10 Best Online Brokers And Trading Platforms of 2025

Lagging in this category are Ally, Firstrade, and WellsTrade, which lack functions such as enabling mobile users to trade CDs or to research or screen mutual funds. Vanguard funds not held in a brokerage account are held by The Vanguard Group, Inc., and are not protected by SIPC. Brokerage assets are held by Vanguard Brokerage Services, a division of Vanguard Marketing Corporation, member FINRA and SIPC. Visit vanguard.com to obtain a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus, for Vanguard and non-Vanguard funds offered through Vanguard Brokerage Services. The prospectus contains investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other information; read and consider carefully before investing. Trades of stocks, ETFs and options are commission-free at Robinhood Financial LLC.

Best Online Broker for Long-Term Investing

As a well-rounded brokerage with vast investment offerings and high-quality in-house research and market insights, Charles Schwab is our top pick for online brokerages. But just as important is setting a limit for how much money you dedicate to day trading. Those dipping into this kind of active trading may want to risk only a small portion of their account balance — 5% to 10% of your investable assets, at most. Interactive Brokers scored the highest among the brokers in this roundup, and its platform is designed for experienced, active traders, especially the Pro offering. We’d also suggest looking at tastytrade, which really impressed our testers.

Make sure the platforms and features offered by your broker complement your style and facilitate your trades. Finally, fees and commissions should affect your decision of which online broker is best for you. Fees and commissions shouldn’t be excessive, and you shouldn’t feel like you’re losing an exorbitant amount of money. Online brokers have been slashing fees and commissions lately, a trend investors hope continues. For the moment, due to the recentness of Cryptocurrency trading, you may find that Cryptocurrency broker fees are higher when compared against other non-specialized stock broker platforms.

How to invest in stocks: Learn the basics

Online brokerage accounts are licensed firms in which a broker is responsible for executing a client’s orders. These accounts are managed and operated by licensed financial institutions and investment platforms. Public Investing is a mobile-first, social brokerage account best for investors who value community and social trading features that allow them to share and learn investment knowledge from others. The platform also uses AI to generate data-driven asset summaries, recaps, and answer trading questions. The advantage of opening a brokerage account is — if you’re interested in investing in stocks or bonds, mutual funds, or ETFs, as example, a brokerage is a great way to do it.

Active traders investing in riskier and more volatile assets (such as cryptocurrencies) must rebalance their accounts more frequently than passive investors. Depending on your preferred investment strategy and goals, certain brokerage accounts may be better suited for your needs, especially if you’re seeking out specific account features and services. Most retirement plans offer a curated list of choices that have been well-vetted by consultants and investment experts. When you go into a brokerage account, it is daunting to know where to start. The recent rise of social media blogs surrounding investing may increase interest, but be cautious about investing, as any investment comes with risk. The advantages include access to stock exchanges to buy almost endless options of investments.

Public.com is a newer platform that blends social networking with investing, allowing users to see and share trades in a community-driven environment. It caters to investors who value transparency, simplicity and fractional investing. Once you choose a platform, use strategies such as dollar-cost averaging to help manage risk and balance your returns over the longterm. For more options for managing your portfolio, check out our list of the best investment apps.

Should I use a platform that charges for stock and options trades?

Interactive also provides insights into the environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects of companies and funds through reports by ISS and Morningstar. Find the best online brokers using our survey that compares investment offerings, tools, apps, advice and more. Brokerage firms we label „full-service brokers“ are more closely related to the stock brokers of the olden days. Full-service brokers employ human brokers who help you trade, choose mutual funds, or create a retirement plan. Most brokers on this list will let you open an account without depositing any money. Brokerages that offer fractional shares let you buy pieces of stocks for $1 or $5, minimum.

The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars). Often called leverage, trading on margin can magnify your gains — and, in the worst-case scenario, your losses. To read more about margin, how to use it and the risks involved, read our guide to margin trading. The average execution quality of all brokers we review was 96.95% as of Oct. 16, 2024.

Recently Updated Broker Reviews

The best online brokerages usually don’t charge a monthly account management fee. SogoTrade combines affordability with robust free trading tools and research resources, making it an attractive platform for some investors. If you’re new to investing, Robinhood might be a great place to start. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to navigate, with the flexibility to choose from ready-made layouts or personalize your own. Plus, Robinhood offers a wide range of beginner-friendly educational resources. EToro is best for investors who want to learn from other investors and develop their own trading ideas based on high-performing traders’ strategies.

Margin accounts, on the other hand, are a better fit for advanced traders and active investors with higher risk tolerances. Interactive Brokers has multiple pricing options depending on your level of trading activity and personal trading needs. The basic account, IBKR Lite, offers commission-free stock and ETF trades and competitive fees for most other trades. Schwab gives clients access to independent research from best online brokers 2025 Argus, CFRA, MarketEdge, Morningstar and Vickers Stock Research, which specializes in tracking the trading activity of corporate insiders. Fidelity’s lowest-cost robo option, Fidelity Go, came in a close second.

And for beginners, educational content and simple navigation can ease the learning curve and encourage consistent investing habits. Understanding the structure of fees and commissions is crucial for optimizing your investments. Many platforms market themselves with low commission rates, but it’s essential to look beyond the surface. Some brokers might offer zero-commission trades but offset this by charging higher fees for account maintenance, withdrawal, or inactivity. Others could present slightly higher fees but provide superior research tools and customer service, which can greatly enhance your trading experience.

• And just like last year, we analyzed only the free and most basic level of each brokerage’s service.
• Some offer a wider range of cryptocurrencies, while others have better security features.
• For more details about Atomic Brokerage, please see the Form CRS, the Atomic Brokerage General Disclosures, and the Privacy Policy.
• Additionally, with its recent purchase of TD Ameritrade, Schwab added thinkorswim — a powerful trading platform that is especially useful for analyzing options trades — to its feature set.
• It also has hundreds of order types, advanced charting tools, real-time news, and more.

Managing your brokerage account

In determining our list of the best online brokerage accounts, we evaluated companies according to a set of criteria we consider critical to the consumer. We used editorial judgment to determine what use or user each account would be best for. All the services on the Tradersunion.com website are free for you to use. Our team spends thousands of hours per annum researching brokers and gathering information about them to help investors all over the world to choose reliable companies and to avoid fraudsters.

• Discover Firstrade’s $0 commissions, powerful options trading tools, fractional shares, and AI-driven research.
• All funds used for this Program will be taken from your Stash Banking account.
• This article may contain references to products or services from one or more of our advertisers or partners.
• Switching to a new broker is quick and easy, and in most cases, the entire process can be handled online.
• Some have been around for decades, while others are relatively new to the scene.

Why brokerage size and growth matter for your investment decisions

Some brokers don’t offer direct crypto trading, but instead offer access to spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. Finding a broker that lets you access international markets can really open up your investment possibilities. Look for platforms with access to multiple exchanges and currencies. Roth IRAs are funded with after-tax dollars, but the big benefit is that your earnings and withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. This can be a huge advantage if you expect to be in a higher tax bracket later in life. Plus, Roth IRAs offer more flexibility than traditional IRAs because you can withdraw your contributions (but not earnings) at any time without penalty.

Trade stocks, ETFs, options, and even crypto — all in one place. Get expert insights, automate your investing, and potentially earn more on uninvested cash. Additionally, Webull allows you to trade fractional shares, letting you buy stocks and ETFs for as little as $5, making it accessible for investors with smaller budgets. If you’re looking for a feature-rich platform that doesn’t break the bank, Webull is definitely worth a look. If you’re just getting started, Public makes it easy to invest with fractional shares, meaning you can begin investing at any price point — perfect for beginners.

Though Webull supports crypto trading, you’ll have to use a separate app, Webull Pay. We don’t love that you have to manage your cryptocurrency separately from your other investments. As of early 2025, Fidelity doesn’t offer paper trading, a form of simulated trading that doesn’t risk real money, which may be a disadvantage for some beginner investors. Plus, if you plan to invest in futures, you’ll have to look elsewhere. You’ll also benefit from extended trading hours, 24/7 phone support and access to branches that offer in-person customer service.