Christian robo-advisors do what Betterment and Wealthfront do — build a diversified portfolio, rebalance it, harvest tax losses — then add one more step: they screen out the companies your faith won’t let you own. Weapons makers, abortion providers, casinos, pornography. The five platforms worth your attention are Inspire Advisors, Tier Genesis, Eventide, OneAscent, and Crossmark’s Steward Funds, and they sort cleanly by the size of your account.
What a Christian robo-advisor actually does
A robo-advisor is software that picks and maintains your investments. You answer a handful of questions about your age, your goals, and how big a market drop you can stomach, and an algorithm assembles a mix of funds and keeps it balanced as markets move. No phone tag, no quarterly lunches, low fees. The faith-based versions bolt biblically responsible investing (BRI) screens onto that machinery, so the automation never quietly buys you shares of a company you’d be ashamed to hold.
That second layer matters more than it sounds. Most people who own a plain total-market index fund also own, without ever choosing to, thin slices of casino operators and weapons contractors. Proverbs 13:11 says wealth gathered little by little grows — the steady accumulation Scripture commends. A screened robo-advisor lets you do exactly that without auditing every holding by hand. You set your convictions once, and the software enforces them every trading day. These platforms are one corner of the wider world of Christian investment funds, built for people who’d rather automate the discipline than white-knuckle it.
The five platforms worth knowing
Faith-based automated investing isn’t one product. It runs from a few-hundred-dollar starter account all the way to multi-million-dollar private management. Here’s how the serious options break down, roughly by who they’re built for.
Inspire Advisors — the strongest all-rounder
Inspire is the biggest name on this list, a registered investment advisor with more than $1.2 billion under management, and USA Today has ranked it among the country’s top financial advisory firms. It pairs automated, biblically screened portfolios with actual planning — retirement, taxes, the whole picture — rather than just babysitting a brokerage balance. Its screens are published openly and exclude abortion, contraception, heavy alcohol and tobacco, gambling, pornography, and weapons. For larger accounts, Inspire layers in direct indexing, which lets you own the individual stocks behind an index and tune the screen to your own conscience. Our full Inspire review digs into fees and performance.
Tier Genesis — built for accounts under $100,000
If you’re starting out, Tier Genesis (run by Christian Financial Advisors) is the most sensible door to walk through. It’s designed for accounts under $100,000 and for people who want to keep a hand on the wheel. Instead of locking you into a perpetual management fee, it runs actively managed BRI ETF portfolios and sells advice by the hour. So a 26-year-old with $8,000 can get a real Christian advisor on the phone for one specific question without signing up for lifetime oversight. Low minimums, transparent pricing, no premium markup for the privilege.
Eventide Advisory Services — for high-net-worth families
Eventide sits at the top end, managing roughly $6.8 billion. You’re not getting a slick phone app here; you’re getting separately managed accounts (SMAs) built around the firm’s Business 360 framework, which grades companies on governance, environmental care, how they treat employees and customers, and their effect on the surrounding community. Eventide works through wealth advisors who negotiate fees on your behalf — white-glove service, priced accordingly. It fits investors with real complexity: business interests, concentrated stock, estate questions. Our Eventide review covers the funds behind the advisory arm.
OneAscent — when you’d rather have a person
OneAscent isn’t a robo-advisor you sign up for directly. It’s the engine behind independent Christian advisors — the technology, compliance, and model portfolios that let a local faith-based planner run a real practice. Through a OneAscent advisor you can get direct indexing, actively managed ETFs, or target-date funds for retirement, all screened, with a human being who knows your name and your story. Choose this lane if you want personal attention but would rather sit across a table from a regional advisor than work through a national call center.
Crossmark Steward Funds — for active mutual-fund believers
Crossmark Global Investments was doing faith-based investing before it was fashionable, and its Steward Funds are run by Bob Doll, a strategist with decades on Wall Street and a name many Christian investors already trust. The core offerings are Crossmark Large Cap Growth (CLCG) and Crossmark Large Cap Value (CLCV), actively managed and biblically screened. One structural detail sets Crossmark apart: the firm is indirectly owned by a non-profit, so its incentives lean toward the mission rather than maximizing its own cut.
How the five compare
Pick the row that matches your account, not the one with the flashiest pitch.
| Platform | Best for | Typical account size | Fee model | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspire Advisors | Planning plus automation | Low to mid | % of assets | Direct indexing, ETFs |
| Tier Genesis | Accounts under $100k | Small | Hourly | Managed BRI ETFs |
| Eventide Advisory | High-net-worth | Large | Negotiated via advisor | Separately managed accounts |
| OneAscent | Working with a person | Varies | Set by your advisor | Direct indexing, ETFs, target-date |
| Crossmark Steward | Active mutual funds | Fund minimum | Fund expense ratio | CLCG, CLCV |
Christian platforms vs. secular SRI robo-advisors
Betterment and Wealthfront both sell socially responsible portfolios now, and they’re cheap — about 0.25% a year plus fund costs. But cheap isn’t the same as aligned. A secular SRI fund might dump oil companies while happily holding a pharmaceutical firm tied to abortion or a media conglomerate that produces pornography, because its screen is built on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores, not Scripture. The two screens genuinely point in different directions. The Christian platforms also staff their teams with people who share the convictions, so you’re not translating your values into someone else’s framework and praying they survive the trip. If you want to see how the screening philosophies diverge, our explainer on negative screening lays out exactly what gets excluded and why.
What to check before you open an account
Five things separate a good fit from an expensive mistake. First, the screen itself — read which industries are excluded and where the lines fall, because one advisor cuts all alcohol while the next cuts only heavy producers. Second, the full fee picture: the advisory fee, the expense ratios of the underlying funds, and any account charges stacked on top. Third, advisor access — can you reach a human when life gets complicated, or is it purely automated? Fourth, account types: confirm they support the Roth IRA, traditional IRA, or Solo 401(k) you actually need; opening a faith-screened Christian IRA is one of the most common reasons people start these accounts. Fifth, the investing philosophy — passive indexing, active management, and direct indexing each behave differently on taxes and returns, so know which one you’re buying.
Robo-advisor, human advisor, or both?
Go automated if your situation is straightforward: steady income, a growing nest egg, no business to untangle. You’ll pay less and the rebalancing takes care of itself. Lean human if you own a company, you’re close to retirement and need a withdrawal strategy, or your finances have moving parts software can’t see. Plenty of believers split the difference — let a robo-advisor or screened funds handle the day-to-day, then pay an advisor by the hour when a big decision lands. Luke 16:10 ties being faithful with a little to being trusted with much; the tool matters less than the steadiness behind it. Our platforms compared breakdown can help you match a provider to your stage of life, and if you’re brand new, start with our guide to how to start Christian investing.
Frequently asked questions
Are Christian robo-advisors more expensive than Betterment?
Not necessarily. Betterment charges about 0.25% plus fund expenses, and several faith-based options land in the same neighborhood. For accounts under $100,000, an hourly model like Tier Genesis can actually cost less than a percentage-of-assets fee, because you only pay when you need advice instead of every quarter forever.
Does biblical screening hurt my returns?
Screening removes industries, which trims diversification a little and can tilt a portfolio toward sectors like technology or healthcare. Some years that helps, some years it hurts, and over long stretches the gap with the broad market is usually small. Most Christian investors treat any modest difference as the fair price of a clear conscience — and plenty of years the screened portfolio simply keeps pace.
Can I open a Roth IRA with a Christian robo-advisor?
Yes. Most of these platforms support Roth IRAs, traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, and ordinary taxable accounts. If retirement is the goal, confirm the specific account type before you fund it, and make sure the provider’s screening covers the funds inside that account, not just your taxable holdings.