Decide who makes the trades
With a brokerage, you pick the investments and place the orders. With a robo-advisor, the company builds a portfolio from your answers to a questionnaire and keeps it balanced. One costs you time; the other costs you a fee.
Find out what 'advice' includes
Portfolio management, a phone call with a human planner, tax-loss harvesting, and full financial planning are separate services. Read what you actually get at the account size you'd open.
Add up every cost
Advisory fee, fund expense ratios, trading costs, and account charges. Then check the firm's registration with the SEC or FINRA. Being registered means the firm follows the rules. It doesn't mean the portfolio will go up.
Now put it to use
Take these questions to the comparison and see which company answers them best.
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