A Swiss robo-advisor is an online wealth manager: it invests savings in index funds according to a risk profile, then rebalances the portfolio without any action from the client. In Switzerland, this automated wealth management falls under the Financial Institutions Act (FinIA) and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). At True Wealth, Selma and VIAC, published management fees range from 0.25% to 0.68% a year for unrestricted savings, excluding fund costs (websites accessed on 2 November 2026).

How does a robo-advisor work?

It all starts with a questionnaire, which sets the client's risk tolerance. True Wealth lists this "determination of risk tolerance" among the services included in its fees. Selma Finance, for its part, advertises a "personalised investment plan" and a recommended plan for pillar 3a.

The profile then determines the split between equities, bonds and other asset classes. The robot carries it out with exchange-traded index funds (ETFs), which replicate a stock market index at low cost. True Wealth says it uses ETFs from UBS, iShares (BlackRock), Vanguard and HSBC, and index funds in pillar 3a.

These ETFs physically hold the securities in their index, except for commodities, which are tracked through derivatives, according to its blog of 22 January 2026.

Rebalancing is the third cog. When markets rise or fall, the weight of equities in the portfolio drifts away from the target. The robot then sells what has grown too heavy and buys back what has fallen, to return to the chosen profile. True Wealth includes rebalancing in its fees; Selma includes monitoring "24 hours a day".

Legally, the client signs a management mandate. At True Wealth, the client gives the manager a power of attorney to buy and sell securities in their account, and to debit the management fees from it.

Where is the client's money held?

The money does not stay with the robo-advisor: it sits in a custodian bank, in an account in the client's name. True Wealth offers two banks, the Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank (BLKB), the cantonal bank of Basel-Landschaft, and Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. Withdrawals can only go to a verified account in the client's name, according to the company.

If the manager were to disappear, the assets would remain accessible at the bank, writes Felix Niederer, founder and CEO of True Wealth. Cash benefits from deposit protection up to 100,000 francs, provided by the esisuisse association. The BLKB also benefits from an unlimited guarantee from the canton of Basel-Landschaft.

Securities follow a different logic. Fund units do not appear on the bank's balance sheet: they remain the client's property, even in the event of bankruptcy. True Wealth says it has ruled out securities lending at both of its custodian banks.

Who are the players in the Swiss market?

Three providers illustrate the market, without covering it in full.

  • True Wealth, an online wealth manager founded by Felix Niederer, a physicist who graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), has offered its mandates since 2014.
  • Selma Finance, a Zurich fintech licensed as a wealth manager, highlights "AI-assisted" financial advice. Entry starts at 2,000 francs for a portfolio and at 500 francs for pillar 3a.
  • VIAC, a Basel fintech previously focused on retirement savings, has extended its offering to unrestricted savings with VIAC Invest. Its launch press release claims more than 100,000 clients and around 4 billion francs managed in retirement savings. VIAC Invest offers savings plans in passive funds from 1 franc.

Automation is also reaching traditional wealth managers, but in the form of internal tools. Klaus Wellershoff, former chief economist at UBS, announced on 22 October 2026 the launch of the AI platform Turiq, aimed at investment teams. A week earlier, the startup Unplex announced its AI agents for wealth managers with the data provider Infront. In both cases, a human validates the results: these are not robo-advisors for the general public.

How much does automated wealth management cost?

The total cost is made up of four layers: the provider's management fees, the fund fees (TER, for total expense ratio), the federal stamp duty and currency exchange.

ProviderManagement fees per yearIncluded in the feesNot included
True Wealth0.50% up to 500,000 francs, 0.25 to 0.50% above; 0% for pillar 3aBrokerage, custody fees, rebalancing, tax statement, VATTER, stamp duty
Selma0.68% below 50,000 francs, 0.55% up to 150,000, 0.47% up to 500,000, 0.42% aboveTransaction and bank fees, tax statement, monitoringTER, stamp duty, currency exchange
VIAC Invest0.25% after 2025, 2,000 francs exempt for lifeCustody fees, transaction fees, currency exchange, stamp duty, VAT, electronic tax statementProduct costs, from 0.09 to 0.27% depending on the standard strategy

True Wealth's FAQ also details what its fees exclude. The company says it receives neither retrocessions nor performance fees. The custodian banks charge a margin of around 0.10% on currency exchange transactions.

Selma calculates its tier on the sum of the investment account and the 3a account, gains included. Its pricing page also puts product costs at 0.22% a year on average, or around 27.5 francs a month for 150,000 francs invested. On top of this come stamp duty, from 0.075 to 0.15% per transaction, and currency exchange at 0.25% on average per transaction. The 0.42% tier was introduced in November 2023, according to Moneycab.

For its launch, VIAC Invest charged no administration fees until the end of 2025. After that, the press release announces 0.25% a year, with an allowance of 2,000 francs free of charge for life.

Who supervises robo-advisors in Switzerland?

Since 1 January 2020, FinIA has required every wealth manager operating on a professional basis to hold a FINMA licence. It must also join a supervisory organisation (SO) that is itself authorised by FINMA. The first SOs received their authorisation on 6 July 2020.

Supervision works on two levels. The SO handles ongoing supervision, including audits. If it cannot correct an irregularity, it refers the case to FINMA, which can take more far-reaching measures. According to FINMA, these referrals rose significantly in the second half of 2024.

True Wealth falls under a different regime. Its licence also covers the management of retirement assets, such as pillar 3a, and places it under the direct supervision of FINMA, according to its blog of 22 January 2026. Selma Finance obtained its wealth manager licence for 2024, after an application filed at the end of 2022, Moneycab reported on 16 November 2023.

A licence sets minimum standards, not a return. "Anyone who entrusts their money to a portfolio manager or a trustee must be able to assume that appropriate minimum standards are applied," said Stefan Walter, CEO of FINMA, on 11 March 2025.

Is there a best Swiss robo-advisor?

No ranking makes sense in absolute terms, and 2clics does not draw one up. The published fee schedules show that the gap depends on the amount invested: the tiers of Selma and True Wealth fall as wealth increases, while VIAC Invest applies a single rate. The comparable criteria remain factual: management fees, fund costs, minimum amount, pillar 3a offering, custodian bank and type of supervision.

What are the limits for a saver?

  • Market risk remains. A robot allocates and rebalances, but it does not prevent declines. True Wealth says so itself: even it cannot change the fact that the market fluctuates.
  • The advertised price is not the total price. Fund costs, stamp duty and currency exchange come on top of the management fees at True Wealth and at Selma.
  • Deposit protection only covers cash. Securities remain the client's if the bank goes bankrupt, but their value fluctuates.
  • The profile depends on the client's answers. The portfolio is based on the questionnaire: its accuracy determines whether the investment is suitable.
  • Exiting takes time. At Selma, selling and transferring the money to another bank can take up to a week, at no extra cost. At True Wealth, the pension foundation charges for unusually complex 3a withdrawals.

For the rest of the sector, the wealth management and robo-advisors page brings together 2clics articles on digital wealth management.

Key figures

  • 0.25% to 0.68%: annual management fees published by True Wealth, Selma and VIAC Invest for unrestricted savings (pages accessed on 2 November 2026).
  • 0%: True Wealth's management fees on pillar 3a, excluding fund costs.
  • 0.22% a year: average cost of the products selected by Selma, according to its pricing page.
  • 100,000 francs: ceiling of deposit protection for cash.
  • 1,699: licence applications from portfolio managers and trustees received by FINMA up to the end of 2022.
  • 1,532 out of 1,864: applications approved by FINMA since 2020, as at 28 February 2025.
  • 131: applications withdrawn by the institutions, or around 8% of the total, as at 28 February 2025.

Sources