Trading apps that give you money

Best for: US traders best for: crypto traders

5 trading apps with free bonuses

Who doesn’t love a great bonus?

Top forex bonuses

5 Trading Apps with Free Bonuses, trading apps that give you money.

We do. We’ve complied the best trading apps with free bonuses so that you can start your trading off with a bang.

Let’s have a look at the best free bonus trading apps.

1. Moomoo

Best for: US stock traders & investors

Bonus: 3 free stocks (up to $1,250)

Moomoo offers a great free bonus offer for new registrations. You can grab 3 free stocks valued up to $1,250.

2. Currency.Com

Best for: crypto traders

Bonus: up to $100

Currency.Com is a free, regulated trading app which gives you a random bonus of up to $100 USD value when you sign up, complete verification and make a deposit.

3. Coinbase

Best for: cryptocurrency enthusiasts

Bonus: $10 free bitcoin

Free bitcoin? Why not! Coinbase offers a $10 free bitcoin bonus offer to new registrations who use an invite link to sign up. The bonus is deposited into your coinbase account.

You have to trade at least $100 of cryptocurrency to get the $10 bonus. After you get the bonus, you can trade it or withdraw it to your bank account or paypal.

4. Webull

Best for: US traders

Bonus: 2 free stocks (up to $1,400)

Webull is a popular alternative commission trading app. When you deposit any amount, you will get 2 free stocks worth up to $1,400 – cool right? The difference between this bonus is the value – it’s up to a huge $1,400. Will you be lucky? Find out by grabbing your free stocks today.

You can sell the free stocks and withdraw them directly to your bank account.

Best for: anyone

Bonus: free VPN

XM is one of the world’s leading CFD trading apps. They’re currently running a neat promotion which gives you a free trading VPN – don’t miss out on it! Sign up for a free XM account today.

Summary

There are a ton of awesome free bonuses on trading apps, it’s hard to choose the best ones, but these are our personal favourites.

There’s no limit to how many bonuses you can redeem you can get, so why not try them all?

Here’s our final roundup of the best free bonus trading apps.

Currency.Com: best overall

Moomoo: best for advanced traders

Coinbase: best for cryptocurrency traders

Webull: best for US traders

XM: best for everyone

Have you seen any other awesome free trading bonuses? Let us know in the comments!

About us

Trading apps is your trusted guide to the world of trading on mobile applications. We test and review hundreds of trading apps to bring you the best. Learn more about us on our ‘about‘ page.

Best stock trading apps

The best stock trading apps combine low costs and useful features

Some investors are happy putting their money into a boring fund and letting it simmer for the long term. Others are more interested in taking a hands-on approach to managing their money with active stock trading. Whether you buy and sell once in a while or want to enter a trade or more every day, there’s definitely a stock trading app for you.

The best stock app for your unique needs depends on your experience and trading goals. After reviewing fees, tradable assets, and more across several brokerages, we rounded up the best stock trading apps for both beginner and advanced investors to consider.

Best stock trading apps of 2021

stock trading app	why we picked it
TD ameritrade	best overall	open account
fidelity	best for beginners	open account
webull	best free app	open account
sofi	best for learning about trading	open account
tastyworks	best for options trading	open account
ally	best with banking products	open account

TD ameritrade mobile: best overall

TD ameritrade gets the top spot because it offers something for everyone and excellent pricing. The basic TD ameritrade mobile app is great for beginners and casual stock traders who want to manage their investments on the go. Advanced and expert traders can use the upgraded thinkorswim mobile app for a professional-style experience.

You get access to both apps with a TD ameritrade brokerage account, which has no minimum balance requirements and no fees to trade stocks and etfs. The fully-featured apps combine important account management features and trading features regardless of which one you choose. Thinkorswim also includes a live CNBC feed inside the app.

In november 2019, charles schwab announced that it is acquiring TD ameritrade. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of 2020. Once closed, it’s likely that TD ameritrade trading platforms and charles schwab trading platforms will be combined into one.

Key features

App names: TD ameritrade mobile and thinkorswim

Account minimum: no minimum deposit required

Fees: $0 commission for online stock, ETF, and options trades, but there is a 65 cent flat fee per options contract; $25 for broker-assisted trades; $49.99 for no-load mutual funds; additional fees may apply

Tradable assets: wide range, including stocks, options, etfs, mutual funds, bonds, and more

Account types: supports standard, retirement, education, and other types of accounts

Beginner and advanced mobile apps

Support for a wide range of assets and account types

Extensive research resources

Uncertainty of future after schwab acquisition

The 15 best investment apps for everyday investors

Until recently, investing was a pain. If you were lucky, you’d spend an hour on the phone with a financial advisor. Then, you’d cross your fingers until the quarterly report arrived.

With today’s best investment apps, all it takes is a few taps. You can receive a tailored portfolio or trade your own stocks, check your portfolio’s performance, and shift money around without ever talking to a human being. And because both traditional brokerages and fintech startups offer investing apps, you’re likely to find one perfect for you.

These 15 apps provide a painless route to investing for everyday investors.

15 best investment apps

Here are 15 of the best options for everyday investors:

1. Best investment app for high-end investment management: round

Investment apps are increasingly turning to robo advisors. Although round uses an automated questionnaire to generate its users’ portfolios, it works with fund managers like guggenheim partners, doubleline, and gabelli to provide individual investors with access to institution-grade investments.

Round’s institutional managers lean heavily on alternative assets and strategies, including asset-backed securities, real estate, and merger arbitrage. No matter the account value, round charges a 0.5% management fee. In the event of a negative return, however, round waives its monthly fee.

2. Best investment app for minimizing fees: robinhood

For investors who want to do it themselves and pay as few fees as possible, robinhood is one of the best investment apps. With no commissions and a $0 account minimum, robinhood cuts out most of the costs typically associated with investing apps.

Unfortunately, robinhood users do make some sacrifices. Robinhood doesn’t offer any retirement accounts or managed portfolios, meaning all investments made through the app are taxable and self-managed. It’s relatively bare-bones for an investing app, but it’s the best way to trade individually for free.

3. Best investment app for student investors: acorns

Every investor has to start somewhere. To cater to the fledgling demographic, acorns provides free management for college students. Unlike most investing apps, it also offers a “spare change” savings tool, which rounds up purchases users make at select retailers. The difference between the balance due and the next dollar is then invested in the user’s acorns account.

But be warned: acorns’ flat fees can be stiff for those with smaller account balances. For $1, $2, or $3 per month — depending on the user’s account balance — acorns offers a passive portfolio of etfs.

4. Best investment app for data dissectors: E*trade

Through the power E*trade app, do-it-yourself investors can buy into a wide range of assets. E*trade’s stocks, mutual funds, etfs, futures, and options are backed by its best-in-class research library. There, E*trade provides interactive charts and expert studies. Users of the investing app can dig deep into earnings, dividends, company news, and metrics like debt-to-equity ratio.

In exchange for that data, E*trade does charge steeper commissions, at $6.95 per trade, than many providers on this list. Due to its educational tools and array of assets, this investing app is a smart pick at the poles: beginning investors will appreciate the help building a risk-aligned portfolio, while veterans will like its professional-grade investment options.

5. Best investment app for banking features: stash

Like acorns, stash is one of the best investing apps for beginners. Where stash stands out is its account options: for a flat $3 monthly fee, users get brokerage, bank, and retirement accounts. At the $9-per-month level, they also receive two custodial accounts, monthly investment research, a stronger rewards structure, and an upgraded debit card.

Stash requires just $5 to open an account, and users can purchase fractional shares in stocks and etfs. Unfortunately, though, stash only offers about 150 stocks and 60 ETF options. To make their holdings more obvious to beginners, stash renames etfs with monikers, such as “clean & green” for the ishares global clean energy ETF.

6. Best investment app for customer support: TD ameritrade

Another brokerage competing in the investing app space, TD ameritrade doesn’t require a minimum investment. It does, however, charge a comparatively expensive $6.95 per trade. Options cost even more, with a $0.75-per-contract upcharge.

Why would users pay TD ameritrade’s fees? Because its asset options and customer support are second to none. Traders can choose between stocks, bonds, etfs, mutual funds, futures, foreign currencies, adrs, and more. If they need help, they get 24/7 phone, text, and instant messaging support. And if that’s not enough, they can stop into one of TD ameritrade’s 364 branch locations.

7. Best investment app for parents: stockpile

Founded by a CEO who wanted to give his nieces and nephews something more substantial than toys for the holidays, stockpile lets investors buy blue-chip stocks and etfs via gift cards. Although this investing app makes sense for parents who want to pique their kids’ interest in investing, beware its fee structure.

For a standard trade, stockpile charges $0.99. Gift cards, however, cost $2.99 for the first stock and $0.99 after that. And if you buy the gift card with a credit or debit card, expect to pay an additional 3%. Although kids may not care, stockpile users can’t see company balance sheets or portfolio performance projections.

8. Best investment app for overspenders: clink

If you’d rather shop than save, clink may be the best investment app for you. By linking your credit card and bank account to the app, you can invest a percentage of recreational purchases. Alternatively, you can schedule a fixed amount to be transferred into your clink account on a monthly or daily basis.

Clink investors currently pay no fees, nor do they need a minimum deposit. Instead, clink collects receives kickbacks from the ETF sponsors offered. Etfs are currently clink’s only asset option, unfortunately, and they’re only available in bundles based on the user’s risk tolerance.

9. Best investment app for total automation: wealthfront

Similar to betterment and other robo advisors, wealthfront invests in passive portfolios and charges a management fee of just 0.25%. Though the investing app requires a $500 account minimum, it does support daily tax-loss harvesting or realizing losses to offset taxes on capital gains. The value of tax-loss harvesting is limited for everyday investors, but it remains popular among robo-advisor apps.

To make the most of wealthfront, though, your balance needs to fall in its sweet spot. Unlike many robo-advised apps, wealthfront doesn’t deal in fractional shares. Serious investors should look elsewhere, too: although it does offer extras like the wealthfront risk parity fund to six-figure accounts for an extra fee, there’s no human management option or bonus for large balances.

10. Best investment app for human customer service: personal capital

Personal capital’s minimum balance may be high, but its featured savings tools are robust. Those who can meet its $100,000 minimum get a combination of human and robo advisors. Accounts over $200,000 are assigned to dedicated financial advisors. Although personal capital’s management fee is a stiff 0.89%, investors with large balances may pay as little as 0.40%.

What do users get for those fees? A pile of financial planning tools, including ones to track spending, net worth, retirement progress, portfolio performance, and more. Two new features include personal capital cash, a savings-like account with a 2.3% interest rate, as well as a retirement paycheck planner, which lets investors project their withdrawals during retirement.

11. Best investment app for data security: M1 finance

Claiming to be “one finance account that does it all,” M1 finance might be the toughest-to-categorize investing app on this list. A hybrid broker and investment management app, M1 allows for both self-serve and robo-advised investing.

Although M1 does have some drawbacks, as a free platform with no account minimum, its data security measures are strong. In addition to the typical two-factor authentication, M1 uses 4096-bit encryption for data transfer and storage. On the downside, M1 doesn’t provide tax-loss harvesting, nor does it offer as many asset types as traditional brokerages.

12. Best investment app for introductory offers: ally invest

Catering to both new and experienced investors, ally invest has a solid selection of educational materials and a fair fee structure. But the reason it’s on this list of top investing apps is its bonuses: with only a $10,000 deposit, investors earn $50, plus 90 days of commission-free trades. For larger deposits, that bonus amount goes as high as $3,500.

Although ally’s fees are higher than many app-first tools, they’re lower than the other online brokerages on this list. Stock and ETF trades are subject to a $4.95 commission, plus $0.65 for options contracts. If you’re an active or wealthy trader, though, those fees drop to $3.95 with an additional $0.50 for options. That’s not bad, especially given ally’s intuitive app and resources.

13. Best investment app for socially responsible investing: betterment

Young investors, in particular, like to support socially responsible companies. To reach them, betterment offers a best-of-breed socially responsible investing (SRI) portfolio. Compared to its core portfolio, betterment’s large-cap SRI holdings score 42% higher on its social responsibility index. The other assets in this investing app’s SRI portfolio are mostly broad-market etfs.

With $15 billion in assets under management, betterment recently split its services into betterment digital — with no account minimum and a 0.25% management fee — and betterment premium. For a $100,000 minimum and a 0.40% fee, betterment premium provides unlimited phone sessions with certified financial planners.

14. Best investment app for index investing: vanguard

One of the oldest and lowest-cost investment providers, vanguard’s investing app could admittedly use some work. If you can handle a confusing interface, though, you’ll find few better options for buying into mutual funds and etfs.

Vanguard charges no commissions for trading but does receive fees on its own etfs. Plus, users who receive their account documents electronically pay no account service fees. And believe it or not, vanguard doesn’t require a minimum balance, either.

15. Best investment app for couples: twine

Saving as a couple that doesn’t completely share finances can be tough. If you’ve got a wedding or vacation ahead but still want to keep separate bank accounts, check out this investing app. Backed by john hancock, twine charges $0.25 per month for every $500 invested.

Although that fee structure is on par with other digital investment providers, twine’s investment options are not. Twine gives users just three portfolio choices: conservative, moderate, or aggressive. Even more limited is its all-ETF asset mix, covering stocks as well as bonds. Twine is a fair pick for short-term savers who are new to investing.

Investing apps can be a godsend for individual investors who need a painless way to invest in stocks. Not all apps are created equal, but these 15 offer a good place to start.

Can you really make money with trading apps? Your complete guide to trading apps

Online trading on mobile devices is one of the latest and biggest hypes in the financial sector right now, and the interest is increasing by the day. Still, many traders seem to be confused about mobile trading, and we hear a lot of people wondering if you can make money with trading apps.

Now, while the trading apps themselves aren’t going to make you any money, they can be used as a tool to make money with the right strategy and some basic knowledge.

So in an attempt to clear things up, we’ll walk you through what’s needed to use mobile trading apps to make money.

Please note that the most important factor when it comes to being successful is developing a great strategy, something that might have been hard to do 10 years ago. However, today you will be able to find an abundance of great trading resources and investment guides

Step one: find a trading app

Naturally, the first step of the process is to find a trading app that you will use as your trading platform. Depending on which instruments you want to trade, the apps look different, so before you pick an app, you need to decide what you want to trade.

Most of the leading trading apps today are forex trading apps which is why we suggest you pick forex trading.

Every regulated and safe forex broker in the industry offers mobile versions of their platforms so as long as you stick to the top brokers, you’ll get access to a great trading app.

Step two: learn how to trade

Making money as a trader, regardless of the market you’re focusing on requires a great understanding of the instruments as well as tried and tested trading skills.

There are several very good trading courses you can partake in, and most brokers offer different types of educational material ranging from videos and webinars to guides and ebooks. Moreover, there is a huge selection of trading books available on the market that you can learn a lot of useful skills from.

However, in our opinion, the best way to learn how to trade on a mobile app is to combine a trading course with a demo account.

A demo account is a free and risk-free version of a brokers platform, and they are often available on the trading apps as well. The purpose of a demo account is to allow you to trade under real market conditions but without the risk of losing money. It’s a great way to gain an advantage of the market and a shortcut that wasn’t available only a few years ago.

Step 3: develop a strategy and start trading

With access to a good trading app as well as basic trading skills, it’s time for you to start implementing a trading strategy. There is a range of different strategies that one can pick from depending on the instrument you’re trading, the number of funds you have available as well as the timeframe in which you want to earn money.

Also for the best possible results you should really try and develop a strategy based on your own needs and preferences.

You won’t become a rich trader overnight, but by combining the three factors we’ve mentioned above and putting in the time and dedication needed, you will be able to start making money from a trading app eventually.

Of course, all of this is technically speaking since trading is associated with high risk. In fact, as many as 80% of recreational traders lose money in the long-term so be careful.

These 5 legitimate companies will give you free stocks

We’re all about freebies around here. Free gift cards? Heck yeah! Free money? Sign us up! Free stocks? Even better — they could increase in value over time!

And before you ask: yes, there is a such thing as free stocks. We know, we know. It sounds too good to be true, but you just have to know where to look — and that’s where we can help you.

Collect free stocks from these companies

We researched the best, most legitimate investment companies, apps and trading platforms that offer something for free.

Without further delay, here are our favorite companies giving away free stocks:

1. Robinhood: up to $200

Free stock value: $2.50 to $200

An investing app called robinhood will give you up to $200 worth of free stock in companies like visa, microsoft and GE, just for downloading its app and opening a free account.

Robinhood is free and easy to navigate, which is why more than 10 million people use it — including both news junkies looking to outsmart the market and people who want to carefully put a few bucks away in a long-term investment.

Plus — it’s free to buy and trade stocks, options, exchange-traded funds (etfs) and cryptocurrencies. There are no account minimums and no maintenance fees.

How to claim your free stock: sign up using this unique referral link. Once you create your account, robinhood will give you a free share of stock. The share is chosen randomly (hence why it could be worth anywhere from $2.50 to $200) and can fluctuate with the stock market.

Available via desktop, apple ios and google android.

2. Stash: $5

Free stock value: $5

Take a look at the forbes richest people list, and you’ll notice almost all the billionaires have one thing in common — they own another company.

But if you work for a living and don’t happen to have millions of dollars lying around, that can sound totally out of reach.

That’s why a lot of people use the app stash. It lets you be a part of something that’s normally exclusive to the richest of the rich — buying pieces of other companies for as little as $1.*

How to claim your free stock: when you sign up for stash through the penny hoarder, you’ll get a $5 bonus.

Available via apple ios and google android.

3. Acorns: $5

Free stock value: $5

If you’re just entering the world of stock trading, we get it: it can be quite intimidating. Start out slow(er) by investing in etfs, which are basically fractions of stock.

With the acorns micro-investing app, for example, you can connect your debit or credit card and choose to round-up your transactions to the nearest dollar. Then, acorns automatically takes your digital spare change and funnels it into etfs.

No, you probably won’t get rich investing in etfs, but it’s a great place to start. Note that acorns charges a $1 monthly fee for balances under $1 million. However, there are no minimums and no free trades.

How to claim your free stock: when you sign up for acorns through the penny hoarder, you’ll get a $5 bonus. Use that $5 to begin dabbling in etfs.

Available via apple ios and google android.

4. Stockpile: $5

Free stock value: $5

Stockpile lets you buy fractional shares of stock and etfs. It stands out from the other options on this list because you can also gift stocks to family and friends (the perfect graduation present).

Start with a $5 investment. Once you’re in, there are no monthly fees and no account minimums. However, you’ll be charged 99 cents per trade.

How to claim your free stock: sign up for a stockpile account with this referral link, and buy your first stock or e-gift of at least $10 in stock.

Available via desktop, apple ios and google android.

5. M1 finance

Free stock value: $10

Do you know what the “1” in M1 stands for? One account. The goal of M1 is to simplify your finances, so you can invest, borrow and spend money all from one spot.

Now, let’s focus on the investing part. M1 allows you to build a custom portfolio of stocks and funds. Or, if you’re not feeling as adventurous, you can opt for a pre-built expert portfolio. It also lets you invest in fractional shares of companies (if you don’t want to fork over nearly $2,000 for amazon stock) and will let you opt into automated investing, which lets M1 take over with free stock trading.

Basically, M1 gives you a ton of options, and they’re all free. You’ll need to deposit at least $100 to get started.

How to claim your free stock: to get this free $10 to put toward stock, you’ll need a friend. Once you’ve funded your account, click “refer and earn” to find a unique referral link to send to your friends. Once they’ve funded their accounts, you’ll get $10.

Available via desktop, apple ios and google android.

Carson kohler ([email protected]) is a personal finance writer at the penny hoarder. She casually dabbles in etfs.

Best stock trading apps

The best stock trading apps combine low costs and useful features

Best stock trading apps of 2021

stock trading app	why we picked it
TD ameritrade	best overall	open account
fidelity	best for beginners	open account
webull	best free app	open account
sofi	best for learning about trading	open account
tastyworks	best for options trading	open account
ally	best with banking products	open account

TD ameritrade mobile: best overall

Key features

App names: TD ameritrade mobile and thinkorswim

Account minimum: no minimum deposit required

Fees: $0 commission for online stock, ETF, and options trades, but there is a 65 cent flat fee per options contract; $25 for broker-assisted trades; $49.99 for no-load mutual funds; additional fees may apply

Tradable assets: wide range, including stocks, options, etfs, mutual funds, bonds, and more

Account types: supports standard, retirement, education, and other types of accounts

Beginner and advanced mobile apps

Support for a wide range of assets and account types

Extensive research resources

Uncertainty of future after schwab acquisition

The 15 best investment apps for everyday investors

Until recently, investing was a pain. If you were lucky, you’d spend an hour on the phone with a financial advisor. Then, you’d cross your fingers until the quarterly report arrived.

These 15 apps provide a painless route to investing for everyday investors.

15 best investment apps

Here are 15 of the best options for everyday investors:

1. Best investment app for high-end investment management: round

2. Best investment app for minimizing fees: robinhood

3. Best investment app for student investors: acorns

4. Best investment app for data dissectors: E*trade

5. Best investment app for banking features: stash

6. Best investment app for customer support: TD ameritrade

7. Best investment app for parents: stockpile

8. Best investment app for overspenders: clink

9. Best investment app for total automation: wealthfront

10. Best investment app for human customer service: personal capital

11. Best investment app for data security: M1 finance

12. Best investment app for introductory offers: ally invest

13. Best investment app for socially responsible investing: betterment

14. Best investment app for index investing: vanguard

15. Best investment app for couples: twine

Investing apps can be a godsend for individual investors who need a painless way to invest in stocks. Not all apps are created equal, but these 15 offer a good place to start.

The best investment apps for beginners

The best investment apps for beginners offer low fees and access to the types of accounts and investment products you care about most. The app you choose should suit your investment style and offer the tools you need to achieve your financial goals.

Best overall: sofi

editor's rating	4.8 out of 5
fees	none
account minimum	$0
consider it if.	You want an easy-to-use platform paired with rock-bottom pricing

Why sofi made our list:

Sofi is a top pick for beginners thanks to an easy-to-use platform paired with rock-bottom pricing. You can get started at sofi invest with just $1, and there are no commissions for trades and no recurring account fees. Even the managed portfolio product, where your investments are all picked and managed for you, is free to use.

The app includes stocks and etfs listed by category, making it easy to browse potential investment opportunities. The app doesn't have the most in-depth investment research, but there is enough to get you started and guide your research off the app. You can also access investment education articles from inside the app.

As an added bonus outside of the app, sofi offers complimentary financial planning sessions for all members, among other benefits. If you are a beginner and want help putting an investment strategy together, sofi is an ideal place to start.

Best overall runner-up: ally invest

editor's rating	4.7 out of 5
fees	none
account minimum	none for DIY portfolios, $100 for robo-adviser
consider it if.	You want easy-to-use apps paired with excellent checking and savings accounts

Why ally invest made our list:

Beginners often do well with simple and straightforward investment platforms. Ally invest offers just that through its mobile app. You can trade stocks and etfs with no commissions; mutual fund trades will incur a $9.95 commission fee. There are no recurring fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

The ally app, which is also used by ally bank, is straightforward and easy to navigate. It doesn't have as many bells and whistles as some active trading platforms, but it has everything a beginner and most passive investors might need.

Best for automated investing: acorns

editor's rating	4.7 out of 5
fees	$1 to $5 per month
account minimum	$0
consider it if.	You want a totally hands-off investing experience

Why acorns made our list:

Acorns is an investment app for people who know they should be investing but don't have or want to spend the time to manage it themselves. For $1 per month, acorns will take care of everything. That includes automatically investing spare change through transaction round-ups, automated transfers, and a fully automated investment plan.

The big upside of acorns is that it's so easy to use. The big downside is that there's a fee no matter what. While $1 per month doesn't sound like much, when you have a relatively low account balance, that's a big percentage. If you have a $100 balance, $1 per month is more than 10% per year. For additional accounts and features, including retirement accounts, you'll have to pay $3 or $5 per month.

Best for active trading: TD ameritrade

Why TD ameritrade made our list:

If you are new to the markets and plan to get into active trading, TD ameritrade is a good place to start. It charges no commissions for stock or ETF trades and offers multiple account platforms that align with various investment styles and goals.

When you're starting out, you'll probably feel most comfortable in the main TD ameritrade app. As your investment skills grow, you can upgrade to thinkorswim, the premier active trading platform from TD ameritrade. It has tons of useful features for active traders. Important for beginners, there's a feature to chat with an expert trader inside of thinkorswim.

Important to note: TD ameritrade has agreed to an acquisition by charles schwab. That means TD ameritrade accounts will likely turn into schwab accounts in the future. However, schwab has announced it plans to keep thinkorswim in its product lineup going forward.

editor's rating	4.6 out of 5
fees	none
account minimum	$0
consider it if.	You want a social component to your investing experience

Why public made our list:

When you're a beginner in the stock market, it can feel intimidating to research and choose stocks and other investments on your own. Public combines features from social networks like facebook and twitter with traditional brokerage features. That makes for an investment app ideal for beginners learning their way around the markets.

With fractional shares starting at $5, you can also buy into a huge number of supported companies without putting up enough cash for a full share. While it doesn't offer every popular type of investment, it covers stocks and etfs in a way that's great for newer investors or even experienced investors looking to improve their investment strategy.

Best for no commissions: robinhood

editor's rating	4.5 out of 5
fees	none
account minimum	$0 for most investors, $5+ per month for premium accounts
consider it if.	You want to invest in a wide range of stocks and etfs

Why robinhood made our list:

Robinhood is a pioneer in the no-commission brokerage model. It remains a solid choice for beginners, as they can invest in stocks, etfs, and options with zero commissions. Typical stock and ETF investors will be able to use robinhood with no costs at all, though premium accounts are available with more features for a monthly fee starting at $5.

Robinhood has been at the center of controversies over downtime and how some users have been able to enter extremely risky trades that they didn't understand. As with any investment app, it's important for robinhood traders to understand the risks of what they're doing so they can invest in line with their goals and avoid unexpected losses.

Best for kids: stockpile

editor's rating	4.5 out of 5
fees	99 cents per trade; fees for gift cards
account minimum	$0
consider it if.	You want to invest with kids or teens

Why stockpile made our list:

Unlike the other brokerages on this list, stockpile does not offer commission-free stock and ETF trades. But it does provide some unique features that could make its modest commission of 99 cents per trade worthwhile.

Stockpile allows fractional share investing and supports the gift of stock through gift cards, which makes it perfect for the youngest investors.

If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or another relative who wants to help a child in your life learn how the stock market works, stockpile is perfect for your needs. It makes it easy to gift stock and keep tabs on the account of a minor. It also makes it fun to navigate through supported stocks while educating users through "mini-lessons" that teach how to invest.

Other apps we considered

Webull: webull is a newer commission-free investment platform. It may be a little more challenging for some newer investors to navigate but offers excellent pricing and investment tools.

Firstrade: firstrade's web and desktop investment apps feel a little lower-tech, but its mobile app is simple and easy to navigate. It offers excellent pricing including commission-free mutual fund trades.

Stash: stash is great for newer investors looking to learn how to invest and build the right mindset, but monthly $1 to $9 fees make it less appealing.

Frequently asked questions

How did we choose the best investment apps for beginners?

For beginners, it's important to choose an investment app that combines low costs with the features you care about most. Whether you're looking to build a passive portfolio of funds, an active portfolio of stocks, or any other investment strategy, there's a brokerage and investment app designed to meet your needs.

To make our selections, we focused on costs and fees, app features, types of accounts available, investment products available, and beginner-friendly features to manage your investment account on the go.

What are brokerage accounts?

Brokerage accounts are a type of account where you can store cash and investments — to use an investment app, you'll fund a brokerage account. With a brokerage, you can fund your account with cash and use that cash to buy and sell stocks, bonds, funds, and other investments supported by your brokerage.

Every brokerage has its own core features and pricing, so there is no perfect brokerage for everyone. However, anyone can find a brokerage that's a good fit for their needs.

How do brokerage accounts work?

Brokerage accounts work like checking accounts at a traditional bank in many ways. In fact, many brokerages offer checkbooks for brokerage accounts if you want one. You can add and remove funds similar to a bank, though certain types of retirement and other tax-advantaged accounts have rules around withdrawals.

Brokerages in the united states are regulated by the securities and exchange commission (SEC) and the financial industry regulatory authority (FINRA). Accounts may lose value, but assets are insured by the securities investor protection corporation (SIPC) in case your brokerage goes out of business.

Who should use a brokerage account?

Just about every single person in the US could benefit from a brokerage account. As long as you have high-interest debts paid off, putting a portion of your income into investments is a wise long-term decision.

Most brokers on this list have no recurring fees and no minimum balance. You can often get started with as little as $5 to buy your first stock or ETF.

How much should a brokerage account cost?

Brokerage accounts should be free! The best brokerages charge no recurring fees and have no minimum balance or activity requirements to avoid a monthly service fee.

In addition, most brokerages have dropped fees for stock and ETF trades, so you shouldn't pay any commissions for those types of trades.

How do I choose an online brokerage?

Your choice for online brokerage and investing apps should come down to your investment goals. If you are interested in active investing, you would want a different platform than passive investors. But in any case, it's important to review fees to make sure you're not paying for anything you plan to do regularly.

If an app supports the types of accounts you need and the types of investments you want on a platform you enjoy using, you've likely found a winner.

Eric rosenberg has over a decade of experience writing about personal finance topics, including investing. He has an undergraduate degree and MBA in finance and spent time during his MBA program managing a portion of the university of denver endowment fund. He is an expert in investments, banking, payments, credit cards, insurance, and business finance.

The best investing apps that let you invest for free

Updated: january 4, 2021 by robert farrington

There are thousands of financial products and services out there, and we believe in helping you understand which is best for you, how it works, and will it actually help you achieve your financial goals. We're proud of our content and guidance, and the information we provide is objective, independent, and free.

But we do have to make money to pay our team and keep this website running! Our partners compensate us. Thecollegeinvestor.Com has an advertising relationship with some or all of the offers included on this page, which may impact how, where, and in what order products and services may appear. The college investor does not include all companies or offers available in the marketplace. And our partners can never pay us to guarantee favorable reviews (or even pay for a review of their product to begin with).

For more information and a complete list of our advertising partners, please check out our full advertising disclosure. Thecollegeinvestor.Com strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. The information in our reviews could be different from what you find when visiting a financial institution, service provider or a specific product's website. All products and services are presented without warranty.

Investing is risky. It comes with few guarantees. The only investing guarantee I can offer is this: everything held equal, the less you pay in fees, the better your returns. And investing apps are making it easier than ever to invest commission-free.

Fees don’t have to stop you from making wise and lucrative investments. Thankfully, we live in the 21st century, and there’s never been a better time to be a small investor.

And now, in today's mobile world, investing is becoming easier and cheaper than ever. Plus, with the investing price war that's been going on, it's cheaper than ever to invest!

Here are the best investing apps that let you invest for free (yes, free). You might also check out our list on the best brokers to invest.

Bonus offer: right now acorns is offering a $10 bonus when you open a new account. Get started at acorns here and start rounding up to invest. Open an account here >>

so, let's see, what we have: who doesn't love a great bonus? We do. We've complied the best trading apps with free bonuses so that you can start your trading off with a bang. At trading apps that give you money