Magnifi made AI investing conversational: ask in plain English, discover funds and stocks, track your accounts in one place. The most common reason people look for alternatives is the same one reviewers cite: it stops short of acting. Here is the honest map of what to use instead, depending on what you actually want.
What Magnifi does well, and where it stops
Magnifi pioneered the plain-English investment search: ask a question, compare ETFs, stocks, and mutual funds, and track portfolios aggregated from your linked accounts. Reviewers consistently describe the same boundary: it is a discovery and tracking tool, not a trading tool. Recommendations end at the suggestion. The placing, sizing, and rebalancing remain your job, in each brokerage app, by hand.
That boundary is a flaw only if you wanted the tool to act. If you did, the list below is organized around exactly that gap.
The alternatives, by what you actually want
| If you want | Alternative | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AI that researches AND executes through your own brokers | Wealthnow | Connects 12,000+ brokerages and banks (Robinhood, Schwab, Fidelity, Interactive Brokers, Coinbase, Kraken) and, at supported brokers, executes the trades you approve through your own broker; the others are read-only. Never custodial. Cited research, risk gates on every order. |
| Deeper advice and net-worth analytics, still no execution | PortfolioPilot | Strong read-only analysis from $20/mo (billed annually); deliberately advice-only. |
| Hand-built automated strategies on dedicated capital | Composer | No-code builder + backtests, ~$24/mo; executes inside its own custodial brokerage. |
| Fully hands-off, move-your-money management | Wealthfront / Betterment | Mature robo-advisors, ~0.25% of assets per year; custodial ETF models, no conversation. |
| AI agents inside one broker you already use | Robinhood Agentic Trading | Free with Robinhood; MCP agents trade your Robinhood account only. |
The three tests for choosing an alternative
Cut through the marketing with three questions: (1) Multi-broker read: does it see all your accounts, or one? (2) Execution: can it place the trade after you approve, or does it stop at advice? (3) Custody: do your assets stay at your own broker, or must you move money? Magnifi passes the first, fails the second, and the third does not apply (read-only). PortfolioPilot: same profile. Composer: executes, but custodially. Robinhood's agents: execute, non-custodially, but single-broker.
Magnifi vs Wealthnow, directly
| Magnifi | Wealthnow | |
|---|---|---|
| Plain-English research | Yes (discovery focus) | Yes, grounded in your live positions, with citations |
| Account aggregation | Yes (tracking) | Yes (12,000+ brokerages and banks; trade at supported brokers) |
| Executes trades | No | Yes, at supported brokers, through your own broker, your approval required |
| Risk controls on orders | n/a | Covered-sell check, operator halt switch, duplicate-order protection |
| Custody | None (read-only) | None: your brokers keep the assets |
Frequently asked
Which Magnifi alternative should I use?
It depends on the gap you are filling: Wealthnow for AI that places the trades you approve through your own brokers where supported, PortfolioPilot for deeper advice-only analytics, and Composer for hand-built automation on dedicated capital. For fully hands-off management, pick a robo-advisor like Wealthfront or Betterment.
Is Wealthnow better than Magnifi?
They do different jobs. Magnifi is excellent at conversational discovery and tracking. Wealthnow is the AI for investing that also acts: it connects 12,000+ brokerages and banks, executes approved trades through your own broker at supported brokers, and applies risk gates to every order.
Do any Magnifi alternatives avoid taking custody?
Yes. Wealthnow executes through the brokerage accounts you already have, at supported brokers, and never takes custody. Composer and the robo-advisors require moving money into their own custodial accounts.
What do these alternatives cost?
PortfolioPilot starts at $20/mo billed annually, Composer runs about $24/mo, and Wealthfront and Betterment charge roughly 0.25% of assets per year. Robinhood's agents are free with a Robinhood account. You can try Wealthnow free before paying anything.
Can I disconnect Wealthnow from my brokerage?
Yes, from inside Wealthnow once any open orders there are cancelled, or from your broker's own security settings. Your assets never left your broker, so your accounts, positions, and history stay exactly where they are.
