Comparison: Investing

Best UK Robo-Advisor 2026

Last reviewed May 2026

A robo-advisor builds and rebalances a diversified portfolio for you, usually based on a five-question risk questionnaire. They are best for investors who want to start without picking funds themselves and accept paying a small ongoing fee for the simplicity. We rank the main UK robo-advisors on all-in cost (platform fee plus fund OCF), portfolio quality, and the realistic break-even point where DIY index investing becomes cheaper. Spoiler: that point arrives faster than the marketing implies.

Our pick

AJ Bell Dodl

AJ Bell Dodl wins on cost by a clear margin: roughly 0.35% all-in versus 0.65-0.95% for the established competitors. For most investors that 0.30%+ saving compounds into thousands over a decade. The DIY caveat applies though: even Dodl is more expensive than buying a Vanguard LifeStrategy fund directly through a Trading 212 ISA (effectively 0.22% all-in). Robo-advisors only make sense if the convenience genuinely matters to you. If it does, Dodl is the right pick. If you can stomach picking a single global tracker yourself, you do not need a robo-advisor at all.

Visit AJ Bell Dodl →

Honourable mentions

Nutmeg

The incumbent brand with JP Morgan backing. If you want polish, established track record, and you are willing to pay for them, Nutmeg is the next-best after Dodl. The 0.65% all-in is hard to justify on cost alone but might be worth it for the UX.

Visit Nutmeg →

How we picked

All-in fees verified from each provider's published schedule, last reviewed May 2026. We add platform fee plus typical fund OCF for the medium-risk default portfolio - this is the number you actually pay. We weight cost and structural quality over short-term performance comparisons, which are noisy.

Frequently asked questions

Are UK robo-advisors worth it?
For investors who would otherwise sit in cash or never start at all, yes - paying 0.5% to actually be invested is better than 0% paid on money sitting still. For investors comfortable picking a single global tracker (e.g. Vanguard LifeStrategy or HSBC FTSE All-World), the answer is no: a DIY ISA at 0.22% all-in is cheaper and the long-run performance is at least as good. Robo-advisors are convenience products, not edge products. Our beginners guide to investing UK walks through the DIY route step by step.
What is the cheapest UK robo-advisor?
AJ Bell Dodl, at roughly 0.35% all-in (0.15% platform plus around 0.20% fund OCF). The next cheapest are Nutmeg (0.65% under £100k) and Plum (0.60-0.75%). Wealthify and Moneyfarm sit at the top end, around 0.76-0.95%.
Robo-advisor vs DIY index ISA?
Cost favours DIY. A Trading 212 or Vanguard ISA holding a global tracker like LifeStrategy 80% Equity costs around 0.22% all-in, which beats every robo-advisor on this list. The trade-off is one extra decision: which tracker to buy. If that decision feels overwhelming and stops you investing, the robo is worth its fee. If it does not, DIY is genuinely the better economic answer. Our low-cost index funds guide covers the specific funds, and the best Stocks and Shares ISA page covers the platforms.
Are robo-advisor portfolios safer than DIY?
Not in any meaningful sense. The "managed rebalancing" robo-advisors market is mostly automated, and the underlying funds are the same global trackers a DIY investor would pick. The diversification is not better; the platform fee is just paying for the convenience of someone else doing the rebalance. FSCS protection (£85,000) applies the same way to both robo-advisors and DIY platforms.
Can I have a robo-advisor and a DIY ISA in the same year?
Yes. Since April 2024 you can pay into multiple Stocks and Shares ISAs in the same tax year, as long as your total contributions stay within the £20,000 annual allowance. So you can split between, say, a robo-advisor for your set-and-forget core and a DIY platform for individual stock picks. The Lifetime ISA is the one exception - you can still only fund one LISA per tax year.

Disclosure: Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission if you sign up. This never affects the rankings or which platforms we recommend. We only feature platforms that meet our editorial standards.