To collect best brokerage accounts the data, our researchers collected data points through online research of provider websites. To fill in any gaps, our research team reached out to the individual brokerages. In some instances, our researchers did much deeper online research to get the information they needed to complete the data collection. The data collection process spanned from Dec. 20, 2024 to Feb 19, 2025. Many online brokers allow for small minimum deposits which can be a great alternative for those with limited funds.

You can lose money buying a bad investment, but you can also lose by buying a good investment at the wrong time. Investment decisions should be guided by extensive research and careful consideration of your risk tolerance. When it comes to the financial markets, there are endless possibilities for making and losing money. That’s why, for the fourth straight year, the company is our top broker for international traders.

Best for Day Traders

• Your new IRA administrator may be able to initiate this process for you.
• Whether you’re an experienced investor or just getting started, you can buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and other investments via an online broker.
• The TradeStation platform makes it easy to test strategies across different time frames and provides a wealth of statistical data in the performance report, including key metrics such as profit factor and maximum drawdown.
• This is the fourth straight year Interactive Brokers has earned this award.
• Moomoo offers free stock and option trades in an easy-to-use trading platform that charges low margin rates.
• You’ll also receive the Stock-Back debit card that earns up to 1% back in stock every time you use the card (excluding cash withdrawals, money orders, prepaid cards, and P2P payments).

We update our best picks as products change, disappear or emerge in the market. We also regularly review and revise our selections to ensure our best provider lists reflect the most competitive available. They receive a commission after the deal is executed (though, sometimes, they choose to reduce or even eliminate commission fees for certain trading products). For example, robo-advisors are likelier to include low-maintenance investment features like automatic rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and dividend reinvesting.

Plus, its fractional share program allows you to start investing with as little as $1. Additionally, with its recent purchase of TD Ameritrade, Schwab added thinkorswim — a powerful trading platform that is especially useful for analyzing options trades — to its feature set. Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Robinhood, Webull and Interactive Brokers are examples of low-cost trading brokerages. The right brokerage for you will depend on several factors, including your investment type and the important features. If you’re interested in futures trading, TradeStation offers a dedicated platform. There’s also a blog with market research and insights, as well as a resource library to help you sharpen your trading skills.

Can you transfer stocks between brokers?

Michael is a full-time senior editor of investing and trading products for Investopedia. He has 20+ years of mutual fund, macro market research, institutional trading desk, and trading education experience. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and is a chartered member and subject matter expert (SME) for the industry-leading Chartered Market Technicians (CMT) Association.

Best Brokers – July 2025

Public’s commission-free stock, ETF and options trades and high-yield accounts means you can focus on growing your investments, not paying unnecessary fees. Alongside no-fee commission trading on a beginner-friendly interface, SoFi members benefit from a robo-advisor and a suite of financial services, allowing them to invest, bank and borrow all within a single, integrated platform. This combination of features makes SoFi an attractive option for those seeking simplicity and comprehensive financial management.

• The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).
• Bankrate follows a stricteditorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate.
• Customer service is a priority at Charles Schwab, which is why we named it the best online brokerage for customer service.
• Interactive Brokers definitely lives up to its name, catering to investors of all experience levels with a broad range of investment options, trading tools and versatile trading platforms.
• Yes, having multiple best brokerage accounts can help you segment goals, like retirement and active trading.

Best trading platform for beginners – Charles Schwab

Firms like Wealthfront and Betterment are regulated and use encryption and SIPC protection. Switching to a new broker is quick and easy, and in most cases, the entire process can be handled online. More than 50 years of combined experience writing about finance and investing.

Online brokers have democratized access to financial markets, enabling individuals of all backgrounds to participate in trading and investment activities with greater ease and flexibility. The methodology for evaluating brokerage accounts for this article is based on trading fees, account minimums, investment choices available and ease of use. Brokerage accounts were selected based on requiring no account minimum, charging minimal trading fees, including for options, and offering investment options, including at least stocks, ETFs and options.

Users can open Individual and Joint Brokerage Accounts, Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs, Trust Accounts, Custodial Accounts, and Crypto Accounts. Public offers a High-Yield Cash Account that allows you to earn a competitive rate of interest on your uninvested cash. They also offer bond investing accounts, which most other investing apps do not offer.

Some customers also find it difficult to withdraw funds and report that customer-service resolution can take weeks. IBKR has one of the widest selections of investment offerings on our list, letting you trade stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, options, futures, crypto and more. IBKR also has some of the lowest margin rates you’ll find on the market. Here are the brokers with the best low-fee accounts — none of these brokers charge commissions, and all charge options contract fees of $.50 per contract or less. (In fact, many don’t charge an options contract fee at all.) These discount brokers will help you keep transaction costs down without hindering your ability to trade stocks, exchange-traded funds or options.

We use product data, strategic methodologies, and expert insights to inform our content and guide you in making the best decisions for you. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website.

Our team of writers, who have decades of experience writing about personal finance, including investing and retirement, are here to help you find out what you must know about life’s biggest financial decisions. BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager, best known for its iShares ETF range. Though not a retail-first platform, its funds are used by advisors and DIY investors globally. The best firms offer more than just a place to park your money; they provide tools, advice, and tailored options to help you meet your financial goals.