Looking to align your investments with your values while building wealth? Impact investing apps make it simple to deploy capital that supports environmental sustainability, social justice, and positive corporate governance. These platforms have evolved significantly, offering sophisticated tools for both new and experienced investors seeking to make a difference.
Understanding the history of impact investing provides valuable context for today’s opportunities. While finding platforms that deliver true impact investing can be challenging, the market now offers innovative solutions tailored to socially conscious investors.
Modern platforms provide increasingly sophisticated options for investors to find sustainable investments that align with their specific values, allowing them to support causes they care about while pursuing financial growth.
Explore these socially responsible and impact-oriented investment apps that can help you create a portfolio that makes a positive difference in the world.
Best Impact Investing Apps for ESG Investors in 2025
These powerful investing for impact apps combine financial potential with social and environmental responsibility.
1. M1 Finance – Custom “Pie” Portfolios for Values-Driven Investors
M1 Finance revolutionizes impact investing with its innovative ‘pie’ portfolio model, allowing investors to allocate their funds across various stocks, ETFs, and asset classes with precision. This approach gives you complete control over creating a truly personalized portfolio.
With over 500,000 clients and $2 billion in assets under management, M1 Finance excels for sophisticated investors through its high customization capabilities and automated investing features.
Why it’s one of the best:
For socially responsible investors, M1 Finance stands out by allowing you to populate your investment ‘pie’ with socially conscious companies or ESG-focused ETFs. This approach effectively creates a personalized ETF tailored to your values.
For investors seeking simplicity, M1 also offers pre-made socially responsible portfolios, including their “Responsible Investing” pie featuring four Nuveen-managed SRI funds yielding over 1% dividends.
The “International Responsible Investing” expert pie combines Nuveen international SRI funds with domestic options to deliver a 1.3% dividend yield, providing global diversification for conscientious investors.
Best of all, M1 charges no commission or advisory fees, making it an exceptionally cost-effective option for impact investing.
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2. Betterment – Effortless Sustainable Investing on Autopilot
Betterment stands as a pioneer in robo-advising and now leads in automated impact investing. This platform manages everything from fund selection to rebalancing, offering three specialized socially responsible portfolios:
- Climate Impact: Invests in low-carbon companies and global green bonds dedicated to fighting pollution and climate change
- Social Impact: Supports companies advancing gender and racial equity
- Broad Impact: A balanced ESG approach covering environmental, social, and governance factors
After analyzing your financial goals and risk tolerance, Betterment builds a portfolio using carefully selected ETFs, helping you determine optimal initial and ongoing investments.
Why it’s one of the best:
With no account minimum and a reasonable 0.25% management fee, Betterment offers an impressive toolkit of goal-based planning and optional access to Certified Financial Planners (premium service requires $100,000 minimum investment).
Betterment’s SRI investment strategy involves comprehensive analysis of available low-cost SRI ETFs, strategically replacing traditional funds with socially responsible alternatives where high-quality options exist. The platform continues expanding its impact investment options as the market evolves.
For investors seeking a set-it-and-forget-it solution to grow wealth responsibly, Betterment’s algorithms ensure optimized, diversified portfolios that minimize effort while maximizing impact.
Learn more in our comprehensive Betterment SRI review to see if it aligns with your investing goals.
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3. Wealthfront – High-Tech Portfolios Tailored to Your Ethics
Wealthfront brings tech-savvy innovation to impact investing, making it simple to personalize a socially responsible portfolio. The platform offers ESG-aware portfolios using BlackRock’s highly rated Sustainable ETFs as core holdings.
Through Wealthfront’s intuitive interface, you can start an SRI portfolio with as little as $1 thanks to fractional shares. With a low 0.25% management fee and only a $500 minimum to begin, Wealthfront makes sustainable investing accessible to nearly everyone.
Why it’s one of the best:
What sets Wealthfront apart is its flexibility—if an asset class lacks a suitable ESG fund, they’ll either omit it or use a standard fund to maintain portfolio performance. This approach ensures you won’t sacrifice returns for principles, as their SRI portfolios are designed to closely match the expected performance of traditional portfolios.
The platform excels for investors who want cutting-edge automation plus the ability to exclude or include specific stocks or sectors that don’t align with their ethics. Wealthfront offers a powerful robo-advisor experience that lets you inject personal values into a sophisticated investing strategy.
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4. Ellevest – Invest in Women, Community, and a Sustainable Future
Ellevest is a groundbreaking investment platform created by women, for women—though it welcomes clients of all gender identities. This subscription-based service combines robo-advisory portfolios with banking and coaching through affordable monthly plans ranging from $1 to $12.
The platform stands out for its gender-specific approach, using women’s salary curves and longevity data to develop goal-planning forecasts that account for gender pay gaps and longer life spans.
Why it’s one of the best:
Ellevest’s Impact Portfolio focuses on three critical areas:
- Companies with women in leadership (promoting gender diversity)
- Funds supporting community development (affordable housing and small business loans)
- Firms committed to sustainable environmental and ethical practices
This intentional focus means over half your Ellevest impact portfolio can be in ESG and impact funds. With no investment minimum and a unique fee structure that charges monthly subscription costs rather than percentage-based management fees, Ellevest proves exceptionally accessible.
The subscription includes valuable perks like personalized financial planning, educational workshops, and career coaching, making it more than just an investing platform—it’s a comprehensive support system for financial empowerment.
Learn more in our detailed Ellevest review.
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5. IMPACT App by Interactive Brokers – Trade Stocks by Your Values
The IMPACT App by Interactive Brokers is quickly becoming a standout tool for impact investing, especially for those new to the investment world. Backed by IBKR’s renowned brokerage platform, this innovative app lets you set personal investment criteria based on values that matter to you.
Founded in 1993, US-based Interactive Brokers (IBKR) brings its expertise in low-cost, high-quality brokerage services to socially conscious investing.
Why it’s one of the best:
IMPACT App stands out by assigning each potential investment an “Impact Score” based on how well it aligns with your selected values. You can choose causes you support (like racial equality or clean water) and industries you want to avoid (such as fossil fuels or tobacco), ensuring your investments truly reflect your principles.
Despite IBKR’s reputation among professionals, the IMPACT App remains accessible for beginners with its user-friendly interface. The platform even offers innovative features like carbon offset options that counterbalance the environmental impact of your trading activities.
You’ll benefit from IBKR’s renowned low fees and best-in-class trade execution while gaining the satisfaction of building a portfolio that supports your values. The app makes it remarkably straightforward to invest in companies with diverse boards, clean energy initiatives, or other specific ESG criteria you prioritize.
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6. EarthFolio – Two Decades of 100% Sustainable Portfolios
EarthFolio stands as a pioneer in sustainable investing, having launched in 2000 as the first sustainable robo-advisor. It remains the only investment advisor exclusively focused on funds rated as Sustainable or Responsible, ensuring every dollar you invest advances ESG goals.
The platform applies up to a dozen ESG criteria to hand-pick “best-in-class” companies and funds, creating a tailor-made portfolio based on your financial goals and risk tolerance.
Why it’s one of the best:
EarthFolio’s two decades of specialized ESG experience produces sophisticated, diversified portfolios with an established track record and strong management. The platform automatically rebalances your investments to maintain optimal performance and alignment with your goals.
After answering questions about your financial objectives and risk preferences, EarthFolio designs a personalized investment strategy that provides everything needed for informed decisions: a detailed portfolio mix, ESG fund listings, and even a 10-year performance history of your portfolio model.
While EarthFolio targets more committed investors with its $25,000 minimum investment requirement and 0.50% annual management fee, the platform delivers unparalleled expertise in sustainable investing with a pure approach—no mixed motives or partially green funds.
Discover more in our comprehensive EarthFolio review.
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7. Sustainfolio – Low-Cost ESG Portfolios from Sustainable Experts
Sustainfolio makes professional sustainable investing more accessible for investors who might find EarthFolio’s minimum investment requirement prohibitive. Backed by Sustainvest Asset Management, which has focused exclusively on ESG since 2013, Sustainfolio offers fully diversified portfolios composed of carefully screened ESG ETFs.
The platform requires a $5,000 minimum investment and charges a 0.50% annual management fee (approximately $50 per $10,000 invested). Operating with Charles Schwab as custodian, your assets benefit from Schwab’s robust security infrastructure.
Why it’s one of the best:
Sustainfolio’s onboarding process is streamlined: answer a few questions online, and the platform matches you to one of four portfolio options:
- Core ESG (balanced approach)
- Environmental Impact (climate and conservation focus)
- Social Impact (community and equality focus)
- Governance Impact (corporate responsibility focus)
These portfolios combine funds from respected providers like iShares, Nuveen, and WisdomTree to cover diverse asset classes while maintaining strict ESG standards.
Unlike many platforms that offer sustainable investing as just one option among many, Sustainfolio makes it their entire focus. This mission-driven approach delivers a professional ESG portfolio without requiring six-figure investments, making it perfect for values-driven investors seeking a set-and-forget solution with minimal ongoing effort.
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8. Aspiration – Spend and Invest for a Greener Future
Aspiration offers more than just an investing app—it provides a complete ethical finance ecosystem. Operating as both an online bank and investment firm centered on climate action, Aspiration allows you to consolidate your banking and investing under one eco-friendly roof.
On the investment side, Aspiration offers the Redwood Fund (REDWX), an ESG-focused sustainable mutual fund that invests exclusively in companies demonstrating commitment to social good and environmental stewardship.
Why it’s one of the best:
Aspiration stands out with its revolutionary “Pay What Is Fair” fee model—there are no mandatory management fees, allowing you to choose what you believe the service deserves, even if that’s $0. For the fees you do pay, Aspiration donates 10% to climate charities, ensuring that even your management costs create positive impact.
Getting started requires only a $10 minimum investment, making Aspiration exceptionally accessible. While the platform doesn’t offer a wide selection of funds (Redwood is the primary offering), you can trust that it’s a high-quality, fossil-fuel-free fund thoroughly vetted for sustainability.
Aspiration’s Spend & Save account further integrates your financial life, rewarding you for shopping at socially conscious businesses and offering tree-planting with every card swipe. For beginners or anyone passionate about fighting climate change through their financial decisions, Aspiration creates a seamless path to align your money with your environmental values.
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9. SoFi Invest – Millennial-Friendly Investing with a Sustainable Twist
SoFi has established itself as a modern finance super-app for banking, borrowing, and investing—and its Automated Investing service now includes a dedicated Sustainable portfolio option. With SoFi Automated Investing, you can begin with just $50 and access a professionally designed portfolio managed at a competitive 0.25% fee.
The platform’s Sustainable portfolio theme focuses on ESG-vetted ETFs, directing your investments toward companies with strong environmental and social practices. SoFi maintains cost efficiency by utilizing mostly ultra-low-fee funds while providing robust features: automatic rebalancing, fractional shares, and access to human financial planners.
Why it’s one of the best:
SoFi Invest’s “Doing Good” collection offers a compelling ESG option that includes pre-screened socially responsible companies and ETFs. While its selection may be less extensive than some competitors, SoFi compensates with distinct advantages:
- Zero account minimums, allowing anyone to begin investing
- Access to Certified Financial Planners at no additional cost
- Fractional share investing for building diversified portfolios with limited capital
- Seamless integration with SoFi Money accounts for easy fund transfers
The app itself features a slick, beginner-friendly interface with extensive educational content. For young investors seeking a “set it and forget it” approach while ensuring their investments support sustainable companies, SoFi Invest offers an excellent all-in-one solution—especially for those already using SoFi for banking or loans.
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10. Axos Invest – Flexible Portfolios with an ESG Focus for Savvy Investors
Axos Invest (formerly WiseBanyan) distinguishes itself through exceptional customization capabilities that make it ideal for socially responsible investors. With no account minimum to sign up (though $500 is needed to begin investing) and a competitive 0.24% management fee, Axos Managed Portfolios delivers a budget-friendly option for impact investing.
The platform’s investment philosophy builds on modern portfolio theory, automatically generating a portfolio based on your “risk score” after assessing your investment preferences and tolerance.
Why it’s one of the best:
What truly sets Axos apart is its Portfolio Plus tool, which allows you to tilt your investments toward specific sectors or values-based themes. You can dedicate portions of your portfolio to specialized slices like “Women in Leadership” or “Clean Energy,” creating targeted impact exposure alongside a standard diversified investment mix.
Axos also offers a dedicated ESG portfolio model and includes valuable features like automatic tax-loss harvesting on all accounts to optimize your after-tax returns.
With a goal-based approach, investors can create “milestones” or specific buckets for their money. After providing information about your time horizon, goals, net worth, and income, the platform calculates recommended investments for each milestone.
For investors who appreciate some control over their strategy while keeping costs and effort minimal, Axos delivers the perfect blend of hands-off convenience and hands-on customization, making it easy to align your investments with your social priorities.
Learn more in our comprehensive Axos Invest review.
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11. Empower (Personal Capital) – High-Net-Worth ESG Portfolios + Human Advice
Empower (known to many as Personal Capital) offers a robust free finance tracking app, but its investing capabilities truly excel for those with larger portfolios. Investors with $100,000+ can access Empower’s Wealth Management service, which provides customized ESG strategies guided by dedicated human advisors.
The platform’s Socially Responsible Personal Strategy portfolio rigorously screens stocks for ESG factors and excludes “vice” industries like tobacco, gambling, and weapons manufacturing.
Why it’s one of the best:
Empower partnered with Sustainalytics, a leader in ESG research, to develop portfolios that include only companies with strong social and environmental records. This collaboration ensures that your investments maintain rigorous standards for corporate responsibility.
What makes Empower unique is the comprehensive service you receive: tailored financial plans, sophisticated tax optimization strategies, and a dedicated fiduciary advisor available for consultation. Your portfolio is managed according to Modern Portfolio Theory, diversifying across multiple asset classes while adhering to strict environmental, social, and governance criteria.
While the management fee is higher than most robo-advisors (around 0.89% for the first $1M, scaling down for larger investments), the service delivers exceptional value for experienced or higher-net-worth investors unwilling to compromise on either performance or principles. Empower stands among the few options offering holistic, human-driven financial advice with entire portfolios aligned with ESG values.
Discover more in our detailed Personal Capital review.
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12. Acorns – Spare Change Investing That Grows a Green Portfolio
Acorns has revolutionized investing for beginners by enabling them to start with literal pocket change—the app rounds up your everyday purchases and automatically invests the difference. What many don’t realize is that Acorns also offers a dedicated Sustainable (ESG) portfolio option.
This means all those nickels and dimes you’re investing can be channeled into ETF portfolios composed exclusively of socially responsible companies. You still select your preferred risk level (from Conservative to Aggressive), and Acorns substitutes standard ETFs with ESG-focused alternatives that maintain similar return potential while emphasizing values-driven companies.
Why it’s one of the best:
Acorns requires no minimum to sign up, and for just $3 monthly (Personal plan covering investing, retirement, and checking), you get a fully automated investment system. It truly operates on autopilot: every coffee purchase might generate $0.25 invested in funds tracking sustainable U.S. companies, with these small amounts accumulating significantly over time.
The app includes additional features like “Found Money” cashback rewards from partner brands and an educational section designed for investing novices. By making sustainable investing completely approachable, Acorns serves as the perfect starter app for those looking to establish positive financial habits while building an environmentally and socially conscious portfolio, all without requiring specialized investment knowledge.
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13. Stash – Learn Investing with Themed Funds for Good Causes
Stash combines banking with investing in a beginner-friendly package, distinguished by its themed investment options—including several focused specifically on social and environmental good. With just $5, you can begin buying fractional shares across thousands of stocks and ETFs.
For impact investors, Stash offers curated “Invest Your Values” categories with intuitive names that clearly communicate their focus:
- Clean & Green: Companies advancing clean energy solutions
- Do the Right Thing: ETFs featuring companies with high ESG ratings
- Equality Works: Organizations promoting workplace diversity
- Water the World: Companies focused on water sustainability
Why it’s one of the best:
These themed investments are typically mainstream ETFs (often from providers like iShares) that Stash has repackaged with plain language to help you easily identify options aligning with your values. The app provides helpful explanations for each investment and includes a coaching tool to guide your decisions.
Stash charges a subscription fee ($3/month for the standard plan), which covers a comprehensive package: brokerage account, IRA access, a debit card with rewards, and educational resources. This educational focus makes Stash particularly valuable for newcomers to investing—it excels at teaching fundamentals while encouraging regular investment habits.
For those wanting to explore impact investing by selecting meaningful stocks or funds individually, Stash provides the flexibility to construct a “better world” portfolio piece by piece, with guidance throughout the learning process.
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14. Kiva – Microloan Platform Letting You Lend a Hand (and $25)
Kiva offers a unique approach to impact investing—rather than purchasing stocks or funds, you directly lend money to individuals and projects addressing critical needs. As one of the world’s leading micro-lending platforms, Kiva enables everyday people to contribute as little as $25 toward loans for low-income entrepreneurs and communities globally.
The platform allows you to browse loan requests: perhaps a farmer in Kenya seeking $500 for solar lighting, or a single mother in Paraguay needing $800 to expand her shop. You choose who to support, contribute your $25 (alongside many other lenders doing the same), and over time receive repayment—typically with 0% interest, as the goal is social impact rather than financial return.
Why it’s one of the best:
Kiva creates a powerful personal connection between lenders and borrowers—you literally see the faces and stories of those you’re helping. As loans are repaid, you can withdraw your money or reinvest it to continue the cycle of positive change.
While you won’t earn financial returns, the social impact is immense. Kiva has facilitated over $1 billion in loans with a remarkably high repayment rate, transforming countless lives by providing capital to individuals who lack access to traditional financing.
For those interested in direct impact and community empowerment, Kiva offers a compelling reminder that sometimes the most meaningful “investment” focuses on people rather than profit.
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15. Carbon Collective – Climate-Focused Portfolios for the Eco-Conscious
Carbon Collective is an online investment advisor exclusively focused on climate change solutions, making it the ideal choice for environmentally conscious investors. The platform offers diversified portfolios for various account types (IRAs, individual accounts, even 401(k)s) that completely exclude fossil fuel companies while heavily investing in climate solution businesses—renewable energy, electric vehicles, sustainable food, clean technology, and more.
The company even created its own Climate Solutions ETF (ticker CCSO), which bundles approximately 200 companies deriving at least 50% of revenue from climate-positive products and services.
Why it’s one of the best:
Carbon Collective makes getting started straightforward with a low minimum investment (around $50) and a competitive 0.25% advisory fee, comparable to mainstream robo-advisors. The platform goes beyond stock selection by incorporating green bonds and other sustainable fixed-income investments into portfolios.
What truly distinguishes Carbon Collective is its engagement in shareholder advocacy—they leverage your shareholder votes to push companies toward more aggressive climate action, amplifying your impact beyond investment allocation.
As of 2025, the firm has attracted a growing community with over $225 million under management, demonstrating that climate-focused investing can deliver both environmental impact and financial returns. The company’s mission to “disrupt finance and solve climate change” offers investors a compelling opportunity to align their portfolios with leading climate innovation companies.
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Making Your Money Matter
Impact investing has evolved from a niche approach to a powerful movement, as these apps clearly demonstrate. Whether your primary concern is environmental sustainability, social justice, or simply investing with a cleaner conscience, this list offers platforms that can transform your money into a force for positive change.
From fully automated robo-advisors managing everything for you to hands-on platforms providing granular control over your impact, these diverse options ensure you can find the perfect fit for your investing style, budget, and values. The best part? You no longer need to sacrifice returns or convenience to invest according to your principles.
With intuitive features, reasonable fees, and strong performance potential, each of these apps makes it possible to grow your wealth while staying true to your values—truly offering the best of both worlds. Explore the option that resonates with your specific goals, and prepare to make your money work for both your future and the world’s.
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