Axos Invest Review 2026: Is This Robo-Advisor Worth It?

Axos Invest is the investment arm of Axos Bank, an online-only bank headquartered in San Diego, California. The platform started as WiseBanyan, a free robo-advisor launched in 2014, before Axos Financial acquired it and rebranded it in 2019.

Today, Axos Invest offers two distinct services: Managed Portfolios (a robo-advisor that builds and manages diversified ETF portfolios) and Self-Directed Trading (a commission-free brokerage for stocks, ETFs, options, and mutual funds). The company also operates Axos Advisor Services, a separate registered investment advisor (RIA) platform for financial professionals.

The platform is registered with the SEC and operates out of Las Vegas, Nevada. All investment accounts are protected by SIPC insurance up to $500,000.

The Managed Portfolios service is Axos Invest's robo-advisor offering. After answering questions about your risk tolerance, time horizon, and financial goals, the platform builds a diversified portfolio using low-cost ETFs.

What sets Axos apart from most robo-advisors is the level of customization. You can add or remove from up to 32 different investment types, including socially responsible investing (SRI/ESG) options. Most robo-advisors give you a portfolio and that's it. Axos actually lets you tweak the mix.

The platform handles automatic rebalancing to keep your portfolio aligned with your target allocation. Tax-loss harvesting is also available, though it requires a minimum account balance of $25,000 and costs an additional 0.20% annually.

If you prefer picking your own investments, the Self-Directed Trading platform lets you trade stocks and ETFs with zero commission. There's no account minimum to get started.

You can also trade options at $1 per contract and mutual funds at $9.95 per trade. The platform supports individual accounts, joint accounts, and retirement accounts (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and SEP IRA).

For more active traders, the Axos Elite tier costs $10 per month and adds extended trading hours, real-time streaming quotes, reduced-cost options, margin trading, and TipRanks integration for stock research.

One of the strongest selling points of Axos Invest is its pricing. Here's the full breakdown:

The 0.24% annual management fee puts Axos well below the 1% typically charged by traditional financial advisors. It's also competitive with other robo-advisors, where fees typically range from 0.25% to 0.50%.

For context, on a $10,000 managed portfolio, you'd pay about $24 per year in advisory fees plus roughly $12 in underlying ETF expenses. On a $50,000 portfolio, that's $120 in advisory fees and about $60 in ETF costs.

Axos Invest supports several account types across both its managed and self-directed platforms:

Opening an account takes about 10 minutes. You'll need basic personal information, your Social Security number, and employment details. Managed Portfolio accounts require the $500 minimum deposit, while Self-Directed Trading accounts have no minimum.

Axos Invest is a subsidiary of Axos Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AX), a publicly traded financial holding company. The parent company has been operating since 2000 and manages over $23 billion in assets.

Investment accounts are protected by SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation) insurance up to $500,000, including $250,000 for cash claims. This protection covers you if the brokerage firm fails, though it doesn't protect against investment losses.

Axos Invest is registered with the SEC as a registered investment advisor and is also a member of FINRA. The platform is regulated under U.S. securities laws and must follow fiduciary standards when managing client portfolios.

Axos Invest works best for a specific type of investor. Here's who gets the most value from the platform:

To put Axos Invest in perspective, here's how it stacks up against other popular robo-advisors and trading platforms:

Axos Invest's 0.24% fee is slightly below Betterment and Wealthfront's 0.25%, but those platforms include tax-loss harvesting in the base fee. Once you add Axos's 0.20% tax-loss harvesting charge, the total cost jumps to 0.44%, which is higher than both competitors.

The real advantage of Axos is the portfolio customization. The ability to choose from 32 investment types and add ESG options is unusual for a robo-advisor at this price point. Betterment offers some customization, but Axos gives you more control over the specific asset classes in your portfolio.

Axos Invest provides customer support through email, phone (1-888-642-0039), and an AI chatbot on the website. Phone support is available during business hours, and the chatbot handles basic questions around the clock.

User reviews on customer service are mixed. Some customers report helpful and responsive agents, while others mention long hold times and needing to speak with multiple representatives to resolve issues. This is a common theme across online-only financial platforms.

One notable gap: there is no live chat with a human agent. If the AI chatbot can't answer your question, it provides a phone number rather than connecting you to a live representative.

Axos Invest is a solid option for investors who want low-cost automated investing with more customization than most robo-advisors offer. The 0.24% management fee is competitive, and the ability to personalize your portfolio from 32 investment types is a genuine differentiator.

The platform falls short on customer support, research tools, and the overall user experience compared to polished competitors like Betterment or Robinhood. And the separate charge for tax-loss harvesting (0.20%) means the total cost can climb higher than alternatives that include it for free.

If you're already an Axos Bank customer, the integrated banking and investing experience adds real convenience. For everyone else, the platform is worth considering if low fees and portfolio customization are your top priorities, and you don't need hand-holding from a human advisor.