Like Robinhood, Moomoo has well-designed mobile and web-based applications. But they’re also packed full of useful features for traders including charts, real-time news, and Level 2 data. Plus, its fractional share program allows you to start investing with as little as $1.

• You can also actually get IBKR to pay you by letting them borrow your fully paid up stocks and letting them lend them out to short sellers, through their stock yield enhancement program.
• The investment information provided in this table is for informational and general educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment or financial advice.
• Public eliminates this conflict by routing all orders directly to exchanges and other execution venues, prioritizing transparency and alignment with its users.
• Charles Schwab charges a $0 commission for online stock and ETF trading.
• The commission-free brokerage platform trades stocks, options, ETFs and cryptocurrencies.
• The diverse investment options give you access to a variety of asset classes.

What type of brokerage account should I choose?

This approach can offer enhanced portfolio management and diversification while also allowing you to take advantage of each broker’s specific strengths and features. As brokerage accounts continue to launch new features and compete more on price and technology, this list will change. The incumbents will need to innovate and better serve investors and traders or be crushed by newcomers to the market, hungry to become the best brokerage available. Whether you choose a long-time favorite like Charles Schwab or an innovative new brokerage like Robinhood, ensure you’re aware of competing features and fees so you can trade as effectively as possible.

Whether you’re a beginner, an active trader looking for institutional-grade tools, or a long-term investor building a retirement portfolio, a great broker can make all the difference. I spent hundreds of hours testing online trading platforms and mobile apps, placing trades, exploring tools, and gathering thousands of data points; here are my picks for the best stock brokers of 2025. Public is a top choice for stock trading due to its sleek design, low fees and unique rebate program for options trading, and innovative investing tools like AI research.

Robinhood

Whether you’re a long-term investor or short-term trader, experienced or new to the stock market, here’s our list of the top seven online brokerages. Blain Reinkensmeyer, co-founder of StockBrokers.com, has been investing and trading for over 25 years. After having placed over 2,000 trades in his late teens and early 20s, he became one of the first in digital media to review online brokerages. Today, Blain is widely respected as a leading expert on finance and investing, specifically the U.S. online brokerage industry.

This account offers a range of tools for trading for each level of investor while providing user-friendliness across all platforms. Known as a discount brokerage, it offers low fees for trading as well as options and fractional share trading. The criteria for selecting the best brokerage accounts for stock trading was based on the primary criteria of trading fees, investment options, research tools and ease of use.

Available investment products are key to choosing the best online stock broker. Depending on your investment strategy, that may include low-cost mutual funds or index funds, futures, options or shorts. TradeZero provides direct market access at low cost, making it ideal for active traders and those interested in short selling. Robinhood offers fractional share trading, which allows investors to buy and sell partial shares of stocks. An online broker is a financial institution that allows you to purchase securities, including stocks, through an online platform.

Tools & Features

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Ally Invest

Webull’s offerings include technical indicators, charting tools and real-time market data. Bankrate analyzed dozens of brokerage firms to help you find the best brokers for online stock trading. Here are our top picks due to their low costs, strong research and education offering as well as high-quality customer experience.

Short best stock brokers selling involves borrowing shares from a broker and selling them on the open market, with the intention of buying them back at a lower price to return to the lender. Since short selling requires borrowing, it must be done in a margin account. All US stockbrokers are different and the best way to figure out what broker is best for your investing goals is to compare the key account features and products on offer.

What is a brokerage account?

We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range, can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. The investment information provided in this table is for informational and general educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment or financial advice. Bankrate does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it provide individualized recommendations or personalized investment advice.

• You can read our full guide on how to open a brokerage account or use our US stock broker comparison tables to find your perfect broker.
• It also allows you to transfer cryptocurrency holdings off the platform.
• Blain created the original scoring rubrics for StockBrokers.com and oversees all testing and rating methodologies.
• Whether you choose a long-time favorite like Charles Schwab or an innovative new brokerage like …
• With seemingly endless brokerage options available, it’s important to choose an account which is right for your unique needs, experience level, and other factors you may not yet be aware of.
• Online trading also carries risks including market volatility, platform risk and cybersecurity threats.

We compare commissions and fees, platform qualifications, assets and total offerings, analytical tools, resources and customized service. While some stock brokers require a minimum deposit, others have no minimum at all, which is increasingly becoming more common. However, even with no set minimum, you’ll need enough funds to purchase at least a fractional share of the investment you’re interested in, ensuring you can start building your portfolio right away.

Some brokerage accounts charge trading fees but many brokers now offer commission-free trading for stocks and ETFs specifically while still charging fees for options or other types of investments. Robinhood is a primary cause of why every brokerage firm on this list offers fee-free trading. With its broad investment offerings for trading, easy-to-use mobile and desktop applications, and low fees, Robinhood is excellent for new traders. Robinhood scores just 3/5 for ease of use due to limited customer support options as well as pay-walled research behind Robinhood Gold. Charles Schwab charges a $0 commission for online stock and ETF trading.

Many brokers allow fractional shares and commission-free trades, so you can invest $5 to $10 and gradually build your portfolio over time. The online brokerage offers the trade of 30+ cryptocurrencies and more traditional investments like stocks and ETFs but with a limited selection. Robinhood remains a top choice for beginners due to its affordability and user-friendly platform. Commission-free trades and fractional shares allow new investors to invest on a budget, making it easy for them to navigate the world of investing. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service.

Also, for algorithmic traders, IBKR offers a suite of pre-built algorithms and a complete list of API languages. Importantly, all of these tools are available in its paper trading environment. TradeStation’s platform comes in desktop, web-based (above), and mobile form. You can also paper trade and backtest with virtual money, so you don’t need to risk your own capital until you’re confident in your trading strategies. Along with years of experience in media distribution at a global newsroom, Jeff has a versatile knowledge base encompassing the technology and financial markets. He is a long-time active investor and engages in research on emerging markets like cryptocurrency.

How much money do you need to open a brokerage account?

Right now, you can earn up to $1,000 or more with a signup bonus and referrals. Quickly compare vetted accounts to see which providers are most appropriate for you. Some brokers will fall straight out of contention, if you need a Roth IRA, for example, and the broker doesn’t offer it. Visit my full review of Interactive Brokers to learn more about its entire offering. Get a better understanding of how the markets work with our easy to ready “how-to” guides. Which is particularly important if you are trading popular stocks like Tesla, which can cost upwards of $200.

We’ve compared and tested the best major American stock brokers that offer online stock trading and investing as well as other peripheral products such as ETFs (exchange-traded funds), options and futures. IBKR Lite by Interactive Brokers offers a powerful platform with low costs, especially for options contracts, intended for advanced traders. Through IBKR Lite, traders can access the advanced tools they need like analyst ratings and screeners across Trader Workstation for desktop or the IBKR mobile app.