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Personal Finance · head to head

Betterment vs Brex

Betterment logo

Betterment

Personal Finance

Your path to financial independence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Brex logo

Brex

Accounting

The financial stack for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Brex has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Betterment digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance; Brex the free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities
  • They diverge on capability: Betterment covers Automated investing, Brex covers Corporate cards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Betterment and Brex actually diverge.

Attributes where Betterment and Brex differ
AttributeBettermentBrex
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
CategoryPersonal FinanceAccounting
Founded20082017

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Betterment

  • Automated investing
  • Retirement planning
  • Financial advisory
  • Goal tracking
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • IOS support

Only in Brex

  • Corporate cards
  • Business accounts
  • Expense management
  • Bill pay
  • Travel
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Xero

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Betterment

  • Automated portfolio managementnot Brex
  • High-yield cash savingsnot Brex
  • Self-directed investingnot Brex

Brex

  • Corporate cards with spend controls for startupsnot Betterment
  • Expense management and reimbursementsnot Betterment
  • Travel booking inside the spend platformnot Betterment
  • Bill pay and accounting system syncnot Betterment
  • Multi-entity spend management on the paid tiersnot Betterment

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Betterment

  • Digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
  • Premium advisory service requires minimum balance of $100,000 in eligible investments
  • Foreign transaction fees apply to checking account (though reimbursed after the fact)
  • High-balance fee discounts only available above $1,000,000 account balance

Brex

  • The free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities
  • Premium is $12 per user per month, so cost scales with headcount using the card
  • Enterprise and Smart Card pricing is not published
  • Eligibility criteria are not stated anywhere on the pricing page, which matters for a product that extends credit

Pricing, plan by plan

Betterment

On request
  • Automated Investing$null/month
    • AUM-based or flat monthly advisory fees
  • Premium Service$0.4/percent of AUM
    • Requires $100,000 minimum balance
  • Self-Directed InvestingFree
    • No wrap fee
  • High-Yield Cash$4/APY promotional
    • $10 minimum deposit
    • New customer boost through 1/15/2027

Brex

Free
  • EssentialsFree
    • Global card acceptance
    • Accounting integrations
    • Real-time reporting
  • Premium$12/month
    • per user
    • Custom expense policies
    • Dynamic approval chains
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing

Which should you pick?

Choose Betterment if

  • You need automated investing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Betterment review

Choose Brex if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want business accounts.
Brex review

Questions people ask

Is Betterment or Brex better?
Neither clearly leads. Betterment starts at On request and Brex at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Betterment or Brex?
Brex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Betterment and Free for Brex.
Does Betterment or Brex run on more platforms?
Betterment runs on Web, iOS, Android. Brex runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Brex for free?
Yes. Brex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Betterment starts at On request.
What is Betterment best used for?
Betterment is most often used for automated portfolio management, high-yield cash savings, self-directed investing. Of those, automated portfolio management and high-yield cash savings are not what Brex is typically brought in for.
What can Betterment do that Brex cannot?
Betterment covers Automated investing, Retirement planning, Financial advisory, Goal tracking. Brex covers Corporate cards, Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay. Both handle Web support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Betterment: What is the minimum to start investing with Betterment?

Betterment requires only $10 to open an account and begin either automated or self-directed investing.

Source
Brex: Does Brex have a free plan?

Yes. Brex Essentials is free for startups and growing companies and includes global card acceptance, AI-powered rules, accounting integrations, real-time reporting, and bill pay.

Source
Betterment: How much does Betterment's Premium Service cost?

Premium Service charges an additional 0.40% fee on your invested balances and requires a minimum account balance of $100,000.

Source
Brex: What is Brex Premium pricing?

Brex Premium costs $12 per user per month and is designed for mid-sized companies. It adds custom expense policies, dynamic approval chains, AI compliance auditing, multi-entity support, and live budgets.

Source
Betterment: What APY does Betterment's High-Yield Cash offer?

High-Yield Cash offers 3.25% base APY plus a new customer boost of 0.75% APY (up to $1M) through January 15, 2027, totaling 4.00% promotional APY.

Source
Brex: What countries accept Brex cards?

Brex cards are accepted in 210+ countries. The Smart Card plan offers local-currency cards in 50+ countries for companies focused on procurement simplification and international payments.

Source
Betterment: Does Betterment charge a wrap fee on self-directed accounts?

No, Betterment waives its wrap fee for self-directed investing accounts, allowing customers to invest without advisory fees.

Source
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