Best Online Stock Trading Brokers

Our pick for new investors is AmeriTrade. It comes with no commissions, platform fees, or trade minimums, making it a good choice for beginners who want to start out small. A $0.65 per contract fee applies to options trades.

Keep in mind that while online trades don’t carry a fee, trades initiated via the interactive phone system cost $5/trade and broker assisted trades cost $25.

This company offers a wide suite of research tools that aggregate independent data and allow you to customize the reports you view based on your financial goals or to zoom in to one particular category.

There are several platform options with AmeriTrade, including a mobile app available on both Apple and Android. There is also a web-based option (probably the most convenient) and a desktop version for dedicated traders.

AmeriTrade curates a robust library of educational materials and the guided journey will be especially useful for new investors. Its immersive curriculum features short, easy to follow lessons that cover the basics.

AmeriTrade doesn’t currently offer fractional share trading or direct access to cryptocurrency.

Another attractive option for beginners and seasoned traders alike, Charles Schwab offers $0 commissions on online-traded stock and no minimum deposit.

Options trades are charged the $0.65 transaction fee and trades placed through the automated phone system cost $5, and $25 if placed through a human broker.

This brokerage account offers an online dashboard, mobile app, or professional desktop interface.

Charles Schwab also offers access to international stocks, including ADRs, foreign ordinaries, and Canadian stocks.

Charles Schwab is well-known for its customer service, which is provided 24/7 and from licensed, U.S. -based trading pros. New accounts receive a complimentary 1-hour consultation.

The integrated research tools are intuitive enough for beginners but customizable enough for experienced traders.

Charles Schwab also offers fractional shares trading through its “Schwab Slices” program. Fractional shares start at $5, are commission-free, and you can trade up to 30 at a time.

There isn’t a great guided education option on the regular brokerage account, compared to some other brokers. The Charles Schwab Starter Kit, however, offers some educational resources along with $101 complimentary Schwab Stock Slices when you fund your account with at least $50 within the first 30 days.

Another good choice for beginning investors, Fidelity offers $0 commissions and clear fees chart that helps newcomers understand the complex fee schedule of trading.

Good for smaller investors, Fidelity offers access to fractional shares and no minimum investment amount.

Fidelity currently offers an incentive for new brokerage accounts – open a brokerage account AND another Fidelity account (checking, IRA, etc), deposit at least $50, and receive $100.

Most investors will prefer the online trading platform, which also carries fewer fees and integrated research and monitoring tools. A mobile app is also available. Active Trader Pro is a desktop application available to more experienced traders for an additional cost.

A big perk of Fidelity is the free access to research and monitoring tools. Accounts under $25,000 have free access to an AI wealth advisor, while larger-balance accounts can access a team of financial advisors for a small fee.

While customer service is available during business hours, Fidelity does not offer 24/7 assistance.

TastyTrade is a cult favorite thanks to its easy access to crypto and straightforward commission and fees schedule.

Although TastyTrade still charges commission, the fee schedule is easy to understand via its published fee chart.

It features $0 closing fees and a maximum of $10 per leg on stock and EFT options.

Cryptocurrency commissions are limited to $10 and the purchase and sale commission is 1% on each transaction.

TastyTrade offers web-based, desktop, and mobile app trading platforms. Its interface is a perennial favorite with traders for its one-click settings adjustment features that let you quickly project out future profits and make fast trades. It may be more suited to experienced traders than beginners.

The built-in research tools are minimal for TastyTrade, more suited to experienced traders who already have their own knowledge sources. They do let you create custom watchlists to monitor specific investments. A social media-style “follow feed” and trade-floor video streaming lets you keep an eye on experienced traders.

TastyTrade does not provide access to fractional shares, which may be off-putting for some. Additionally, it isn’t as easy to access live, human customer service as it is with some other brokerages we reviewed.

There were no special incentives for opening a new account at this time.

Interactive Brokers offers $0 in trading commissions and management fees calculated as a percentage of your investments. The fee calculator integrated into the client dashboard is a nice feature that makes it easier to calculate total cost to trades.

This brokerage firm offers a series of curated investments organized around “themes,” like low-risk or high-return. Clients can tailor these profiles to reflect their preferences.

Interactive Brokers does require a $100 deposit into your new brokerage account to get started. There are no inactivity fees

It offers three different trading platforms; a web-based client portal, the mobile app IBKR mobile, and desktop Trader Workstation (TWS) for very active traders (with an account upgrade).

The platform offers a number of integrated research and market monitoring tools, and there’s even a special program for students. More options are available with upgraded plans.

Interactive Brokers offers an impressive range of trading options, including international assets, cryptocurrency, and mutual funds.

One downside of Interactive Brokers is the confusing tier system. It can be challenging to determine which options are available to you based on your membership level.