Alto IRA vs iTrustCapital
Alto IRA and iTrustCapital are two leading IRA providers that let you invest in unique assets like crypto and fine art. But which is right for you?
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Alto IRA and iTrustCapital are two of the most popular crypto-friendly IRA platforms out there.
But they're not exactly the same. So, which is better?
In this guide, see how Alto IRA and iTrustCapital compare in accounts, fees, security, and more.
What are Alto IRA and iTrustCapital?
Alto IRA and iTrustCapital are both IRA platforms that allow you to invest in a wide range of assets, including crypto. See how they compare below.
Alto IRA
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Alto IRA is a self-directed IRA platform that allows you to invest in unique assets and unregistered securities, which many custodians don't support.
Alto IRA has two main products:
- The Alto IRA, where you'll find a wide range of assets like real estate and fine art
- The Alto CryptoIRA, for those looking to invest in crypto
The Alto CryptoIRA is far more similar to what iTrustCapital offers.
Alto IRA
- Invest retirement funds in alternative assets such as fine art, venture capital, startups, real estate, land, and more
- Get access to network of 75+ partners
- No hidden fees
Alto CryptoIRA®
- Easy access to more than 250 cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin and Ethereum
- Tax advantages of an IRA
- No setup or monthly account fees
- No account minimums
- $10 minimum investment
iTrustCapital
iTrustCapital is a digital asset IRA software platform that allows investors to buy and sell cryptocurrency, gold, and silver in their self-directed retirement accounts. It was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
iTrustCapital lets users trade crypto and precious metals real-time while benefitting from the special allowances given to retirement accounts.
They are IRS and SEC-compliant, and have positive user reviews on Trustpilot, the Business Consumer Alliance, and Meta.
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Learn More | Visit Site | |
Alto | iTrustCapital | |
---|---|---|
Alto CryptoIRA® - | Open a Crypto IRA and Get $100 USD Reward - | |
Benefits and Features | ||
Minimum Deposit | ||
Monthly Fee | ||
Cryptocurrencies Supported | ||
Countries Supported | U.S. (with exception of Hawaii) | U.S. |
Fiat Currencies Supported | ||
Digital Wallet | ||
Transaction Fee |
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Setup Fee | ||
Wire Transfer Fee | ||
Cold Storage | ||
Two-Factor Authentication | ||
Withdrawal Limit | None. 10% penalty under 59 1/2 years old | None. 10% penalty under 59 1/2 years old |
Learn More | Visit Site | |
Alto: Pricing information from published website as of 06/04/2025. iTrustCapital: Pricing information from published website as of 06/03/2025. |
Alto IRA vs iTrustCapital: How to Invest
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Alto IRA and iTrustCapital differ mainly in which assets they support and the account types they offer. Take a look at how investing works with both IRA platforms to find the right fit for your investing needs.
How to Invest with Alto IRA
The Alto IRA lets users invest in both traditional and unique assets. You can diversify your portfolio in ways that won't be possible at many other custodians. Some of the assets you can invest in include:
- Real estate
- Land
- Fine art
- Venture capital
- Startups
- Private companies and more
With an Alto IRA account, you'll get access to their list of 12 partners, each specializing in their own unique branch of the investing world.
You can find the full list here, along with a brief explanation of what they do, their asset specialties, and what the Alto IRA investment fee associated with them is.
Some notable examples of their investment partners include:
- FarmTogether: Invest in farmland and agriculture
- AngelList: Specializes in startups
- Masterworks: Invest in fine art
- Prosper: Invest in loans
How to Invest with Alto CryptoIRA
The Alto CryptoIRA connects directly to Coinbase, a popular crypto trading platform. This allows users to invest in crypto with their retirement savings with ease.
There's a growing list of 250+ cryptocurrencies to invest in, including the ones you've likely heard of, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and plenty more.
Trading is available at all hours, and Alto offers a concierge service to help you figure it out if you haven't traded crypto before.
You can find a full and up-to-date list of their extensive range of cryptocurrencies here.
How to Invest with iTrustCapital
iTrustCapital offers a relatively limited range of popular cryptocurrencies, with just 75+ available.[1]
- Bitcoin
- XRP
- Solana
- Sui
- Ethereum
- Hedera
- Cardano
- Dogecoin
- Stellar
- Ondo
- Chainlink
- Curve DAO Token
- Bittensor
- Avalanche
- Algorand
- Render Network
- Sonic
- Pepe
- Gigachad
- The Graph
- Orca
- Sei
- NEAR Protocol
- VeChain
- Dogwifhat
- Echelon Prime
- Fetch.ai
- Bonk
- Flare
- Quant
- Internet Computer
- Cosmos
- Aave
- Shiba Inu
- Polkadot
- AIOZ Network
- Aptos
- Injective
- Gala
- Litecoin
- Official Trump
- Berachain
- Polygon Ecosystem Token
- MooDeng
- Maker
- Toncoin
- Filecoin
- Immutable
- Uniswap
- SushiSwap
- Bitcoin Cash
- Helium
- Optimism
- Decentraland
- Axelar
- Arbitrum
- The Sandbox
- Floki Inu
- Stacks
- Compound
- yearn.finance
- Flow
- EOS
- Internet Computer
- ApeCoin
- Axie Infinity
- Tezos
- MetisDAO
- Celestia
- Lido DAO
- Chiliz
- Jito
- 1inch
- Basic Attention Token
Users can also invest in gold and silver.
- Minimum Investment: $1,000 minimum to begin, with an additional $500 in a subsequent deposit
- Trade Minimum: $20
Alto IRA vs iTrustCapital: Fees
When planning for your retirement, costs matter. Let's take a close look at the fees charged by Alto IRA and iTrustCapital to see how they compare.
Alto IRA Fees[2]
- Account fee: Charged quarterly, based on your total invested capital. Up to $100/quarter.
Total Invested Capital Quarterly Payment $0.00 $0.00 $0.01 - $29,999.99 $37.50 $30,000.00+ $100 - $0 Custody Fees
- Partner Investment Fee: $10
- Private Investment Fee: $75
- Account Closure Fee: $50
- Outbound Wire Transfer Fee: $25
Alto CryptoIRA Fees[2]
Alto IRA has no account minimums, though some of their investment partners do have minimum investment requirements.
iTrustCapital Fees[4]
- $0 monthly fee
- $1,000 account minimum
- Trading Fee:
- Cryptocurrency: 1% per trade
- Gold: $75 over spot (market price)
- Silver: $3.25 over spot
Alto IRA vs iTrustCapital: Security
Security is another major concern when trusting an IRA platform with your savings. Let's take a look at the security measures employed by Alto IRA and iTrustCapital to keep your money safe.
Alto IRA[5]
- Undirected cash is stored in FDIC-insured accounts
- Digital assets are stored with Coinbase in a combination of hot and cold storage
- Digital assets with Coinbase are protected by a commercial crime policy of up to $320 million
- Digital assets with Coinbase are protected by a cybercrime policy up to $3 million
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) powered by Authy or Google Authenticator
iTrustCapital[6]
- Digital assets are secured by Coinbase Custody and Fireblocks
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) powered by Authy
- Gold and Silver are held at the Royal Canadian Mint and traded on VaultChain, a secure blockchain distributed ledger
- Insurance:
- $50 million insurance policy from Munich Re
- Total insurance up to $370 million including policy with Coinbase Custody and Curv
- $50 million insurance policy from Munich Re
As you can see, both platforms take reasonable and comparable precautions to protect your assets.
Bottom Line
Both the Alto CryptoIRA and iTrustCapital are solid options for retirement investing in unique assets. With similar fees, similar security, and similar features, there is not a whole lot that differentiates these two accounts.
The only reason a user might choose the Alto CryptoIRA over iTrustCapital is that it has a wider range of altcoins available. Meanwhile, those interested in trading precious metals in addition to crypto would be better off with iTrustCapital.
Alto CryptoIRA®
- Easy access to more than 250 cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin and Ethereum
- Tax advantages of an IRA
- No setup or monthly account fees
- No account minimums
- $10 minimum investment
The Alto IRA is very different from the other two, focusing on a range of alternative assets not often found in IRAs, such as real estate, venture capital, private companies, and more. It's not ideal, however, for those with a special interest in cryptocurrency.
Alto IRA
- Invest retirement funds in alternative assets such as fine art, venture capital, startups, real estate, land, and more
- Get access to network of 75+ partners
- No hidden fees
References
- ^ iTrustCapital. Cryptocurrency, Retrieved 06/03/2025
- ^ Alto IRA. Our pricing, Retrieved 06/03/2025
- ^ Alto IRA. Our pricing, Retrieved 06/03/2025
- ^ iTrustCapital. Pricing, Retrieved 06/03/2025
- ^ "How are assets kept "safe" at Alto and on Coinbase?": Alto IRA, 2022.
- ^ iTrustCapital. How are my crypto assets stored and secured?, Retrieved 06/03/2025
$20 Investment Bonus
- Open an Acorns account (new users only)
- Set up the Recurring Investments feature
- Have your first investment be made successfully via the Recurring Investments feature
Buy $100 in Crypto and Get $10 Bonus from eToro USA LLC
- Sign up for an eToro account
- Deposit funds
- Invest in $100 worth of crypto
You'll automatically receive $10 directly to your account balance. Offer only applies to US customers. Cryptocurrency is offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) (NMLS: 1769299) and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk.
Invest in Real Estate with $10+
- Only $10 minimum investment
- Get a diversified portfolio of real estate projects across the US
- Open to all investors
Jeremy Harshman is a creative assistant at CreditDonkey, a crypto comparison and reviews website. Write to Jeremy Harshman at jeremy.harshman@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.
Note: This website is made possible through financial relationships with some of the products and services mentioned on this site. We may receive compensation if you shop through links in our content. You do not have to use our links, but you help support CreditDonkey if you do.
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