This page turns Canadian robo-advisors’ management fees into dollars at different balances, so you can see what each would cost for your account size. It covers the management fee each provider charges; the ETFs inside every portfolio charge their own MER on top. For features, minimums and how to choose, see the robo-advisor comparison; for self-directed investing, the online broker comparison.
Management fee schedules
From each provider’s pricing page as of September 2026:
| Provider | Management fee | How the rate applies |
|---|---|---|
| Wealthsimple managed investing | 0.5% (Core), 0.4% (Premium, $100,000+), 0.2% to 0.4% (Generation, $500,000+) | One rate on the whole balance, set by your total Wealthsimple assets |
| Questwealth | 0.25%; 0.20% from $100,000 | One rate on the whole balance |
| Justwealth | 0.50% (its published $100,000 example) | Minimum fee $4.99/month; confirm the rate at higher balances |
| CI Direct Investing | 0.60% / 0.40% / 0.35% | Layered: first $150,000, next $350,000, above $500,000 |
| RBC InvestEase | 0.50% | One rate on the whole balance |
Annual management fee in dollars
Management fee only, before sales tax and ETF MERs. The Wealthsimple column assumes the account is your whole Wealthsimple balance, which sets the tier.
| Balance | Wealthsimple | Questwealth | Justwealth | CI Direct Investing | RBC InvestEase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $50 | $25 | $59.88 (minimum fee) | $60 | $50 |
| $50,000 | $250 | $125 | $250 | $300 | $250 |
| $100,000 | $400 | $200 | $500 | $600 | $500 |
| $250,000 | $1,000 | $500 | $1,250 (confirm) | $1,300 | $1,250 |
| $500,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $2,500 (confirm) | $2,300 | $2,500 |
Each figure is the balance times the rate that applies to it. For CI Direct Investing, the $250,000 figure is 0.60% of the first $150,000 plus 0.40% of the remaining $100,000. At $500,000, Wealthsimple charges its Generation rate of 0.4%; its lowest rate, 0.2%, applies only from $10,000,000. For Justwealth at $10,000, the $4.99 monthly minimum fee is higher than 0.50% of the balance, so the minimum applies.
Adding the ETF fees
Every robo-advisor portfolio is made of ETFs that charge their own MER, deducted inside the funds rather than billed to you. Providers publish these by portfolio: RBC InvestEase lists weighted-average MERs of 0.12% to 0.20% for its core portfolios and 0.17% to 0.25% for its responsible investing portfolios. To compare two providers on total cost, add each one’s management fee to the MER of the specific portfolio you would hold. The MER calculator shows how a given all-in percentage grows over time.
Fee structures compared
- Whole-balance rates (Questwealth, Wealthsimple, RBC InvestEase): one percentage applies to everything. Crossing a threshold lowers the rate on the entire balance.
- Layered rates (CI Direct Investing): each slice of the balance is charged its own rate, like tax brackets, so the average rate falls gradually.
- Minimum fees (Justwealth): a floor in dollars per month, which weighs most on small accounts.
Robo-advisors against the alternatives
A robo-advisor’s management fee is the price of not doing the investing yourself. Buying a single all-in-one ETF at a commission-free broker costs only the ETF’s MER; robo-advisor vs a DIY ETF portfolio puts numbers on that trade-off. At the other end, mutual funds sold through bank branches typically carry MERs well above robo-advisor costs; ETF vs mutual fund compares the two.
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources. How we check facts.
- cifinancial.com: Investment Account Pricing | CI Direct Investing
- questrade.com: Questwealth Portfolios | Questrade
- wealthsimple.com: Compare Generation, Premium, and Core Plans & Fees | Wealthsimple