For most people, start with Fidelity. It costs $0 to open, takes slices of stocks and ETFs from $1, and covers IRAs, a custodial account for a child and index funds under one login.
Want the simplest app for a first $1? Look at Robinhood or Webull. Only want an index fund you never touch? Vanguard does that well too.
All seven brokers charge $0 to trade stocks and ETFs online, so price won’t pick one for you. The things that will: whether it offers the account you need (a Roth IRA, a joint account, one for a child), the smallest amount you can buy, what it costs to leave and whether you can reach a person. Our scores come from those questions.
Quick picks
IRA matches are promotions that can end, so they never change a score. Matched money has to stay in the IRA for 5 years.
Which broker fits you?
Skip the feature lists. Find your situation and start there.
| Your situation | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want one account for everything | Fidelity | IRAs, a custodial account for a child, an HSA and a 529 sit next to the brokerage account, and there’s no minimum to open. |
| You want index funds you can leave alone | Vanguard or Fidelity | Vanguard’s own ETFs start at $1, and its mutual funds cost $0 to buy and sell. Fidelity’s own mutual funds cost $0 to trade too. |
| You are starting with under $100 | Fidelity, Robinhood or Webull | No minimum to open, and you can buy part of a share for $1. |
| You want a match on IRA contributions | Public, SoFi Invest or Robinhood | Each adds 1% to what you put in, with no subscription. Matched money has to stay in the IRA for 5 years, and the terms can change. |
| You want Treasuries or bonds | Fidelity, Public or Webull | All three sell Treasuries and corporate bonds in the same account as their stocks and ETFs. |
| You trade a lot or want pro charting | Webull or moomoo | Both charge $0 commission on stock and ETF options. Webull adds pre-market, after-hours and overnight sessions. It’s more than most people need. |
| You already bank at SoFi | SoFi Invest | Investing, a robo option and IRAs sit under the same login as your bank account. |
Best online brokers and brokerage accounts, compared
All seven charge $0 to trade stocks and ETFs online. Here is where they differ.
FidelityBest for most people who want one account for everything: IRAs, a custodial account for a child and index funds, with $0 to open.
WebullBest for people who like charts and tools: $1 slices, pre-market and overnight sessions, and more platform than most investors need.
RobinhoodBest for a first investment of $1, with a simple app and a 1% IRA match that needs no subscription.
VanguardBest for people who buy index funds and leave them alone, with its own ETFs from $1 and mutual funds that trade for $0.
PublicBest for people who want Treasuries and corporate bonds next to their stocks, plus a 1% IRA match.
SoFi InvestBest for SoFi Bank customers who want investing, a robo option and IRAs under the same login.
Pricing and terms come from each broker’s own site. The scores are ours, and the method is below. The list runs from the highest score to the lowest.
The 7 best online brokers of 2026
They’re listed from the highest score to the lowest, and a tie goes to the broker that costs less. Fidelity scores full marks in every area except costs, where a small low-balance charge costs it a quarter point. It is also the only broker here that is free to leave.
Score breakdown
Why this score 4.8 out of 5. Accounts and retirement and Help and trust both scored full marks. You get IRAs, a joint account and a custodial account for a child, plus a phone line that is open 24/7. Costs held it back a little: a quarterly charge of up to $5 can apply to certain accounts with low uninvested balances.
Who it suits Fidelity suits you if you’d rather pick one firm and stay for decades. A brokerage account, IRAs, a custodial account for a child, an HSA and a 529 all sit under one login, and there’s no minimum to open. You can start with $1, buy Fidelity mutual funds for $0 and call a person any hour of the day.
- $0 to open and $0 to transfer your account out
- IRAs, custodial, HSA and 529 accounts at one firm
- Phone support 24/7, plus Investor Center branches
- Fractional orders only fill during regular market hours
- Options cost $0.65 a contract
- Up to $5 a quarter on certain accounts with a low, uninvested balance
Fine print
Funds from other companies can cost $49.95 to sell within 60 days, and some charge $49.95 to buy. Fidelity’s own mutual funds trade for $0.
Score breakdown
Why this score 4.5 out of 5. Accounts and retirement and Starting small both scored full marks. It has IRAs, joint and custodial accounts, no deposit minimum and fractional shares from $1. Costs held it back: it charges $75 for each stock you transfer out.
Who it suits Webull is more platform than most people need, and that’s the point if you like charts, a screener and extended-hours trading. Select stocks and ETFs trade before the open, after the close and overnight, fractional shares start at $1, and it sells Treasury and corporate bonds. Its IRA match is the biggest here at 3.5%, but you have to pay for Premium to get it.
- No commission on stocks, ETFs or options
- Fractional shares from $1 and no deposit minimum
- IRAs, joint and custodial accounts
- $75 for each stock you transfer out
- The 3.5% IRA match needs Premium at $40 a year
- Index options cost $0.50 a contract
Fine print
Small regulatory and exchange charges still apply. The 1% match on IRA transfers and rollovers for Premium members is for a limited time.
Score breakdown
Why this score 4.0 out of 5. Starting small and Accounts and retirement both scored full marks. You can buy from $1, set up recurring buys and open IRA, joint and custodial accounts. Investment choices held it back: Robinhood doesn’t offer mutual funds or bonds.
Who it suits Robinhood is built for small starts. You can buy part of a share for $1, set up recurring buys and open a Roth or traditional IRA that adds 1% to what you put in. That goes to 3% if you pay $5 a month for Gold. You can’t buy mutual funds or bonds here, so it works best if stocks and ETFs are all you want.
- Fractional shares from $1
- 1% IRA match with no subscription
- Support is available 24/7
- No mutual funds or bonds
- $100 to transfer your account out, and fractional shares are sold when you leave
- The 3% IRA match needs Gold ($5 a month) kept for at least a year
Fine print
Options carry a $0.04 a contract regulatory charge, and index options cost $0.50 ($0.35 with Gold). Matched IRA money has to stay in the account for 5 years, and match rates can change.
Score breakdown
Why this score 4.0 out of 5. Accounts and retirement and Investment choices both scored full marks. It has IRAs, joint and custodial accounts, mutual funds and bonds. Costs held it back: a $25 a year account charge unless you pick e-delivery, and $100 to close an account or transfer it out.
Who it suits Vanguard is for the investor who buys index funds and leaves them alone. Its own ETFs start at $1, and its mutual funds cost $0 to buy and sell, though most need at least $1,000 to start. You can call a person on weekdays. It’s the wrong pick if you want slices of single stocks.
- No minimum to open an account
- Vanguard ETFs from $1, and Vanguard mutual funds cost $0 to trade
- IRAs, joint, custodial and 529 accounts
- $25 a year account charge unless you pick e-delivery
- $100 to close an account or transfer it out
- Dollar-based buys only cover Vanguard ETFs and mutual funds
Fine print
Outside mutual funds with a transaction charge cost $20 a trade, and trades placed through a representative cost $25. Options cost $1 a contract.
Score breakdown
Why this score 3.3 out of 5. Starting small and Account types lifted it: no minimum, recurring Investment Plans, IRAs and a joint account. Costs held it back: $3.99 a month on an idle account under $70, and $100 to transfer out.
Who it suits Public is a fit if you want bonds next to your stocks. It sells Treasuries and corporate bonds in the same account as its $0 stock and ETF trades, and its IRA adds a 1% match with no subscription. You reach support by chat in the app or by email, not by phone.
- $0 stock and ETF trades, extended hours included
- Treasuries and corporate bonds in the same account
- 1% match on IRA contributions
- $3.99 a month if you hold under $70 and go 6 months with no activity
- $100 to transfer your account out, and fractional shares can’t move
- No phone support and no custodial accounts
Fine print
Bond trades cost $0.10 to $0.50 per $100 of par value. Matched IRA money has to stay in for 5 years, and the terms can change.
Score breakdown
Why this score 3.0 out of 5. Account types and Help and trust lifted it: Roth, traditional and SEP IRAs, a joint account, mutual funds and a published fee schedule. Starting small held it back most: you need $5 to begin and fractional buys start at $5.
Who it suits SoFi Invest makes sense if your checking and savings already live at SoFi. You get self-directed trading, recurring buys, a robo option and IRAs under one login, and IRA contributions can come straight from SoFi Bank. It suits tiny starts less well, because you need $5 to begin and fractional buys start at $5.
- Commission-free stocks and ETFs
- Self-directed, robo and IRA accounts in one place
- IRA contributions can come straight from SoFi Bank
- $5 to start investing, and fractional shares from $5, not $1
- $25 for every 6 months you don’t log in
- $100 to transfer out, and fractional shares are sold when you leave
Fine print
Joint accounts are offered for robo investing only, and the robo option costs 0.25% a year. Matched IRA money has to stay in for 5 years, and SoFi can end the match at any time.
Score breakdown
Why this score 2.3 out of 5. Help and trust scored full marks: phone support on weekdays, 200+ courses and a published fee schedule. Accounts and retirement held it back. moomoo offers no IRAs and no joint accounts, and for anyone saving for retirement that is the deciding gap.
Who it suits moomoo is built for people who like to research and screen stocks. The app has 100+ free technical indicators, 38+ drawing tools, a screener, a heat map and 200+ courses, and you can call support on weekdays. The catch is big if you’re saving for retirement: there are no IRAs here at all, and no joint accounts either.
- $0 commission on stocks and ETFs, and no contract charge on stock and ETF options
- 100+ free indicators, a screener, a heat map and 200+ courses
- Phone support on weekdays and an online inquiry form 24/7
- No IRAs and no joint accounts
- Fractional buys start at $5, and fractions are sold if you transfer out
- $75 to $100 to move your account out
Fine print
The $0 platform charge is a promotion that can end with 30 days’ notice. Options still carry small pass-through charges, and index options cost $0.50 a contract.
MoreBest fractional share brokerages
How to choose an online broker
The table at the top gets you to a short list. A few details settle it.
What the money is for. If it’s for retirement, open an IRA first. Every broker here except moomoo offers Roth and traditional IRAs. A regular (taxable) account is for money you may need sooner. Not sure which IRA you need? Here are the types of IRAs.
Plain words. An ETF is a fund you buy like a stock, and many of them track an index such as the S&P 500. A fractional share is a slice of one share, so $1 can buy part of a stock that costs $300. An IRA match is a bonus the broker adds to what you put in.
The smallest buy. Fidelity, Robinhood and Webull let you start at $1. Public, SoFi and moomoo start at $5. Vanguard sells slices of its own ETFs from $1, but a single stock there costs the price of one share.
The paid IRA match. Webull pays 3.5%, but only with Premium at $40 a year, so by our math it beats a free 1% match only once you put in more than $1,600 in a year.
Everything in one place. SoFi puts investing next to its bank accounts. Fidelity adds an HSA, a 529 and a custodial account for a child. Vanguard adds 529s and custodial accounts.
If you trade options. This is where brokers still differ, and it matters less if you buy and hold. Public pays you a rebate, and Webull, SoFi and moomoo add no contract charge of their own. Robinhood passes through $0.04. Fidelity charges $0.65 a contract and Vanguard $1.
One thing a brokerage account doesn’t reach is private real estate. Fundrise builds portfolios of private assets like real estate and private credit. It isn’t a broker, liquidity is quarterly, and like any investment it can lose money.
New to all of this? Read how to start investing first.
What a brokerage account really costs
The trade is free. Here’s where the bucks actually go.
| Cost | Who charges it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving | $0at Fidelity$100at Robinhood, Public, SoFi and Vanguard, to move your account$75 to $100at moomoo$75at Webull, per outgoing stock transfer | Fractional shares usually don’t transfer at all. Public says its fractions aren’t transferable, and Robinhood, SoFi and moomoo say theirs are sold when you move out. A sale can create a tax bill. |
| Sitting idle | $3.99 a monthat Public$25at SoFi, per 6 months | Public bills it only if your account holds less than $70 and has had no activity for 6 months. SoFi bills it for every 6 months you don’t log in. Vanguard has a $25 annual account charge that goes away when you pick electronic delivery, and Fidelity may charge up to $5 a quarter on certain accounts with low uninvested balances. |
| Subscriptions | $5 a monthRobinhood Gold$40 a yearWebull Premium | Both are optional. Gold lifts the IRA match from 1% to 3%, which by our math only comes out ahead of the free match once you contribute more than $3,000 in a year. |
| Options contracts | $0.65 eachat Fidelity$1 eachat Vanguard | It adds up if you trade a lot of them. |
Is my money protected?
Partly, and it helps to know which part.
If a SIPC member brokerage fails, SIPC protects the cash and securities in your account. The limit is $500,000, which includes a $250,000 limit for cash. Robinhood, Public, Webull, SoFi, moomoo and Fidelity each state SIPC membership on their sites, and Vanguard says its accounts are protected by SIPC.
SIPC doesn’t protect against a decline in the value of your securities, and it doesn’t cover losses from bad investment advice. It also doesn’t protect a digital or crypto asset that doesn’t qualify as a security. So if the stock you bought falls 30%, that loss is yours.
How to open a brokerage account
It’s pretty easy, and you do it online.
- Pick the account type: a regular taxable account, or an IRA if this is retirement money.
- Have your Social Security number and a government ID ready, like a driver’s license or passport. The broker will also ask about your job, your finances and what you’re investing for.
- Choose a cash account unless you know you want margin. With cash you pay in full for what you buy. Margin lets you borrow part of the price from the firm.
- Link your bank, move money in and place your first trade. With fractional shares that can be $1 or $5.
How we rate brokers
We rate every broker the same way, using what it publishes on its own site. The score is out of 5 and leans on what matters to regular investors: what it costs you, which accounts you can open, and how easy it is to start small. What you can buy and how much help you get count too. Sign-up bonuses and IRA matches don’t move the score, because they come and go. If a broker doesn’t publish something, we don’t give it credit for it.
See every check
Each area is split into small checks worth a quarter or half a point. Here is what earns each one.
- Costs, up to 1.5 points. $0 commission on online stock and ETF trades earns half a point. No inactivity, annual or low-balance charge earns another half, or a quarter if the charge is easy to avoid or the $0 only lasts through a promotion. Moving your account out for free earns the last half.
- Account types, up to 1 point. Traditional and Roth IRAs earn half a point. A joint account and a custodial account for a child earn a quarter each.
- Starting small, up to 1 point. No minimum to open earns a quarter. Fractional shares of stocks and ETFs from $1 earn half, or a quarter if they start at $5 or only cover the broker’s own funds. Recurring investing earns the last quarter.
- Investment range, up to half a point. Mutual funds and individual bonds or Treasuries earn a quarter each.
- Help and trust, up to 1 point. Phone support, free learning for beginners, SIPC membership and a published fee schedule earn a quarter each. All seven are SIPC members.
If we couldn’t find an answer on a broker’s own site, that check scores zero and the table says so. We round to one decimal, and a tie goes to the broker that costs less.
| Broker | Costs (of 1.5) | Accounts (of 1.0) | Starting small (of 1.0) | Range (of 0.5) | Help and trust (of 1.0) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity | 1.25up to $5 low-balance charge | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 4.8 |
| Webull | 1.0$75 to leave | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 4.5 |
| Robinhood | 1.0$100 to leave | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0no funds or bonds | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| Vanguard | 0.75$25 a year, $100 to leave | 1.0 | 0.75own ETFs and funds only | 0.5 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| Public | 0.75$3.99 idle, $100 to leave | 0.75no custodial account | 0.75fractions from $5 | 0.25no mutual funds | 0.75no phone | 3.3 |
| SoFi Invest | 0.75$25 idle, $100 to leave | 0.75joint account for robo only | 0.5$5 to start, fractions from $5 | 0.25no bonds listed | 0.75no Invest phone line listed | 3.0 |
| moomoo | 0.75promo platform charge, $75 to $100 to leave | 0no IRA or joint account | 0.5fractions from $5, no recurring buys listed | 0no funds or bonds listed | 1.0 | 2.3 |
Sign-up bonuses, IRA matches, options pricing, margin, crypto and how an app feels aren’t scored. We cover them in each card instead. We didn’t open accounts or test the apps.
Online broker FAQs
Fidelity is our top pick. It costs $0 to open, takes slices of stocks and ETFs from $1, offers IRAs and custodial accounts, and answers the phone 24/7. Only want index funds? Vanguard does that well too. If you want the simplest start under $100, look at Robinhood or Webull. Both have no deposit minimum and fractional shares from $1.
Not much. Six of the seven say there’s no minimum to open, and SoFi asks for $5 to start investing. What matters more is the smallest trade you can place. That’s $1 at Webull, Robinhood and Fidelity, and $5 at Public, SoFi Invest and moomoo. Vanguard sells its own ETFs from $1, but a single stock there costs the price of one share.
If the money is for retirement, start with the IRA, because the tax break is worth more than any feature on this page. A regular (taxable) account is for money you may need before then. You can have both. One thing to check first: moomoo doesn’t offer IRAs, while Public, Webull, SoFi Invest, Robinhood, Fidelity and Vanguard all do.
If a SIPC member firm fails, SIPC protects the cash and securities in your account up to $500,000, which includes a $250,000 limit for cash. It doesn’t protect you when your investments drop in value. That risk is yours at every broker, and you can lose money.
Yes. A $0 commission covers the trade, and that’s it. Leaving costs $100 at Robinhood, Public, SoFi and Vanguard, $75 at Webull and $75 to $100 at moomoo. Fidelity charges $0. Public bills $3.99 a month if your account is under $70 and sits idle for 6 months, and SoFi charges $25 for every 6 months you don’t log in. Options can carry a per-contract charge, like $0.65 at Fidelity.
Yes, and plenty of people do. Just know that fractional shares usually can’t move between brokers. Public says its fractional shares aren’t transferable, and Robinhood, SoFi and moomoo say theirs get sold when you transfer out.
Fidelity and Vanguard. Both sell their own mutual funds for $0 to buy and sell, and both take ETFs with no commission online. Vanguard’s own ETFs start at $1, though most of its mutual funds need at least $1,000 to start. Fidelity lets you start with $1 in any eligible stock or ETF. Robinhood doesn’t offer mutual funds.
A slice of one share. Instead of paying $300 for a whole share, you put in $5 and own a small piece of it. Fidelity, Robinhood and Webull start at $1, and Public, SoFi and moomoo start at $5. Vanguard sells slices of its own ETFs and mutual funds only.
Pricing changes, so check the broker’s site before you open an account. Investing involves risk, and you can lose money.
