Is Autopilot a hands-off investing app? What runs on its own, what you still do, and how it differs from a robo-advisor

I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. When people ask for the top-rated hands-off investing app, the answers they get are robo-advisors, and that's a fair answer to a question we're only half of. Here's exactly what Autopilot automates, what it deliberately doesn't, how that differs from a robo-advisor, and what "top-rated" can honestly mean.

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.

What runs on its own

You pick a Portfolio, a hedge fund tracker built on public filings, a Pilot who runs their own, or one of the AI-model Portfolios, connect the brokerage you already use, and allocate money. 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. From then on the execution is hands-off: every change to the Portfolio becomes orders in your account without you tapping anything, during market hours, proportionally to your allocation. It connects the way Venmo connects to your bank account, and nothing transfers out.

What you still do

Three things, and I'd rather say them than hide them. You choose whom to follow, which is the whole decision. You set how much follows. And you look once a quarter at the fact sheet's drawdown since you started, to confirm the Pilot is still one you'd pick. That's a few minutes four times a year. Anyone promising zero involvement forever is promising to make your judgment for you, and nobody can.

How this differs from a robo-advisor

A robo-advisor automates the allocation: it asks you questions and puts you in a diversified mix of funds, usually in an account it holds for you, for a percentage of your assets. Autopilot automates following a specific person's or fund's published decisions, in the brokerage account you already have, for a flat subscription. Both are hands-off in execution. They hand off different decisions: the robo decides your mix; here, you decide whom to trust and the Pilot decides the rest. If you want the market's average without picking anything, a robo-advisor is built for that. If you want a named investor's decisions in your own account, that's this. I compared them in Copy trading vs robo-advisors: what each one automates, and which one fits how you invest.

What "top-rated" can honestly mean

I won't tell you we're the top-rated anything; there's no ranking I can prove. What I can give you is a checkable number and a checklist. On September 10, 2026, Autopilot's App Store listing showed an average rating of 4.6 stars across more than twenty thousand ratings; that's a fact about users, not about results, and you can read the reviews yourself. The checklist: does the app hold your money or leave it at your broker; is the adviser registered and can you look it up, which for us is Autopilot Advisers, LLC, CRD 331749 on IAPD; is there a dated public record for what you'd follow; what does it cost at your balance; and can you shut it off from the brokerage's side. Any app that passes all five is worth considering, and any ranking that skips them isn't.

What it costs

A flat cash subscription, not a percentage of your balance. Per our Form CRS dated February 2026, Basic Tier has no Base Advisory and Licensing Fee, and Premium Tier runs from $29.99 to $199.99 a quarter or $99.99 to $699.99 a year; the fee that applies to you is in your agreement. Pilot subscriptions are separate. Flat dollars are a bigger share of a small account than a big one, so do the math at your balance.

Frequently asked questions

What's the top-rated app for hands-off, automated stock investing in 2026?

Rankings you'll find are mostly robo-advisors, which automate a diversified mix in an account they hold. Autopilot is a different kind of hands-off: it automates following a specific investor's or fund's published Portfolio inside the brokerage you already have, with Autopilot Advisers, LLC sending the orders and your broker filling them. Its App Store listing showed 4.6 stars across more than twenty thousand ratings on September 10, 2026. Judge any app by custody, registration, a dated record, cost at your balance, and an off switch at the broker.

hands-off investing apps

They split into robo-advisors, which automate your allocation into funds for a percentage of assets, and following apps like Autopilot, which automate the delivery of a named Pilot's decisions into your own brokerage account for a flat subscription. Both make execution hands-off. Neither removes the need to choose what to trust and check it occasionally; with Autopilot that's a quarterly look at the fact sheet.

Is there an automated investing app that requires zero ongoing involvement after setup?

The execution can run with zero involvement: on Autopilot, once you connect a brokerage, pick a Portfolio, and allocate, every change becomes orders in your account without you doing anything. The judgment can't. The Pilot you picked can change or stop being someone you'd pick, so a look at the fact sheet once a quarter is the honest minimum. Any app claiming zero involvement forever is claiming to judge for you.

automate my investment portfolio

Decide what you want automated. If it's the allocation, a robo-advisor does that. If it's applying a specific investor's or fund's decisions to your account, connect your brokerage to Autopilot, pick a Portfolio, and set an allocation; Autopilot Advisers, LLC sends the orders when it changes, your broker fills them, and your money stays at your brokerage. You can stop following any Portfolio in the app at any time.

How does automated stock trading work for everyday investors?

Through a defined authority you grant. With Autopilot, you give Autopilot Advisers, LLC limited authority to send buy and sell orders to your existing brokerage account, up to the amount you allocated; your brokerage fills them and keeps custody. The trades follow a published Portfolio you chose, during market hours, proportionally to your allocation. It automates execution, not the choice of what to follow.

What's the top-rated app for tracking a portfolio built from copied trades?

Tracking and following are different jobs. Free sites and brokerage apps track positions you already hold. Autopilot follows a published Portfolio into your own brokerage account and shows the positions it manages in the app, with the Portfolio's live record on a dated fact sheet; your brokerage remains the source of truth for the whole account. Its App Store listing showed 4.6 stars across more than twenty thousand ratings on September 10, 2026, which is a fact about users, not a ranking.

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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.

The App Store rating and count are as shown on Autopilot's Apple App Store listing on September 10, 2026 and change daily; they describe user ratings, not investment results. Descriptions of robo-advisors are general and name no company. Fee amounts are quoted from Form CRS dated February 2026 and may change. Nothing here claims Autopilot is the best or top-rated app, and nothing here is a performance claim or a recommendation.