Updated September 29, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
Betterment vs eToro
eToro
Betterment
Higher score in this comparison
Where Betterment and eToro differ
| Compare | BettermentReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | eToroReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.25% | 0%Lower |
| Minimum investment | $10Lower | $500 |
| Regulators | U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registered investment adviser, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Betterment Securities broker dealer member, SIPC | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), SIPC |
| Investor protection | SIPC up to USD 500,000 | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 |
| Account types | IRA, Roth IRA | ISA |
Same on both: Portfolio types (ETF, ESG, Cash, Crypto).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Key differences
- Betterment scores higher overall: 9.7 vs 9.2.
- Regulators: only Betterment offers U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registered investment adviser, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Betterment Securities broker dealer member.
- Regulators: only eToro offers Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Founded is lower at eToro: 2007 vs 2008.
- eToro is licensed in 1 more country.
- Management fee is lower at eToro: 0% vs 0.25%.
- Minimum investment is lower at Betterment: $10 vs $500.
- Account types: only Betterment offers IRA, Roth IRA.
- Account types: only eToro offers ISA.
- Support channels: only Betterment offers Phone, Email, Chat.
Our verdict on each
Betterment
Betterment suits US savers who want a managed portfolio and a cash sweep in the same app, charging a management fee of 0.25% on top of an account fee of $0. Cash earns a variable 3.5%, so the income side moves with policy rates, and its overall score is 7.9.
eToro
eToro suits new investors who want shares, crypto and cash interest in a single app, with an account fee of $0 and a stock trade fee of $0. The catch is the withdrawal fee of $5 flat fee, which makes it a poor fit for anyone moving small sums in and out often.
Score breakdown
| Area | Betterment | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.5HigherManagement fee of 0.25% ranks 18 of 49, and the account fee is $0. | 9.3Account fee $0 and stock trade fee $0 rank 1 and 1, while withdrawals cost $5 flat fee. |
| Offer | 9.7Higher | 8.8 |
| Trust | 9.9Higher | 9.2 |
Choosing between them
Pick Betterment if offer, trust, and minimum investment matter most.
Pick eToro if management fee matter most.
Side by side, item by item
| Portfolio types | Betterment | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| ETF | Yes | Yes |
| ESG | Yes | Yes |
| Cash | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Account types | Betterment | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | No | Yes |
| IRA | Yes | No |
| Roth IRA | Yes | No |
Where these facts come from
Betterment
- betterment.com: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- en.wikipedia.org: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- sipc.org: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
eToro
- etoro.com: 6 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- esma.europa.eu: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Betterment | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| Savings | 56 of 1492 | 4 of 1492 |
| Savings accounts | 39 of 658 | 3 of 658 |
| Cash management accounts | 8 of 46 | 2 of 46 |
| Investing | 52 of 654 | 5 of 654 |
| Stock and ETF brokers | 30 of 358 | 4 of 358 |
| Robo-advisors | 7 of 154 | 1 of 154 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Betterment | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | MTG LLC | eToro (Europe) Ltd |
| Headquarters | United States | Cyprus |
| Founded | 2008 | 2007Lower |
| Support channels | Phone, Email, Chat, Help centreCovers more | Help centre |
Brokers
| Fact | Betterment | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10 | $1 to $10,000Lower |
| Stock trade fee | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Account fee | $0 | $0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Bonds | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Crypto, Futures |
| Features | Not confirmed | Crypto, Demo account, Fractional shares, Copy trading, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | No monthly fee | Commission free |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | No fees | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | 3.5% | Not confirmed |
Savings
| Fact | Betterment | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | 3.5% | 3.8%Higher |
| Rate type | Variable | Variable |
| Deposit protection | FDIC up to USD 250,000 | EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 |
| Access terms | Cash Reserve: no minimum balance ($10 minimum deposit), unlimited withdrawals, sweep cash held at FDIC-insured program banks up to $8M (joint) | Interest on USD cash balance, no lock-in, withdraw at any time, calculated daily and paid monthly |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Account kind | Cash management | Cash management |
Crypto exchanges
| Fact | Betterment | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| Taker fee | Not confirmed | 1% |
| Coins listed | Not confirmed | from 150 |
| Fiat deposit methods | Not confirmed | Card, Bank |
| Withdrawal fee | Not confirmed | $5 flat fee |
| Derivatives | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Exchange type | Not confirmed | Cex |
Crypto wallets
| Fact | Betterment | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| Wallet type | Not confirmed | Mobile |
| Custody | Not confirmed | Custodial |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Betterment | eToro | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.25%below the median | 0%lowest quarter | 0.35% |
| Minimum investment | $10below the median | $500at the median | $500 |
Median across 86 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Betterment
Pros
- A single app holds a managed portfolio and a cash sweep paying a variable 3.5%.
- The management fee of 0.25% sits under the site median management fee of 0.35%.
- The monthly fee is $0 and the minimum deposit is $10, so an account that is opened and left alone carries no standing charge.
Cons
- Cash pays a variable rate of 3.5%, so the income from the sweep can be cut without warning.
- Betterment ranks 18 of 49 on management fee, so cheaper robo-advice sits on the same list.
- Account types cover ira and roth ira, which rules out a UK ISA or workplace pension wrapper for most UK readers.
eToro
Pros
- Interest on the USD cash balance pays 3.8% on a variable basis, calculated daily and paid monthly, and withdrawals are allowed at any time.
- Regulated by Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and SIPC, with client asset protection of EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 and deposit protection of EU DGS up to EUR 100,000.
- Minimum deposit $1 to $10,000 and minimum portfolio investment $500 keep the starting point low, and fractional shares are among the listed features.
Cons
- Withdrawal costs $5 flat fee each time, which makes small, regular transfers expensive next to the $0 stock trade fee.
- Client asset protection of EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 sits well below deposit protection of EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, so a large share portfolio can outrun the cover.
- Taker fee 1% sits above the 0.25% median, which matters for anyone trading crypto often rather than holding.
Who each suits
Betterment
Who it suits
- US savers who want automated investing and a variable cash yield handled from the same app.
- First-time investors who can begin from a minimum investment of $10 without a large opening balance.
- Retirement savers who want a traditional or Roth IRA built around automatic contributions.
Who should look elsewhere
- eToro, if you would rather choose individual markets yourself, since the portfolio options here are etf, esg and cash.
- Axos Invest, whose minimum investment of $100 suits readers who want a higher entry point and a managed portfolio.
- Empower Personal Dashboard, whose management fee is 0%, for readers who put the advisory charge ahead of a managed account with a cash sweep.
eToro
Who it suits
- New investors, since the audience is listed as beginners and the minimum deposit is $1 to $10,000.
- Investors who want cash and markets together, with USD balance interest at 3.8% alongside stocks, etfs and forex.
- UK savers who want a tax wrapper, since an ISA sits among the isa on offer.
Who should look elsewhere
- bunq, which covers stocks, etfs and crypto and suits anyone who wants shares, ETFs and crypto and can set derivatives aside.
- CFI, for readers who want stocks, etfs and forex and can leave futures aside; eToro is the wider of the two.
- Fiesta Credito MX, which answers to CONDUSEF rather than Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and SIPC, for readers trading outside those markets.
Current offers
Betterment
Current offer
Bonus
Invest and earn up to $2,000: up to $2,000
Terms apply; new customers only; open any individual investing account and make a deposit
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
0.75% APY boost on Cash Reserve: 0.75% APY boost, 4.25% variable APY on balances up to $1M
New clients with a qualifying deposit; guaranteed through February 15; base variable APY 3.50% as of 9/21/2026; $10 min deposit for base APY
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
Discounted mortgage rate through Rate partnership: up to 0.75% off
Via partnership with Rate; terms apply
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Betterment | eToro |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Yes | No |
Questions about each
Betterment
What does Betterment charge to run an account?+
Two figures matter. The management fee is 0.25%, charged on the portfolio, and the monthly fee is $0, with an account fee of $0. Taking money in and out carries nothing, with the deposit and withdrawal fee reading No fees. Over a year the management fee is the line that reduces the balance, since nothing else here charges for holding the account open.
How much do I need to open an account and start investing?+
The minimum investment is $10 and the minimum deposit for the cash side is $10. The site median minimum deposit is €0.88 and the median minimum investment is €25, so the floor here sits inside the normal range rather than at either extreme. Neither figure asks for a large opening balance.
eToro
What does eToro charge to open and run an account?+
The account fee is $0 and the monthly fee is $0, so the account costs nothing to hold. Stock trades are charged at $0 and the platform describes itself as commission-free. Managed portfolios carry a management fee of 0%. Money moving out is the exception, at $5 flat fee per withdrawal.
Is my money protected at eToro?+
eToro is regulated by Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and SIPC. Client assets sit under investor protection of EU ICS up to EUR 20,000, while cash deposits are covered by a separate scheme at EU DGS up to EUR 100,000. These ceilings are very different, so anyone holding a large share portfolio should treat the lower figure as the real limit on recovery.
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eToro
Betterment