Best Robo-Advisor in Canada for 2026: 5 Compared by Fees, Returns and Fit

The best robo advisor in Canada for you comes down to three things: the yearly management fee, the minimum to get started, and whether a firm’s published returns are counted before or after its own fee. This guide ranks five Canadian robo-advisors (Wealthsimple, Questwealth Portfolios, RBC InvestEase, Justwealth and CI Direct Investing) by the kind of investor each one suits, shows what each costs in dollars, and flags when buying an all-in-one ETF yourself is the better deal. YieldMaple checked every provider’s official pricing, FAQ and performance pages on September 23, 2026.

Best robo-advisors in Canada at a glance

Canadian robo-advisors compared (official pricing pages, September 23, 2026)

	Wealthsimple	Questwealth	RBC InvestEase	Justwealth	CI Direct Investing
Management fee	0.50% a year (Core), plus sales tax	0.25% under $100,000	0.50% + sales tax	0.50%	0.60% on the first $150,000
Fee from $100,000	0.40% a year (Premium)	0.20%	0.50% + sales tax	0.50% (over $500,000 priced separately)	0.60% on the first $150,000, 0.40% on the next $350,000 and 0.35% above $500,000
Minimum to start	Core tier from $1 in assets	Fee schedule starts at a $250 balance	Invests from $100	$5,000 (no minimum for RESPs, FHSAs and RDSPs)	Minimum as low as $100
Fund MERs (on top)	Varies by portfolio	Varies by portfolio	0.12%–0.25%	about 0.20%	Listed, but dated April 30, 2024
Tax-loss harvesting	Premium and Generation only	Not stated on pages checked	Not stated on pages checked	All clients (non-registered)	Not stated on pages checked
Human help	24/7 chat; priority phone from Premium	Phone support	Portfolio Advisors	Dedicated Personal Portfolio Advisor	Certified Financial Planner advice
RESP	Yes (managed or self-directed)	Yes	Not listed	Yes, with target-date portfolios	Not stated on pages checked
Published returns	Not on pages checked	Before management fee	Before management fee	After fees (model portfolios)	Not on pages checked
Best for	All-round, one app for banking and investing	Lowest cost	RBC clients	RESPs and a named advisor	Planning advice from a CFP

The management fee decides most of the difference. Questwealth charges 0.25% on balances under $100,000 and 0.20% above that. RBC InvestEase charges 0.50% + sales tax, Justwealth 0.50%, and Wealthsimple 0.50% a year for Core clients, falling to 0.40% a year once your total Wealthsimple assets reach $100,000. CI Direct Investing charges 0.60% on the first $150,000, 0.40% on the next $350,000 and 0.35% above $500,000.

The other rows, in plain terms: Justwealth has the highest minimum of the five, $5,000 (no minimum for RESPs, FHSAs and RDSPs), while the others start investing at a few hundred dollars or less. RBC InvestEase says the ETFs in its portfolios have a weighted average MER of 0.12%–0.25%, and Justwealth puts its average at about 0.20%. CI’s pricing page still shows portfolio MERs dated April 30, 2024, so check each fund’s current facts document. Of the five, only Justwealth (for non-registered accounts) and Wealthsimple (from Premium) list tax-loss harvesting on the pages YieldMaple checked. Justwealth assigns a dedicated Personal Portfolio Advisor, CI offers advice from a Certified Financial Planner, RBC InvestEase includes access to its Portfolio Advisors, Questrade answers Questwealth questions by phone, and Wealthsimple offers 24/7 chat with priority phone service from Premium.

What is the best robo-advisor in Canada?

Wealthsimple is the best all-round robo-advisor for most Canadians starting out, Questwealth is the cheapest of the five, and Justwealth is the strongest pick for RESPs and personal advice.

Ranked by the investor each one suits:

1. Best all-round: Wealthsimple managed investing. 0.50% a year for Core clients, a Core tier that starts at $1 in assets, managed TFSAs, RRSPs, FHSAs, RESPs and more, and one app that also holds chequing and self-directed investing. Your plan is set by your total Wealthsimple assets (or net deposits, if higher), so balances outside the managed account count toward the lower Premium fee.
2. Lowest fees: Questwealth Portfolios. 0.25% a year on balances of $250 to $99,999, and 0.20% from $100,000. That is half Wealthsimple’s Core fee, and the gap widens as your balance grows.
3. Best for RESPs and a named advisor: Justwealth. 0.50%, Education Target Date portfolios for RESPs, tax-loss harvesting for every client with a non-registered account, and a dedicated Personal Portfolio Advisor. The catch is the $5,000 minimum outside RESPs, FHSAs and RDSPs.
4. Best for RBC clients: RBC InvestEase. 0.50% a year plus applicable sales taxes (the ETFs' own fees are extra), investing from $100, portfolios built from RBC iShares ETFs.
5. Best for planning advice: CI Direct Investing. 0.60% on the first $150,000, 0.40% on the next $350,000 and 0.35% above $500,000, with advice from a Certified Financial Planner included. It has the highest percentage fee of the five on balances under $150,000 (only Justwealth’s minimum fee costs more, on small accounts).

Why rank Wealthsimple first when Questwealth costs less? On a $10,000 account the fee gap is $25 a year, and at that size Wealthsimple’s low entry point, wider account menu and single app matter more to most beginners. Once you pass $100,000, the gap is about $200 a year and keeps growing, and Questwealth’s price becomes hard to argue with unless you value Wealthsimple’s tax-loss harvesting or its banking features.

Not ranked: BMO SmartFolio. Per BMO’s SmartFolio pricing page, it charges 0.70% a year on the first $100,000, 0.60% on the next $150,000, 0.50% on the next $250,000 and 0.40% on the next $500,000, with ETF fees on top and a $1,000 minimum, so its first-tier rate is higher than any of the five above. Other robo services, including TD’s, aren’t covered because this guide only lists fees verified on each provider’s own site.

Which robo-advisor has the lowest fees in Canada?

Of the robo-advisors YieldMaple compared, Questwealth Portfolios has the lowest published management fee: 0.25% a year, or 0.20% once your balance reaches $100,000.

The headline fee is only part of what you pay. Three costs sit beside it:

• Fund MERs. Every robo-advisor holds ETFs, and their MERs come out of the fund prices rather than showing up as a charge. RBC InvestEase and Justwealth publish their averages; at Wealthsimple and Questwealth the MER depends on the portfolio you’re placed in.
• Sales tax. Wealthsimple’s fee disclosure and RBC InvestEase’s pricing page both say sales tax is added to the management fee, the same way it is on a store purchase.
• Minimum fees. Justwealth charges at least $4.99 a month on accounts other than RESPs, FHSAs and RDSPs. That is more than its 0.50% rate on any balance under about $11,976. RESPs, FHSAs and RDSPs have a lower minimum fee of $2.50 a month.

Large balances change the order. Wealthsimple’s Generation fee runs 0.4% at $500,000, falling to 0.2% only at $10,000,000 or more, so its lowest rate is out of reach for almost everyone. CI’s tiers mean its blended rate falls as you add money, and on $1,000,000 its fee works out to $4,050 a year, against $2,000 at Questwealth and up to $4,000 at Wealthsimple.

How much does a robo-advisor cost on $10,000, $50,000 or $150,000?

On $50,000, yearly management fees run from $125 at Questwealth to $300 at CI Direct Investing, before fund MERs and sales tax.

The table assumes a balance that doesn’t change and leaves out sales tax. Fund MERs come on top of every robo-advisor row; the XEQT row is XEQT’s whole ongoing cost, because Wealthsimple charges $0 commission to buy it.

Two patterns stand out. At $10,000, the spread from cheapest to priciest robo is $35 a year, so pick on features and convenience. At $150,000, Questwealth costs $300 a year less than Wealthsimple Premium, which adds up to $3,000 over 10 years before any growth. Because every fee is a percentage, the dollar gap grows with your portfolio. To test other balances against self-directed brokerages, use the Canadian brokerage fee calculator.

Which is the best performing robo-advisor in Canada?

No robo-advisor has a reliable performance edge: returns depend mostly on how much of the portfolio is in stocks, and each firm calculates its published figures differently.

Here is what the firms that publish returns in page text reported, next to XEQT as a do-it-yourself benchmark:

Justwealth is the only firm whose pages YieldMaple checked that publishes returns after its own fee. Its Global Maximum Growth portfolio returned 13.27% a year over five years and 12.56% over ten, slightly ahead of XEQT’s 13.14% over five. Justwealth notes these are model-portfolio returns and should be treated as hypothetical; your own account can differ because of the timing of deposits.

Questwealth’s Aggressive portfolio shows 12.68% a year over five years, but Questrade’s disclaimer says management fees are not taken into account. Taking off the fee leaves roughly 12.4% a year, a little behind XEQT.

RBC InvestEase publishes composite returns too, and its methodology note says they are gross of fees, meaning before its management fee. Wealthsimple’s and CI’s returns weren’t on the pages YieldMaple checked.

So for “best robo advisor returns,” compare portfolios with the same stock-and-bond mix, check whether each figure is before or after the robo’s fee, and remember that the management fee is the only difference you know in advance. Past returns don’t predict which portfolio leads next.

The five robo-advisors, reviewed

Wealthsimple managed investing: best all-round

Cost: 0.50% a year for Core clients, 0.40% a year for Premium (from $100,000) and from 0.4% down to 0.2% a year for Generation (from $500,000), plus fund MERs and sales tax.

What you get: a portfolio chosen from your goals and risk level, automatic rebalancing, dividend reinvesting and scheduled deposits. Classic portfolios hold low-cost ETFs, with bonds and gold added at lower risk levels; Summit portfolios add private-market funds; Income portfolios cover shorter goals. Premium adds tax-loss harvesting, and Generation adds asset location. Managed accounts include TFSAs, RRSPs, FHSAs and non-registered accounts, an RESP that is available as a self-directed or managed RESP, and a LIRA (available (self-directed and managed)).

Why it ranks first for most people: your tier is set by your total assets with Wealthsimple (or your net deposits, if higher), not just the managed account, so the fee drops to 0.40% a year without a separate application. You can also hold XEQT in a self-directed TFSA and a managed portfolio side by side in one app.

Watch out for: a Core fee double Questwealth’s, no tax-loss harvesting at Core, and a Generation rate that only reaches its low end at very large balances. The Wealthsimple Invest review covers the portfolios in depth, and Wealthsimple managed vs self-directed shows when buying XEQT yourself beats the managed fee.

Questwealth Portfolios: lowest fees

Cost: 0.25% a year on balances of $250 to $99,999, and 0.20% from $100,000, plus fund MERs.

What you get: five ETF portfolios from Conservative to Aggressive, plus Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) versions, in RRSP, TFSA, FHSA, RESP and non-registered accounts. Questrade describes the portfolios as actively managed, with the asset mix monitored and adjusted as markets move, so its managers can shift the mix rather than hold fixed weights. Phone support is available for Questwealth questions.

Watch out for: Questrade’s transfer terms say securities moved into a Questwealth account are sold (liquidated), which can trigger capital gains in a non-registered account (Questrade rebates your old firm’s transfer fee, up to $150 per account). Its published returns are before the management fee. For the self-directed side of the same company, see the Questrade review or Wealthsimple vs Questrade.

Justwealth: best for RESPs and a dedicated advisor

Cost: 0.50%, with a minimum fee of $4.99 a month ($2.50 a month on RESPs, FHSAs and RDSPs), plus ETF MERs averaging about 0.20%. Justwealth’s pricing page shows balances over $500,000 on a separate rate.

What you get: a dedicated Personal Portfolio Advisor, an investment policy statement, financial planning, tax-loss harvesting for non-registered accounts, Canadian- and US-dollar accounts, and Education Target Date portfolios for RESPs. It also serves RDSPs, LIRAs, RRIFs and LIFs, and combines household accounts, including a spouse’s or children’s, to set the fee.

Watch out for: the $5,000 minimum on accounts other than RESPs, FHSAs and RDSPs, the minimum monthly fee on small accounts, and a transfer-out fee of $150 for a full account transfer ($50 for a partial transfer). Client assets are held in your name at its custodian, CI Investment Services Inc., a CIPF member.

RBC InvestEase: best for RBC clients

Cost: 0.50% a year plus applicable sales taxes (the ETFs' own fees are extra). The ETFs in its portfolios carry a weighted average MER of 0.12%–0.25%.

What you get: no minimum to open, investing from $100, portfolios built from RBC iShares ETFs in Core or Responsible Investing versions, and access to human Portfolio Advisors. Accounts under $1,500 go into a Starter Portfolio of fewer ETFs, which can include iShares all-in-one funds such as the Core Equity ETF Portfolio (XEQT) itself, and move to a full portfolio at that balance. Assets are held by RBC Direct Investing Inc., a CIPF member.

Watch out for: RBC InvestEase lists TFSAs, RRSPs, FHSAs and non-registered accounts but no RESP. Moving to a non-RBC firm costs $150 plus applicable sales taxes, and its published returns are gross of fees. If you’d rather buy ETFs yourself, compare Wealthsimple vs RBC Direct Investing.

CI Direct Investing: best for planning advice

Cost: 0.60% on the first $150,000, 0.40% on the next $350,000 and 0.35% above $500,000, plus fund MERs. Money in CI’s savings accounts counts toward the lower tiers.

What you get: ETF, impact and private-investment portfolios, advice from a Certified Financial Planner, investing from as low as $100, and coverage of your old firm’s transfer fee, up to $150 when you transfer $25,000 or more. CI says its custodians are CIPF members.

Watch out for: the highest percentage fee of the five below $150,000, and MER figures on the pricing page dated April 30, 2024.

Is a robo-advisor worth it, or should you just buy XEQT?

For a long-term investor who can hold an all-stock ETF through downturns, buying XEQT yourself costs less than any robo-advisor’s management fee alone.

“Just buy XEQT” is common advice on Canadian investing forums, including Reddit, and on cost it holds up. XEQT holds 8,301 stocks worldwide, rebalances between regions inside the fund, and costs a 0.19% MER; Wealthsimple charges $0 commission to buy it, with fractional shares and recurring buys. Even Questwealth’s 0.20% rate is higher than XEQT’s whole MER before a robo’s own fund costs are counted.

A robo-advisor is still worth paying for in five situations:

• You want bonds in the mix. XEQT holds only stocks. A robo keeps a stock-and-bond ratio on target for you.
• You won’t stay the course alone. Automatic deposits and rebalancing remove decisions that trip people up in a falling market.
• You have a large non-registered account. Tax-loss harvesting at Justwealth, or at Wealthsimple from Premium, can recover part of the fee.
• You’re saving in an RESP for a known date. Justwealth’s Education Target Date portfolios are each named for a school-start year, so the portfolio is matched to when the money is needed.
• You want a person to ask. Justwealth, CI and RBC InvestEase put advisors in front of clients at robo prices.

If none of those apply, how to buy XEQT on Wealthsimple walks through the self-directed route step by step.

Which robo-advisor is best for a TFSA, RRSP, FHSA or RESP?

Questwealth is the cheapest pick for a TFSA, RRSP or FHSA, and Justwealth is the strongest for an RESP; Wealthsimple, Questwealth and Justwealth offer all four accounts. RBC InvestEase lists TFSAs, RRSPs and FHSAs but no RESP.

• TFSA: tax-loss harvesting has nothing to offset inside a TFSA, so choose on fees and convenience. Questwealth is cheapest; Wealthsimple suits you if you want the TFSA in the same app as your chequing. The 2026 TFSA dollar limit is $7,000 at every provider.
• RRSP: the same logic applies, and if your RRSP is above $100,000, Questwealth’s 0.20% rate is the lowest here.
• FHSA: first-home money often has a short horizon, so a lower-risk portfolio usually fits. Justwealth has no minimum on FHSAs; Wealthsimple, Questwealth and RBC InvestEase all offer them. FHSA room is $8,000 a year up to $40,000 for life.
• RESP: Justwealth’s Education Target Date portfolios and low $2.50 a month minimum fee make it the strongest RESP robo. Wealthsimple’s RESP is available as a self-directed or managed RESP, and individual RESPs transfer into a managed Wealthsimple RESP. The Canada Education Savings Grant adds 20% on up to $2,500 a year, worth $500 per child, at any provider. More detail is in the Wealthsimple RESP guide.
• Non-registered: this is where tax-loss harvesting earns its keep, which favours Justwealth (above its account minimum) and Wealthsimple from Premium.

Are robo-advisors safe in Canada?

Yes, within investor-protection limits: every robo-advisor ranked here holds client assets at a CIPF-member dealer or custodian, which protects you if that firm fails, not against market losses.

Wealthsimple lists securities eligible for CIPF coverage up to $1M per defined account. Questrade, Inc., a CIPF member, holds Questwealth assets, though Questwealth’s portfolio manager, Questrade Wealth Management, is not itself a CIPF member. RBC InvestEase accounts are held by RBC Direct Investing Inc., and Justwealth accounts sit in your name at CI Investment Services Inc.; both are CIPF members. CI Direct Investing says its custodians are CIPF members. None of this protects you from a market drop: a Growth or Aggressive robo portfolio can lose a large share of its value in a bad year, the same as XEQT.

How to choose: match the robo-advisor to you

Pick Wealthsimple if:

• You’re starting small and want to begin from $1 in assets.
• You want chequing, self-directed investing and a managed portfolio in one app.
• You’re near $100,000 across all your Wealthsimple accounts, where the fee drops and tax-loss harvesting starts.

Pick Questwealth if:

• Cost is your first priority: 0.25% a year on balances of $250 to $99,999, and 0.20% from $100,000.
• Your balance is above $100,000 and mostly in registered accounts.
• You’re comfortable with managers adjusting the mix as markets move.

Pick Justwealth if:

• You’re saving in an RESP and want a portfolio matched to the year your child starts post-secondary school.
• You want the same named advisor over time, or tax-loss harvesting under $100,000.
• You can meet the $5,000 minimum on accounts other than RESPs, FHSAs and RDSPs.

Pick RBC InvestEase if: you bank at RBC, want to start from $100, and don’t need an RESP.

Pick CI Direct Investing if: you want a Certified Financial Planner included and have enough across CI accounts to reach its lower tiers.

Pick none of them if: you’re happy holding one all-in-one ETF yourself, need the money within a couple of years (a high-interest savings account or GIC usually fits better than a growth portfolio, though Wealthsimple’s Income portfolios are built for shorter goals), or want ongoing personal advice on a complex situation. For that last case, Wealthsimple vs a financial advisor compares the costs.

The verdict

For most new investors, Wealthsimple is the best all-round robo-advisor in Canada. At 0.50% a year it isn’t the cheapest, but it starts at $1 in assets, offers managed TFSAs, RRSPs, FHSAs and RESPs, and cuts the fee automatically as your total assets grow. If the lowest fee is what matters, Questwealth wins at 0.25%, or 0.20% from $100,000, and on large balances that saving is worth hundreds of dollars a year. For an RESP or a dedicated advisor, choose Justwealth. And if you can hold one ETF through good years and bad, XEQT bought yourself beats all five on cost.

For every Wealthsimple account, fee and feature in one place, see our complete Wealthsimple guide.

This page is general education, not financial advice; the right choice depends on your timeline, tax situation and how you react when markets fall.