The best investment app is the one that fits how you want to invest. Three questions sort the options: whether you want to pick your own investments or have a portfolio built for you, how much you can start with, and whether you pay a monthly fee, a percentage or nothing at all.
Top picks
Robinhood
Fundrise
Webull
BettermentDetails verified on each provider’s own site at this update. Terms apply.
Compare the best investment apps
| App | Minimum to start | Fees | What you invest in | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| For first-time investors | ||||
| Robinhood | $1 | $0 commissions | Stocks, ETFs, options | Get started |
 SoFi Invest | $5 | $0 commissions | Stocks, ETFs, options, robo | Get started |
 Fidelity | $1 | $0 commissions | Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds | See Fidelity |
| For automatic investing | ||||
| Betterment | $0 | $5 a month or 0.25% a year | Managed portfolios | Get started |
 Acorns | $5 | $4 to $12 a month | Managed portfolios | Get started |
 Wealthfront | $500 | 0.25% a year | Index fund portfolios | See Wealthfront |
| For stock and ETF trading | ||||
| Webull | $1 | $0 commissions | Stocks, ETFs, options, crypto | Get started |
 moomoo | None listed | $0 commissions | Stocks, ETFs, options | Get started |
 J.P. Morgan | $5 | $0 commissions | Stocks, ETFs, options, funds | Get started |
 TradeUP | None listed | $0 commissions | Stocks, ETFs, options | Get started |
| For real estate and alternatives | ||||
| Fundrise | $10 | 0.15% + 0.85% a year | Private real estate funds | Get started |
 eToro | $10 | 1% on crypto, $0 on stocks | Crypto, stocks, ETFs | Get started |
 Arrived | $100 | 0.1% to 0.3% a quarter | Shares of rental homes | Get started |
Best investment apps for first-time investors
Simple apps with no account minimum, where a few dollars buys a slice of a stock or a fund.
1. Robinhood
Best for first-time investorsWhy we picked it You can buy a slice of most stocks and ETFs for $1, with no commission and no fee to open or keep the account. Robinhood also adds a 1% match to what you put into its IRA, with no subscription required.
- Fractional shares from $1
- 1% match on IRA contributions
- 3% IRA match needs Gold, $5 a month
- Matched IRA money must stay 5 years
Brokerage services are offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, member SIPC. Robinhood’s invite page gives new customers $5 to $200 in stock once they link a bank account; it says 1 in 100 get $20 and 1 in 1,000 get $200. Regulatory fees apply when you sell. Terms apply.
2. SoFi Invest
Best for stocks plus a roboWhy we picked it SoFi lets you trade stocks and ETFs with no commission, buy fractional shares from $5 and hand part of your money to a robo portfolio for 0.25% a year. Through 10/18/26, new Active Invest accounts funded with $50 or more get a stock award.
- Fractional shares from $5
- Traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs
- Robo portfolios cost 0.25% a year
- The top stock award is very unlikely
Active Investing is offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Robo investing is offered through SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. SoFi’s offer of up to $3,000 in stock ends 10/18/26. SoFi puts the probability of receiving $3,000 at 0.028%, and only your first brokerage account qualifies. Terms apply.
3. Fidelity
Best full-service broker for beginnersWhy we picked it Fidelity has no account minimum, no account fee, $0 online stock and ETF trades and fractional shares from $1. It also sells four Fidelity ZERO index funds, which carry a zero expense ratio.
- No account minimum or account fee
- Four zero expense ratio index funds
- Options cost $0.65 a contract
- Robo service is 0.35% from $25,000
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC. Zero account minimums and zero account fees apply to retail brokerage accounts only. Fidelity Go, its robo service, charges $0 under $25,000 and 0.35% a year at $25,000 and above.
Best apps for automatic investing
These build a portfolio for you and keep adding to it on a schedule.
4. Betterment
Best for automatic investingWhy we picked it Betterment builds a diversified portfolio, then handles the trading, rebalancing and reinvesting for you. Set up $200 or more in monthly deposits and the price drops from $5 a month to 0.25% a year.
- Rebalancing and reinvesting done for you
- Traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs
- $5 a month is steep on a small balance
- $75 to transfer an account out
Advisory services are provided by Betterment LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Brokerage services are provided by Betterment Securities, member FINRA/SIPC. Betterment’s current offer pays $100 when you deposit or roll over at least $1,000 within 45 days of enrolling, and up to $2,000 for larger deposits. Funds in your portfolio charge their own fees. Terms apply.
5. Acorns
Best for investing spare changeWhy we picked it Acorns rounds up your card purchases and invests the spare change, and you can add a recurring investment from $5. It is a subscription, so you pay the same whether you have $50 or $50,000 invested.
- Round-Ups invest your spare change
- $20 bonus for a recurring investment
- $4 a month is $48 a year on any balance
- IRA match starts at Silver, $8 a month
Advisory services are offered by Acorns Advisers, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Brokerage services are provided by Acorns Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. The $20 bonus requires an account opened through Acorns’ offer page and a first successful Recurring Investment of at least $5. Acorns says the bonus arrives within 10 days of the following month. Terms apply.
6. Wealthfront
Best low-fee robo-advisorWhy we picked it Wealthfront charges one fee, 0.25% a year, to build and manage a globally diversified portfolio of low-cost index funds. There is no monthly charge, so the cost stays small on a small balance.
- One 0.25% fee, no monthly charge
- Stock account from $1, no commissions
- $500 to open the automated account
- Highest minimum of the three here
Advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Brokerage products are provided by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. The 0.25% advisory fee applies to the Automated Investing Account. The Stock Investing Account has no commissions and starts at $1. Fund expenses are extra.
Best apps for stock and ETF trading
For people who pick their own investments and want $0 commissions and stronger tools.
7. Webull
Best for stock and ETF tradingWhy we picked it Webull charges no commission on stocks, ETFs or options listed on U.S. exchanges and adds real-time data, charting tools and paper trading to practice with. New accounts opened through its invite page get 12 free fractional shares after a first deposit of $100 or more.
- No commission on stocks, ETFs, options
- Paper trading to practice first
- $75 to transfer stock out
- $0.50 a contract on some index options
Webull Financial LLC, member SIPC and FINRA. The 12 free fractional shares require an initial deposit of $100 or more and are claimed in My Rewards; joint, IRA and some other account types are excluded. Regulatory and exchange fees may apply. Terms apply.
8. moomoo
Best for free advanced toolsWhy we picked it moomoo pairs $0 commissions on U.S. stocks, ETFs and equity options with tools many free apps leave out, including free real-time Level 2 quotes and more than 100 technical indicators.
- Free real-time Level 2 quotes
- 100+ technical indicators
- $0.50 a contract on index options
- $0 platform fee is listed as a promotion
Investment products and services are offered through Moomoo Financial Inc., Member SIPC/FINRA. $0 commission trading is available only to U.S. residents trading in the U.S. markets through Moomoo Financial Inc. moomoo’s welcome offer changes, so read its terms before you deposit. Options trading is risky and not for everyone.
9. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
Best for Chase customersWhy we picked it If you bank with Chase, your investments sit in the same app as your checking account, with instant transfers between them. Through 1/21/2027, new accounts funded with $5,000 or more in new money earn a cash bonus of $50 to $1,000.
- Lives inside the Chase Mobile app
- Traditional and Roth IRAs
- Bonus starts at $5,000 in new money
- $1,000 bonus takes $250,000 or more
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, member FINRA and SIPC. Bonus tiers: $50 for $5,000 to $24,999, $150 for $25,000 to $99,999, $325 for $100,000 to $249,999 and $1,000 for $250,000 or more in qualifying new money. You must open the account from the offer page. Investments are not FDIC insured and may lose value.
10. TradeUP
Best for $0 options contractsWhy we picked it TradeUP charges no commission and no contract fee on equity options, a trade that costs $0.65 a contract at Fidelity. New users earn Nvidia shares for deposits of $2,000 or more.
- $0 contract fee on equity options
- Free Level 2 quotes
- 0.1% interest on most idle cash
- $75 to transfer your account out
TradeUP Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Zero commission and contract fees apply to self-directed individual accounts of U.S. tax residents, for securities traded on U.S. exchanges. Regulatory fees apply. Share rewards run from 1 share for $2,000 to 50 shares for $1,000,000 in cumulative deposits. TradeUP calls it a limited-time offer for new users and prints no end date. Terms apply.
Best apps for real estate and alternatives
These go beyond stocks and funds. The real estate apps are slow to cash out, so use money you can leave alone for years.
11. Fundrise
Best for real estateWhy we picked it Fundrise puts you into funds that own rental housing and industrial property, starting at $10. The trade-off is access to your money: it reviews withdrawal requests once a quarter, so invest only what you can leave alone for years.
- Start with $10
- Open to non-accredited investors
- Withdrawals are reviewed once a quarter
- Early exit from some funds has a penalty
Fundrise charges a 0.15% annual advisory fee, and its real estate funds charge a 0.85% annual management fee. Together that is $10 a year for every $1,000 invested. Liquidation requests for most funds are reviewed quarterly and are subject to limitations. eREIT shares held less than five years may be subject to a penalty. These are private funds. They are not bank deposits, are not FDIC insured and can lose value.
12. eToro
Best for adding cryptoWhy we picked it eToro lets you hold crypto next to stocks and ETFs and follow what other investors are buying. New users get $10 of free crypto after a first deposit.
- $10 of free crypto on first deposit
- $0 commission on stocks
- 1% fee each time you trade crypto
- $30 minimum withdrawal
Copying another investor is not a guarantee of similar results. Cryptocurrency is offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) NMLS 1769299 and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk. Securities trading is offered by eToro USA Securities Inc., member of FINRA and SIPC. Residents of NY, NV, HI, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are eligible for cash only. Terms apply.
13. Arrived
Best for rental home incomeWhy we picked it Arrived sells shares of individual rental homes, so you choose the house and collect your part of the rent as a monthly dividend once it is leased. Plan to hold for years: Arrived estimates 5 to 7 years for long-term rentals.
- Dividends are paid monthly
- You choose the homes
- Expect to hold for 5 to 7 years
- Six months before you can sell at all
Arrived asks new investors to confirm they are a U.S. citizen or green card holder. Its asset management fee runs 0.1% to 0.3% of your investment per quarter depending on the product. After a six-month minimum hold you may list shares on Arrived’s secondary market or request a fund redemption, but Arrived says liquidity is not guaranteed. Alternative investments are speculative and illiquid, and you may lose some or all of the money you invest.
How to choose an investment app
Start with how hands-on you want to be. A brokerage app such as Robinhood, Fidelity or Webull lets you pick your own stocks and funds. A robo-advisor such as Betterment or Wealthfront asks a few questions, builds a portfolio and manages it for you. Neither is better. One takes more of your attention, and the other costs a little more.
Then look at what you can start with. Most apps on this page have no account minimum, and several sell slices of a share for $1 to $5, so the price of one share does not matter. If that is how you plan to invest, compare the brokers that sell fractional shares.
Last, match the money to the timeline. Stocks and funds can fall in any given year, and real estate apps can take months to pay you out. Cash you will need within a year or two belongs in short-term investments, not here. If you are just getting going, our guide to investing in your 20s shows where a first account fits.
What investment apps really cost
A $0 commission does not make an app free. The fee that matters is the one you pay every month or every year, and a flat monthly fee hits a small balance hardest.
| How the app charges | Example from this page | Cost a year on $1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing to trade | Robinhood, Fidelity and Webull charge $0 commission on stocks and ETFs | $0 |
| A percentage of your balance | Wealthfront and SoFi’s robo portfolios charge 0.25% a year | $2.50 |
| A flat monthly fee | Acorns Bronze is $4 a month. Betterment is $5 a month until you set up $200 in monthly deposits | $48 to $60 |
| Fees on private funds | Fundrise charges 0.15% plus 0.85% a year on its real estate funds | $10 |
On a $1,000 balance, $4 a month works out to 4.8% of your money each year. The same fee on $10,000 is under half a percent. If you are starting small, pick an app that charges nothing or a percentage, and pay for a subscription only if you will use what it adds. Private real estate is its own case, and our Fundrise review walks through how those fees and withdrawals work.
Before you put money in an investment app
Four things worth knowing first.
If a SIPC member brokerage fails, SIPC protects up to $500,000 of your securities and cash, including a $250,000 limit for cash. It does not protect against a decline in the value of what you own.
FDIC insurance is for bank deposits. The FDIC lists stocks, bonds, mutual funds and crypto assets among the products it does not insure.
Shares in private real estate do not trade on an exchange. Expect withdrawal requests to be reviewed on a schedule, such as once a quarter, or a minimum hold before you can sell at all. Use money you will not need for years.
Every app on this page can lose you money. A sign-up bonus is a one-time extra, so choose on fees and fit first. Crypto held at eToro is not FDIC or SIPC insured.
How we chose these
The minimum to start, every recurring fee, what you can invest in and how easily you can get your money back out.
Every figure was read on the provider’s own pricing page, help center or offer page at this update.
Apps that have shut down or changed hands, and any app whose current terms we could not confirm on its own site.
Investment app FAQs
Robinhood is our pick for a first account. It has no fee to open, sells fractional shares from $1 and adds a 1% match to IRA contributions. SoFi Invest is close behind, with fractional shares from $5 and a robo option in the same app. If you would rather not pick investments at all, Betterment builds and manages a portfolio for you.
For buying stocks and ETFs, Robinhood, Fidelity, Webull and moomoo all charge $0 commission. For a managed portfolio, Wealthfront charges 0.25% a year, and Betterment charges the same once you set up $200 or more in monthly deposits or reach $24,000. Subscription apps cost the most on a small balance: Acorns starts at $4 a month.
As little as $1. Robinhood, Fidelity and Webull sell fractional shares from $1, and SoFi Invest sells them from $5. Fundrise starts at $10 for private real estate funds. Wealthfront’s automated account needs $500.
Robinhood, SoFi, Fidelity, Webull, moomoo, J.P. Morgan and TradeUP all state that their brokerage is a SIPC member. SIPC protects up to $500,000 of securities and cash, including a $250,000 limit for cash, if a member firm fails. It does not cover a drop in the value of your investments, and FDIC insurance does not apply to stocks, funds or crypto.
Yes. Stocks, funds, real estate and crypto can all fall in value, and no app guarantees a return. Spreading your money across many investments, as an index fund or a robo portfolio does, limits the damage any single one can do. It does not remove the risk.
A brokerage app lets you choose and trade your own stocks and funds. A robo-advisor chooses for you: it builds a diversified portfolio from your answers to a few questions and manages it for a fee, such as the 0.25% a year Wealthfront charges. SoFi Invest and Fidelity offer both.
Yes. Nothing stops you from opening accounts at several apps. Many people keep stocks and index funds in one and use a second for something it does not offer, such as real estate. Track the fees on each, because monthly subscriptions add up.
