Loading...

Best Investment Apps & Platforms

Compare the top investment apps and brokerage platforms side by side. Whether you are a beginner looking for simplicity or an experienced trader seeking advanced tools, find the right platform to match your investing goals and style.

Choosing the Right Investment Platform

The investment app you choose can significantly impact your investing experience. Consider factors like fees, available investments, ease of use, educational resources, and customer support when making your decision.

Best Investment Apps Comparison

Platform Best For Commissions Minimum Fractional Shares
Fidelity Overall Best $0 $0 Yes
Charles Schwab Research & Tools $0 $0 Yes
Vanguard Long-term/Index Funds $0 $0 Limited
Robinhood Beginners/Mobile $0 $0 Yes
Acorns Automated/Round-ups $3-5/mo $0 Yes
M1 Finance Portfolio Building $0 $100 Yes
Webull Active Trading $0 $0 Yes
E*TRADE Options Trading $0 $0 No

Detailed Platform Reviews

Fidelity - Best Overall

Fidelity consistently ranks as the best overall investment platform due to its combination of zero-fee trading, excellent research tools, and strong customer service. It's ideal for both beginners and advanced investors.

  • Pros: No fees, excellent research, great customer service, strong mobile app
  • Cons: Interface can feel complex for absolute beginners
  • Best for: Investors who want a full-service broker with no compromises

Vanguard - Best for Long-Term Investors

Vanguard pioneered low-cost index investing and remains the go-to platform for buy-and-hold investors. Their index funds and ETFs have some of the lowest expense ratios in the industry.

  • Pros: Lowest fund expense ratios, investor-owned structure, excellent index funds
  • Cons: Basic trading interface, limited active trading tools
  • Best for: Long-term investors focused on index funds and ETFs

Robinhood - Best for Beginners

Robinhood popularized commission-free trading with its sleek, simple mobile app. It's designed to make investing accessible to first-time investors.

  • Pros: Very simple interface, fractional shares, crypto trading, cash card
  • Cons: Limited research tools, past controversies, basic customer support
  • Best for: New investors who want a simple, mobile-first experience

Acorns - Best for Automated Investing

Acorns makes investing effortless by rounding up your purchases and investing the spare change. It's perfect for those who want to invest without thinking about it.

  • Pros: Automatic round-ups, set-it-and-forget-it, includes banking features
  • Cons: Monthly fee can be high percentage for small accounts
  • Best for: People who want to save automatically without active management

Charles Schwab - Best for Research

Schwab offers comprehensive research tools, educational resources, and excellent customer service. Now merged with TD Ameritrade, it combines the best of both platforms.

  • Pros: Extensive research, thinkorswim platform, great education, physical branches
  • Cons: Can be overwhelming for beginners
  • Best for: Investors who value research and want professional-grade tools

Types of Investment Apps

📱

Traditional Brokers

Full-service platforms like Fidelity and Schwab offering stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and retirement accounts with robust research tools.

🤖

Robo-Advisors

Automated platforms like Betterment and Wealthfront that build and manage diversified portfolios based on your goals and risk tolerance.

💰

Micro-Investing Apps

Apps like Acorns and Stash that let you invest small amounts, often through round-ups or recurring small deposits.

📈

Active Trading Platforms

Platforms like Webull and Interactive Brokers designed for frequent traders with advanced charting and order types.

How to Choose the Right App for You

For Complete Beginners

Start with Robinhood or Acorns for simplicity. These apps remove complexity and let you start investing with any amount. As you learn more, you can graduate to more feature-rich platforms.

For Long-Term Wealth Building

Choose Fidelity, Vanguard, or Schwab. These established brokers offer low-cost index funds, retirement accounts, and the stability you need for decades of investing.

For Active Traders

Consider Webull, E*TRADE, or Interactive Brokers. These platforms offer advanced charting, extended hours trading, and sophisticated order types.

For Hands-Off Investors

Robo-advisors like Betterment or Wealthfront automatically manage your portfolio. You answer questions about your goals, and they handle the rest.

Important Considerations

Frequently Asked Questions About Investment Apps

Fidelity and Robinhood are widely considered the best investment apps for beginners. Fidelity stands out for its zero-fee trading, extensive educational resources, and strong customer support, making it ideal for those who want a full-service experience. Robinhood offers an exceptionally simple mobile interface and fractional shares starting at just one dollar, which appeals to first-time investors who want to start small. Both platforms charge no commissions on stock and ETF trades.

Reputable investment apps are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Your securities accounts are also protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) for up to $500,000, including $250,000 in cash claims. Before opening an account, verify that the platform is a registered broker-dealer by checking FINRA's BrokerCheck tool. Always enable two-factor authentication and use a strong, unique password to further protect your account.

Many modern investment apps have no account minimum at all, meaning you can start with as little as one dollar. Platforms like Fidelity, Robinhood, and Schwab offer fractional shares, which allow you to buy a small piece of expensive stocks rather than needing to purchase a full share. Micro-investing apps like Acorns take this even further by automatically rounding up your everyday purchases and investing the spare change. The key is to start early and invest consistently, regardless of the amount.

A traditional brokerage app like Fidelity or Schwab gives you full control to buy and sell individual stocks, ETFs, bonds, and mutual funds on your own. A robo-advisor like Betterment or Wealthfront automatically builds and manages a diversified portfolio for you based on your risk tolerance and financial goals. Robo-advisors are best for hands-off investors who prefer automated portfolio management, while traditional brokers suit investors who want to choose their own investments and have more control over their strategy.

Using multiple investment platforms can be beneficial if each serves a different purpose. For example, you might use Vanguard or Fidelity for your retirement accounts and long-term index fund investing, while using a separate app for more active trading. However, spreading your money across too many accounts can make it harder to track your overall asset allocation and may lead to unintended overlap in your holdings. If you do use multiple apps, periodically review your combined portfolio to ensure it aligns with your target diversification strategy.

Continue Learning

Explore related investment topics to expand your knowledge.

🏪

Brokerage Account

Open your first account
📈

Stock Basics

Equity investing essentials
🔀

Fractional Investing

Invest with small amounts
📊

ETF Basics

Diversified fund investing
Pavlo Pyskunov

Written By

Pavlo Pyskunov

Finance educator and founder of InvestmentBasic. Passionate about making investment education accessible to everyone, with a focus on practical, beginner-friendly content backed by data.

Connect on LinkedIn

Start typing to search across all investment topics...

Request an AI summary of InvestmentBasic

ChatGPT Claude Gemini Perplexity Copilot