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Webull vs. Robinhood: Breaking Down the Pros and Cons

Review Updated
Alice Hoekstra
Author: Alice Hoekstra
Alice Hoekstra
Alice Hoekstra

Alice is a content strategist for Motley Fool Money, where she has worked full-time for almost five years. Throughout her five years at The Motley Fool, Alice has worked on content across a wide range of financial topics, including credit cards, brokerages, banks, mortgages, personal loans, and auto insurance, helping readers make informed decisions with confidence. Her top financial priorities are funding her world travels and giving her cat the luxurious life she deserves. When she’s not working, traveling, or watching Friends reruns, you’ll find her at the nearest concert or Broadway show.

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Nathan Alderman
Fact Checked: Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
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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.

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Whether you're just starting out or looking to up your investing game, it's important to find the right brokerage for your needs. Robinhood and Webull are both popular, but they're not as similar as they may seem on the surface. From fees and retirement accounts to trading tools and usability, we'll break it all down so you can make an informed decision.

Robinhood
Learn More for Robinhood

On Robinhood's Secure Website.

Webull vs. Robinhood

Ratings Methodology
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Robinhood

Robinhood

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Our Rating:

Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. 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
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Bottom Line

A top pick for beginners, Robinhood combines $0 commission trades, an easy-to-use app, and a rare retirement deposit match.

Fees:

$0 for stocks, ETFs, and options

Account Minimum:

$0

Learn More for Robinhood

On Robinhood's Secure Website.

Award Icon 2025 Award Winner
Webull

Webull

Learn More

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Our Rating:

Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. 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 is a standout mobile investing app. You can access advanced trading tools on desktop and mobile. Basic trades are commission-free, so it's competitive with similar apps. The mobile app offers Lite mode, a simpler interface for beginner investors. Consider opening a Webull account for its advanced toolset, more powerful than its closest competitors'.

Fees:

$0 per trade

Account Minimum:

$0

Learn More for Webull

On Webull's Secure Website.

At Motley Fool Money, brokerages are rated on a scale of one to five stars. We primarily focus on fees, available assets, and user experience; however, we also take into account features like research, education, tax-loss harvesting, and customer service. Our highest-rated brokerages generally include low fees, a diverse range of assets and account types, and useful platform features.

Our aim is to maintain a balanced best-of list featuring top-scoring brokerages from reputable brands. Ordering within lists is influenced by advertiser compensation, including featured placements at the top of a given list, but our product recommendations are NEVER influenced by advertisers. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates brokerage accounts.

At Motley Fool Money, brokerages are rated on a scale of one to five stars. We primarily focus on fees, available assets, and user experience; however, we also take into account features like research, education, tax-loss harvesting, and customer service. Our highest-rated brokerages generally include low fees, a diverse range of assets and account types, and useful platform features.

Our aim is to maintain a balanced best-of list featuring top-scoring brokerages from reputable brands. Ordering within lists is influenced by advertiser compensation, including featured placements at the top of a given list, but our product recommendations are NEVER influenced by advertisers. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates brokerage accounts.

Overview of features

Both platforms feature:

  • A free, user-friendly app
  • A free desktop platform
  • Commission-free stocks, fractional shares, and ETFs
  • Cryptocurrency trading
  • "How to invest" courses
  • IRA accounts
  • Traditional brokerage accounts
  • Trading on margin
  • Trading futures, options, and index options

Webull also offers:

  • Advanced tools and research
  • A robo-advisor
  • Better rates on futures and index options
  • Mutual funds

Robinhood also offers:

  • 1% IRA match (3% for Robinhood Gold members)
  • Better rates on margin
  • Commission-free crypto trading

TIP

Robinhood Gold

Robinhood offers a subscription service, called Robinhood Gold, for $5 per month. Subscribers have access to some incredible exclusive perks, like a higher IRA match, a high APY on uninvested cash, lower fees on certain trades, and more. Unless otherwise mentioned, this review compares the standard (free) version of Robinhood to Webull. I'll sprinkle in mentions of Robinhood Gold's perks from time to time, too -- for anyone curious how it stacks up to Webull.

Investments and fees

Investments available

Webull and Robinhood both let you trade stocks, fractional shares, and ETFs without paying a commission. They're both great brokerages overall. They do have a couple differences:

Webull offers mutual funds. Mutual funds are like a pre-made stock mix -- great if you want to diversify your investments without spending hours researching. Robinhood doesn't offer these funds, so if you're looking to invest without a lot of legwork, Webull could be a better fit.

Robinhood doesn't charge commission on crypto trading. Webull allows crypto trading, but charges a small commission. If you're interested in getting into crypto, Robinhood is a more appealing brokerage.

Retirement accounts

Both Robinhood and Webull offer IRA accounts (as well as Roth IRAs). They both support automated contributions, which is a handy way to stay on track with your savings.

Robinhood has a unique, rare perk: a 1% match on IRA contributions (or 3% if you're a Robinhood Gold member). But there's a catch -- Robinhood doesn't handle ongoing portfolio management. You can get a one-time recommendation, but after that, you're on your own.

Webull, on the other hand, has a robo-advisor that does the heavy lifting for you. It'll build and manage a portfolio to fit your goals. While you don't get that upfront bonus like Robinhood's match, a well-tuned portfolio can really pay off over the long haul.

Margin rates

When it comes to trading on margin, Robinhood's rates are lower than Webull's. And if you're a Robinhood Gold member, you get your first $1,000 of margin interest-free.

Futures rates

Webull generally has better futures rates than Robinhood. Even if you use Robinhood Gold, Webull is still a better futures broker in terms of affordability.

Options rates

Both platforms let you trade options without charging commissions, though regulatory fees still apply (like at many other brokers).

When it comes to trading index options, Webull's fees are slightly better than Robinhood's. If you're a Robinhood Gold member, you'll pay lower fees than standard Robinhood members. However, Webull is still more affordable even than Robinhood Gold.

If you're interested in trading options frequently, you may want to check out our list of the best options brokerages.

Interface and resources

Both Robinhood and Webull have desktop and mobile apps, but they feel very different.

Robinhood keeps things simple. Its clean interface is easy to use and perfect if you want a beginner investment app. Robinhood also offers several great beginner courses to help you learn to invest.

Webull packs in tons of tools and research options. If you're all about customizing your strategy and digging into data, Webull might be your jam.

All those extras make the traditional Webull interface more complex. To make investing more approachable to beginners, Webull recently released an investing app called Webull Lite. This version allows users to navigate their Webull accounts in a sleeker, more beginner-friendly interface.

Webull also offers paper trading, which allows you to practice investing without risking any real money. This is in addition to many beginner and advanced investing courses.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, both Robinhood and Webull offer strong platforms, but they cater to different needs.

Robinhood is a great beginner investing platform. If you're just getting started and want something simple and intuitive, with some nice perks like IRA matching, Robinhood offers all that and more. (For more beginner brokerage recommendations, check out our guide to the best brokers for beginners.)

Webull, on the other hand, is ideal if you're looking for advanced tools. It offers research, tools, better rates on advanced trading strategies like futures and index options, and more.

The right platform comes down to what fits your style and goals. Take some time to think about what matters most to you, and you'll be well on your way to making a smart decision for your investing journey.

Ready to get started? Click below to apply on these brokers' websites:

FAQs

  • Webull doesn't charge any monthly subscription fees.

  • Robinhood is better if you'd like a sleek, no-frills investing platform for picking stocks. Webull is better for investors interested in advanced trading strategies and in-depth research.