A Roth IRA is a type of IRA account that is available from regular IRA custodians and by many self-directed IRA providers such as Alto. Contributions to a Roth IRA are made on an after-tax basis and can offer tax-free distributions if certain rules are followed. These characteristics are the same whether the Roth IRA is of the “conventional” type or is opened on a self-directed IRA platform. A self-directed IRA is not a type of IRA, but rather is offered on a platform that supports investment in a variety of alternative assets such as real estate, crypto, and a host of others.