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Betterment vs Personal Capital

Betterment logo

Betterment

Software

Your path to financial independence

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Personal Capital logo

Personal Capital

Software

Invest wisely, retire confidently

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Personal Capital 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; Personal Capital wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
  • They diverge on capability: Betterment covers Automated investing, Personal Capital covers Investment tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Betterment and Personal Capital actually diverge.

Attributes where Betterment and Personal Capital differ
AttributeBettermentPersonal Capital
Starting price$5/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20082010

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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

Only in Personal Capital

  • Investment tracking
  • Retirement calculator
  • Fee analyzer
  • Net worth tracking
  • Real estate

Both cover

  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Betterment

  • Small investors starting with automated investing at no minimum balancenot Personal Capital
  • Fee-only digital wealth management for accounts under $24,000 via $5/month flat feenot Personal Capital
  • Premium advisory access for high-net-worth individuals with $100,000+ balancenot Personal Capital

Personal Capital

  • Tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboardnot Betterment
  • Managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investorsnot Betterment
  • Retirement planning projections across linked accountsnot 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

Personal Capital

  • Wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
  • The annual advisory fee is charged as a percentage of assets under management on a tiered structure rather than a flat subscription
  • Assets are custodied at Pershing Advisor Solutions rather than by the provider itself

Pricing, plan by plan

Betterment

$5/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Betterment review.

Personal Capital

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Account tracking
    • Net worth monitoring
    • Investment analysis
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Financial advisor access
    • Personalized advice

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 Personal Capital if

  • You need investment tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement calculator.
Personal Capital review

Questions people ask

Is Betterment or Personal Capital better?
Neither clearly leads. Betterment starts at $5/month and Personal Capital at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Betterment or Personal Capital?
Personal Capital has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Betterment and Free for Personal Capital.
Does Betterment or Personal Capital run on more platforms?
Betterment runs on Web, iOS, Android. Personal Capital runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Personal Capital for free?
Yes. Personal Capital has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Betterment starts at $5/month.
What is Betterment best used for?
Betterment is most often used for small investors starting with automated investing at no minimum balance, fee-only digital wealth management for accounts under $24,000 via $5/month flat fee, premium advisory access for high-net-worth individuals with $100,000+ balance. Of those, small investors starting with automated investing at no minimum balance and fee-only digital wealth management for accounts under $24,000 via $5/month flat fee are not what Personal Capital is typically brought in for.
What can Betterment do that Personal Capital cannot?
Betterment covers Automated investing, Retirement planning, Financial advisory, Goal tracking. Personal Capital covers Investment tracking, Retirement calculator, Fee analyzer, Net worth tracking. Both handle Bank accounts, Investment accounts, Web support, IOS support.
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