33 Best Stock Trading Apps in 2026

Robinhood disrupted retail brokerage in 2014 with commission-free trading and has since expanded into a financial super-app. It supports stocks, ETFs, options, futures, fractional shares, 45+ cryptocurrencies, and a prediction markets hub. In 2025 Robinhood launched the Legend desktop platform, added short selling, and expanded into banking with checking, savings, and the Gold Card (3% cash back, 600,000+ active users). Robinhood Gold costs $5/month and includes 3.35% APY on uninvested cash, a 3% IRA match (up to $225 for 2026 contributions), and reduced options contract fees of $0.35 per contract versus $0.50 for free-tier users. The platform has no account minimum and offers fractional shares from $1.

Fidelity is privately held with $16.4 trillion in assets under administration as of June 2025, making it one of the largest brokerage firms in the world. It offers commission-free US stock and ETF trading, a $0.65 per contract options fee, and zero-expense-ratio index funds unique in the industry. In September 2025 Fidelity launched Trader+, an integrated ecosystem across web, desktop, and mobile for active traders. Fidelity earned #1 rankings for Research, Education, and Retirement Accounts in the StockBrokers.com 2026 Annual Awards, and NerdWallet named it Best Broker for Beginning Investors 2026. There is no account minimum and no subscription fee.

Charles Schwab manages approximately $9.6 trillion in assets with 36 million active brokerage accounts as of 2025. After acquiring TD Ameritrade in 2020 and completing the full thinkorswim integration, Schwab now serves investors at every level with two distinct experiences: a flagship consumer app and the thinkorswim professional platform featuring 350+ chart studies. Schwab was named #1 for High Net Worth Investors and #1 for Mobile Trading Apps in the StockBrokers.com 2026 Annual Awards. Commission-free trading applies to US stocks, ETFs, and options (though a $0.65 per contract fee applies). There is no account minimum and over 400 physical branches are available for in-person service.

E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley serves 8+ million households with $1.67 trillion in self-directed assets as of 2025. Acquired by Morgan Stanley in 2020, the platform gives retail investors free access to Morgan Stanley equity research and a pathway into IPO allocations for accounts with $250,000 or more. Trading is commission-free for US stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds; options carry a $0.65 per contract fee that drops to $0.50 for traders executing 30+ contracts per quarter. Five distinct platforms cater to everyone from beginners to professionals. Morgan Stanley announced crypto trading (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana) via Zerohash in the first half of 2026.

Webull was founded in 2016 and went public on Nasdaq in 2024 (ticker: BULL). The platform has 20 million registered users globally and is known for a full-featured desktop platform alongside its mobile app - a rarity among commission-free brokers. It offers commission-free trading on stocks, ETFs, options (no per-contract fee), and futures ($0.25/contract), plus free Level 2 market data. In late 2025 Webull reintegrated crypto back into the flagship app (50+ cryptocurrencies), reversing the split with Webull Pay. Webull Premium launched March 2025 at $40/year, offering 4.1% APY on cash, reduced margin rates (as low as 3.90%), and a 3.5% IRA match on contributions.

Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977 and joined the S&P 500 in August 2025. It serves 4.54 million client accounts across 200+ countries with access to 150+ exchanges in 33 countries. IBKR holds $20.5 billion in equity capital with no long-term debt and generated $4.8 billion in pretax income in 2025. It offers two tiers: IBKR Lite (commission-free US stocks and ETFs with payment for order flow) and IBKR Pro (commissions as low as $0.005/share, institutional-quality order routing, and margin rates starting at 5.39% - among the lowest in retail brokerage). Options range from $0.15 to $0.65 per contract depending on plan and volume.

tastytrade (formerly tastyworks) is owned by IG Group and is purpose-built for options and futures traders. It won the #1 Options Trading platform in the StockBrokers.com 2026 Annual Awards for the second consecutive year. The platform's standout pricing model charges $1.00 to open an options contract and $0.00 to close - capped at $10 per leg regardless of size, meaning a 50-lot spread costs the same as a 10-lot. Stock and ETF trading is commission-free. Futures cost $1.25/contract each side. Integrated with the tastylive media network, the platform streams live options education and strategy content directly inside the trading interface.

Public is a New York-based investing platform that stands out by rejecting payment for order flow (PFOF) for stock trades and offering a unique options rebate program - the only broker that shares 50% of its PFOF revenue with options-trading customers, resulting in an estimated net rebate of ~$0.15 per contract. The platform supports stocks, ETFs, options, crypto (40+ coins), bonds, and Treasuries. Public Premium costs $10/month or $96/year and removes fees for automated investment plans. In November 2025, Public acquired CryptoIRA from Alto to offer crypto trading inside IRAs. Its base margin rate of 4.90% is among the lowest among leading US brokerages as of January 2026. Public offers a 1% IRA match on contributions.

SoFi Invest is the investing arm of SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI), which relaunched crypto trading in November 2025 as the first nationally chartered bank to offer direct crypto access. The self-directed platform charges $0 for stocks, ETFs, options - including zero per-contract fees on options, which is exceptionally rare. A 1% IRA match applies to contributions up to the $7,500 annual limit for 2026. SoFi's ecosystem integrates banking, lending, and investing in a single login. A $25 inactivity fee applies if the account is not logged into for 6 months, and a $100 fee applies to close an IRA. IPO access is available to all users through SoFi's underwriting connections.

Moomoo is a subsidiary of Futu Holdings (NASDAQ: FUTU), a Nasdaq-listed company backed by Tencent. It serves 29+ million users globally across the US, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Canada, and Malaysia. TradingView named moomoo the #1 Broker for Stocks in North America in both 2024 and 2025. For US residents, moomoo charges $0 on stocks, ETFs, and equity options (no per-contract fee), while index options carry a $0.50 per contract fee. Free Level 2 Nasdaq data and institutional-grade charting tools are standard. Moomoo launched crypto trading (32+ coins) via Coinbase partnership in May 2025. No IRAs are available - moomoo is a taxable-account-only platform in the US.

TradeStation was founded in 1982 and pioneered strategy backtesting for retail investors in 1987. The platform serves 150,000+ active brokerage accounts with a 99.9% uptime in 2025. In early 2026, TradeStation launched TITAN X - a native Windows/Mac desktop application that modernized its professional charting and options visualization. TradeStation won Best in Class for Futures and Advanced Trading in the StockBrokers.com 2026 Awards. For US clients on the TS Select plan, stocks and ETFs trade commission-free. Options are $0.60/contract. Futures are $1.50/contract (standard) or $0.50/contract (micro). A $10/month inactivity fee applies to accounts under $5,000 that make fewer than 10 trades in a 90-day period.

Ally Invest is the brokerage arm of Ally Financial, a fully digital bank with no physical branches. It offers commission-free trading on US-listed stocks and ETFs (with a $4.95 per trade exception for stocks priced under $2), a $0.50 per contract options fee that is among the lowest flat rates in retail brokerage, and access to 12,000+ no-transaction-fee mutual funds. Ally's 99.55% order execution quality exceeds the 97.51% industry average. Interest on uninvested brokerage cash is minimal, but Ally customers can instantly move funds to Ally's high-yield savings. Managed Portfolios (robo-advisor) are available at $0 fee with a 30% cash allocation, or 0.30% annually without the cash requirement.

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is the brokerage platform of JPMorgan Chase, the largest US bank by total assets (over $3.9 trillion). Launched in 2018 as 'You Invest,' the platform integrates directly with Chase checking, savings, credit cards, and mortgage accounts - all visible under a single login. Commission-free trading applies to stocks, ETFs, options ($0.65/contract), and 2,847+ no-transaction-fee mutual funds. Fractional shares start at $5. Portfolio Builder provides a guided portfolio-construction experience with a $2,500 minimum. Accounts are available within Chase Mobile for existing Chase customers, enabling instant fund transfers from a checking account to invest.

Merrill Edge is the self-directed brokerage arm of Merrill Lynch, now under Bank of America. It was named #1 Bank Brokerage in the StockBrokers.com 2026 Annual Awards. Commission-free trading applies to US stocks, ETFs, and options ($0.65 per contract). Merrill's Preferred Rewards program rewards Bank of America account holders with up to 75 free trades monthly at the Platinum Honors tier (requiring $100,000+ in combined balances), plus benefits including credit card bonuses and mortgage discounts. The platform integrates fully with Bank of America, enabling instant transfers and a single dashboard view of all accounts. Research from Merrill, BofA Securities, Morningstar, and a 'Stock Story' feature translates institutional data into plain-language summaries.

Firstrade was founded in 1985 and launched online trading in the 1990s, making it one of the original internet brokers. Based in Flushing, New York, it has a particularly strong following among Chinese-speaking investors - the platform is available in Traditional and Simplified Chinese, and phone support is available in Mandarin and Cantonese. All trades are commission-free including stocks, ETFs, options, and the platform's 11,000+ mutual funds, with zero per-contract fee on options. In 2025, Firstrade launched Invest 3.0, a redesigned interface with light/dark mode and faster order entry. FirstradeGPT provides AI-powered fundamental research alongside Morningstar and Zacks access. Extended-hours trading runs from 8 AM to 8 PM ET.

Tradier was founded in 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is purpose-built for options traders who want flexibility in choosing their trading interface. The platform's key differentiator is its 100+ third-party integrations - traders can use TradingView, TrendSpider, Option Samurai, iVest, WealthCharts, and dozens of other platforms to execute trades while keeping their brokerage account at Tradier. Three pricing tiers are offered: Standard (per-trade at $0.35/contract), Pro ($10/month for commission-free equity and options trades), and Pro Plus ($35/month for lower index options costs and $0.10 commissions on index options). IRAs carry a $30/year fee waived with Pro or Pro Plus subscriptions.

M1 Finance is a Chicago-based platform launched in 2015 that serves over 1 million users with approximately $12 billion in assets. It occupies the middle ground between a self-directed broker and a robo-advisor: users pick their own stocks, ETFs, and crypto (built into visual 'Pies'), and M1 automates all buying, rebalancing, and dividend reinvestment. There are no trading commissions or portfolio management fees. A $3/month platform fee applies to accounts under $10,000 in M1 assets (waived with an active M1 Personal Loan). The high-yield cash account (M1 Earn) pays 4.00% APY. Portfolio margin loans (M1 Borrow) are available at 5.90% for accounts with $2,000+ in eligible securities, with a 4.40% promotional rate for new borrowers.

Acorns is a micro-investing platform founded in 2014 that has helped over 10 million users invest more than $20 billion, with $4 billion coming specifically from spare change. The core feature is Round-Ups - purchasing gets rounded to the nearest dollar and the difference is automatically invested into a diversified ETF portfolio of low-cost Vanguard and BlackRock funds. Three subscription tiers cover investing, banking, and retirement: Bronze ($3/month), Silver ($6/month), and Gold ($12/month). Acorns Gold includes a 3% IRA match on contributions, children's UTMA accounts via Acorns Early, and 2.57% APY on Mighty Oak Checking. The platform was named in America's Best Financial Services 2026.

Stash was founded in 2015 by Wall Street veterans Brandon Krieg and Ed Robinson with the mission of making investing accessible to all. It serves approximately 1.5 million active monthly users with around $4 billion in managed assets. Stash offers a hybrid between a self-directed broker and a robo-advisor: users can choose from ~4,000 stocks and ETFs (including thematic ETF collections) or enable Smart Portfolio for automated management. The Stock-Back debit card earns fractional shares in companies where you shop - up to 1% for Stash Growth, up to 5% at select merchants for Stash+. Two tiers: Stash Growth ($3/month) and Stash+ ($9/month, adds two custodial accounts for kids and $10,000 life insurance).

Vanguard manages over $7.1 trillion in global assets and pioneered the index mutual fund in 1975 under founder John Bogle. Its unique client-owned structure (shareholders own the funds which own Vanguard) aligns incentives toward low costs - the average Vanguard ETF expense ratio is 0.07% versus the industry average of 0.44%. Commission-free trading applies to US stocks, ETFs, and Vanguard mutual funds. Non-Vanguard fund trades cost $20 each. Options are commission-free but carry a fee up to $1 per contract - higher than most competitors at $0.65. A $25 annual account service fee applies but is waived with e-delivery enrollment. Most Vanguard index mutual funds require a $3,000 minimum to invest.

TIAA (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association) was founded in 1918 and specifically serves the academic, healthcare, cultural, and research sectors. It manages over $1.3 trillion in assets across more than 15,000 institutional clients. TIAA's core product is retirement planning and management for 403(b) and 457(b) plans - tax-advantaged accounts used by universities, hospitals, and non-profits. Individual investors can access TIAA through employer-sponsored plans or self-directed IRAs and brokerage accounts. Brokerage fees are transparent with $9.95 per online stock or ETF trade for self-directed accounts, though this varies by plan. TIAA Brokerage is powered through TD Ameritrade/Schwab infrastructure post-merger.

Betterment was founded in 2008 as one of the first digital investment advisors and currently manages $45+ billion for 900,000+ accounts. It is an SEC-registered fiduciary with $10 minimum to start investing. The platform offers automated portfolio management at two tiers: Digital (0.25% annually, auto-triggered at $24,000+ in assets or $200+/month in recurring deposits, or $5/month for smaller accounts) and Premium (0.65% annually, $100,000 minimum, includes unlimited phone access to certified financial planners). In November 2025, Betterment added individual stock and ETF trading to the app alongside its automated portfolios. The Cash Reserve account pays a variable rate (4.75% APY noted in some sources), and Betterment has $50 billion in AUM including the 2023 acquisition of Wealthsimple's US business.

Freetrade launched in the UK in 2018 and serves 1.6 million users. It was acquired by IG Group for £160 million in April 2025 but continues to operate independently under the Freetrade brand. The platform underwent a significant expansion in 2025 and early 2026: stocks and shares ISAs became free on the Basic plan in 2025, and from January 22, 2026, SIPPs (self-invested personal pensions) and mutual fund trading were added to the Basic plan with no charge. Freetrade now offers one of the broadest free tiers among UK investment apps - GIA, ISA, and SIPP with access to 6,500+ stocks and ETFs, fractional US shares, and mutual funds from Vanguard, BlackRock, Schroders, Aegon, and Royal London. FX fee on the Basic plan is 0.99% per foreign currency trade.

Lightyear was founded in 2020 by former Wise (Transferwise) employees and now operates in 25+ countries including the UK and across Europe. It was voted Best Investing App 2026 by the Good Money Guide Awards, citing its transparent pricing, modern UI, and customer service. The platform offers commission-free ETF trading, low-cost stock trading ($1 maximum fee on US stocks for UK accounts), and a multi-currency wallet supporting GBP, USD, and EUR. A stocks and shares ISA launched in 2025. The Savings Vaults feature invests uninvested cash into AAA-rated BlackRock money market funds earning up to 3.75% AER (as of March 2026). FX conversion fee is 0.35% for UK individual accounts - well below Hargreaves Lansdown's 1% and Freetrade's 0.99% on the Basic plan.

Stake was founded in Sydney in 2017 and is Australia's third-largest broker, serving 750,000+ users with A$7 billion in assets under administration across the ANZ region. It offers CHESS-sponsored ASX trading (A$3 flat fee per trade up to A$30,000) and US stock trading (US$3 per trade up to US$30,000). Fractional US shares are available from US$10. Stake Black is a premium tier at A$20/month (or A$17/month billed annually) that provides analyst ratings, full company financials, price targets, and instant buying power on US trades. Stake Accumulate is an income fund targeting 2% above the RBA cash rate launched in H1 2025. The platform was named 'Investment Platform of the Year' and 'Best for Australian Investments' at the 2025 WeMoney Investment Awards.

Tiger Brokers (UP Fintech, NASDAQ: TIGR) was founded in 2014 and is backed by Interactive Brokers, Xiaomi, and fund manager Jim Rogers. It serves over 10 million registered users across Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. Tiger Trade, its mobile and desktop app, provides a single account for trading US stocks (including fractional shares from US$1), Hong Kong stocks, Singapore Exchange, China A-shares via Stock Connect, and Australian ASX stocks. For Singapore users, Tiger integrates CPF-OA and SRS investing launched August 2025, and a Cash Boost account links CDP-listed SGX shares. US stock trading fees are $0.005/share (minimum $0.99/order) plus a $0.005 platform fee (minimum $1.00/order).

Alpaca Markets was founded with a developer-first philosophy and operates as both a retail brokerage for individual algorithmic traders and a Brokerage-as-a-Service (BaaS) provider for fintech companies. It was named Best Broker for Algorithmic Trading 2026 by BrokerChooser. In 2025 Alpaca achieved Nasdaq exchange membership, launched VWAP/TWAP algorithmic order types, a Direct Market Access (DMA) gateway to NYSE/ARCA/Nasdaq, and removed borrowing fees for all easy-to-borrow stocks. Commission-free trading applies to US stocks, ETFs, and options. The API supports Python, JavaScript, and other languages. Market data API provides real-time and 7+ years of historical data. An MCP server enables AI agents to execute trades via Claude, ChatGPT, VS Code, and Cursor.

Fennel was founded in 2022 and is a B-Corp Certified brokerage - one of the only investment platforms to have undergone third-party social and environmental impact assessment. The platform's defining feature is shareholder voting data: every stock listing shows past and upcoming proxy votes with plain-English explanations, plus 200+ ESG indicators covering carbon footprint, human rights, board diversity, and labor policies. Commission-free trading applies to all US stocks and ETFs. A flat $4.99/month subscription is required for full platform access. Fennel rejects payment for order flow and does not participate in securities lending - both practices that can conflict with shareholders' interests. No fractional shares, futures, or cryptocurrency are offered.

Magnifi is owned by TIFIN, a wealth management AI company whose prior product (55ip) was sold to J.P. Morgan in 2020. It positions itself as a 'conversational investing copilot' - users ask plain-English questions ('Find tech stocks under $100') and Magnifi surfaces relevant stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds from a universe of 15,000+ securities. The platform integrates with external brokerage accounts (Fidelity, Robinhood, Schwab) for portfolio analysis and can execute commission-free trades directly within Magnifi. Pricing is free for basic account aggregation and portfolio insights; Magnifi Premium is $8.25/month billed annually ($99/year) or $14/month billed monthly, unlocking portfolio forecasting, scenario testing, and deeper research. Managed Portfolios carry a 0.23% annual fee.

Plynk was launched around 2021 and is now backed by Fidelity Investments (Fidelity acquired an ownership stake), giving it institutional credibility behind a beginner-focused mobile app. The platform uses the tagline 'Investing Refreshed' and is specifically designed to demystify investing through plain-English explanations, guided tutorials, and a 52-week 'Steady Start' savings challenge. Commission-free trading applies to US stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and crypto (via Paxos). Investing starts from $1 with fractional shares. IRAs are available. The app also provides simulated paper trading for practice before using real money. Brokerage services are provided by Digital Brokerage Services LLC.

GoTrade was founded in 2019, is backed by Y Combinator, Social Leverage, and LocalGlobe, and is available to investors in 150+ countries - explicitly not for US, Canadian, or Brazilian residents. It serves as an introducing broker to Alpaca Securities LLC (FINRA-regulated, SIPC-member), which holds all client funds and securities. The platform is commission-free for US stocks and ETFs with fractional shares available from $1. A currency conversion fee applies when funding from local currencies. GoTrade integrated with TradingView in late 2025, enabling direct order execution from TradingView charts without switching apps. The platform is headquartered in Delaware and licensed by the Labuan Financial Services Authority (LFSA) in Malaysia.

Wealthsimple was founded in 2014 in Toronto and grew to serve over 3 million Canadians with $100 billion in assets under administration by October 2025 - nearly double its $64 billion at end of 2024. The company reached profitability in 2024 and is majority-owned by Power Corporation of Canada, valued at approximately $10 billion entering 2026. The self-directed investing platform (formerly Wealthsimple Trade) offers commission-free trading of Canadian and US stocks, ETFs, and options (no per-contract fee). FX conversion on US trades is 0.00% for accounts with a USD wallet (Core plan, $0 for accounts over $100k), or 1.5% for standard conversions. The platform also supports 140+ cryptocurrencies, a managed robo-advisor service, and TFSA/RRSP/RESP/FHSA and other registered accounts.

Questrade is Canada's largest independent online brokerage, founded in 1999 and serving hundreds of thousands of clients with over $8 billion in assets. In February 2025, Questrade removed all commissions on stock and ETF trades, joining the global commission-free wave. Options carry a $0.99/contract fee, which progressively drops for high-volume traders. In November 2025, Questrade received OSFI's final approval to operate as a Schedule I Bank - Questbank products are expected in the first half of 2026. Questrade Edge is the advanced desktop platform for active traders, while QuestMobile is the beginner-friendly app. Questrade Plus ($11.95/month) adds options-specific tools, advanced charting, and market data. TipRanks and TradingView integrations were added in recent updates.