Want to start investing but dont know where to start? Here is a quick review of five companies that have automated the process of helping you choose the proper investments. Robo-advising is a great way to make sure your portfolio is well diversified and meets your goals and needs.

Some six decades go, a rash of kitschy sci-fi films depicted robots taking over the world. But no one suspected it might come true in a civilized way. At least that’s what seems to be happening in the investment world with so-called robo-advisors.

Simply put, a robo-advisor automates the heavy lifting end of investing and portfolio building for you. They’re also known as virtual financial planners, and a majority of the sites are aimed at web-savvy millennials — and in some cases, created by millennials.

That’s the story behind the investment portal Betterment. Jon Stein founded it in 2007 — an eternity ago in the high-tech world. On his website, he explains the motivation behind his creation:

Over a decade ago, as an economics undergraduate student, my professors drilled into me that there’s one optimal portfolio to own — the market portfolio. Even with this knowledge, as a novice investor, I thought that I could do better. My first stock pick? Enron. Fail.

Armed with this humbling experience, Stein returned to the original advice of his teachers. “The cardinal lesson of modern portfolio theory — that there’s no better portfolio to own than the market portfolio — is a lesson to live by,” he writes.

Regardless of how you or I feel about this, or robo-investing in general, there’s a persuasive argument that this technology fills a large void for an underserved demographic.

A recent survey by the Nationwide Retirement Institute found that 58 percent of millennials conduct their own financial research and make their own investment decisions. Then again, the survey respondents clearly want something more; 56 percent of millennial investors think they would be more financially successful with professional financial advice. But only 39 percent actually use a financial advisor.

And that in theory is where robo-advisors come in: somewhere between DIY research smarts and a lack of professional help.

Recognize that it’s hard to beat a flesh-and-blood financial advisor as you embark on a new financial life away from your parents. “Many folks in that age range haven’t been in their first job too long, have student debt they’re trying to pay off or want to save for a house and retirement,” says Joseph Jennings, wealth director at PNC Wealth Management. “They have a lot of competing interests and need someone who can provide a holistic view of their financial picture.”

But if you’re strapped for time, unable to afford the right person to guide your investments, or simply prefer doing things yourself, robo-advisors are worth considering. Here’s a brief rundown of some popular and attention-getting sites.

Stein’s site follows a straightforward path where you enter your age and one of five general investment goals (i.e. “build wealth,” and “safety net”). It then invests the money for you in a combination of stocks and bonds: a fully diversified investment portfolio of 12 global asset classes. Fees range between 0.15 (for a portfolio of $100,000 or more) and 0.35 percent of your annual balance.

The Betterment app (iOS, Android) uses concise screenshots to show overall account balances and performance. You can read more about Betterment in Money Under 30s review here.

Aimed primarily at millennials and young families, iQuantifi helps budget for milestones such as buying a home or a car as well as longer term goals like retirement. It’s the brainchild of CEO Tom White, a financial advisor for close to 20 years.

The site determines the action steps necessary to achieve your financial goals and will also recommend goals you should have based on your current situation. You can try things out for free in a 30-day trial; after that, it’s subscription based. Payments are $9.95 a month or you can sign up annually for $89. Goals are easily set using symbols that stand for categories such as “pay off debt” or “buy a house.”

Based in Palo Alto, this robo earned top scores for transparency from Jack Waymire at Paladin Registry, an education website for investors. Currently managing more than $1.5 billion in assets, Wealthfront sets you on the path to investment by hitting a green screen button; you enter your age, annual income, and cash/liquid assets.

Online investment accounts are fully automated, fully diversified and periodically rebalanced. You can access Wealthfront anytime from a computer, tablet or smartphone. It also supports 501(c) accounts for non-profit institutions; individual, joint, trust & LLC taxable accounts; and retirement accounts and rollovers.

Like Wealthfront, Rebalance is also based in Palo Alto and has earned transparency accolades from Paladin. The advisory board includes three financial titans including Jay Vivian. A former Managing Director of IBM’s Retirement Funds, Vivian oversaw $135 billion in IBM investment funds for more than 400,000 employees worldwide.

One attraction of Rebalance is that it claims to save clients an average 45 to 72 percent in annual fees. Rebalance charges just 0.5 percent in advisory fees, and uses in-house software to generate retirement plans. Rebalance also offers free one-on-one discussions with a retirement investment advisor (who, we assure you, is not made of a metal alloy). You can ask questions, discuss ideas, and see if youre on track to meet your goals.

Personal Capital might take offense at the moniker robo-advisor, because real live financial planners are behind the companys virtual wealth management platform. Still, Personal Capital utilizes technology to provide a free (and impressive) online and mobile app that lets you track all of your investments including broker accounts, IRAs and 401(k)s in one place. Once accounts are linked, you can not only see how your investments are performing, but also analyze fees and your overall asset allocation.

The online tools are free, but customers with at least $100,000 can enlist Personal Capital to manage their wealth for them. Annual fees start at 0.89 percent for the first $1 million invested with price breaks for investing more than $1 million, $3 million, $5 million and $10 million. Read more in our review here or create a account and test drive the free tools .

No matter what route you choose on the road to robo riches, remember that talking to another investor who’s tried it will help you tremendously. The technologies and websites are still so new that it may take some time before clear leaders — and losers — emerge from the digital smoke.

Or, if you prefer, even a shiny new robot takes some time to break in.