Autopilot and Betterment: automated investing in Betterment's account versus following a named investor in yours

I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. Betterment is one of the two names that answer "best hands-off investing app" almost every time, and it earns the mention for what it does. Here's Betterment by its own disclosures, us by ours, and the question that tells you which one you're actually shopping for.

One thing first, because we're an SEC-registered investment adviser and I have to say it. Autopilot is the app. The actual investment advice comes from Autopilot Advisers, LLC. If you want the full legal version of anything in here, it's on our disclaimer page.

Betterment, by its own disclosures

I read Betterment's website on September 15, 2026. Its legal pages point to Betterment LLC's Form CRS and Form ADV, its footer says to consider Betterment LLC's fees and expenses before investing, and it describes its Cash Reserve as offered by Betterment LLC and requiring a Betterment Securities brokerage account, with Betterment Holdings Inc. as the parent and a statement that Betterment is not a bank. Its pricing page describes investing accounts at a base price of five dollars a month with no minimum balance, switching to an annual fee of a quarter of one percent of the balance when you set up recurring deposits of two hundred dollars or more a month or reach a balance of twenty-four thousand dollars, with progressive discounts on eligible balances over a million, and it describes expert-built portfolios with ongoing advice and tax-saving technology, plus a self-directed option with no management fee. Those are Betterment's words as of that date; check the current versions before deciding.

Autopilot, by ours

You keep the brokerage account you already have and follow a specific published Portfolio: a hedge fund's filings, a Pilot who runs their own, or an AI-model Portfolio. You give Autopilot Advisers limited authority to send orders to that account. When the Portfolio changes, we send them and your broker fills them. The money stays put. Autopilot Advisers, LLC is the SEC-registered adviser, CRD 331749. The cost is a flat subscription, with a Basic Tier that has no platform fee, and never a percentage of assets. We don't claim tax-saving features; what we do and don't do about taxes is in Autopilot and taxes: who sends your forms, what following does in a taxable account, and what we deliberately don't claim.

The question

Do you want a diversified default chosen for you, or a named investor's decisions chosen by you? Betterment's design is the first: its portfolios, its account, its advice, priced monthly or as a share of assets. Ours is the second: a Pilot's Portfolio, your existing account, a flat fee. Both are hands-off after setup. Neither is the right answer for everyone, and the general comparison is in Copy trading vs robo-advisors: what each one automates, and which one fits how you invest.

Fees, honestly

Betterment's published structure is a small monthly fee on small accounts and a percentage of assets once deposits or balance cross its thresholds, with discounts at the top. Ours is a flat subscription at every balance. A flat fee is a bigger share of a small account than a monthly fee of a few dollars might be, and a smaller share of a large account than a percentage is, so the honest comparison is dollars a year divided by your balance, for your balance. I did our side of that in What a flat investing fee means at your balance: the small-account math, what Premium Tier is for, and how to leave.

Frequently asked questions

Autopilot and Betterment: what's the difference?

Betterment, by its own disclosures, is a robo-advisor: Betterment LLC runs expert-built portfolios with ongoing advice and tax-saving technology in a Betterment Securities brokerage account, priced at a base of five dollars a month or a quarter of one percent a year once deposit or balance thresholds are met, as of September 15, 2026. Autopilot follows a named Pilot's published Portfolio inside the brokerage you already have, with Autopilot Advisers, LLC sending the orders, for a flat subscription and no percentage of assets.

Is Betterment a robo-advisor?

By its own description, yes: its software runs expert-built portfolios matched to you, with ongoing advice, automatic features, and tax-saving technology, in its own account structure, and it also offers a self-directed option with no management fee. Autopilot is a different category, following a specific investor's or fund's Portfolio in your existing brokerage.

Can I use Autopilot with a Betterment account?

Autopilot connects to the brokerages on its connect screen, which is the only reliable list, and Betterment isn't among the brokerages named on Autopilot's App Store listing. They do different jobs: Betterment runs a diversified default in its account, and Autopilot follows published Portfolios inside a connectable brokerage you already have.

Is a flat fee or a monthly robo-advisor fee cheaper for a small account?

For a very small balance, a monthly fee of a few dollars can be less than a flat annual subscription, and a percentage-of-assets fee is smallest of all in dollars while the balance is small; as the balance grows, the percentage grows with it and the flat subscription stays fixed. Convert every option to dollars a year for your actual balance. Autopilot's Basic Tier has no platform fee, which is the honest starting point on a small account.

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Since Autopilot Advisers is an SEC-registered investment adviser, we have to put disclaimers on stuff like this. They're below, and the full version is on our disclaimer page.

Disclosures

© Autopilot Holdings Corporation 2026 — All rights reserved. “Autopilot” refers to Autopilot Holdings Corporation and its wholly-owned, and separately managed subsidiaries, including Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested, and past performance is not indicative of future results. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important information at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer.

This information is provided by Autopilot for educational and illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation, an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy any security. Autopilot relies on information from various sources believed to be reliable, including information from Clients, Pilots and other third parties, but cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information. Autopilot does not provide tax or legal advice and you are encouraged to consult with professionals before making investment decisions.

Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by the companies listed, described, or featured on its site. Company logos or trademarks used do not imply endorsement and are the property of their respective owners.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. You should carefully consider your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon before investing through Autopilot.

Autopilot Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Autopilot is available in our Form ADV Part 2A, available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or joinautopilot.com/adv.

Autopilot provides limited investment advisory services focused on Portfolio selection and suitability assessment. Our services are not intended to replace comprehensive financial planning. We recommend consulting with a qualified financial advisor regarding your complete financial situation.

This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. You should consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult with qualified tax and legal professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not hold client assets. All investments are held at the brokerage firm you select and connect to Autopilot. Your brokerage firm is responsible for trade execution, custody, and reporting. Autopilot is not responsible for your broker-dealer’s services, fees, or execution quality.

Autopilot’s services depend on technology systems, third-party APIs, and internet connectivity. System outages, API disruptions, or connectivity issues may temporarily affect service availability or trade execution timing.

Client account holdings are designed to track the Portfolio you’ve selected, but your actual holdings and performance may differ from the Portfolio due to execution timing, market conditions, brokerage capacity constraints, fractional share availability, and other factors outside Autopilot’s control.

For Portfolios inspired by publicly disclosed trading activity, there may be a delay between when a Pilot executes a trade and when that trade becomes publicly available and is incorporated into the Portfolio. This timing delay may affect the suitability or performance of trades when executed in client accounts.

Descriptions of Betterment, including its pricing, are taken from its own public website as read on September 15, 2026 and may change; Betterment LLC, Betterment Securities, and Betterment Holdings Inc. are not affiliated with Autopilot and have not endorsed it. Nothing here ranks either product, asserts superiority, or claims a connection between Autopilot and Betterment. Nothing here is a performance claim or a recommendation.