Start savings for retirement with the best Roth IRAs from top brokerage platforms to unlock high-quality retirement planning services, after-tax advantages, and automatic rebalancing for long-term wealth building.
Below, we've listed our top picks for who has the best Roth IRA accounts, as chosen by our Business Insider editors in 2025.
Best Roth IRA Accounts
- Charles Schwab: Best Roth IRA Overall
- Fidelity: Best for Retirement Planning
- Merrill Edge: Best for Active Trading
- Betterment: Best for Robo-Advice
- SoFi Invest: Best for Beginner Investors
- Wealthfront: Best for Goal Planning
Featured IRA Providers
$1,000
0.99% - 1.99% one-time deposit fee, 2.00% transaction fee, and a 0.08% security fee billed monthly
Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Solo 401(k), Solo 401(k) Roth, SEP IRA, and Simple IRA
$150 bonus when signing up
- Bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin, and several other cryptocurrencies available
- Supports IRA rollovers, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and 401(k)s
- Secure, cold-wallet storage
- Top-not security and encryption technology
- High setup and maintenance fees
- Only offers cryptocurrencies and gold
- Features: 24/7 trading, offline storage, and $250 million insurance
- Better Business Bureau rating: A+
- Awards: Earned the Mobile Web & App of the Year award for the 2022 Globee American Best in Business Awards
$0
0%
Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, and SEP IRAs
- No minimums or fees
- Certified financial planner access
- No tax-loss harvesting
- Limited investment selection
SoFi is a great choice for traditional IRAs. In addition to other investing, loans and savings options, the advisor provides Roth and SEP IRAs.
SoFi IRA- Consider it if: You're new to investing and want a variety of low-cost retirement, investing, and savings options.
- App store rating: 4.8 iOS/4.3 Android
$500
0.25%; 0.06 - 0.13% for low-cost investment funds
Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, and SEP IRAs
- Low annual fee for investment accounts; crypto trust investments available
- Tax-loss harvesting
- Mobile app and investing and retirement tools
- Offers traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs
- You need at least $100,000 to utilize additional investment strategies
- No human advisor access
Wealthfront is one of the best robo-advisor options if you're in search of low-cost automated portfolio management, and one of the best socially responsible investing apps for features like tax-loss harvesting, US direct indexing, and crypto trusts.
Wealthfront IRA- Consider it if: You're looking for goal-based strategies for retirement and other savings goals.
- App store rating: 4.8 iOS/4.6 Android
Charles Schwab Roth IRA: Best Roth IRA Overall
Charles Schwab Charles Schwab IRA takes a holistic approach to retirement savings by offering a range of investment options, strategies, and resources for all-around financial wellness. Charles Schwab's Roth IRAs are free to set up and manage.
Explore Charles Schwab's professional portfolio management solutions for simplified trading techniques, tax efficiency, and mitigated portfolio risk and volatility. Schwab provides Roth IRA investors with retirement planning calculators, real-time market commentary, and access to Schwab retirement specialists.
The platform's retirement-specific educational content includes Charles Schwab's pre-retirement playbook for step-by-step advice, the Money Talk podcast, and a collection of articles and guides. Additional features include Schwab's 24/7 customer service, user-friendly interface, and top-notch security.
What to look out for: The $0 commission rule doesn't apply to large block transactions that require restricted stock transactions, special handling, trades placed on foreign exchange, transaction-fee mutual funds, futures, and other fixed-income investments.
Fidelity IRA: Best Roth IRA for Retirement Planning
Fidelity is an affordable retirement brokerage offering a robust selection of digital financial services, retirement planning strategies, and commission-free trades.
In addition to its Roth IRAs, Fidelity Fidelity IRA offers several other retirement accounts, including traditional, rollover, Roth, and custodial IRAs. There are also small business retirement plans available.
Fidelity Roth IRAs have no advisory fees (for balances under $25,000) or minimum deposit requirements. They can be opened as DIY investing accounts or robo-advisor accounts. Eligible Fidelity brokerage or retirement accounts can also be converted to an account to access automatic withdrawals and deposits.
Fidelity Roth IRAs invest in a blend of Fidelity Flex mutual funds and other assets. Fidelity Flex funds do not charge management fees or fund expenses. Plus, there are no expense ratios.
What to look out for: If you choose Fidelity Go, you'll pay $0 as long as you've got an account balance below $25,000. You'll pay a 0.35% fee if you've got more than $25,000.
Merrill Edge IRA: Best Roth IRA for Active Trading
Merrill Edge Merrill Edge IRA offers no-cost Roth IRAs for tax-free growth and flexible withdrawals. Other available Merrill Edge retirement plans include traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs. You can also open a tax-qualified 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b).
With Merrill Edge's Roth IRA, you can invest in various securities. A self-directed Roth IRA has no trade or balance minimums for online stock, ETF, and option trades. There are three investment platforms: Merrill Edge Self-Directed, Merrill Guided Investing, or Merrill Guided Investing with an advisor.
You can take advantage of 24/7 customer service support and live chat. Merrill Edge also gets you access to a personal retirement calculator, a retirement account selector tool, a Roth IRA conversion calculator, and 401(k) rollovers.
What to look out for: Self-directed Roth IRA accounts come with $o trading fees and commissions, but you'll pay more to set up a professionally managed portfolio.
Betterment IRA: Best Roth IRA for Robo-Advice
Betterment offers personalized investing and retirement resources to help users meet specific savings goals and is a great Roth IRA for beginners. Open a Betterment Roth IRA to unlock tax-free growth, automated portfolio tools, and personalized retirement plans.
Betterment provides personalized retirement advice from a team of Betterment experts. Automated retirement planning tools include automatic trading, rebalancing, and dividend reinvesting. Betterment Roth IRAs also authorize direct IRA transfers with no tax impact. You'll have access to several crypto portfolios and socially responsible investment options.
Betterment will automatically rebalance your account and reinvest dividends on your behalf. The robo-advisor offers multiple other portfolios — Betterment Core, Goldman Sachs Smart Beta, and Innovative Technology — that mix your funds into a diversified collection of assets with different market goals.
What to look out for: The investing platform specializes in automated investment management, so it may not be the best fit for active traders and DIY investors.
SoFi Invest: Best Roth IRA for Beginner Investors
SoFi® is a competitive, low-cost choice for those interested in opening a Roth IRA. SoFi Roth IRAs are eligible as self-directed and automated IRA accounts. There are no maintenance or commission fees. Plus, no minimums or balance requirements.
Roth IRAs with SoFi come with free access to certified financial planners (CFPs) and goal-based portfolios with SoFi automated IRAs. Diversify your investment portfolio with a custom blend of stocks, ETFs, alternative investments, and more.
SoFi® SoFi Active Invest® also provides several other spending and saving account options, as well as guides, calculators, and resources for account holders. Overall, the investment platform offers active and automated Roth, traditional, and SEP IRAs.
What to look out for: SoFi primarily offers stocks and ETFs. This advisor may not be the best fit if you're looking for other investments, such as mutual funds.
Wealthfront IRA: Best Roth IRA for Goal Planning
Open a Wealthfront Wealthfront IRA for a personalized portfolio of ETFs to match your goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. Taxable Wealthfront Roth IRAs are automated investment accounts with a wealth of retirement-focused tools and planning services.
Wealthfront IRAs get you access to goal-based planning and tax-loss harvesting strategies without paying any trading commissions. You'll need a higher account balance to use strategies such as stock-level tax-loss harvesting, risk parity, and smart beta investing.
Though Wealth IRA investment services feature a substantial annual fee and a $500 minimum deposit, the robo-advisor offers various account types and investment strategies. In addition to its Roth IRAs, Wealthfront offers traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, 401(k) rollovers, crypto trusts, 529 college savings plans, and multiple taxable accounts. The advisor even offers a high-interest cash account.
What to look out for: You can't open a Roth IRA with Wealthfront unless you've got at least $500.
What is a Roth IRA?
Roth IRAs are individual retirement accounts funded by after-tax dollars (aka already taxed money). They are one of the most popular retirement plans offered by online brokerages and offer tax-free growth and withdrawals in retirement.
One of the best perks of a Roth IRA is that you can withdraw your original funds (minus any gains) from your account without penalty, essentially making it an emergency fund. This flexibility can prove especially beneficial for investors with tight budgets.
How to Choose the Best Roth IRA Account
Your best Roth IRA account depends on your financial situation and savings goals. For instance, if you expect to pay more in taxes as you get older, a Roth IRA could be more suitable than a traditional IRA. This is because you'll pay immediate taxes on any contributions you make.
Once you reach age 59 ½, you won't have to pay taxes on any withdrawals. You could incur a large tax bill if you defer your account's taxes until age 59 ½.
Consider the following when choosing a top-rate Roth IRA provider:
- Investment choices: Consider the variety and types of investments, such as stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds.
- Fees: Compare account fees, trading commissions, and expense ratios for mutual funds and ETFs.
- Platform and tools: Evaluate the Roth IRA's user-friendliness, available research and educational resources, and additional tools like retirement planning tools, retirement calculators, and portfolio analysis.
- Customer service: Research the provider's reputation and accessibility for customer support. The best Roth IRA providers offer 24/7 customer support through email, online chat, blog posts, and over the phone.
- Additional features: If you value automatic rebalancing, fractional shares, or access to financial advisors, consider these.
Why You Should Trust Us: Our Expert Panel on The Best Roth IRA Accounts
We interviewed the following three retirement and investing experts for our guide to the best Roth IRA accounts:
- Charlotte Geletka, CFP, CRPC, managing partner at Silver Penny Financial Planning
- David Brooks, CIS, CHRS, founder and president at Retire SMART
- Tanya Nichols, CFP, founder and president at Align Financial
We're focusing on what makes a Roth IRA account most useful. When comparing accounts, it's important to consider fees, investment choices, retirement planning resources, and more. Here's what they had to say about Roth IRA accounts. (Some text may be lightly edited for clarity.)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of opening a Roth IRA?
Charlotte Geletka, CFP, CRPC:
"Since its inception, many mass media personalities will tell you that the Roth is the only way to go. The Roth IRA is not one size fits all. Roth IRAs [work] best for people who either A) have a very long time horizon until retirement or B) are in a low tax bracket now and plan to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement."
David Brooks, CIS, CHRS:
"The big advantage that many people don't realize is [that] you can get access to your money at any time with no penalty whatsoever. So if you contribute to a Roth IRA, and you are younger than 59 ½...if you come up on an emergency [and] you need to pull your money back out, you're always entitled to pull out your contributions with no tax and no penalty."
Tanya Nichols, CFP:
"One of the downsides of Roth IRAs is that they're not available to everyone. Individuals earning more than $161,000 annually (in 2024) and married couples earning more than $240,000 may not be eligible to make full contributions, which diminishes the potential benefits."
What makes a Roth IRA account good or not good?
Charlotte Geletka, CFP, CRPC:
"If you have a Roth IRA in retirement, it is a great way to take distributions without increasing your tax bracket and utilize tax planning strategies. A Roth IRA is a really powerful retirement savings tool, but it is not one size fits all. That's why it is a great idea to speak to a financial advisor."
David Brooks, CIS, CHRS:
"The Roth has huge advantages for younger investors over a traditional IRA. The myth is that you'll be in a lower tax bracket when you're retired, so that's why the traditional side is so popular. But I can tell you, from two-plus decades of doing retirement-specific planning, that's a lie."
Tanya Nichols, CFP:
"A Roth IRA is not inherently good or bad. Like all financial vehicles, the pros and cons should be considered in light of each person's financial circumstances and objectives. The benefits can vary meaningfully depending on your income, age, current tax rate, and future prospects."
Who should open a Roth IRA account?
Charlotte Geletka, CFP, CRPC:
"Young people who have a long time horizon to let the money grow. It also works well for people who have less income now but anticipate a significant increase in salary as they advance in their career."
David Brooks, CIS, CHRS:
"Everyone. And I mean everyone. There's some confusion behind who can have a Roth IRA as well. Some people believe [that] because they don't have any income, or they have too much income, they're not entitled to have a Roth IRA. That is incorrect."
Tanya Nichols, CFP:
"If you think your future tax bracket will be higher than your current tax bracket and you can maximize your contributions to a Roth IRA based on your current income level, you're likely to benefit from the tax-free withdrawal feature in retirement.
"It's not a great tool unless it's really designated for long-term retirement savings."
Is there any other advice you'd offer someone who's considering opening a Roth IRA?
Charlotte Geletka, CFP, CRPC:
"Another cool thing about a Roth is that you have until April of the following year to see if you are eligible to contribute to a Roth and have the additional savings to contribute to a Roth."
David Brooks, CIS, CHRS:
"Understand what the fees and expenses are going to be on your account. There is nothing wrong with paying for quality advice, but do not open an account with a commission-based broker. I think you would rather use a fiduciary."
Tanya Nichols, CFP:
"Before you decide which savings tool you're going to use - make sure you have a savings account of up to 90 days of living expenses set aside, and that you don't have any revolving credit card debt. Good habits about spending are just as important (maybe even more) than saving.
"Make sure that you know that the money you're putting aside is money that should be set aside for a really long time."
Roth IRA FAQs
The disadvantage of a Roth IRA is that it is funded with after-tax dollars, so you won't benefit from the initial tax break that a traditional IRA offers. On the upside, the money in your account grows tax-free.
A traditional IRA may be a better option than a Roth IRA for someone who expects to be in a lower tax bracket when they are older compared to now. Thus, deferring their taxable income potentially saves them money.
In most cases, a 401(k) is a better option than a Roth IRA as it has a larger contribution limit, is often managed by an advisor, and may allow you to earn free money through employer-sponsored matches.
Methodology: How We Chose the Best Roth IRAs
We used Business Insider's methodology for rating investment platforms when reviewing online brokers that offer 401(k) rollovers to find the best platforms for investment options, low fees and minimums, portfolio types, human advisor access, and customer service.
We also favored platforms offering various other features and products, such as tax-loss harvesting, robo-advisor access, and market research. Investment platforms are given a rating between 1 and 5.
