Honest comparison
PeakWorth vs Vanguard Digital Advisor
Vanguard's robo is the cheapest in the category. PeakWorth is the planning layer above it.
The short version
Vanguard Digital Advisor targets a ~0.15% net advisory fee on an all-Vanguard-ETF portfolio with a $100 minimum — the lowest published fee among the major robos. Personal Advisor (0.30%/yr, $50k minimum) layers in CFP access. Both manage. Neither runs a real multi-decade household plan. PeakWorth is the planning layer above either tier.
Vanguard Digital Advisor is best for
Cost-conscious investors who want the cheapest credible robo, a Vanguard-only ETF lineup, and (at $50k+) on-demand CFP access via Personal Advisor.
Digital Advisor: ~0.15%/yr net (gross 0.20% minus underlying fund offsets), $100 minimum. Personal Advisor: 0.30%/yr, $50,000 minimum, includes CFP access. Personal Advisor Select / Wealth Management: tiered 0.05%–0.30%/yr at $500k+/$5M+.
PeakWorth is best for
Households who want a household-wide plan, FI age, and Decision Hub spanning every account — not just a managed Vanguard portfolio.
14-day free trial. Then $9.99/mo Navigator.
Feature by featureHow they compare
| Feature | PeakWorth | Vanguard Digital Advisor |
|---|---|---|
Advisory fee (Digital) | $9.99/mo | ~0.15%/yr net |
Advisory fee (Personal Advisor) | $9.99/mo | 0.30%/yr, $50k min |
Account minimum (Digital) | None | $100 |
Automated rebalancing | ||
Tax-loss harvesting | Yes (Digital, taxable) | |
CFP access included | AI advisor on your numbers (Peak plan) | Personal Advisor tier ($50k min) |
Holds and trades your assets | No — planning only | |
Multi-decade net worth projection | Single-goal projection | |
FI age — when work becomes optional | Retirement-readiness check | |
Decision Hub (buy/rent, kids, job change) | Built-in | |
Tax-aware projections Household-wide, marginal bracket, withdrawal order | Within Vanguard accounts only | |
Account aggregation (full picture) | Vanguard-held assets | |
Built for dual-income households | ||
Cost on $250k portfolio (Digital) | $119.88/yr | ~$375/yr |
Cost on $1M portfolio (Digital) | $119.88/yr | ~$1,500/yr |
Cost on $1M portfolio (Personal Advisor) | $119.88/yr | $3,000/yr |
The real reasonsWhy people switch
- Vanguard Digital Advisor is the cheapest credible robo — and that's exactly the right reason to keep it. The planning conversation is a separate problem.
- Personal Advisor's 0.30%/yr buys CFP access; PeakWorth's Peak plan runs an always-on AI advisor on your real numbers for a flat fee.
- Digital Advisor's projection ends at the Vanguard accounts it manages. PeakWorth spans every spouse, every account, every major decision.
- On $1M, Personal Advisor costs $3,000/yr forever. PeakWorth is $119.88/yr at any portfolio size.
Context
Vanguard Digital Advisor is the price floor of the category — Vanguard targets a ~0.15% net advisory fee by crediting back the underlying Vanguard ETF expense ratios against a 0.20% gross fee. The $100 minimum is the lowest entry point of any major robo. Tax-loss harvesting on taxable accounts is included.
Personal Advisor ($50,000 minimum, 0.30%/yr) layers in CFP access on top of the same managed-portfolio service. Personal Advisor Select and Wealth Management step the fee down further at $500,000 and $5 million. All three plan against Vanguard-held assets.
Most PeakWorth users keep Vanguard for the management piece and use PeakWorth as the planning layer that ties every account (Vanguard and otherwise) into one plan. For the broader robo-vs-planner picture, see /vs/robo-advisor.
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Run it through PeakWorthFrequently asked
Is Vanguard Digital Advisor really 0.15%?
It's a target net fee. The gross fee is 0.20%/yr; Vanguard credits back the expense ratios on the underlying Vanguard ETFs in your portfolio, which typically lands the all-in cost near 0.15%/yr. The $100 account minimum is real and unusually low for the category.
Should I pay for Personal Advisor instead?
Personal Advisor is 0.30%/yr with a $50,000 minimum and includes CFP access. On $250k that's $750/yr; on $1M it's $3,000/yr. PeakWorth Navigator is $9.99/mo flat ($119.88/yr) and runs the full Decision Hub on your real numbers across every account — not just the Vanguard ones; the AI advisor is part of the Peak plan ($19.99/mo).
Does PeakWorth replace Vanguard Digital Advisor?
No — PeakWorth doesn't hold your money or place trades. The clean stack is Vanguard Digital Advisor (or any low-cost robo) for management and PeakWorth for the multi-decade plan, decision modeling, and AI advisor. See /vs/robo-advisor for the broader robo-vs-planner picture.
How does this compare to Betterment or Wealthfront?
Vanguard Digital Advisor is cheaper (~0.15% vs 0.25%) and uses an all-Vanguard-ETF lineup. Betterment and Wealthfront have stronger TLH and additional features like Direct Indexing or Goals. None of them plan the household. See /vs/robo-advisor for the full comparison.
PeakWorth provides educational projections, not financial advice. We are not a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, tax preparer, or attorney. Consult a licensed professional before making major financial decisions. Read full disclosures