10 Best Investing Apps of 2026

Fidelity is the strongest all-round choice for someone opening a first investing account. It charges $0 commissions for online US stock, ETF and option trades, asks for no minimum to open, and lets you buy fractional shares of US stocks and ETFs from $1 by entering a dollar amount. That combination means a beginner can put $50 a month into a broad ETF without waiting to afford a whole share, and recurring investments can do it automatically. The same account holds Fidelity mutual funds at $0 to buy, bonds, CDs and Treasuries, so there is little reason to move later. Costs are not zero everywhere: options carry a $0.65 per contract fee, a limited list of ETFs is subject to a $100 transaction-based service fee, and sell orders pay a small regulatory assessment. Fidelity publishes these details openly, but its fee schedule is long. For most new investors who plan to buy and hold, it is the account to beat.

Charles Schwab is a close second to Fidelity and the better pick if you value human help. Online trades in listed stocks and ETFs cost $0, there are no account or trade minimums, and Schwab says you can buy fractional shares of more than 7,000 US-listed stocks and ETFs for as little as $1. Schwab offers professional answers 24/7 and has local branches where you can apply in person, which few low-cost apps can match. Schwab also offers a satisfaction guarantee alongside its pricing. The extra costs sit at the edges: a trade placed through a broker adds a $25 service charge, automated phone orders add $5, US over-the-counter stocks cost $6.95 online, and options carry $0.65 per contract. A beginner buying listed ETFs online will rarely meet those charges. If you want the reassurance of calling someone or walking into an office while still paying nothing to trade, Schwab is the one to open.

Robinhood is the easiest app on this list to pick up. Its fee schedule says commission-free trading means $0 commissions for self-directed accounts trading US-listed securities, including ETFs, and its help pages show real-time fractional share orders from $1. Recurring investments and dividend reinvestment are built in, so a beginner can automate a small monthly ETF purchase. The optional Robinhood Gold plan costs $5 a month after a free first 30 days. Gold pays 3.6% APY on eligible brokerage cash with no cap and no minimum, and adds a 3% boost on annual IRA contributions, worth up to $225 based on the 2026 limit. Read the terms on that match: you must stay subscribed for a year and keep the assets in the IRA for five years to keep the full 3%. Robinhood is lighter on mutual funds and bonds than Fidelity or Schwab, so it suits people focused on stocks and ETFs.

E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley is a solid middle ground between the big full-service brokers and the trading apps. It charges $0 commissions for online US-listed stock, ETF, mutual fund and options trades, and says there are no account minimums or maintenance fees. Options cost $0.65 per contract, falling to $0.50 for clients who make at least 30 stock, ETF and options trades a quarter, which matters if you plan to learn options later. New brokerage accounts can earn up to $1,500 with a qualifying deposit by February 28, 2027, using promo code OFFER26, under the offer terms. Morgan Stanley Private Bank also offers a Premium Savings Account at 4.25% APY for 6 months for people who want cash nearby. Some extras cost money: secondary bond trades are $1 per bond with a $10 minimum, and crypto trades cost 0.50%. For a beginner buying ETFs and funds, the core pricing is as low as anyone's.

Public is a polished app that charges $0 commissions on US-listed stocks and ETFs both during regular market hours and in extended hours, from 4:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET, according to its fee schedule. OTC stocks are also $0 and there is no account maintenance fee. Beyond stocks, Public offers bond accounts and T-bills, so a beginner can keep a cash cushion and an ETF portfolio in one place. The optional Public Reserve membership costs $20 per month or $200 per year and waives some fees, such as the Crypto IRA custodial fee. Two details deserve attention. Public charges a $3.99 monthly inactivity fee for accounts with less than $70 in total value and no activity over the last 6 months, so do not open an account and forget it. And Public says fractional shares are illiquid outside Public and not transferable, which means selling them if you ever move brokers. With those caveats, it is an easy, low-cost place to start.

Vanguard is the natural home for beginners who already know they want index ETFs and little else. Its brokerage account charges $0 commissions on online stock and ETF trades, has $0 account minimums, and there is no fee to open. Vanguard ETFs have a $1 investment minimum, and dividends from them can be reinvested into more fractional shares automatically, which makes a simple two or three fund portfolio easy to run. The limits show up when you step outside Vanguard's own funds: minimums for all other ETFs are set at the share price, so you buy whole shares, and Vanguard's mutual funds need $1,000 to $50,000 to start depending on the fund. Recurring investments are available, and brokerage assets including the settlement fund are covered by SIPC up to $500,000 in securities and $250,000 in cash. There are fewer trading tools than in Webull or Robinhood, which many long-term investors will see as a feature rather than a flaw.

Interactive Brokers is a professional-grade broker that has made itself cheap for beginners through IBKR Lite, which provides commission-free trades in US exchange-listed stocks and ETFs for US residents with individual, joint, IRA and certain trust accounts. Its pricing page promises no added spreads, ticket charges, platform fees or account minimums, and cash accounts have no minimum equity. Fractional shares cover more than 10,500 US stocks and ETFs, starting from USD 1, and uninvested cash can earn up to USD 3.38%. Paper trading lets you practice with simulated funds, and IBKR Campus offers education. The tradeoff is ease of use: the platforms and pricing pages are built for active traders, with tiers, order-type exceptions and global markets that a first-time investor does not need. If you are comfortable with a steeper start, few brokers give you more for $0, and you will not outgrow it.

Webull suits beginners who want to learn with more tools in front of them. It does not charge commissions for trading stocks, ETFs and options listed on US exchanges, and it says there are no deposit minimums. Fractional shares start at $1.00 and recurring investments can build a long-term portfolio automatically. Webull offers individual brokerage accounts and IRAs, and its Premium membership adds data such as Nasdaq TotalView and discounts on margin and index options, though the pricing page as fetched did not show its price. Accounts are covered by SIPC up to $500,000, with a $250,000 cash sublimit, and Webull adds excess SIPC coverage through its clearing arrangement. Watch two costs: a $75 fee for each outgoing stock transfer, and a $0.50 per contract fee on certain index options. The app is more detailed than Robinhood or Public, which helps once you know what you are looking at but can feel busy on day one.

Merrill Edge Self-Directed makes the most sense for people who already bank with Bank of America. Its pricing page lists $0 online stock, ETF and option trades with no minimum, no minimum investment for general investing accounts, and options at $0.65 per contract. Because Merrill is part of Bank of America, you can see investments and banking together, and the brokerage account includes web bill pay and unlimited check writing at $0. The pricing page also links to BofA Preferred Rewards, the bank's relationship program. Costs show up when you need help or want to leave: broker-assisted trades are $29.95, a full account transfer out is $49.95 and wires cost $24.95, though partial transfers are $0. We did not find dollar-based fractional share buying for stocks on the pages we checked, so small budgets may stretch further at Fidelity, Schwab or Robinhood. For an existing Bank of America customer buying ETFs, it is a convenient low-cost choice.

SoFi Invest suits people who already use SoFi for banking or loans and want investing in the same app. SoFi Active Investing lets you trade stocks and ETFs with no commissions and take part in some IPOs before they trade on the public market, which is unusual for a beginner app. Fractional shares let you buy a piece of a company from $5, and a robo option builds and manages a diversified portfolio from your risk tolerance and goals. Traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs are available, and members can book an introductory 30-minute session with a SoFi financial planner. New accounts can get up to $1,000 in stock when they fund an Active Invest account with at least $50 within 45 days, but SoFi states the probability of receiving $1,000 is 0.028%, so expect a small amount. The $5 fractional minimum is higher than the $1 at Fidelity, Schwab or Robinhood, and SoFi's fee details are less complete on its main pages.