At a glance
| Platform | What it is | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| StashAway | A robo-advisor offering risk-based managed portfolios using its proprietary ERAA (Economic Regime-based Asset Allocation) methodology, with no minimum investment | Tiered fees that fall as your balance grows, and a recently launched Shariah Global Portfolio |
| Sarwa | A DFSA-regulated UAE robo-advisor offering a managed, risk-matched ETF portfolio for a flat annual fee, plus a self-directed option (Sarwa Trade) | DFSA regulation (UAE Investor Protection Fund access) and a simple flat-fee structure |
| Wahed | A globally focused, dedicated Sharia-compliant robo-advisor, regulated in the UAE by the ADGM's FSRA rather than the DFSA | Being built from the ground up around Sharia compliance, with a very low entry point |
All three will build you a diversified, managed portfolio with minimal ongoing effort on your part. The differences that matter most are: regulatory home (DFSA for Sarwa vs ADGM-FSRA for Wahed vs StashAway's own licensing), fee structure (StashAway's tiered percentage vs Sarwa's flat 0.5% vs Wahed's tiered percentage), minimum investment, and how central Sharia compliance is to the platform's design.
Head-to-head comparison
| Dimension | StashAway | Sarwa | Wahed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulation | Operates in the UAE under its own regulatory licensing arrangements; confirm current status directly | DFSA-regulated UAE entity (DIFC) — UAE Investor Protection Fund access | Regulated in the UAE by the ADGM's Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), holding a licence for Sharia-compliant asset management — not DFSA-regulated |
| Minimum investment | No minimum investment required | $500 for the managed portfolio (Sarwa Trade has no minimum) | Around $100 to activate an account |
| Management fee | Tiered, roughly 0.8% per year on balances below $25,000, reducing in steps to around 0.2% for balances above $1,000,000 — plus underlying ETF expense ratios (~0.2%) | Flat 0.5% per year on the managed portfolio, regardless of balance, plus underlying ETF expense ratios | 0.99% per year on balances between $100 and $249,999; 0.49% per year on balances of $250,000 or more (excluding the fee-free Everyday Shariah Account) |
| Sharia-compliant option | Yes — a Shariah Global Portfolio was launched in the UAE in 2025, offering Shariah-compliant ETF portfolios across multiple risk levels | Sarwa's Sharia-compliant managed offering should be confirmed directly with Sarwa, as availability has varied — check current product pages before assuming a dedicated Sharia portfolio is available | Yes — Wahed is built entirely around Sharia compliance; every portfolio on the platform is Sharia-screened by design |
| Investment approach | Risk-based portfolios managed using StashAway's proprietary ERAA methodology, which adjusts asset allocation based on macroeconomic conditions while targeting a consistent risk level | A diversified ETF portfolio matched to your risk profile and rebalanced periodically; methodology is more conventional buy-and-hold than tactical | Risk-based, Sharia-screened ETF and sukuk portfolios matched to your risk profile |
| Self-directed option | None — StashAway is a managed-portfolio platform only | Yes — Sarwa Trade offers $0-commission self-directed US stock trading with no minimum | An Everyday Shariah Account (fee-free) is available alongside managed portfolios, but this is not a general self-directed brokerage |
| Best suited to | Someone who wants a $0-minimum entry point and is comfortable with a tiered fee that decreases as their balance grows over time | Someone who wants DFSA regulation, a simple flat fee, and the option to add self-directed trading within the same app | Someone for whom Sharia compliance is a non-negotiable starting point, with a low minimum investment |
The verdict: which should you choose?
Because all three are managed-portfolio platforms with overlapping target customers, the right pick depends mainly on your starting balance, regulatory preferences and whether Sharia compliance is a requirement. The table below maps common situations to a recommendation.
| Your situation | Most suitable platform | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sharia compliance is a non-negotiable requirement for your entire portfolio | Wahed | Wahed is built from the ground up as a dedicated Sharia-compliant platform — every portfolio is Sharia-screened by design, not an add-on |
| You're starting with less than $500 and want $0 minimum | StashAway | No minimum investment required at all, versus Sarwa's $500 threshold and Wahed's roughly $100 minimum |
| DFSA regulation and UAE Investor Protection Fund coverage matter to you | Sarwa | Sarwa operates a DFSA-regulated UAE entity from the DIFC; confirm StashAway's and Wahed's current regulatory status directly if this is a priority |
| You have $1,000+ invested and want the lowest percentage fee on a larger balance | StashAway | StashAway's tiered fee schedule decreases as your balance grows, eventually undercutting Sarwa's flat 0.5% and Wahed's tiered rates at larger balances — check current thresholds |
| You want a managed portfolio plus the option to self-direct a smaller portion of your money in the same app | Sarwa | Sarwa Trade gives you $0-commission self-directed trading alongside the managed portfolio, which neither StashAway nor Wahed offers in the same way |
Fee tiers, minimums and Sharia product availability change relatively often across all three platforms — StashAway's Shariah Global Portfolio and Sarwa's Sharia offerings, in particular, have evolved over time. Before opening an account, confirm the current fee schedule, minimum investment, and whether a Sharia-compliant option is available for your specific country of residence directly on each platform's website, as features available in one market aren't always available in another.
Sarwa's DFSA regulation, simple flat 0.5% fee, and the option to add self-directed trading later make it a solid all-round starting point for UAE residents who want a managed portfolio.
Can you use more than one?
There's no rule against holding accounts with more than one robo-advisor — for example, a Sarwa managed portfolio as your DFSA-regulated core, with a Wahed account for the portion of your portfolio you want to keep strictly Sharia-compliant. As with any multi-platform setup, this means more accounts to track and potentially more complexity at tax time depending on your home country's reporting requirements. For most readers, starting with one platform that matches your minimum, regulatory and Sharia preferences is the simplest path.
For more detail on individual platforms, see our full Sarwa review. If you're also considering a self-directed approach, see Interactive Brokers vs eToro vs Sarwa or Sarwa vs eToro.
All three offer online onboarding — compare current fees, minimums and Sharia options first.
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Frequently asked questions
Sarwa operates a DFSA-regulated UAE entity from the DIFC, which gives access to the UAE Investor Protection Fund. Wahed is regulated in the UAE by the ADGM's Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), a different regulator based in Abu Dhabi. Always confirm StashAway's current regulatory status for the UAE directly, as this can vary by product and entity.
StashAway has no minimum investment requirement at all. Wahed requires around $100 to activate an account. Sarwa's managed portfolio requires $500, though its self-directed Sarwa Trade product has no minimum.
It depends on your balance. StashAway's tiered fee starts around 0.8% for balances under $25,000 but falls as your balance grows, reaching roughly 0.2% above $1,000,000. Sarwa charges a flat 0.5% regardless of balance. Wahed charges 0.99% on balances between $100 and $249,999, dropping to 0.49% above $250,000. For smaller balances, Sarwa's flat 0.5% is often cheaper than StashAway's or Wahed's entry-level tiers; for very large balances, StashAway's top tier can become the cheapest. Always check current rates before deciding.
StashAway launched a Shariah Global Portfolio in the UAE, offering Shariah-compliant, globally diversified ETF portfolios across multiple risk levels. Availability and the specific portfolios offered can change, so confirm the current Sharia product lineup directly on StashAway's UAE site before relying on it.
Wahed is the platform built specifically around Sharia compliance from the ground up, with every portfolio Sharia-screened by design and a dedicated regulatory licence for Sharia-compliant asset management. If you want a platform where Sharia compliance is the core design principle rather than one option among several, Wahed is the most direct fit of the three.
