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Personal Finance · head to head

Betterment vs Personal Capital

Betterment logo

Betterment

Personal Finance

Your path to financial independence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Personal Capital logo

Personal Capital

Personal Finance

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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Betterment and Personal Capital differ
AttributeBettermentPersonal Capital
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20082010

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

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

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

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

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 On request 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 On request 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 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 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.

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
Personal Capital: How are advisory fees calculated at Personal Capital?

Advisory fees are calculated based on the amount of assets under management (AUM). Specific percentage rates are available in their Form ADV filing but not detailed on the homepage.

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
Personal Capital: Does Personal Capital charge account fees for its high-yield cash account?

The high-yield cash account has no account fees and no minimum balance requirement.

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
Personal Capital: What is the difference between Personal Strategy and Private Client tiers?

Personal Strategy ($100k minimum) includes 1:1 advisor support and personalized planning. Private Client ($1M minimum) offers premium planning with access to private equity, tax optimization, and legacy planning services.

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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