Cash App Investing vs. Robinhood: Which Broker Is Right for You?
Review
Updated
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When it comes to Cash App Investing vs. Robinhood, both are designed to be low-frills brokerage platforms.
And both are primarily targeted at younger investors who want to buy and sell stocks easily. Cash App added brokerage capabilities within the past few years to complement its other financial offerings, such as person-to-person money transfers and direct deposit.
On the other hand, Robinhood pioneered the no-fee brokerage platform model and is largely considered to be the reason most of the industry has adopted $0 commission stock trading.
We compare the pros and cons of each in the following review.
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| Rating |
Rating
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 |
Rating
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 |
| Commissions |
Commissions |
Commissions N/A N/A |
| Account Minimum |
Account Minimum |
Account Minimum |
| Learn More |
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Cole Tretheway has reviewed dozens of brokerages, and his work has been featured on NASDAQ and Yahoo Finance. Cole has surfed through more fine print than is probably healthy, so his readers don't have to.
Cash App Investing is great for investors who use Cash App to send money. It's the same app for investing and money transfers. You can manage all your money in one place, super simple.
Robinhood is great for investors who want retirement accounts. Robinhood gives you 1% to 3% match on IRA deposits. It's a rare perk, perfect for the self-employed.
Investors should consider other brokers for investing beyond the basics. Robinhood and Cash App Investing cover the essentials. But neither offers a wide variety of account types, and you're limited to stocks and some cryptocurrencies (no bonds or mutual funds).
We recommend comparing brokerage options to ensure the account you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of our best trading platforms of 2025.
| Broker | Best For | Commissions | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
Managing your finances under one roof | $0 for stocks,¹ $0 for options contracts⁴ |
Learn More for SoFi Active Investing
On SoFi Active Investing's Secure Website. |
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 |
Low mutual fund fees. | $0 per trade |
Learn More for J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
On J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing's Secure Website. |
|
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 |
Low fees on stocks, ETFs, crypto, and options | $0 for stocks, ETFs, and options |
Learn More for Robinhood
On Robinhood's Secure Website. |
When it comes to fees, these two brokerage platforms are pretty close. Both have commission-free stock and ETF trading, just like most of the brokerage industry. Both have no account maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements. Plus, the fee to transfer stock out of an account is the same with both brokers. And neither offers mutual fund investing at this time, so there's no need to compare fees in this area.
There are two key differences worth noting:
| Cash App Investing | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|
| Stock & ETF Commissions | $0 | $0 |
| Options Commissions | N/A | $0 |
| Crypto Commissions | Varies | $0 |
| Mutual Fund Commissions | N/A | N/A |
| Account Transfer Fee | $75 | $100 |
| Account Maintenance Fee | $0 | $0 |
These two platforms are on (almost) equal footing for investment options, but with a few big differences. As mentioned earlier, Robinhood offers commission-free options trading, while Cash App Investing doesn't facilitate options at all. And while both platforms offer cryptocurrency trading, Cash App Investing offers Bitcoin only while Robinhood offers several different cryptocurrencies through its platform.
LEARN MORE: Best Options Trading Platforms
The biggest takeaway is that both Cash App Investing and Robinhood are largely designed for investors who want to be able to buy and sell stocks in any dollar amount. (Both allow fractional share trading.) Robinhood is designed more for traders, with options and several other cryptocurrencies available, while Cash App Investing is designed to allow people to easily buy and sell stocks and Bitcoin.
Neither platform offers:
Both are rather low-frills in nature, so if any of those investment types are a key component of your strategy, you're probably better off looking elsewhere.
READ MORE: Best Stock Brokers
| Cash App Investing | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks and ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | Yes |
| Mutual funds | No | No |
| CDs | No | No |
| Bonds | No | No |
| Futures | No | No |
| Crypto | Yes (Bitcoin only) | Yes |
| Currencies | No | No |
Both Cash App Investing and Robinhood are on similar footing when it comes to standard (taxable) brokerage accounts. For example, neither offers a robo-advisory service. There are also no custodial or college savings accounts offered by either platform, although Robinhood has said it would like to offer additional account types in the future.
One key differentiator is that Robinhood recently started allowing customers to open traditional and Roth IRAs to save for retirement. Other platforms offer several different types of retirement accounts beyond these, but Cash App Investing doesn't support retirement accounts on its platform at all.
READ MORE: Best IRA Accounts
Another major difference is that Robinhood allows investors to use margin (borrowed money) to make trades. Robinhood offers a premium membership service called Robinhood Gold, which costs $5 monthly. Robinhood Gold allows customers to access superior margin rates (8% as of January 2024, versus 12% for non-members), plus with Gold, the first $1,000 in margin used is interest free.
It's also worth noting that while neither technically offers a checking or savings account, both offer money management solutions. Cash App itself is designed to do pretty much everything a checking account can do, although it doesn't pay any interest. Robinhood's cash sweep feature allows users to earn interest on their uninvested cash and provides access at an extensive ATM network. So, if you're looking for more of an all-in-one financial solution -- as opposed to simply a place to invest -- neither of these platforms are a best-in-breed option. But Cash App Investing has a bit of an edge, as being a "checking alternative" is one of the platform's core competencies.
LEARN MORE: Best Robo-Advisors
| Cash App Investing | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable brokerage | Yes | Yes |
| Joint tenant | No | Yes |
| Margin | No | Yes |
| Robo-advisor | No | No |
| Traditional IRA | No | Yes |
| Roth IRA | No | Yes |
| Other IRA | No | No |
| Custodial | No | No |
| Checking | No, but has a checking alternative | No, but has a debit card |
| Savings | Yes | No, but has a cash sweeps program |
| Credit card | No | No |
If you're looking for a user-friendly way to buy and sell stocks, you'll find that both platforms excel in this department. Both are designed to be simple to use but also have limited functionality compared to full-service brokers. For example, you won't find any sophisticated trading tools, and educational resources are in short supply with both. Robinhood has a slight edge here: it offers beginner-friendly how-to-invest articles, and Robinhood Gold members get advanced market data and limited Morningstar research.
On the other hand, both have highly rated apps:
READ MORE: Best Stock Brokers for Beginners
As you can see, both of these brokerage platforms excel in certain ways and can be quite appealing to investors who want a low-cost and user-friendly way to buy and sell stocks. There are a few major differences between the two, so the best choice for you depends on what features matter most to you.
In a nutshell:
On Robinhood's Secure Website.
2025 Award Winner
A top pick for beginners, Robinhood combines $0 commission trades, an easy-to-use app, and a rare retirement deposit match.
$0 for stocks, ETFs, and options
$0
On Robinhood's Secure Website.
Both Cash App Investing and Robinhood are generally designed to make it easy for people to buy and sell stocks. Cash App Investing simply offers stock trading and Bitcoin investing, while Robinhood has some additional features, such as retirement accounts, options trading, margin investing, and several other cryptocurrencies. If any of these features are important to you, you'll probably be better off with Robinhood.
The main disadvantage of using Robinhood as opposed to a more traditional online broker is the general lack of features. For example, Robinhood doesn't allow customers to open joint accounts, and doesn't offer custodial brokerage accounts or any retirement accounts beyond the basic traditional and Roth IRAs. It also doesn't offer mutual fund investing, bonds, or any type of robo-advisory services.
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.
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.
Investing is risky. Bonus offers subject to terms and conditions, visit robinhood.com/hoodweek for more information. Margin is not suitable for all investors. Robinhood Gold is offered through Robinhood Gold LLC and is a subscription offering services for a fee. Brokerage services offered through Robinhood Financial LLC (member SIPC), a registered broker dealer.
SoFi Disclosure:
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
Value Prop Disclosures
Promotion Disclosures
J.P Morgan Disclosure
INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE
