StashAway Malaysia Review 2026: Is It Worth Your Investment?
In a year where Malaysians are increasingly looking beyond fixed deposits and EPF for their savings, robo-advisors like StashAway have become a popular middle ground — more hands-off than stock-picking, but potentially better returns than leaving money in a savings account.
But is StashAway still worth it in 2026? The short answer is yes — but it depends on what you’re using it for. Here’s our honest take.
What Is StashAway?
StashAway is a digital investment platform (robo-advisor) that automatically builds and manages a diversified portfolio of ETFs on your behalf. You pick a risk level, deposit money, and StashAway handles everything — asset allocation, rebalancing, and adjusting your portfolio based on economic conditions. No need to manually buy or sell funds.
StashAway is licensed by the Securities Commission Malaysia and has been operating in Malaysia since 2018. It’s backed by significant venture funding and has expanded across Southeast Asia and the Middle East — so it’s not a startup risk in the way some newer fintech platforms might be.
StashAway Products Available in Malaysia
1. General Investing
This is the core product — a portfolio of globally diversified ETFs calibrated to your chosen risk level (from conservative to aggressive). StashAway uses a proprietary system called ERAA (Economic Regime-based Asset Allocation) to adjust your portfolio based on macroeconomic conditions.
In 2025, the General Investing portfolios delivered strong returns:
| Risk Level | Approx. 2025 Return (USD) |
|---|---|
| Conservative (low risk) | ~8.7% |
| Moderate | ~12–15% |
| Aggressive (high risk) | ~23.4% |
| Average across portfolios | ~17.5% |
Important caveat: these are USD-denominated returns. When converted to MYR, the average comes out to approximately 6.6% due to currency effects. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future returns, but this gives you a realistic picture of what to expect over a full market year.
2. StashAway Simple
StashAway Simple is their cash management product — essentially a low-risk money market fund that aims to preserve your capital while earning a modest return. The current projected annual return is around 3.55–3.6% per annum.
This positions it as a reasonable alternative to keeping emergency funds in a regular savings account (which typically earns 0.5–2% in Malaysia). It’s not as high as a fixed deposit, but you get daily liquidity — you can withdraw at any time without penalty.
3. Goal-Based Investing
StashAway also allows you to set specific financial goals — a house down payment, retirement fund, or travel savings — and builds a portfolio timeline around that goal. This feature is useful if you’re the type who saves better with a clear target in mind.
StashAway Fees: What You’ll Actually Pay
| Portfolio Size | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| RM0 – RM30,000 | 0.8% p.a. |
| RM30,001 – RM100,000 | 0.6% p.a. |
| RM100,001 – RM250,000 | 0.4% p.a. |
| Above RM250,000 | 0.2% p.a. |
For most Malaysians starting out, you’ll be in the 0.8% tier. On a RM5,000 portfolio, that’s RM40 per year — or roughly RM3.33 per month. That’s genuinely reasonable for a fully managed, globally diversified portfolio. There are no trading fees, no deposit or withdrawal fees, and no minimum balance requirement.
StashAway vs EPF: How Do They Compare?
Many Malaysians naturally compare StashAway to EPF since both are long-term savings vehicles. EPF has historically declared dividends of 5–6% annually (with some variation), and contributions are mandatory for salaried employees.
StashAway is better thought of as a complement to EPF, not a replacement. Your EPF contributions are locked in until retirement (with limited withdrawal windows), while StashAway gives you a flexible, globally diversified investment you can access anytime. For money you won’t need for 5–10 years but want more accessible than EPF, StashAway fits well.
Who Is StashAway Best For?
StashAway suits you well if: You want to invest consistently without managing individual stocks, you’re comfortable with a long investment horizon (5+ years), you want exposure to global markets rather than just Malaysian ones, or you like the idea of a “set and forget” investment.
StashAway may not be ideal if: You want direct control over which stocks or ETFs you buy, you’re looking for short-term returns (the MYR returns can be modest in low-volatility years), or your portfolio is large enough that the 0.8% fee feels meaningful compared to simply buying ETFs yourself on a platform like Moomoo or Webull.
The Bottom Line
StashAway remains one of the most credible robo-advisors available to Malaysians in 2026. Its 2025 returns were strong, the fee structure is transparent and reasonable, and the platform is genuinely easy to use — even if you’ve never invested before.
If you’re sitting on savings that are currently doing nothing in a current account, or you want to start investing but feel overwhelmed by stock-picking, StashAway is a legitimate and low-effort way to get started. The referral programme also means both you and your referrer get up to RM30,000 managed fee-free for 6 months, which is a nice way to test the platform without paying anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is StashAway safe in Malaysia?
StashAway is licensed by the Securities Commission Malaysia. Your investments are held in custody by a licensed custodian, separately from StashAway’s own operating funds. This means if StashAway the company were to face financial difficulties, your investment assets would still be protected. No investment is risk-free in terms of market value, but StashAway is a regulated, legitimate platform.
What is the minimum investment for StashAway Malaysia?
There is no minimum investment required to open a StashAway account or to start investing. You can begin with as little as RM1, though practically speaking, you’ll want to invest at least RM100–500 for the returns to feel meaningful relative to the management fee.
How does StashAway Simple compare to a fixed deposit?
StashAway Simple currently projects around 3.55–3.6% annual returns, which is comparable to or slightly lower than a 12-month fixed deposit at Malaysian banks (typically 3.5–3.8%). However, unlike a fixed deposit, StashAway Simple has daily liquidity — you can withdraw any time without penalty. This makes it better suited for emergency funds or money you might need within a few months.
How much did StashAway return in 2025?
StashAway’s General Investing portfolios returned between 8.7% and 23.4% in 2025 (in USD terms), averaging around 17.5% across risk levels. In MYR terms, the average was approximately 6.6% after currency effects. Higher-risk portfolios generated higher returns but also carry greater potential for losses in down markets.
Want to compare StashAway against other investment options available in Malaysia? See our guide on [INTERNAL_LINK: best investment apps Malaysia] for a broader comparison of platforms and returns.
This article contains affiliate links. If you sign up or make a purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
