Best Free Stock Trading Apps
Want to trade stocks for free? These stock trading apps can help every type of investor build their nest egg.
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| © CreditDonkey |
It's never been a better time to invest. In the past year, most major online brokers got rid of standard trading fees.
This is GREAT news for investors. Stock trades that previously cost $4.96 or $6.95 per trade are now free. This can help save a significant amount of money, especially for beginners and active traders.
Read on for the best free trading apps.
- Robinhood (Best for Beginners)
- Webull (Best for Active Traders)
- TD Ameritrade (Best Platform and Tools)
- M1 Finance (Best Hybrid DIY & Robo Investing)
- E*TRADE (Best Investment Selections)
- Fidelity (Best Customer Satisfaction)
- Charles Schwab (Best for No Fee Automated Investing)
- Vanguard (Best for Retirement)
Best Free Stock Trading Apps
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| © CreditDonkey |
Here are the best free investing apps for different types of investors, whether you're a beginner, hands-off investor, or need something more robust.
Robinhood: Best for Beginners
Robinhood was the first app to offer completely commission-free investing. It offers completely free stock, ETF, options, and cryptocurrency trades.
The Robinhood app is pretty bare-bones. It makes a good choice for beginners who don't want to get overwhelmed by a ton of features. There is no minimum.
Here's what you get with Robinhood:
- Set up customized alerts and news to stay up to date
- Trade fractional shares
- Free extended trading hours from 9:00am - 6:00pm ET
- Perform up to 3 day trades in a five-trading day period
- Educational articles in Robinhood Learn
However, Robinhood only offers taxable accounts. It doesn't support retirement accounts.
Robinhood is good for beginners in the sense that trades are free and there is no minimum requirement. This allows anyone to invest without worrying about fees. The app is also simple to use. However, it does not provide any guidance, so you still need to do some research to select your own investments.
If you're a more experienced trader or want to open an IRA, the next app may be a better fit for you.
Webull: Best for Active Traders
Just established in 2017, Webull is already one of the most popular trading apps. It's the biggest competitor to Robinhood. You can trade stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptos commission-free.
Webull has several features that sets it apart:
- Extended trading hours from 4am - 8pm
- Free margin account with $2,000 minimum
- Paper trading account with $1,000,000 in fake money
- Perform up to 3 day trades in a 5-trading day period
- 45 technical indicators and 12 charting tools
- Supports short selling
One downside is that Webull doesn't support fractional shares. So you need to have enough money to purchase a full share of a stock. The trading platform is also more advanced and may be overwhelming to beginners.
Webull: 4 Free Stocks Promotion
New users can get two free stocks, each valued $2.50-$250, for opening an account and two free stocks, each valued $8-$1,600, for making an initial deposit of $100.
Free trading apps can save you a lot of money. But they may not be truly free. Stick around to the end for hidden costs to watch out for.
TD Ameritrade: Best Platform and Tools
TD Ameritrade is known for having the gold standard in trading platforms. More serious investors will appreciate the excellent research and advanced tools on the thinkorswim mobile app. All users can access this app for free.
App features include:
- Trade stocks, complex options, futures, and forex
- 300+ technical charts and indicators
- See the potential profitability and risk of your investments
- $100,000 practice Virtual Paper Money account
- Chat and screen-share with trade specialists within the app
Beginners and occasional investors also have the option of using the more basic TD Ameritrade Mobile app, which doesn't include futures and forex.
Commission-Free Trading - Online Stock, ETF and Option Trades
Applies to U.S. exchange-listed stocks, ETFs, and options. A $0.65 per contract fee applies for options trades, with no exercise or assignment fees.
Does managing your own portfolio sound like too much work? This next app is perfect for hands-off investors who still want a say.
M1 Finance: Best Hybrid DIY & Robo Investing
M1 Finance has a very unique hybrid approach. You select your own investments and M1 Finance will take care of the trading and portfolio management for you. This is great for those who want control over their investments, but don't want the hassle of managing.
You can select your own stocks and ETFs for fully customized portfolios. Alternatively, you can choose one of many pre-made portfolios and make adjustments.
The minimum to start investing is $100.
The M1 app features:
- Buy fractional shares
- Set up automated investment schedules
- Automatic rebalancing
- Automatically reinvest dividends
- Tax efficiency to minimize taxes when you withdraw
New Customers: Deposit $1,000 and Get $30
- Open a new M1 account.
- Deposit $1,000 or more in your Invest account during your first 14 days.
- Get a $30 bonus.
E*TRADE: Best Investment Selections
E*TRADE was one of the first online trading brokers publicly available. Today, the broker offers 2 mobile apps for Apple and Android devices.
The E*TRADE Mobile App is ideal for beginners and casual traders to trade stocks, ETFs, and options commission-free. The Power E*TRADE app allows for more complex options and futures trading. The minimum to start is $500.
A unique offering is the pre-built portfolios designed by E*TRADE financial advisors. These are made up of leading mutual funds or ETFs, giving you a fast, simple way to diversify.
If you trade during E*TRADE's pre- or post-market hours, there is a fee of $0.005 per share. There's also a $6.95 per trade for penny stocks.
Some highlights of the E*TRADE app are:
- Easy navigation
- Access to streaming quotes and charts
- Create watch lists and set up alerts
- Stream live Bloomberg TV
- Chat with customer support within the app
Fidelity: Best Customer Satisfaction
Fidelity's mobile app makes it easy to access your Fidelity account from anywhere. Fidelity has one of the most highly rated investing apps for both iOS and Android.
Fidelity offers commission-free trading options for stocks, options, and ETFs. The Fidelity app also recently released the ability to trade fractional shares, making it more accessible to beginners.
Fidelity does charge $0.65 per options contract.
With the Fidelity app, you can:
- Access relevant research information
- Access real-time quotes and account balances
- Access quotes on your Echo device
- Receive customized push alerts
- Stream educational podcasts
- Use touch and Face ID
If you have no idea how to invest your money, consider robo-advisors. They make all investment decisions for you. Here's a robo-advisor that charges no advisory fees.
Charles Schwab: Best No Fee Automated Investing
With $0 commission on stocks, options, and ETFs, and thousands of no-transaction fee mutual funds, Charles Schwab is another good option for affordable investing.
It claims that it offers more commission-free ETFs than most other brokers. However, it requires a $1,000 minimum for some account types, which may not make it feasible for beginners.
Schwab also offers managed portfolios for no advisory fee - something that other robo-advisors don't. This will save you a lot of money if you choose to go the automated route. The minimum for this option is $5,000.
Charles Schwab charges $0.65 per contract for options trades done on the Charles Schwab app.
On the Charles Schwab app, you can:
- Create customized watch lists
- Access real-time quotes
- Access financial specialists for free
- Listen to Schwab's daily podcast
- Manage Schwab bank and trade accounts with one app
Charles Schwab: $0 Commissions on Online Stock, ETF, and Options Trades
Vanguard: Best for Retirement
Vanguard is best known for its mutual funds. The mobile app is available on Apple devices, Android devices, and Kindle. You can trade stocks, options, ETFs, and thousands of Vanguard and some non-Vanguard mutual funds for free.
The app has mostly basic functionality, which may be more than enough for casual investors. It also requires no minimum to open an account, which makes it accessible to people who don't have a lot of investing money when they are starting out.
On the Vanguard app, you can:
- View your balances, holdings performances, and prices
- Deposit checks right from your mobile device
- Monitor returns and play with asset mixes in real time
- Access the latest financial news
- Access to viable research
Are Free Trading Apps Safe?
Trading apps are safe as long as the brokerage is a member of the SIPC and registered with the SEC.
The Securities Investor Protection Corporation insures your investments up to $500,000 per account type, should the brokerage fail. The SEC is a government agency that regulates the U.S. stock market and protects investors from misconduct.
In addition, most brokerages are members of FINRA. This is a regulatory authority that makes sure the broker-dealer is operating fairly and honestly.
In addition to these regulatory measures, also make sure the brokerage has security measures such as 256-bit AES encryption.
What Experts Say
CreditDonkey assembled a panel of industry experts to answer readers' most pressing questions.
Here's what they said:
What to Watch Out for with Free Stock Trading Apps
While the word "free" is enticing, there may be hidden fees, or the app may not offer the services you need. Always do your due diligence and make sure it makes sense for your situation.
Here are some fees to be aware of:
- ETF fees: ETFs have a management fee called an expense ratio. It can be as low as 0.02% to as high as over 1.5%. For example, if you choose an ETF with an expense ratio of 0.5%, this means a $1,000 investment would cost $5.
- Mutual fund fees: Similarly, mutual funds also have an operating fee. They tend to be more expensive, around 0.5% - 2.0%. Some mutual funds also charge a fee when you buy or sell shares.
- Premium features: Some free trading apps make money by charging for premium features. For example, Robinhood has a premium Robinhood Gold account that allows for margin trading. Webull charges for advanced market quotes.
- Account transfer fee: If you no longer want to use a certain brokerage and want to transfer your assets to another one, there may be a transfer fee. It's usually $50 - $100.
- Margin loans: Margin trading means borrowing money to purchase stocks. You'll have to pay back what you borrowed plus interest.
Bottom Line
Think about what you want out of your stock trading app. Are you looking for a company where you can bank and invest, all in one? Are you an active trader who needs advanced tools?
Knowing what you need will save you the headache of switching accounts in the long run. Make sure to figure out your individual needs before opening an account, since it is your money on the line in the end.
Write to Kim P at feedback@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.
Note: This website is made possible through financial relationships with some of the products and services mentioned on this site. We may receive compensation if you shop through links in our content. You do not have to use our links, but you help support CreditDonkey if you do.
TD Ameritrade has not influenced the content of CreditDonkey. CreditDonkey may earn compensation for accounts opened at TD Ameritrade.
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