Fidelity review

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.

Who it is for

Beginners who want one low-cost account to grow with for decades.

Price

$0 online US stock, ETF and option commissions; no minimum to open; options $0.65 per contract.

$0 commissions for online US stock, ETF, and option trades.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 8, 2026.

Key features

• $0 online commissions on US stocks, ETFs and options, plus $0.65 per options contract
• No minimum to open a retail brokerage account
• Fractional shares of US stocks and ETFs from $1
• Recurring investments that buy fractional shares on a schedule
• $0 to buy Fidelity mutual funds

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: No account fees and no minimum to open
• Strength: Dollar-based investing from $1 across US stocks and ETFs
• Strength: Wide choice of funds, bonds and Treasuries in one account
• Weakness: A limited number of ETFs carry a $100 transaction-based service fee
• Weakness: Sell orders carry a small regulatory assessment fee
• Weakness: The full fee schedule is long and spread across PDFs

Key facts

• Stock and ETF commission: $0 online
• Account minimum: None
• Fractional shares: From $1, US stocks and ETFs
• Options: $0.65 per contract
• Fidelity funds: $0 to buy

Where it ranks

Fidelity is No. 1 in our Best Investing Apps verdict.