Honest comparison
PeakWorth vs Wealthfront
Wealthfront automates investing and cash. PeakWorth runs the actual financial plan.
The short version
Wealthfront is one of the strongest robos — 0.25%/yr management with daily tax-loss harvesting, Direct Indexing on $100k+, a high-yield Cash Account, and Path, their built-in planning tool. Path is good for what it is. It is still a single-account-aware planner, not a household strategy engine. Most PeakWorth users keep Wealthfront for management and Cash and use PeakWorth for the actual plan.
Wealthfront is best for
Investors who want a polished robo with daily tax-loss harvesting, a strong cash account, and a self-serve planning tool (Path) tied to their Wealthfront accounts.
0.25%/yr Automated Investing ($500 minimum). Cash Account 4.00% APY (variable, FDIC via partner banks). Direct Indexing (US Direct Indexing) on $100k+, Smart Beta on $500k+.
PeakWorth is best for
Households who want a plan that spans both spouses, every account (Wealthfront and otherwise), and the full Decision Hub — not just a Path projection on the assets Wealthfront sees.
14-day free trial. Then $9.99/mo Navigator.
Feature by featureHow they compare
| Feature | PeakWorth | Wealthfront |
|---|---|---|
Automated portfolio management | ||
Daily tax-loss harvesting | ||
Direct Indexing Lot-level loss harvesting on $100k+ | On $100k+ | |
High-yield cash account | Modeled in plan | 4.00% APY (variable) |
Built-in planning tool | Full Strategy OS | Path (single-account-aware) |
Holds and trades your assets | No — planning only | |
Multi-decade net worth projection | Path projection | |
FI age — when work becomes optional | Retirement readiness only | |
Decision Hub (buy/rent, kids, job change) | Built-in | |
AI advisor on your real numbers | Peak plan | |
Tax-aware projections Marginal bracket, withdrawal order, household-wide | Within Wealthfront accounts only | |
Account aggregation (full picture) | Read-only links for Path | |
Built for dual-income households | ||
Pricing model | $9.99/mo flat | 0.25%/yr AUM |
Cost on $250k portfolio | $119.88/yr | $625/yr |
Cost on $1M portfolio | $119.88/yr | $2,500/yr |
Cost on $2M portfolio | $119.88/yr | $5,000/yr |
Run the math on your own portfolio
Open full calculatorReal, after inflation
Typical 0.8–1.2%
USD per year
Terminal wealth — flat fee
$6,778,888
Terminal wealth — Wealthfront 0.25%
$6,440,578
Foregone wealth from fees
$338,310
after 30 years
Estimates only. Assumes fees come out of returns each year and the flat fee comes out of contributions before they compound. Actual results vary with market returns, tax treatment, and contribution timing.
The real reasonsWhy people switch
- Path is the best built-in planner inside a robo — and it still ends at “how's your retirement readiness on the assets we see.”
- PeakWorth models both spouses, every account, and 20+ pre-built decisions Path doesn't try to.
- 0.25%/yr looks small at $250k. At $2M, it's $5,000/yr forever — PeakWorth is $119.88/yr at any portfolio size.
- Tax-loss harvesting is worth keeping; the planning layer is worth upgrading.
Context
Wealthfront earned its reputation. Automated Investing handles rebalancing and daily tax-loss harvesting at 0.25%/yr; US Direct Indexing on $100k+ harvests at the individual-lot level; Cash Account pays a competitive APY (variable, FDIC via partner banks). Path, the built-in planner, is genuinely better than what most robos ship.
Path's limit is structural — it plans against the accounts Wealthfront sees and answers “are you on track for retirement.” It does not run a buy-vs-rent decision against your full household, model a baby with real childcare and education costs, or score a job change in dollars and FI-age years.
The pattern most PeakWorth users land on: keep Wealthfront for management, the Cash Account for high-yield savings, and PeakWorth as the planning layer that ties every account (Wealthfront and otherwise) into one plan. For the category-level discussion, see PeakWorth vs Robo-Advisor at /vs/robo-advisor.
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Run it through PeakWorthFrequently asked
Is PeakWorth a Wealthfront alternative?
Only for the planning side. Wealthfront's investing automation, Direct Indexing, and Cash Account are good products that PeakWorth doesn't try to replace. The clean stack is Wealthfront for management plus PeakWorth for the household plan, Decision Hub, and AI advisor. See /vs/robo-advisor for the broader robo-vs-planner picture.
Is Path enough — do I really need PeakWorth on top?
Path is good at the question it's built for: “Am I on track for retirement, given my Wealthfront accounts?” It is not built to score a home purchase against a job change against having a second kid. PeakWorth's Decision Hub and household-level projection are the layer above Path.
Can I keep Wealthfront's Cash Account if I use PeakWorth?
Yes. PeakWorth doesn't move your money — it models it. The Cash Account shows up in your plan as one more account. Use it for emergency fund and high-yield savings; PeakWorth handles the projection and the decisions.
Is Wealthfront cheaper than PeakWorth?
Only at small balances. Wealthfront charges 0.25%/yr — about $625/yr on $250k, $2,500/yr on $1M, $5,000/yr on $2M. PeakWorth Navigator is $9.99/mo flat ($119.88/yr) at every balance. The crossover is roughly $235k in invested assets.
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