Marcus Invest vs SigFig: Which Is Better in 2026?

Last updated July 2026

Short answer

Marcus Invest and SigFig are often compared, but they are built for different jobs. Marcus Invest is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors) (automates a diversified etf portfolio), best for goldman-built portfolios alongside a marcus savings account. SigFig is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors) (automates a portfolio in accounts you already hold), best for automation that manages your existing schwab or fidelity account. Neither is universally better: pick Marcus Invest if you want goldman-built portfolios alongside a marcus savings account, SigFig if you want automation that manages your existing schwab or fidelity account.

Both Marcus Invest and SigFig get grouped under “AI investing tools,” which is why people compare them, but they sit in different categories and answer to different needs. Below is a balanced, 2026 look at what each one does, whether it reads the brokerage you already use, how each is priced, and who each fits, so you can tell which job you are actually hiring a tool for. Where relevant, we note where Walnut sits in its own category: chat-driven management of your own broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Marcus Invest vs SigFig at a glance

 Marcus InvestSigFig
CategoryHands-off automated investing (robo-advisors)Hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors)
What the AI doesAutomates a diversified ETF portfolioAutomates a portfolio in accounts you already hold
Connects your brokerNo (holds your money at Marcus)Yes, it manages accounts held at supported brokers
Read vs tradeAutomatedAutomated
CostPercentage of assets (verify current)Free under a stated balance, then a percentage (verify current)
Best forGoldman-built portfolios alongside a Marcus savings accountAutomation that manages your existing Schwab or Fidelity account
One limitationA conventional automated portfolio with no distinguishing feature beyond sitting next to Marcus savings.Supported custodians are limited, so it only works if your account is already at one of them.

Figures and features are point-in-time and change; treat the table as a starting map, not a live quote.

What is Marcus Invest?

Goldman Sachs' automated investing service, built around model ETF portfolios and sold alongside Marcus savings products.

How it works: A questionnaire sets a risk level, and Marcus invests in a diversified ETF portfolio built by Goldman Sachs, rebalancing automatically. The pitch is the pairing with Marcus high-yield savings so cash and investments sit in one place, rather than any distinctive portfolio approach.

In practice, Marcus Invest’s AI automates a diversified etf portfolio. It falls under hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors), which makes it best suited to goldman-built portfolios alongside a marcus savings account. On connecting an account it is “No (holds your money at Marcus)”, and on execution it is “Automated”. It is priced as percentage of assets (verify current).

One honest limitation: A conventional automated portfolio with no distinguishing feature beyond sitting next to Marcus savings.

What is SigFig?

An automated investing service that manages accounts held at your existing broker rather than requiring you to move money.

How it works: Rather than opening a new account, you link an existing brokerage account at a supported custodian and SigFig manages it in place, rebalancing and running tax-efficient strategies. Below a stated balance the management is free. This structure is unusual: nearly every competitor requires custody of your assets.

In practice, SigFig’s AI automates a portfolio in accounts you already hold. It falls under hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors), which makes it best suited to automation that manages your existing schwab or fidelity account. On connecting an account it is “Yes, it manages accounts held at supported brokers”, and on execution it is “Automated”. It is priced as free under a stated balance, then a percentage (verify current).

One honest limitation: Supported custodians are limited, so it only works if your account is already at one of them.

Marcus Invest vs SigFig: how they actually differ

The core difference is category. Marcus Invest focuses on goldman-built portfolios alongside a marcus savings account (automates a diversified etf portfolio), and SigFig on automation that manages your existing schwab or fidelity account (automates a portfolio in accounts you already hold). On broker connection they differ too: Marcus Invest is “No (holds your money at Marcus)” versus SigFig at “Yes, it manages accounts held at supported brokers”. That shapes everything downstream: how personal the answers are, where trades settle, and how much control you keep over individual positions.

Marcus Invest vs SigFig: strengths and trade-offs

Every tool gives something up for what it does well. Here is the honest give-and-take on each, so you can weigh the specific strengths against the limitations that come with them rather than judging on the headline category alone.

Marcus Invest

Where it is strong

  • Portfolios constructed by a large, well-resourced institutional investment team
  • Sits alongside Marcus savings, which is useful if your cash is already there
  • Low minimum to start

What to watch out for

  • Little differentiates the portfolios from any other automated ETF service
  • Check the current feature set carefully, since the product has been repositioned more than once

SigFig

Where it is strong

  • Manages the account you already have rather than requiring a transfer
  • Free below a stated balance
  • Avoids the tax consequences of liquidating to move to a new provider

What to watch out for

  • Only works with a short list of supported custodians
  • Smaller and less prominent than the large robo-advisors, so check the current state of the service

The key divider: does it read your real holdings?

For AI investing tools, the distinction that matters most is whether the tool works from your actual, connected positions or reasons from something else: a separate account it manages for you, or the tickers and numbers you feed it. It decides how personal the answers can be, and where your money physically lives.

  • Marcus Invest: manages a separate account it holds. Marcus Invest does not read the brokerage you already use. It opens and holds a new account, then invests the money you move into it, so its view is limited to what sits inside Marcus Invest.
  • SigFig: manages a separate account it holds. SigFig does not read the brokerage you already use. It opens and holds a new account, then invests the money you move into it, so its view is limited to what sits inside SigFig.

On this specific question the two land on the same side, so the deciding factors between them are elsewhere: category, cost, and who each is built for. This holdings-aware angle is the one Walnut is built around: it connects the brokerage you already use and reasons from your live positions, read-only by default, with any trades left for you to approve.

Marcus Invest vs SigFig: which should you choose?

There is no universal winner here; the right pick depends on the job you are hiring the tool for. Match the category to your intent rather than chasing a single “best.”

  • Choose Marcus Invest if you want goldman-built portfolios alongside a marcus savings account. Its AI automates a diversified etf portfolio, it is priced as percentage of assets (verify current), and it fits hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors). It is built for an existing Marcus savings customer who wants automated investing in the same place and does not need anything unusual. Keep in mind that a conventional automated portfolio with no distinguishing feature beyond sitting next to marcus savings.
  • Choose SigFig if you want automation that manages your existing schwab or fidelity account. Its AI automates a portfolio in accounts you already hold, it is priced as free under a stated balance, then a percentage (verify current), and it fits hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors). It is built for someone with an existing account at a supported broker who wants it managed without moving anything. Keep in mind that supported custodians are limited, so it only works if your account is already at one of them.

Because both sit in the same category, the choice comes down to the finer details above rather than a fundamental difference in approach.

Marcus Invest vs SigFig: pricing and cost model

Cost is easy to misread when two tools charge in different shapes, so compare the model, not just the number. Marcus Invest is priced as percentage of assets (verify current), while SigFig is priced as free under a stated balance, then a percentage (verify current). A percentage-of-assets fee scales with your balance, a flat subscription does not, and a “free” tier usually earns elsewhere (on cash, order flow, or premium upgrades), so the cheapest headline is not always the cheapest outcome for your situation.

Pricing and tiers change often. Confirm the current numbers on each provider’s own site before you decide; the framing above is point-in-time.

Where Walnut fits

If neither quite fits, Walnut sits in a third category: chat-driven management of your own brokerage. It connects the brokerage you already use through SnapTrade, lets you analyze and manage it by talking through Claude or ChatGPT, build thematic portfolios around a thesis, and place trades you approve. Read-only by default. See Walnut vs Marcus Invest and Walnut vs SigFig. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Try Walnut on top of your broker

Walnut is the AI that knows your portfolio: ask anything in plain English, research any fund, and get an honest second opinion. On the broker you already use, read-only, and you approve every trade. Walnut is not a registered investment adviser.

FAQ

Is Marcus Invest or SigFig better?

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Neither is universally better, because they are built for different jobs. Marcus Invest is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors) and suits goldman-built portfolios alongside a marcus savings account. SigFig is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors) and suits automation that manages your existing schwab or fidelity account. Pick the one whose job matches what you actually want to do.

What is the difference between Marcus Invest and SigFig?

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Marcus Invest is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors): automates a diversified etf portfolio. SigFig is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors): automates a portfolio in accounts you already hold. They solve different jobs, so the better choice depends on whether you want goldman-built portfolios alongside a marcus savings account or automation that manages your existing schwab or fidelity account.

Is Marcus Invest or SigFig better for beginners?

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Marcus Invest is generally the more beginner-friendly of the two (goldman-built portfolios alongside a marcus savings account). The other is better once you know what you want from it. Neither replaces understanding what you own.

Does Marcus Invest connect to my brokerage?

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Marcus Invest: no (holds your money at marcus) (manages a separate account it holds). SigFig: yes, it manages accounts held at supported brokers (manages a separate account it holds). If keeping your current broker matters, that distinction is often the deciding factor.

Does Marcus Invest see my real holdings?

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Marcus Invest does not read the brokerage you already use. It opens and holds a new account, then invests the money you move into it, so its view is limited to what sits inside Marcus Invest. By contrast, SigFig manages a separate account it holds: SigFig does not read the brokerage you already use. It opens and holds a new account, then invests the money you move into it, so its view is limited to what sits inside SigFig.

Marcus Invest vs SigFig: which is cheaper?

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Marcus Invest is priced as percentage of assets (verify current); SigFig is free under a stated balance, then a percentage (verify current). The models are not always comparable (a percentage of assets is different from a flat subscription), so weigh cost against the job each does. Pricing and tiers change, so verify the current numbers on each provider's site before deciding.

Can I use Marcus Invest and SigFig together?

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Often yes, because they do different things. Many investors use one for goldman-built portfolios alongside a marcus savings account and the other for automation that manages your existing schwab or fidelity account. Just watch for overlapping subscription costs and remember that trades ultimately settle in whatever account actually holds your money.

Who is Marcus Invest best for, and who is SigFig best for?

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Marcus Invest best fits an existing Marcus savings customer who wants automated investing in the same place and does not need anything unusual. SigFig best fits someone with an existing account at a supported broker who wants it managed without moving anything. If you see yourself in one description more than the other, that is usually the clearer signal than any single feature or price.

What are the main trade-offs between Marcus Invest and SigFig?

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Marcus Invest's main thing to watch is that little differentiates the portfolios from any other automated etf service. SigFig's is that only works with a short list of supported custodians. Neither is a dealbreaker on its own; the right call is whichever trade-off you can most live with given what you actually want the tool to do.

Where does Walnut fit between Marcus Invest and SigFig?

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Walnut is a third option in a different category: chat-driven management of the brokerage you already use. It connects your real account, lets you analyze and manage it by talking through Claude or ChatGPT, build thematic portfolios, and place trades you approve. Your login stays with your broker and the connection is read-only by default. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Related comparisons

Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Competitor features and pricing are point-in-time and change; verify the current details on each provider's site before deciding. Nothing here is a recommendation to use any particular product or security.

    Marcus Invest vs SigFig: Which Is Better in 2026? - Walnut AI Investing App