PortfolioPilot vs SoFi Automated Investing (2025)

About 21% of US households directly held stocks in 2022 (outside of aggregated investment funds) - a level that reflects rising direct equity participation. Yet robo-advisors like SoFi Automated Investing have benefited by offering low barriers and lower fees. Many investors assume all “Robo-advisors” operate the same way - but in reality, SoFi and PortfolioPilot reflect two very different models: one executes trades inside SoFi accounts, the other analyzes an entire financial life without taking control.

This article compares PortfolioPilot and SoFi Automated Investing, showing how differences in automation, scope, and cost shape the long-term experience.

Key Takeaways

• SoFi Automated Investing: a discretionary robo-advisor with a 0.25% annual advisory fee, and portfolios built primarily from SoFi ETFs.
• PortfolioPilot: an AI financial advisor providing cross-platform analysis, monthly recommendations, and planning tools - but leaving execution to the user.
• Portfolios are built from a defined set of ETFs and mutual funds selected by SoFi’s investment committee, and assets must be custodied via SoFi’s designated brokerage.
• PortfolioPilot works across custodians, tracks all assets (brokerage, retirement, real estate, crypto), and charges a flat subscription for premium features.
• The trade-off: hands-off automation tied to one custodian versus broad visibility and control across accounts.

SoFi Automated Investing

SoFi Automated Investing is a marketed entry point into investing. The robo charges a 0.25% annual advisory fee and:

• Allocates funds into portfolios built from a pre-selected set of ETFs, not exclusively SoFi-branded funds.
• Rebalances automatically to maintain the target mix.
• Includes access to SoFi financial planners for general guidance.

For many early-stage investors, the appeal is straightforward: low barriers, simple onboarding, and automated portfolio upkeep.

The trade-off: customization is modest. SoFi assigns portfolios from an ETF menu and manages them inside its own brokerage environment, so the managed portion of an investor’s assets stays within that setup by design.

PortfolioPilot: AI-Driven Guidance Beyond a Single Custodian

PortfolioPilot takes a completely different approach from custodial robos. Instead of managing your money or requiring you to move assets, it acts as an AI planning layer that sits on top of your entire financial life. What that means in practice:

• Link everything in one place - brokerage, retirement plans, HSAs, real estate, crypto, cash, and liabilities.
• Get monthly, portfolio-specific recommendations - tax considerations, diversification issues, fees, and next steps grounded in actual account data.
• Model retirement, taxes, and estate scenarios - without needing to transfer assets or adopt a preset portfolio.
• Free tracking as the baseline - planning, analysis, and visibility are available without an AUM fee or account transfer.
• You stay in control - PortfolioPilot never takes custody. You decide what to act on and where.

The result: A broad, cross-platform view that most custodial robos simply can’t offer, because they only see - and manage - the assets held inside their own system. PortfolioPilot becomes the connective tissue for your financial life, and may help you spot issues and opportunities no matter where your accounts live.

Why the Difference Matters

Hypothetical: A 32-year-old professional opens a SoFi Automated Investing account with $5,000. The robo builds a portfolio of SoFi ETFs and automatically rebalances it over time. The investor’s 401(k) at Fidelity and their crypto wallet, however, remain outside the system.

If the same investor connects their accounts to PortfolioPilot, the platform can analyze the 401(k), crypto, and taxable accounts together, surfacing diversification gaps and tax opportunities. But the investor must decide whether and how to act on those insights.

• So what? The decision is less about fees, since both options minimize costs, and more about scope. One offers convenience inside a closed ecosystem; the other offers analysis across a full financial life.

The comparison is based on publicly available information from each provider’s website as of 11/19/2025. Features, fees, and methodologies may change over time