing
- See Vanguard alternatives, closest category first.
- See Wealthfront 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
- 2 of 20 facts
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
Wealthfront9 of 10 verified, 1 not verified yet, last checked Oct 24, 2026
- Management or subscription feewealthfront.com/pricing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account minimumwealthfront.com/investing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Stock and ETF commissionswealthfront.com/brokerage, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account typeswealthfront.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Fractional shareswealthfront.com/brokerage, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Automatic investingwealthfront.com/pricing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Managed portfolios (robo)wealthfront.com/pricing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Protectionwealthfront.com/investing, 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.
