5 best robo-advisors in the UK

Using the best robo-advisor platform you can get your hands on will simplify the process of investing, removing a layer of hassle. Find out what they are, how they work, and our top picks of the best robo-advisors the UK has to offer.

If you’ve been looking for a way to put your savings to work without spending half your waking hours researching stocks and investments, robo-advisors might be your best option.

Robo-advisors are estimated to have roughly $5 trillion to $7 trillion (about £3.8 trillion to £5.3 trillion) in assets under management (AUM) by 2025, and they could help you simplify your investing journey.

We’ve tested and rated all the top UK robo-advisors apps, here are 3 of our top picks with the rest of the best below:

Best for 0% commission stocks
eToro Free Stocks logo
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Copy picks from top traders
4.3 ★★★★★
Commission-free trades
Fractional shares
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Best for fractional shares
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Earn 5% on uninvested funds
4.4 ★★★★★
Commission-free trades
Fractional shares
5,400+ stocks/ETFs
Best for US shares
CMC Invest share dealing account logo
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Try Plus free for 3 months
4.4 ★★★★★
Commission-free trades
3,000+ stocks
Real-time live pricing

Finder’s best robo-advisor platforms in the UK for 2024

Take a look at some of the best robo-advisor platforms available in the UK right now. We’ve provided some basic info to help you compare but you can always check out our full in-depth reviews.

InvestEngine: Best for low fees

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4.4 ★★★★★
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InvestEngine has changed the game when it comes to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and low-cost managed portfolios. It charges a simple 0.25% annual fee to use its ready-made investing option.

There’s no added fee to use a stocks and shares ISA wrapper (to protect your investments from tax) and you can even use InvestEngine’s self-invested personal pension (SIPP) for an extra 0.15% annual fee.

InvestEngine is tough to beat when it comes to value, and UK investors seem happy with its service, winning the 2023 Finder People’s Choice Award and coming tied first for customer service in the 2023 Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Best for portfolio choice: Nutmeg

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4.1 ★★★★★
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Most robo-advisors have a limited range of portfolios to choose from (or be matched with), but Nutmeg is our top pick for choice because there are 36 portfolios in total, covering a range of investing styles. Nutmeg was one of the very first robo-advisors to take the UK by storm and it continues to innovate with its choice of investments.

On top of its basic selection, it recently added the Smart Alpha portfolios (powered by JP Morgan Asset Management), and also a new range of thematic portfolios covering a range of specialist investing themes like “technological innovation” and “resource transformation”.

Nutmeg’s fees aren’t the cheapest, starting at 0.45% for its most basic “fixed allocation” portfolios, but they do get a bit cheaper once your portfolio crosses £100,000.

Best for simplicity: Moneybox

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4.1 ★★★★★
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There’s no point jumping in the deep end if you’re just starting to invest, and Moneybox does an excellent job of catering to beginners by keeping things simple. It offers 3 ready-made portfolios that it calls “Starting Options”, with risk levels of: cautious, balanced and adventurous (each comes with an ESG option).

Moneybox’s investing process for its portfolios is pretty straightforward - a mixture of global funds to keep things simple and cheap. The Moneybox app itself is dead easy to navigate, you can invest from just £1, and it costs £1 per month plus a 0.45% fee to use it.

With Moneybox, you’re able to use a stocks and shares ISA, an investment lifetime ISA (LISA), or a pension. It also offers a range of non-investment accounts, so it’s a great all-round app for saving and investing.

Best for large portfolios: Moneyfarm

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3.9 ★★★★★
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Moneyfarm is our top robo-advisor pick for large portfolios mainly because its fee structure works on a sliding scale that benefits those with larger holdings.

For example, its actively managed portfolios start with a management fee of 0.75% for a £500 balance (the minimum). And this gradually decreases as your portfolio grows, all the way down to 0.35% once you reach £500,000.

Moneyfarm's aim is to become a leading digital wealth manager, with “wealth” being the key word. This robo-advisor platform isn’t necessarily aimed at investors looking to make small investments. Its target market is those with substantial amounts of wealth that want a more efficient way to invest rather than using an expensive traditional wealth manager.

Best for investing small amounts: Wealthify

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4.2 ★★★★★
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Wealthify is our top pick for investing small sums because you can invest from just £1, and the platform fee is a simple 0.6%. The static percentage means you don’t get penalised for holding a small portfolio.

Your fees will start off small and then rise as your portfolio grows. It also charges no extra fees to use a stocks and shares ISA account. Wealthify has a fairly limited range of investment portfolios, but it does include ethical options.

The low entry price point and the fact that it’s free to make deposits and withdrawals makes Wealthify a good option for those of you who are just starting to build a portfolio.

What is a robo-advisor?

Essentially it’s a digital platform that automates and simplifies much of the investing process. Unlike a human financial adviser, robo-advisors use some basic information provided by yourself and then it will use technology (and sometimes a bit of human oversight) to build and manage an investment portfolio for you.

It will attempt to build you, or match you to a portfolio that suits your goals, investment risk tolerance and time horizon. It’s like having a personalised investment assistant in your pocket, but without the high fees that usually come with traditional financial services.

How does a robo-advisor work?

Typically, most robo-advisors in the UK are app-based (but some also have a desktop app too). So you’ll need to download the robo-advisor app, provide your personal details, and then answer some investing-related questions. Details like how much you plan to invest and how often, along with the level of risk you’re comfortable with and any other preferences (like sustainable investing, for example).

The platform uses all this information to recommend one of its pre-made investment portfolios. After your set up, all you need to do is keep contributing cash and the platform will invest your money and manage the portfolio.

Some of the best robo-advisors allow the option to personally customise your portfolio, which can be really useful as you learn more about investing and want to have some control without needing to jump in the deep end.

Are there different types of robo-advisors?

Yes, each robo-advisor platform will have its own unique nuances but typically they can be split into two categories:

  1. Passive robo-advisors. These provide a mostly hands-off approach by investing in assets like index funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and aim to match the performance of the overall market (rather than try and beat it). They tend to be a bit cheaper due to the simplicity.
  2. Active robo-advisors. This type of robo-advisors will attempt to beat overall market performance by making more frequent trades and adjustments, but you’ll often need to pay higher fees (with no guarantee you’ll do any better than a passive approach).

How to invest with a robo-advisor

Here’s some simple steps to help you get started with a robo-advisor:

  1. Sign up. Do some research to find the best robo-advisor for your needs based on what you’re looking for, whether that’s low fees, an excellent mobile app, a decent choice of portfolios or anything else that appeals to you.
  2. Provide your details. Along with basic personal information, if you provide some general investing details to your robo-advisor platform, it will figure out the best investments for you to use based on what it can offer.
  3. Deposit funds. Most of the best robo-advisors should give you the option to kick things off either with a lump sum, or set up a regular weekly or monthly payment.
  4. Keep investing. Once you’re all set up, the best thing to do is just stay as consistent as you can with your robo-advisor investments, regularly contributing as much as you can sensibly afford.

How do robo-advisors make money?

There’s no such thing as a free robot. That’s how the saying goes, right? So when you sign up to a robo-advisor, you’ll have to pay a fee to use the platform. This is usually in the form of a percentage based on the size of your portfolio. So the larger your portfolio, the more you’ll pay in fees.

These platform (or account) fees help to keep the robo-advisor running – figuratively speaking of course, a running robot financial adviser would be extremely scary, like a nerdy T-1000 (for any Terminator 2 fans out there).

How should I choose a robo-advisor?

There are a few ways to decide on which robo advisor to use. You could search by minimum investment, costs or functionality.

Some providers have a minimum deposit of just £1, but they can be a lot higher, going up to £500 with certain robo-advisors. Fees are typically less than 1%, if you’re looking to invest smaller amounts, like £50 or £100 per month, consider staying away from any flat fee platforms.

The fees usually depend on the features available, you can check our in-depth reviews of each robo-advisor to get a breakdown of features and fees of each platform. Our comparison table below shows some basic information to help you compare and find the best robo-advisor for your needs.

You should also check what account types a robo-advisor offers. Most should offer a stocks and shares ISA and general investment account (GIA), but not all of them offer pensions, Lifetime ISAs (LISAs) or Junior ISAs (JISAs).

It’s also worth thinking about investment portfolio choice. Are you happy with limited options or do you want some more flexibility or perhaps the ability to use socially responsible or ESG-focused funds? Also consider customer feedback by checking ratings on the App Store and Google Play (but we include these details in our Finder scores and reviews).

How to find the best robo advisors

There are several ways to try and find best robo advisor for you:

  • Cost and fees. Robo-advisors will charge a platform fee and also an underlying fund charge (the cost of holding the investments). This varies across different brands.
  • Past performance. Check how well a platform’s portfolios have performed. Most will let you see the track record of their risk rated funds over time periods such as 1, 5 or 10 years. Remember, past performance isn’t necessarily an indication of how a portfolio will perform in the future, the best robo-advisor portfolios from yesterday may not be the best robo-advisor portfolios of tomorrow.
  • Features. Robo-advisors will let you monitor the performance of your portfolio online and manage your account. But some may offer extras like a fancy app or analysis tools and calculators.

Common robo advisor features

  • Risk questionnaires. You will need to answer a series of questions that assess your risk appetite and how comfortable you are with different styles of investing and levels of loss.
  • Model portfolios. Robo advisors offer portfolios of tracker funds or exchange-traded funds that give you exposure to different markets. They are weighted based on different risk levels with the most cautious following developed markets and the more risky putting money into emerging market economies.
  • Email updates. Rather than regular meetings with a financial adviser, robo advisors will offer blogs, email updates and videos. These will often explain the performance of the portfolios and any changes in strategy or outlook.
  • Website and app features. You will be able to log in to your account and track your portfolio’s progress through an app or website. You can also make withdrawals and increase or decrease your investment online from your smartphone or computer and use graphs and tools to forecast what your portfolio could be worth in the future.
  • Low minimum investment. Financial advisers and fund managers may have high minimum investments of as much as £1,000 or more. In contrast, it can be cheaper to start investing with a robo advisor, with some offering minimum investments from just £100.

What is a ready-made portfolio?

Rather than choosing your own funds, a ready-made portfolio is prepared for you. Think of it like a set-course menu instead of a la carte. They usually combine a range of investments, which are mainly passive funds in the case of most of the best UK robo-advisors.

The type of funds will depend on the risk rating of the ready-made portfolio. Riskier portfolios will hold more equities (like stocks and shares) and assets that can have the potential for higher returns such as emerging or alternative markets, but these investments can be more volatile and lead to larger losses.

All the monitoring and rebalancing is managed for you so you just have to decide how much risk you are willing to take and how much money you want to invest.

Bottom line

A robo-advisor provides an effective middle ground between those who aren’t confident about managing their own investments and don’t want to or don’t have enough money to use a financial adviser.

The best robo-advisors will set up and manage your portfolio after you provide answers to some basic questions. This approach can be faster than using a financial adviser and you get access to snazzy websites and apps.

However, even the best robo-advisors aren’t guaranteed to be successful, it depends on the investments. And remember, this is a cool piece of technology but it’s not going to help arrange your finances and take control of all your future financial planning and decisions.

Frequently asked questions

All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.


To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Joelle Grubb as part of our fact-checking process.
George Sweeney, DipFA's headshot
Deputy editor

George is a deputy editor at Finder. He has previously written for The Motley Fool UK, Nasdaq, Freetrade, Investing in the Web, MoneyMagpie, Online Mortgage Advisor, Wealth, and Compare Forex Brokers. He's focused on making personal finance and investing engaging for everyone. To do this he draws from previous work and his Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA), sharing what he’s learnt. When he’s not geeking out about money, you’ll find him playing sports and staying active. See full bio

George's expertise
George has written 189 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Investing
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