Advertiser Disclosure
Many of the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which The Motley Fool receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear) and may influence which products we write about, but our product ratings are not influenced by compensation. We do not include all companies or offers available in the marketplace.
Nathan Alderman has been a full-time Motley Fool employee since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As Motley Fool Money's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation.
You don't need a full-service stock broker or financial advisor to help manage your investments. In fact, you don't even need a computer. Excellent investment apps make it easy to buy and sell stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and other investments right from your phone -- from anywhere. There are apps for beginners and experienced investors, for active trading and hands-off automation. Some even offer robust features like stock analysis and research.
The best investing apps are more than apps to buy stocks. While some apps in this list are dedicated to that purpose, some go beyond investing and bring together your full financial picture in one place where you can set up banking and loans through the same app. Whatever your financial needs, there's an app for you. Here's our list of the best investment apps.
2 Featured Picks From Our Best Investment Apps
There are a lot of options to compare, even on this page. It can be overwhelming! If you're looking for a place to start, here are some investment apps our experts recommend and why they like them:
WARNING SCL [brokerage slug=fidelity field=apply_url] does not generate a link. Anchor tag will not render in production.Fidelity: Extensive investing research tools
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Best For:
$0 commissions
Commission:
$0 for stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrencies
5.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
5.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Best For:
Full-featured broker
Commission:
$0 commission for online U.S. stock and ETF trades. No fees to buy fractional shares.
4.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Best For:
Options investing app
Commission:
$0 for stocks, $1 per option contract (opening trades only), $0 per crypto purchase and sale
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Best For:
Investing and banking in one
Commission:
No commission, trading, or management fees for self-directed accounts. Platform fee of $3 monthly.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Get up to $1,000 in stock when you open & fund a new Active Invest account.⁷
Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $50 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. See full terms and conditions at https://www.sofi.com/invest/clawpromotion/rules.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Best For:
Robo-advisor investing app
Commission:
$0 per trade, management fee of $4 per month or 0.25% per year
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Best For:
Investing app for IRAs
Commission:
$0 stock, ETF, and Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource® trades. No fees to buy fractional shares.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
4.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
4.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
There are are a few things we like to look for when choosing an investing app:
Diverse investment options
Low or no fees
Affordable account minimum
Educational resources
User-friendly platform
Wondering why these are important, or how to compare these factors between apps? Here's a breakdown of why these are important, and what to look for:
Diverse investment options: Some investment apps only invest in ETFs, which might be fine for beginner, hands-off investors. For more advanced options, look for apps with an array of options, including stocks, bonds, options, and mutual funds.
Low or no commission fees: Too many brokers offer zero commissions on trades for you to put up with high fees.
Limited extra fees: Avoid accounts with charges like an annual fee, transfer and withdrawal fees, and inactivity fees.
Affordable account minimum: Some apps let you open an account with as little as $1, while some require an initial deposit of $500 or $1,000. There's no "right" amount to start with, but pick an app that lets you invest within your budget.
Educational resources: Many investment apps eschew access to a human advisor in favor of automated investments. It's nice if they offer resources like third-party research and stock analysis to help you make decisions for yourself.
User-friendly platform: Online and app-based products should be reliable and easy to use! Check reviews for an app before you sign up to make sure users are happy with their experience.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
Robinhood's user-friendly mobile investing app allows trading in stocks, ETFs, options, cryptocurrencies, and fractional shares, all with $0 commissions.
5.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
Fidelity is one of the largest and one of the most well-rounded brokerages available in the US today. Importantly, Fidelity offers $0 commission for online stock and ETF trades, plus a high-quality mobile app that's good for both beginners and seasoned investors.
Fees:
$0 commission for online U.S. stock and ETF trades. No fees to buy fractional shares.
4.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
tastytrade is laser-focused on options investing and its app is well-suited to options traders. Its feature-rich order entry platform helps is versatile enough on mobile for actions you'd otherwise want to take through its other trading platforms.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
M1 Finance packs in robust investing and banking needs within a simple-to-use-app. What's more, there's no account management fee.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
SoFi is a great lending, investing, saving, and personal finance app all rolled into one, making it a very good investment app for handling your money needs under one roof.
Special Offer
Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $50 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. See full terms and conditions at https://www.sofi.com/invest/clawpromotion/rules.
Get up to $1,000 in stock when you open & fund a new Active Invest account.⁷
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
Ally combines investment and personal financial accounts in one easy-to-use app.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
Betterment helped pioneer the robo-advisor business and remains one of the best investment app options.
Fees:
$0 per trade, management fee of $4 per month or 0.25% per year
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
Webull offers a user-friendly stock investing platform with more features than some of its rivals, including cheap margin rates.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
Few stock brokers have a mobile app that closely resembles the robust features and capabilities of their online investment app. Schwab bucks that trend. Importantly, accountholders can manage all of their standard accounts via the app, including IRAs, taxable brokerage, and bank accounts.
Fees:
$0 stock, ETF, and Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource® trades. No fees to buy fractional shares.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
One of the best robo-advisors for low costs and diverse investing needs, with an excellent mobile app to boot.
4.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
A solid pick for investors that want to put their savings and investments on cruise control. Acorns' approach to automatically rounding up purchases is a simple way to start investing.
4.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Bottom Line
Stash has an easy to understand fee structure as well as a low barrier to entry to start investing. It has tools that are great for beginners and even comes with a debit card.
Editor's Note: TD Ameritrade is transitioning to Charles Schwab
TD Ameritrade has been acquired by Charles Schwab, and the company expects all accounts to be transitioned by the end of 2024. We've removed TD Ameritrade from our best-of lists to align with this development. Here at The Ascent, you can trust that we're constantly evaluating our top broker picks to bring you current recommendations.
Reviews of the best investment apps
SoFi Active Investing
Best app for investors who: Want an all-in-one financial app with tons of features.
SoFi® could be an excellent choice for investors, especially those who prefer to keep all of their finances in the same place. SoFi® offers an excellent active investing platform as well as one of our top robo-advisors, in the same app you can use to manage your savings and checking account, apply for a mortgage, and much more.
Why investors might love SoFi Active Investing
No trading commissions¹ (including options⁴) or account minimums
Fractional share investing is available.³
Choose active investing or automated portfolios (or both) in the same app.
Why some investors might not choose SoFi Active Investing
Some investment types (like mutual funds) aren't available.
Trading platform might be light on features for active investors.
Best app for investors who: Want an easy-to-use platform to buy and sell stocks and cryptocurrencies.
Robinhood pioneered the concept of the app-based investment platform, and it is still one of the best in the business today. It doesn't charge any commissions, even on options trading, and allows for fractional share investing. There are more than a dozen cryptocurrencies available with no trading commissions, and although the Robinhood Gold membership costs $5 per month, it offers some excellent benefits that could more than justify the cost, such as a 3% match on IRA contributions.
Why investors might love Robinhood
No commissions, even on options and cryptocurrencies
Fractional share investing
Extremely easy to use
Why some investors might not choose Robinhood
No mutual funds or fixed-income investments.
No stock research without Robinhood Gold membership.
Best app for investors who: Want a full-featured brokerage platform in the palm of their hand.
Fidelity is one of the largest and most well-known brokerage firms in the world, and it offers an excellent and highly rated investment app. Customers can trade stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, options, and more from Fidelity's app, and can open virtually any type of investment account they need. Fidelity is one of just a few brokers that allow customers to trade on foreign stock markets, and with fractional share investing, it can be easier than you think to create a diversified portfolio.
Why investors might love Fidelity
Fractional share investing: Fidelity allows investors to buy and sell fractional shares. This can allow you to create a diversified portfolio with little money.
International trading: Fidelity allows investors to access and trade on 25 different international stock markets.
Accounts and investments: As a full-featured brokerage, Fidelity offers a variety of account types that can be opened for app-based stock trading, including individual, joint, retirement, custodial, and trust accounts. It offers stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, CDs, and several other types of investments.
Why some investors might not choose Fidelity
Margin rates: Fidelity is on the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to margin interest rates, especially for customers with smaller accounts.
No cryptocurrencies: Several other investment apps allow you to trade cryptocurrencies. Fidelity does not.
Best app for investors who: Want a mobile-first broker with an all-in-one financial platform.
Ally Invest is an all-in-one financial platform that offers checking and savings accounts, loans, and investment accounts. It offers both an active investing account as well as a robo-advisory service and offers a variety of account types and investments on its platform. It could also be an excellent app for mutual fund investors, as it is one of the only investment platforms that has eliminated mutual fund commissions entirely.
Why investors might love Ally Invest
All-in-one app: Ally's app offers all of its investment and banking services in the same place, which could make it a great choice for stock traders who like keeping their finances in one place.
Active and automated: Ally Invest offers a self-directed investment platform, as well as an automated (robo-advisor) platform.
Commissions: Ally Invest not only offers free stock trades, but it's one of the only investment apps where mutual fund commissions are completely non-existent.
Why some investors might not choose Ally Invest
Commissions on some stocks: Ally Invest offers free stock trading on most stocks, but still charges commissions for stocks with share prices below $2.
Light on trading tools: Ally Invest is designed more for long-term investors than active traders. So, if you're looking for a sophisticated trading platform with tons of research tools, you may want to look elsewhere.
Best app for investors who: Want a low-cost but feature-packed way to automate their investing.
Betterment is a robo-advisor platform that was one of the pioneers in the automated investing industry. It has a reasonable management fee, no minimum balance, and some excellent features that are often only available to high-balance accounts, such as tax-loss harvesting. Betterment also features an integrated cash management account that is competitive with the top high-yield savings accounts on our radar.
Why investors might love Betterment
Low management fee (0.25%) and no minimums.
Integrated high-yield savings account.
Tax-loss harvesting and automatic portfolio rebalancing.
Why some investors might not choose Betterment
Human advisors only available to Premium members with over $100K balances.
Best app for investors who: Want an easy way to buy and sell stocks, especially for active traders.
Webull is designed to be the premier investing app for active traders. It offers $0 commission stock and options trades, fractional share investing, and a mobile platform that is far more feature-packed than those offered by other app-based brokerage firms. It also offers a few cryptocurrencies for trading on the platform as well.
Why investors might love Webull
No commissions: Webull offers $0 commission trading on stocks and options.
Mobile platform: Webull's mobile platform is packed with advanced trading tools that many of its competitors can't match.
Cryptocurrencies: Webull offers Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin for trading on its platform.
Why some investors might not choose Webull
Education: Webull might not be the best choice for beginning investors, as one of its key weaknesses is a lack of educational resources.
Account types: There are several popular account types Webull doesn't offer, such as SIMPLE and SEP IRAs, custodial accounts, and solo 401(k)s. You also can't open a joint account with Webull.
Best app for investors who: Want more than just a place to buy and sell stocks.
Charles Schwab is one of the largest full-featured brokerage firms in the United States, and offers a trading app to pair with its web-based and desktop platforms. It has excellent educational research, as well as top-notch customer service through the app. Users can open many different types of accounts, and Charles Schwab is one of the few trading apps that allows investors to buy and sell mutual funds, futures, and several other types of investments.
Why investors might love Charles Schwab
Feature-packed platform: Charles Schwab offers extensive educational resources for investors, has some excellent advanced trading tools, and provides access to third-party stock research reports.
Investment choices: Charles Schwab's platform offers more investment choices than most. It includes stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, mutual funds, foreign exchange, futures, and CDs for investors.
Account types: In addition to standard brokerage accounts and traditional and Roth IRAs, Charles Schwab offers SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, Solo 401(k)s, college savings accounts, custodial accounts, as well as joint brokerage accounts.
Why some investors might not choose Charles Schwab
Not easy to use: Charles Schwab has an extremely functional app, as discussed earlier, and we wouldn't exactly call it a clunky experience. But it isn't nearly as easy to navigate as some of the mobile-first trading apps on this list.
Some commissions: Charles Schwab charges a per-contract fee on options trading, which many of its competitors have eliminated. There are also commissions on mutual funds that aren't on its OneSource list.
Best app for investors who: Actively trade options or futures.
While tastytrade facilitates stock investing, and the platform offers IRAs and trusts, the main focus is facilitating options and futures trading for active investors. It has one of the best trading platforms in the industry, and has an excellent options commission structure. While its desktop trading platform is the company's flagship product, it packs a powerful collection of trading tools in a mobile app as well.
Why investors might love tastytrade
Commission structure: tastytrade charges a $1 per contract fee for options, but there are two caveats. First, it only charges a commission on purchases (not when you sell). Second, the commission is capped at $10 per trade, no matter how many contracts.
Most options-focused platform: tastytrade was designed by industry leaders who pioneered online options trading technology decades ago. You won't find a more options-focused platform.
No minimums: You can open a tastytrade account with any amount you wish, and start trading. However, you'll need at least $2,000 for margin privileges.
Why some investors might not choose tastytrade
Margin rates: Other platforms that target active traders often have better margin interest rates.
Not great for long-term investors: In simple terms, if you're aiming to build a portfolio of stocks to hold for the long term, tastytrade might not be your best choice.
Best app for investors who: Investors who want a robo-advisor app with lots of features.
Wealthfront is an automated investing platform, or robo-advisor, designed to automatically allocate clients' assets in an age-appropriate manner. It has a reasonable advisory fee, provides tax-loss harvesting strategies, and offers many different account types. It also has an excellent integrated cash management account, and Wealthfront actually lets investors buy individual stocks in addition to their robo-advisory portfolio.
Why investors might love Wealthfront
Lots of features for the cost: Wealthfront's 0.25% management fee isn't the lowest in the industry, but it delivers a lot of value. For example, it is one of the only robo-advisors that provides tax-loss harvesting to clients of all account sizes.
Great cash management account: Wealthfront allows investors to keep a cash account, which pays an APY comparable to our top high-yield savings accounts and gives access to money at more than 19,000 fee-free ATMs.
Can also buy individual stocks: Wealthfront allows investors to trade stocks commission-free (including fractional shares).
Why some investors might not choose Wealthfront
Account minimum: Wealthfront requires a $500 minimum deposit to get started, which is on the lower end, but is important to know.
No human advisors: Some robo-advisors provide clients with access to financial planners, but Wealthfront does not.
Best app for investors who: Want a robo-advisor that takes automation to the next level.
Acorns earns a spot on our best investment apps list because it's perhaps the most user-friendly and most automated robo-advisor on our radar. While you have the usual ways to contribute money (one-time, recurring), a unique feature of Acorns is that it allows users to link their credit and debit cards, and round up each purchase to the next dollar -- investing the difference.
Why investors might love Acorns
Round-ups: In addition to being able to deposit money directly into your Acorns account, the key feature is being able to link a debit or credit card (or several), and round up all of your purchases to the nearest dollar to deposit the change into your investment account.
Easy to understand: Acorns app is extremely easy to navigate, and when it comes to investment selections, Acorns keeps it simple with portfolio titles like "aggressive" and "conservative."
Ways to earn extra investment cash: Acorns Earn is a promotional platform that gives cash-back offers for spending with Acorns partners, in the form of extra money added to your Acorns account.
Why some investors might not choose Acorns
Can't buy individual stocks: Acorns is only a robo-advisor. You can't buy individual stocks on its platform.
Fee structure: Depending on the membership tier selected, Acorns charges $3, $5, or $9 per month. This can be more expensive (as a percentage of assets) than most robo-advisors charge, especially for investors just getting started.
No human advisors: Some robo-advisors offer access to real-live financial planners, but Acorns isn't one of them.
Best app for investors who: Want a robo-advisor with other financial functionality.
M1 Finance is a robo-advisor at its core, automating the investment portfolios of its users. It also offers an excellent checking and savings account, as well as personal loans to its customers. There are no commissions or investment fees whatsoever. There's a low $100 minimum investment and M1 Finance provides automatic rebalancing.
Why investors might love M1 Finance
No fees: M1 Finance is one of the few robo-advisors that doesn't charge an account management fee.
Integrated banking and lending: M1 Finance offers a checking account and a high-yield savings account, as well as a personal loan platform, so customers can handle most of their financial needs in one place.
Retirement accounts: M1 Finance supports traditional and Roth IRAs, rollover IRAs, and SEP-IRAs.
Why some investors might not choose M1 Finance
No human advisors: M1 Finance doesn't give access to real-live investment advisors, nor does it provide any recommendations or financial advice beyond its standard robo-advisory.
No tax-loss harvesting: An especially important feature for investors with larger accounts, tax-loss harvesting by a robo-advisor can make a tax bill dramatically lower.
There are several good investment apps in the market, and the best one for you depends on your investment goals and risk tolerance. Some investment apps are full-featured brokerage platforms, others are user-friendly ways to occasionally buy or sell stocks, and others are robo-advisors that essentially put your investment strategy on autopilot.
There are several highly rated investment apps. Acorns, Wealthfront, and Betterment are popular choices, especially for beginners, as they completely automate your investment strategy. Robinhood and SoFi® both have extremely user-friendly investment platforms if you're looking to buy and sell individual stocks. And for more experienced investors, or those who want a more full-featured experience, Schwab Mobile is highly rated in both the App Store and Google Play store.
Share This Page
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
Charles Schwab is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Ally is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Matt Frankel has positions in Ally Financial. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Best Buy, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Target. The Motley Fool recommends Charles Schwab and recommends the following options: short March 2025 $80 calls on Charles Schwab. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Robinhood disclosure
All investments involve risk and loss of principal is possible.
Securities are offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Cryptocurrency services are offered through an account with Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840). Robinhood Crypto is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Cryptocurrency held through Robinhood Crypto is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected. For more information see the Robinhood Crypto Risk Disclosure.
Trades of stocks, ETFs and options are commission-free at Robinhood Financial LLC. Other fees may apply. Please see Robinhood Financial’s Fee Schedule to learn more.
Fractional shares are illiquid outside of Robinhood and are not transferable. Not all securities available through Robinhood are eligible for fractional share orders. For a complete explanation of conditions, restrictions and limitations associated with fractional shares, see the Fractional Shares section of our Customer Agreement.
Robinhood Gold is an account offering premium services available for a $5 monthly fee. Not all investors will be eligible to trade on Margin. Margin investing involves the risk of greater investment losses. Additional interest charges may apply depending on the amount of margin used. Bigger Instant Deposits are only available if your Instant Deposits status is in good standing.
SoFi Disclosure:
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
Value Prop Disclosures
Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.
Investing in alternative investments and/or strategies may not be suitable for all investors and involves unique risks, including the risk of loss. An investor should consider their individual circumstances and any investment information, such as a prospectus, prior to investing. Interval Funds are illiquid instruments,the ability to trade on your timeline may be restricted. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA(www.finra.org) /SIPC(www.sipc.org).
There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.
Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire investment Before trading options please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options.
Utilizing a margin loan is generally considered more appropriate for experienced investors as there are additional costs and risks associated. It is possible to lose more than your initial investment when using margin. Please see https://www.sofi.com/wealth/assets/documents/brokerage-margin-disclosure-statement.pdf for detailed disclosure information
SoFi Plus members can schedule an unlimited number of appointments with a financial planner during periods in which the SoFi Plus member meets the eligibility criteria set forth in section 10(a) of the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions. SoFi members who are not members of SoFi Plus can schedule one (1) appointment with a financial planner. The ability to schedule appointments is subject to financial planner availability. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this benefit at any time with or without notice. Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Promotion Disclosures
Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $50 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. See full terms and conditions.
Terms and conditions apply. Roll over a minimum of $20K to receive the 1% match offer. Matches on contributions are made up to the annual limits.
Must be a SoFi Plus member at the time a recurring deposit is received into your SoFi Active or Automated investing account to qualify. Bonus calculated on net monthly recurring deposits made via ACH and paid out as Rewards Points. See Rewards Terms of Service. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time without notice. See terms and limitations. https://www.sofi.com/sofiplus/invest/#disclaimers
For full promotion terms please visit: SoFi.com/ACATterms. You must transfer at least $20,000 before April 17, 2025 and keep the investments in your SoFi Active Invest account through December 31, 2025 to be eligible for the incentive, which will be paid by January 31, 2026. SoFi does not accept cryptocurrencies and has some limitations on mutual funds and OTC stock.
Stash disclosure Investment advisory services offered by Stash Investments LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value. Paid client testimonial. Not representative of all clients and not a guarantee. View important disclosures.
Stash has full authority to manage a Smart Portfolio, a discretionary managed account. Diversification and asset allocation do not guarantee a profit, nor do they eliminate the risk of loss of principal. Stash does not guarantee any level of performance or that any client will avoid losses in their account
Ancillary fees charged by Stash and/or its custodian are not included in the subscription fee.
* Stash Banking services provided by Stride Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. The Stash Stock-Back® Debit Mastercard® is issued by Stride Bank pursuant to license from Mastercard International. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. Any earned stock rewards will be held in your Stash Invest account. Investment products and services provided by Stash Investments LLC and are Not FDIC Insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, and May Lose Value.
** Get fee-free transactions at any Allpoint ATM, see the app for location details, otherwise out-of-network ATM fees may apply. For a complete list of fees please see the Deposit Account Agreement for details.
*** All rewards earned through use of the Stash Stock-Back® Debit Mastercard® will be fulfilled by Stash Investments LLC and are subject to Terms and Conditions. You will bear the standard fees and expenses reflected in the pricing of the investments that you earn, plus fees for various ancillary services charged by Stash. In order to earn stock in the program, the Stash Stock-Back® Debit Mastercard must be used to make a qualifying purchase. Stock rewards that are paid to participating customers via the Stash Stock Back program, are Not FDIC Insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, and May Lose Value. What doesn’t count: Cash withdrawals, money orders, prepaid cards, and P2P payment. If you make a qualifying purchase at a merchant that is not publicly traded or otherwise available on Stash, you will receive a stock reward in an ETF or other investment of your choice from a list of companies available on Stash. See Terms and Conditions for more details.
**** 1% Stock-Back® rewards available only on Stash+ ($9/mo) and only for client’s first $1,000 of Qualifying Purchases in each calendar month program.
***** Limitations apply; 3% Stock-Back rewards available only for qualified bonus merchants on Stash+.
Ancillary fees charged by Stash and/or its custodian are not included in the subscription fee.
Stash offers access to investment and banking accounts under each subscription plan. Each type of account is subject to different regulations and limitations. Stash Monthly Subscription Wrap Fee starts at $3/month. You’ll also bear the standard fees and expenses reflected in the pricing of ETFs, plus fees for various ancillary services charged by Stash and/or the Custodian. Please see the Advisory Agreement for details. Other fees apply to the bank account. Please see the Deposit Account Agreement.
Fidelity disclosure Fractional share quantities can be entered out to 3 decimal places (.001) as long as the value of the order is at least $1.00. Dollar-based trades can be entered out to 2 decimal places (e.g. $250.00)
tastytrade disclosure
tastytrade, Inc. (“tastytrade”) has entered into a Marketing Agreement with The Motley Fool (“Marketing Agent”) whereby tastytrade pays compensation to Marketing Agent to recommend tastytrade’s brokerage services. The existence of this Marketing Agreement should not be deemed as an endorsement or recommendation of Marketing Agent by tastytrade and/or any of its affiliated companies. Neither tastytrade nor any of its affiliated companies is responsible for the privacy practices of Marketing Agent or this website. tastytrade does not warrant the accuracy or content of the products or services offered by Marketing Agent or this website. Marketing Agent is independent and is not an affiliate of tastytrade.
tastytrade was previously known as tastyworks, Inc.
Betterment disclaimers
†Betterment Cash Reserve ("Cash Reserve") is offered by Betterment LLC. Clients of Betterment LLC participate in Cash Reserve through their brokerage account held at Betterment Securities. Neither Betterment LLC nor any of its affiliates is a bank. Through Cash Reserve, clients' funds are deposited into one or more banks ("Program Banks") where the funds earn a variable interest rate and are eligible for FDIC insurance. Cash Reserve provides Betterment clients with the opportunity to earn interest on cash intended to purchase securities through Betterment LLC and Betterment Securities. Cash Reserve should not be viewed as a long-term investment option.
Funds held in your brokerage accounts are not FDIC‐insured but are protected by SIPC. Funds in transit to or from Program Banks are generally not FDIC‐insured but are protected by SIPC, except when those funds are held in a sweep account following a deposit or prior to a withdrawal, at which time funds are eligible for FDIC insurance but are not protected by SIPC. See Betterment Client Agreements for further details. Funds deposited into Cash Reserve are eligible for up to $1,000,000.00 (or $2,000,000.00 for joint accounts) of FDIC insurance once the funds reach one or more Program Banks (up to $250,000 for each insurable capacity—e.g., individual or joint—at up to four Program Banks). Even if there are more than four Program Banks, clients will not necessarily have deposits allocated in a manner that will provide FDIC insurance above $1,000,000.00 (or $2,000,000.00 for joint accounts). The FDIC calculates the insurance limits based on all accounts held in the same insurable capacity at a bank, not just cash in Cash Reserve. If clients elect to exclude one or more Program Banks from receiving deposits the amount of FDIC insurance available through Cash Reserve may be lower. Clients are responsible for monitoring their total assets at each Program Bank, including existing deposits held at Program Banks outside of Cash Reserve, to ensure FDIC insurance limits are not exceeded, which could result in some funds being uninsured. For more information on FDIC insurance please visit www.FDIC.gov. Deposits held in Program Banks are not protected by SIPC. For more information see the full terms and conditions and Betterment LLC's Form ADV Part II.
**The annual percentage yield ("APY") on the deposit balances in Betterment Cash Reserve ("Cash Reserve") is 4.00% and represents the weighted average of the APY on deposit balances at the banks participating in Cash Reserve (the "Program Banks") and is current as of Feb. 6, 2023. This APY is variable and subject to change daily. Deposit balances are not allocated equally among the participating Program Banks. A minimum deposit of $10 is required, but there is no minimum balance required to be maintained. The APY available to a customer may be lower if that customer designates a bank or banks as ineligible to receive deposits. APY applies only to Cash Reserve and does not apply to checking accounts held through Betterment Checking. Cash Reserve and Betterment Checking are separate offerings and are not linked accounts.
For Cash Reserve (“CR”), Betterment LLC only receives compensation from our program banks; Betterment LLC and Betterment Securities do not charge fees on your CR balance.
Motley Fool Money is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters.
2025 Award Winner
