SoFi Invest Review 2026: Fees, Options, the 0.25% Robo and the Inactivity Fee



This page contains no affiliate links, and SoFi does not pay us. SoFi Invest is a brokerage and an SEC-registered investment adviser, and we do not act as a paid promoter for it or for any provider mentioned here. See our affiliate disclosure. Editorial conclusions are based on published evidence and are not for sale.

By Lennit Herrera, founder and editor, Smart Money Picks  ·  Last updated September 29, 2026

The verdict: SoFi Invest is a sensible choice for someone who already banks with SoFi and wants to buy stocks, ETFs and IPO shares from the same app. Stock, ETF and options trades cost $0 in commission, fractional shares start at $5, and the IRA pays a 1% match on contributions. It is not the free, do-everything app that much of the web still describes. The robo-advisor now charges a 0.25% annual advisory fee. SoFi’s own fee schedule, last updated September 17, 2026, lists a $25 inactivity fee for every six months without a login and a $100 fee to transfer your account out. Crypto trades cost up to 1.90% a trade.

If you want the cheapest place to hold index funds for decades, a large full-service broker is the better home; see our Fidelity vs Vanguard comparison. If you want banking, a savings rate and a simple investing account in one login, and you’ll open the app at least twice a year, SoFi does that job well.

Fees, minimums, rates and account rules were read from SoFi’s own pages on September 29, 2026: the SoFi Invest fee schedule (last updated 9/17/2026), the SoFi Crypto fee sheet (effective June 4, 2026), and the automated investing, options, IPO, IRA, margin and savings pages. The savings APYs are variable and were current as of 9/23/26, according to SoFi. Performance commentary comes from Condor Capital, and the firm’s regulatory record comes from FINRA BrokerCheck.

This article is general information, not financial advice. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal, and past performance does not guarantee future results.

On this page

• SoFi Invest at a glance
• What SoFi Invest actually is
• Every fee that matters, from the fee schedule
• The robo-advisor: 0.25% now, not free
• Options, margin and IPOs
• The IRA and the 1% match
• Cash, savings APY and SoFi Plus
• Crypto
• What we like
• Watch out for
• Who it is for, and who should skip it
• Alternatives worth comparing
• How we assessed it
• FAQ
• Bottom line

SoFi Invest at a glance

• Starting price: $0 commission on U.S. stocks, ETFs and options (regulatory and clearing fees still apply). The robo-advisor charges 0.25% a year.
• Minimum: $5 to begin self-directed investing, $50 for the robo-advisor, and no minimum to open an account
• Accounts: Taxable brokerage (self-directed or robo), plus Traditional, Roth, SEP and rollover IRAs
• Notable limit: Only Level 1 options (covered calls and cash-secured puts) are available today; buying calls and puts is marked “coming soon.” The robo-advisor does no tax-loss harvesting.

See SoFi Invest’s current terms →

What SoFi Invest actually is

“SoFi Invest” is a trade name covering two regulated companies. Self-directed trading (stocks, ETFs, options, IPOs and margin) is run by SoFi Securities LLC, a FINRA and SIPC member broker-dealer. You can look up its record on FINRA BrokerCheck (CRD 151717). BrokerCheck lists the firm as active and flags that it has disclosures on file, so read them before you move a large balance. The robo-advisor is run by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Checking and savings sit at a third entity, SoFi Bank, N.A.

That structure explains the appeal and the trap. Everything lives in one app, and cash moves from SoFi Checking into an investment account almost instantly. But each product has its own fee sheet, and that, not the marketing page, is where the costs are.

One third-party result: in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Investor Satisfaction Study, SoFi Invest ranked first among do-it-yourself brokerages. The study surveyed 4,335 DIY investors, according to SoFi’s March 18, 2026 release. That measures how satisfied customers say they are. It does not measure cost or execution quality.

Every fee that matters, from the fee schedule

The headline “$0 commission” is accurate for U.S. stock, ETF and options trades. The fee schedule is where the other costs are listed. These are the ones a typical customer is most likely to run into:

• Inactivity fee: $25 per account for every six months of login inactivity. This matters most on this page because it is easy to trigger in exactly the kind of account SoFi markets to beginners: open, fund once, forget. Two missed half-years cost $50 a year, which on a $500 starter balance is a 10% annual drag. The fee is based on logins, not trades, so opening the app counts.
• Outgoing ACAT transfer: $100. This is the cost of moving your account to another broker. Incoming transfers are free. (The version of this page before September 2026 said $75. SoFi’s current schedule says $100.)
• Outgoing wire: $25. A returned ACH, check or wire costs $30.
• IRA closing fee: $100, which the schedule says “may be assessed when the account’s balance drops below $100.”
• Selling IPO shares early: $50 for the first sale of IPO shares within 120 days of the IPO, then $5 for each further sale in that window.
• Mutual funds: a transaction fee of 0.2% of the purchase, capped at $20. Interval and tender-offer funds (the “alternatives” SoFi promotes) carry a transaction fee of up to 2% of the purchase, on top of the fund’s own expenses.
• Also listed: regulatory fees on sells that pass through at every broker, paper-document charges if SoFi’s emails bounce, and $115 per security for DRS transfers.

For a buy-and-hold investor who logs in now and then, the real cost is close to zero. For someone who opens an account on a promotion and walks away, the inactivity fee slowly drains the balance.

The robo-advisor: 0.25% now, not free

SoFi’s automated investing used to charge no advisory fee, and older reviews, including the previous version of this page, still say so. Its automated investing page now states it plainly: “SoFi charges an annual advisory fee of 0.25%.” The fee is based on account value and is charged as a wrap fee. The minimum is $50. On $10,000 that is $25 a year, before the funds’ own expense ratios.

Three portfolio themes are offered: Classic, Classic with Alternatives and Sustainable, each in five risk levels. SoFi’s April 2026 holdings document shows mostly iShares and BlackRock funds, some Vanguard ETFs, and small positions in active and thematic ETFs, including an AI-and-tech fund and a defense-tech fund. The “with Alternatives” version adds market-neutral and macro mutual funds plus a 2% slice of a bitcoin ETF. Two details matter:

• SoFi’s own fund appears in taxable portfolios. Taxable Classic portfolios hold the SoFi Select 500 ETF (SFY) at up to 31% of the portfolio. SoFi’s fee schedule notes that if SoFi creates its own funds, “it could earn management fees there.” That is a disclosed conflict, not a hidden one, but you should know it’s there.
• No tax-loss harvesting. SoFi’s help center says: “SoFi Automated Investing accounts do not include tax-loss harvesting as part of their auto-rebalancing feature.” Taxable accounts use municipal bond funds for the bond portion, which helps somewhat for high earners.

On results, the independent evidence is favorable, with a caveat. Condor Capital funds real robo-advisor accounts and tracks them. Its Q2 2026 performance commentary says SoFi “led by a wide margin” on benchmark-adjusted returns over the trailing three years. It also puts SoFi among the top three over one year. The same report explains why: SoFi held 75% of its equity sleeve in U.S. stocks and 82% in large caps, “the most extreme positions in the universe.” That is a concentrated bet on U.S. large caps that paid off. The same concentration will hurt when U.S. large caps lag. For how SoFi’s robo compares with Fidelity Go, Vanguard, Betterment and Wealthfront on fees and cash drag, see our best robo-advisors comparison.

Options, margin and IPOs

Options: available, but only Level 1. The previous version of this page said SoFi has no options trading. That is no longer true. SoFi’s options page offers options with $0 commission and no per-contract fee, including in IRAs, with 0DTE contracts and a visual “Strategy Builder.” The catch is in the levels. Level 1 (covered calls and cash-secured puts) is “available now.” Level 2, buying calls and puts, is marked “coming soon.” Multi-leg spreads are not offered. What you pay per contract is the pass-through: a $0.02 options regulatory fee plus a $0.025 OCC clearing fee, about 4.5 cents a contract, plus the trading activity fee on sells.

Margin: priced above many larger brokers at small balances. SoFi’s fee schedule charges 9.75% on margin balances up to $50,000, stepping down to 9.00%, 8.50%, 7.50%, 7.00%, 6.00% and 5.00% above $10 million. You need $2,000 in the account before you can borrow. SoFi’s own pages don’t agree: on September 29 the self-directed page still said “10.50%” and the Invest homepage said “4.75%-9.50%.” We quote the fee schedule dated 9/17/2026 because it is the binding document, but check the rate in the app before you borrow. Margin can lose you more than you put in.

IPOs: SoFi’s clearest standout. Any SoFi member with a self-directed account can submit an indication of interest in the IPOs SoFi offers, with no minimum. SoFi says it has helped more than 30 companies go public over the last five years. An IPO request is not a guaranteed purchase: you may get all, some or none of the shares. Two rules limit the benefit. The IPO page says that if you sell IPO shares within 30 days (“flipping”), you are suspended from SoFi IPOs for 180 days. The fee schedule adds the $50 charge for selling within 120 days. SoFi Plus members get “preferred access” to IPO allocations; SoFi says Plus membership is one of many factors it uses in deciding allocations.

The IRA and the 1% match

SoFi offers Traditional, Roth, SEP and rollover IRAs, each self-directed or robo-managed. There is no cost to open one. Its IRA page advertises a 1% match on contributions and 401(k) rollovers, with no cap on the rollover match. SEP IRAs are excluded, and a 5-year holding period applies. SoFi’s own example: a $3,000 deposit earns a $30 match. At the 2026 limit of $7,500 ($8,600 if you’re 50 or older), that’s $75 to $86 a year, and the match doesn’t count toward your contribution limit.

That’s a real benefit, but a modest one. If you use the robo IRA, its 0.25% fee is larger than a $75 match on any balance above $30,000. A 2% IRA match for SoFi Plus members that SoFi promoted earlier in the year ended April 15, 2026. The 1% match is the one still listed.

Cash, savings APY and SoFi Plus

The previous version of this page said SoFi Checking & Savings earned 4.60% APY. That is out of date. SoFi’s savings page, with rates current as of 9/23/26, says:

• 3.30% APY on savings with eligible direct deposit, or with deposits of at least $5,000 every 31 days. Otherwise 0.80% APY.
• New savings accounts opened by 12/31/26 can get a 0.90% APY boost for up to six months while the qualifying deposits continue, for up to 4.20% APY.
• The checking account, which opens automatically with savings, earns 0.50% APY.
• No monthly, overdraft or minimum-balance fees. Standard FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000; SoFi says deposits can be insured up to $3 million through its Insured Deposit Program, which spreads money across partner banks.

Uninvested cash in the brokerage account is a separate thing: it’s protected by SIPC, not FDIC, and SoFi doesn’t market it as a high-yield product. To earn the savings rate, keep idle cash in SoFi Savings and move it into Invest when you’re ready to buy. To see how 3.30% compares with other savings accounts, read our best high-yield savings accounts roundup.

SoFi Plus is the paid membership, at $10 a month according to the SoFi Plus page. For investors it adds unlimited sessions with SoFi Wealth financial planners (non-members get one free 30-minute session) and a 1% cash match on eligible deposits into taxable SoFi Invest accounts. That match requires a 5-year holding period and one year of continued membership, or it may be forfeited. Plus members also get preferred IPO access and 4.50% APY on up to $20,000 in savings. The $120 a year only pays for itself if you use several of those benefits.

Crypto

Crypto is now a separate product, SoFi Crypto, offered through SoFi Bank, with more than 25 coins. The fee sheet, effective June 4, 2026, charges a tiered trading fee by monthly volume: 1.90% up to $1,000, 1.50% from $1,000 to $5,000, 1.25% from $5,000 to $10,000, and 0.90% above $10,000. The fill price can also move by up to about 0.10% from the quote. A $500 buy costs about $9.50 in fees. There are no account, custody or inactivity fees on the crypto account. If you trade crypto regularly, expect to pay less at a dedicated exchange. SoFi Crypto is for someone who wants a small position without opening another account.

What we like

• $0 commissions on stocks, ETFs and options, with no per-contract options fee. Only the regulatory pass-throughs apply.
• Retail IPO access with no minimum, which few brokers offer.
• A 1% IRA match with no employer plan required and no cap on the rollover match.
• One app for banking, saving and investing, with near-instant transfers between them. The robo-advisor has a strong three-year record in Condor Capital’s independent tracking.

Watch out for

• The $25 inactivity fee every six months without a login. It is easy to miss and does real damage on a small balance.
• The robo-advisor is no longer free. It charges 0.25% a year and has no tax-loss harvesting, and taxable portfolios hold SoFi’s own ETF.
• Leaving costs $100 (outgoing ACAT). High margin rates at small balances (9.75% up to $50,000) and crypto fees up to 1.90% make it an expensive place to borrow or trade coins.

Who it is for, and who should skip it

Best for: existing SoFi Bank customers who want to buy stocks, ETFs and the occasional IPO in the same app; IRA savers who’ll collect the 1% match and hold for five years; beginners starting with small amounts through fractional shares.

Skip it if: you want to buy options or run spreads (only covered calls and cash-secured puts are available today); you want tax-loss harvesting in a taxable robo account; you borrow on margin; you trade crypto often; or you’re likely to open an account and not log in for months.

Alternatives worth comparing

• For long-term index investing at the lowest cost: a full-service broker. Our Fidelity vs Vanguard comparison covers the two biggest on fees and fund lineups, and how to invest in index funds walks through the setup.
• For a hands-off managed portfolio: see the best robo-advisors, including one with no advisory fee on small balances, or our Wealthfront vs Betterment comparison if tax-loss harvesting matters to you.
• For building your own portfolio of slices on autopilot: our M1 Finance review.
• For active app-based trading with full options levels: our Robinhood review and Robinhood vs Webull.
• For beginners comparing several apps at once: best investing apps for beginners.

How we assessed it

We read 14 of SoFi’s primary documents and pages on September 29, 2026: the SoFi Invest fee schedule, the SoFi Crypto fee sheet, the robo-advisor holdings document, the Invest, self-directed, automated investing, options, IPO, IRA, margin, SIPC, savings and SoFi Plus pages, and SoFi’s help-center article on tax-loss harvesting. We checked the broker’s registration on FINRA BrokerCheck and used Condor Capital’s Q2 2026 commentary for performance. We do not test investment accounts ourselves, we did not open a SoFi account for this review, and we don’t present anything here as first-hand use.

FAQ

Is SoFi Invest free?

Trading U.S. stocks, ETFs and options carries no commission, and there’s no fee to open an account. It is not free in every case: the robo-advisor charges 0.25% a year, there’s a $25 inactivity fee for every six months without a login, and moving your account out costs $100, per SoFi’s fee schedule dated 9/17/2026.

Does SoFi Invest have an inactivity fee?

Yes: $25 per account for every six months of login inactivity. Logging in resets it; you don’t need to trade.

Can you trade options on SoFi?

Yes, with $0 commission and no per-contract fee, including in IRAs. Only Level 1 strategies (covered calls and cash-secured puts) are available as of September 29, 2026. SoFi lists Level 2, buying calls and puts, as “coming soon.”

Is SoFi’s robo-advisor still free?

No. SoFi’s automated investing page states a 0.25% annual advisory fee, with a $50 minimum. Many older reviews still say it’s free.

Is SoFi Invest safe?

The brokerage, SoFi Securities LLC, is a FINRA member and a member of SIPC. SIPC protects up to $500,000 per customer capacity, including $250,000 in cash, if the firm fails; it doesn’t protect against market losses. Its record is public on FINRA BrokerCheck (CRD 151717). Money in SoFi Checking and Savings is a bank deposit covered by FDIC insurance, not SIPC.

How does the SoFi IRA match work?

SoFi adds 1% of eligible IRA contributions and 401(k) rollovers. SEP IRAs are excluded, there’s no cap on the rollover match, and a 5-year holding period applies. A $7,500 contribution earns $75.

Bottom line

SoFi Invest is a capable, low-cost brokerage that’s worth opening if you already bank with SoFi and will log in regularly. The $0 commissions, retail IPO access and 1% IRA match are real advantages. The robo-advisor is no longer free, options stop at Level 1, margin is expensive at small balances, and the $25 inactivity fee punishes the open-and-forget habit SoFi’s promotions encourage. Read the fee schedule before you fund an account; that’s where every cost on this page came from.

See SoFi Invest’s current terms →

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