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Every pillar 3a fee on this page was taken from the provider’s own pricing page and dated. Not from a comparison site. The providers I have tested with my own money come first, then the other digital options, then the banks.
Read the fee column before you rank anyone
A management fee and an all-in cost are different numbers
True Wealth charges a 0.00% management fee, and you pay roughly 0.12% inside the ETFs. finpension charges 0.39% with the fund costs already inside it. Those are not measuring the same thing, and comparing the headline percentages alone puts the providers in the wrong order.
The all-in cost column is the one to read. It is what actually leaves your pension each year.
The cheapest fee is not automatically the best return
True Wealth, VIAC, frankly and finpension all use 3a index funds that only pension money is allowed to buy. That lets them reclaim part of the foreign withholding tax on dividends, which ordinary ETFs generally cannot. It is worth checking, because a portfolio with a slightly higher headline fee can still finish ahead on net return.
This is the most misunderstood thing about Swiss 3a, and it is why a pure fee ranking is misleading.
The providers I have tested
Ranked by all-in cost. Every figure checked against the provider’s own pricing page on 4 August 2026.
| Provider | All-in cost | What that covers | My take |
|---|---|---|---|
| True Wealth 3aTrue Wealth, Pension Foundation 3a Digital★ 4.8Best valueVisit True WealthRead my full review | 0.12% | 0.00% management fee, plus about 0.12% of fund costs charged inside the ETFs. Uninvested 3a cash earns 0.35%. | The cheapest total cost here by a distance. They have never raised prices in over ten years and say they have no plans to, but treat 0.00% as today’s price rather than a promise.Reader offer: CHF 100 fee credit with code INVEHERO. |
| finpension 3afinpension 3a-Vorsorgestiftung, Swisscanto or UBS funds★ 4.7Market leaderVisit finpensionRead my full review | 0.39% | Flat, with fund costs included. No transaction, custody, issuing or redemption fees, and no margin on currency exchange. | One of the two that built this market. finpension’s angle is institutional access: the funds are the ones large Swiss pension funds buy, and the withholding tax reclaim on foreign dividends is credited in advance rather than at year end. Everything is one number.Reader offer: CHF 25 fee credit when you use code HEROBB on sign up. Also valid if you are already a finpension customer opening another product. Enter it within 24 hours and pay in at least CHF 1,000 in the first year. |
| VIAC 3aTerzo Vorsorgestiftung, Bank WIR★ 4.5Best for beginnersRead my full review | 0.00 to 0.44% | Total including product fees. The range is set by the strategy you pick: cash strategies 0.00%, full equity 0.44%. VIAC also advertise up to CHF 8,500 managed without the administration fee, tied to their referral programme. That waives the administration fee only, not the full 0.44%. | The other pioneer, and the one that forced everyone else to cut prices. VIAC went first on a proper mobile 3a in Switzerland, and it still has the most granular strategy control of the group. Life Basic cover is bundled in at no extra charge. |
| SelmaSelma Finance★ 4.5Visit SelmaRead my full review | About 0.90% | 0.68% management plus about 0.22% product costs. Management falls to 0.55%, 0.47% and 0.42% as assets grow. Stamp duty and currency conversion are extra. | Does more of the thinking for you than the others and charges accordingly. Roughly double finpension for most savers, so it has to earn that on advice and service rather than on cost. |
| franklyZürcher Kantonalbank★ 3.5Read my full review | 0.43% | All-in, charged on the invested balance only and not on 3a cash. Excludes issue and redemption charges and the TER of exchange-traded real estate funds. | A cantonal bank’s answer to the digital providers. Priced in the same bracket as finpension without undercutting it, and the strategy range is narrower. Worth a look mainly if having ZKB behind the product matters to you. |
| InyovaLiberty Foundation for 3a Retirement Savings★ 3.5Read my full review | 0.8% | A flat annual fee covering transactions, currency conversion, rebalancing, reporting and corporate actions. Inyova does not publish a separate product cost figure, so treat 0.8% as the fee they charge rather than a confirmed total. | The only one here built around impact investing. You are paying a premium for that mandate, so take it if it matters to you and skip it if it does not. |
Sources: truewealth.ch, finpension.ch, viac.ch, frankly.ch, selma.com and inyova.ch pricing pages, all checked 4 August 2026 (banks and other digital providers checked 5 August 2026). Links marked Visit are affiliate links. VIAC, frankly and Inyova link to my review instead, because I have no affiliate arrangement with any of them.
Other digital providers worth knowing
These are competitive on price but I have not tested them with my own money yet, so they carry no rating. Figures are from each provider’s own pages, checked 4 August 2026.
| Provider | Cost | What that covers |
|---|---|---|
| neon 3aneon-free.ch | 0.39 to 0.45%management fee | This is neon’s management fee, not an all-in figure. Tiered by balance, and small indirect fund costs apply on two of the strategies, so the real ceiling is nearer 0.52%. |
| Yuhyuh.com | 0.50% | A single all-in fee with the fund TER explicitly included. The clearest fee disclosure of this group. |
| volt (Vontobel)volt.vontobel.com | About 0.58% | 0.39% management plus 0.15 to 0.17% product costs, and VAT on top, which is easy to miss. |
| Swissquote 3a Easyswissquote.com | 0.60% | 0.36% administration plus 0.24% product, published as a split. The cash-only strategy is free. |
| Descartes Vorsorgedescartes.swiss | 0.61 to 0.65% | For the Passiv strategy: 0.40% management plus 0.21 to 0.25% product costs. |
Sources: neon-free.ch, yuh.com, volt.vontobel.com, swissquote.com and descartes.swiss, checked 5 August 2026.
The traditional banks, and why they get one section
The rest of the market is mostly banks, plus a few independents, sitting on top of much the same index funds at a materially higher price. Rather than give each one a row saying the same thing, here is the honest summary. Insurance-linked 3a is a different animal and gets its own warning below.
On a CHF 100,000 balance, the gap between True Wealth at 0.12% and Migros Bank at 0.90% is CHF 780 a year, and across a thirty-year contribution period the compounded difference runs well into five figures. You get nothing extra for it.
The bigger problem is disclosure. Several of these do not publish a figure you can actually compare, which is itself the finding.
A typical example, and how to check one yourself
This is not about banks behaving badly. Their marketing pages are accurate as far as they go. The problem is that no single page adds everything up, so the figure you remember is rarely the figure you pay. The way to see the whole cost is to ignore the marketing entirely and open the fund’s key information document, which is required by law, is dated, and totals the costs for you.
Here is one, taken at random from a mainstream provider. Raiffeisen Futura Pension Invest Equity V (ISIN CH0441199582), a fund used inside Raiffeisen’s pillar 3a, from its own key information document dated 16 June 2026.
The document then does the sums itself. On CHF 10,000 it shows CHF 452 of costs in the first year, an annual impact of 4.7% in year one and 2.1% a year over the recommended six-year holding period. In its own words, that turns an expected 6.33% return before costs into 4.23% after them.
It is also candid about something a marketing page never mentions: the figures “include the highest distribution fee that the person selling you the product may charge”, and “the person who sells you this product or advises you on it may charge you further costs”. So the stack above already assumes maximum commission to whoever signs you up, and it may not be the end of it.
Recurring cost on CHF 10,000: about CHF 157 here, CHF 39 with finpension, CHF 12 with True Wealth. Before the entry cost is counted at all.
What to look for when you check your own
Find your fund’s ISIN on your statement, search it with the words “Basisinformationsblatt” or “key information document”, and read the costs section. These are the layers that sit outside the headline fee:
- Entry and exit charges. Often the largest single cost in year one, and quoted as a maximum rather than a price.
- Fund TER, separate from the bank’s own fee. Two different numbers on two different documents.
- Transaction costs inside the fund, which are incurred whether or not you trade.
- Custody fees, where the bank charges them separately from the fund.
- Currency conversion on anything held in a foreign currency.
- Stamp duty and VAT, which rarely appear in the headline.
- Switching costs if you change strategy later, which people do.
- Distribution fees to the seller, and whether the quoted figure assumes the maximum.
- Bank margin inside the interest rate on any cash portion, which never appears as a fee at all.
If you cannot assemble a single annual percentage from the documents, that is worth knowing in itself. Three providers in the list above do not publish enough for anyone to do it.
Source: Basisinformationsblatt for Raiffeisen Futura Pension Invest Equity V, ISIN CH0441199582, produced by Vontobel Fonds Services AG, dated 16 June 2026. Entry and switching costs are stated as maximums. The 1.25% is the document’s estimate based on the previous year’s actual costs. Figures apply to this fund only; Raiffeisen’s other Futura strategies differ. Checked 5 August 2026.
Digital branding, traditional pricing. A 0.90% fund management commission.
An independent Zurich provider, not a bank. 0.55% base plus around 0.30% in fund costs. Their page still quotes 2021 contribution limits, so treat the figure as unconfirmed until they refresh it.
Charges a one-off entry load of 0.75% on the first CHF 100,000 and 0.15% above it, on top of annual fund costs that are not published in one place. Not directly comparable with an annual percentage.
No all-in figure anywhere on ubs.com. The former key4 pension 3a no longer exists as a standalone product.
Custody is free and there is no buy or sell commission, but the fund costs sit behind a gated page.
The bank’s own slice is 0.10%, but the fund costs are published nowhere reachable, so 0.10% is not the number you pay.
Sources: each provider’s own pricing page or fee schedule, checked 5 August 2026. Where a provider does not publish a comparable figure, this page says so rather than estimating.
How about insurance companies?
Most of the big names sell pillar 3a too. AXA, Swiss Life, Zürich, Helvetia, Baloise, Generali and Die Mobiliar all offer it, usually as a gebundene Vorsorgeversicherung, a policy that combines saving for retirement with life or disability cover in one contract.
The visibility problem is the same as with the banks, only more so. I have not been able to put together a comparable all-in annual figure for any of them from their public documents. The cost is split between the insurance premium, the savings portion and the fund charges, and how much of your contribution goes to each is generally set out in your personal offer rather than published. That does not make them a bad deal for everyone, but it does mean you cannot compare one against a 0.39% flat fee without doing real work first.
If you are considering one, ask for the figures in writing before you sign, and read the section below first.
Before you sign anything with an advisor
The single most expensive mistake in Swiss pillar 3a is not choosing a slightly pricier provider. It is being sold an insurance-linked 3a policy that bundles life or disability cover into your pension contribution.
These are not scams, and insurers are not the problem in themselves. The risk sits in how they are sold. They pay a large up-front commission to whoever signs you up, which is why they are pushed hard by advisors, and why the pitch tends to arrive when you have just started a job, bought a flat or had a child.
What it costs you: a slice of every contribution goes to the insurance rather than to your investment, you are committed for decades, and surrendering early can return less than you paid in.
If you want the cover, buy it separately. Term life and disability policies are cheap and easy to compare on their own, and keeping your 3a as a pure investment lets you move it whenever you like. Always ask an advisor how they are paid before you take their advice.
This one cost me personally. The numbers are in my story.
My top recommendations
Both are excellent and the gap between them is far smaller than the gap between either and a bank or insurance company. Pick on what you care about most.
A 0.00% management fee. You pay only the fund costs charged inside the ETFs, and uninvested cash earns 0.35%.
Visit True WealthReader offer: CHF 100 fee credit with code INVEHERO
One number with fund costs included, and the withholding tax reclaim on foreign dividends handled for you.
Visit finpensionReader offer: CHF 25 fee credit with code HEROBB Also valid if you are already a finpension customer opening another product. Enter it within 24 hours and pay in at least CHF 1,000 in the first year.How much can you pay in?
For 2026 the maximum is CHF 7,258 if you belong to a pension fund, and CHF 36,288 if you do not, capped at 20% of net earned income. Those figures are unchanged from 2025.
Two details worth knowing: the maximum deduction is also the payment limit, and rounding your contribution up is not permitted. So CHF 7,258 exactly, not CHF 7,300.
New from 2026: you can pay in contributions you missed, up to ten years back, but the limits matter. You may make one buy-in per year, capped at the small contribution (CHF 7,258 in 2026), and only on top of a fully paid current-year contribution. It applies only to gaps from 2025 onwards, and you need AHV-liable Swiss earned income both in the year you buy in and in the year being backfilled. So it is a way to close one gap at a time, not to backfill a decade at once.
Source: ESTV, Zinssätze und Höchstabzüge Säule 3a bei der direkten Bundessteuer, checked 4 August 2026.
Final thoughts
Pillar 3a is the best tax deal most people in Switzerland will ever be offered. Contributions come off your taxable income and the returns are not taxed while they sit there. If you are employed and not paying in, you are volunteering to pay more tax than you owe.
The mistake I see most often is not picking the wrong provider. It is paying in and then leaving the money as cash, where inflation quietly eats it. Choosing to invest it is the decision that actually matters. The provider is the second-order question, and the gap between the good ones is small.
If you are currently paying around 0.85% or more, moving is usually the highest-return hour of admin available to you. The transfer happens between foundations, stays inside the 3a system, and triggers no tax.
Common questions
Which pillar 3a provider is cheapest in 2026?
True Wealth, at roughly 0.12% all-in: a 0.00% management fee plus about 0.12% of fund costs charged inside the ETFs. finpension is next at a flat 0.39% with fund costs included, then frankly at 0.43% and VIAC at up to 0.44%. Traditional banks and insurers run from about 0.85% up, where they publish a figure at all.
What does pillar 3a actually cost per year?
On a CHF 50,000 balance: about CHF 60 a year with True Wealth, CHF 195 with finpension, CHF 215 with frankly, and about CHF 450 with Migros Bank at 0.90%. The funds underneath are often identical, which is what makes the spread worth acting on.
Is True Wealth really free?
The management fee is genuinely 0.00%, and it applies to new and existing clients alike. You still pay the fund costs inside the ETFs, roughly 0.12% on average for the global universe and 0.21% for the sustainable one. True Wealth say they have no plans to raise fees and have never raised prices in over ten years, but that is a statement of intent rather than a guarantee.
Should I pick the cheapest provider?
Not automatically. True Wealth, VIAC, frankly and finpension all use 3a index funds that only pension money can buy, which lets them reclaim part of the foreign withholding tax on dividends. Ordinary ETFs generally cannot. Compare the all-in cost first, then check how the portfolio is actually built.
How much can I pay into pillar 3a in 2026?
CHF 7,258 if you are employed with a pension fund. Up to 20% of net earned income, capped at CHF 36,288, if you are self-employed without one. From 2026 you can also buy in for missed years, one year at a time, capped at CHF 7,258 per buy-in and only for gaps from 2025 onwards.
Can I switch pillar 3a provider?
Yes, and it is usually the highest-return hour of admin available to you if you are currently paying around 0.85% or more. You open the new account and instruct the transfer from there. The money moves between foundations without you touching it, so it stays inside the 3a system and there is no tax event.
Should I have more than one 3a account?
Usually yes. Withdrawals are taxed at a reduced rate, but the rate rises with the amount withdrawn in a single year. Spreading your balance across several accounts lets you withdraw over several years and cut the total tax. Most providers open the accounts for you automatically.
Is a 3a from an insurance company worth it?
Rarely. Bundling life or disability cover into your pension locks you into decades of payments, takes a slice of every contribution for the insurance, and is expensive to exit. If you want cover, buy it separately and keep your 3a purely as an investment.
Compare & choose
The other comparisons on Investing Hero, each built the same way: every fee read from the provider’s own pricing page.
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Sources and freshness. Every fee here comes from the provider’s own pricing page, checked on 4 and 5 August 2026: truewealth.ch, finpension.ch, viac.ch, frankly.ch, selma.com and inyova.ch. Nothing is taken from a third-party comparison site. Figures are re-checked twice a year and after any provider announcement, and the date only moves when the numbers underneath have actually been re-verified.
Not published by the provider: UBS, PostFinance and Graubündner Kantonalbank do not publish an all-in pillar 3a cost anywhere I could reach at source. Those entries say so rather than carrying an estimate.
Written by Mr. IH, founder of InvestingHero. Educational content, not financial advice. Pillar 3a decisions carry tax consequences that depend on your canton and circumstances.