11 Best Zero-Commission Brokers of July 2025

Once you open an account, all it takes to get started is enough money to cover the cost of a single share of a stock, or, if your brokerage firm offers them, a fractional share. Read our article on how to buy stocks for step-by-step instructions on placing that first trade. SoFi Active Investing’s $0 trading commission, fractional shares and $0 account minimum are attractive to new investors. More advanced investors will appreciate the company’s wide mutual fund selection and IPO access.

How hard is day trading?

You can also invest in corporate bonds and Treasury Bills — a rare feature for brokerages that aren’t 20+ years old — and earn 4.6% interest with a high-yield cash account. If you’re new to investing, Public likely has everything you need in an extremely clean and easy-to-use platform — both web and mobile app. EToro is best for investors who want to learn from other investors and develop their own trading ideas based on high-performing traders’ strategies. EToro calls itself the “world’s first social investing platform,” and we appreciate its features that let you interact with and benefit from other traders’ knowledge. IBKR is best for advanced traders who will benefit from complex tools and sophisticated portfolio analysis. We also appreciate the suite of educational materials you can find at IBKR Campus.

Trade

• Visit vanguard.com to obtain a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus, for Vanguard and non-Vanguard funds offered through Vanguard Brokerage Services.
• For example, a margin account through Vanguard requires a $2,000 minimum requirement.
• Though the best online brokers charge low fees, you’ll likely be responsible for covering certain costs as you invest.
• If you want to trade stocks, you’ll need a brokerage account to do it.

Motley Fool Money is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters. If your broker only offers full shares, you’ll need enough deposited to buy your desired stock at full price. Whether you’re just starting your investment journey or looking to optimize your portfolio, choosing the right investment company is key. Since 2009, we’ve helped over 20 million visitors research, compare, and choose an online broker. Our writers have collectively placed thousands of trades over their careers.

Instead, you only pay regular income taxes on withdrawals from the IRA. This huge advantage helps your retirement funds grow much faster over time. While it is harder to access money in an IRA before retirement age, it’s still possible. It can be better to put money in now and potentially have to pay penalties later than never putting money in your retirement accounts to begin with. Having the initial mental barrier to accessing money in an IRA can also help you reassess financial emergencies and prioritize budgeting for them when possible. The biggest benefit of an IRA is getting a tax advantage and long-term investment growth, especially when you invest your IRA in the stock market.

In a brokerage account, the capital gains you realize when you sell at a profit and dividends earned by your investments are taxable based on your current income levels. Hands-on investors thrive when they have ample learning resources close at hand. TD Ameritrade really delivers on this front, offering in-person workshops, immersive curriculums and a variety of articles, videos and webcasts. The company has 170 branch offices throughout the country where you can speak with a consultant and discuss retirement planning. How much money an individual can make day trading depends on a number of factors, including one’s trading strategy, ability to manage risk as well as commissions and fees. When stock, bond and ETF commissions are zero, that suggests that an online brokerage is being paid third-party commissions to route order flow to specific middlemen.

• Betterment also offers several alternative portfolios, designed for strategies like income or socially responsible investing (SRI).
• Additionally, you will want to clearly define your trading strategy and risk management practices before you start.
• You’ll also benefit from extended trading hours, 24/7 phone support and access to branches that offer in-person customer service.
• This process is usually initiated by filling out an account transfer form with the new broker with relevant details about your existing brokerage account.

SoFi Active Investing

We collected data on app capabilities for more than 20 common tasks to learn which ones allow you to do the most on the go. Officials at each participating brokerage answered dozens of questions in seven categories. The scores awarded in each category depend on information provided to us by the brokerages, vetted to the best of our abilities. To calculate our final score, we weighted the categories based on what we heard from the brokers about what their customers want and what we believe the majority of our readers value most.

Why IBKR Lite Is A Top Choice

You’ll have access to a personal brokerage account, a retirement account, and Smart Portfolio—a robo-advisor that builds a diversified portfolio based on your risk profile. You’ll also receive the Stock-Back debit card that earns up to 1% back in stock every time you use the card (excluding cash withdrawals, money orders, prepaid cards, and P2P payments). Many investors choose to open accounts with different best brokerage accounts brokers to access unique tools, optimize fees, or separate investment strategies.

SIPC insurance does not protect investors from a poor-performing investment portfolio. If the assets in your account drop in price or value, there’s no insurance to cover that risk. Other investable securities include over 4000 stocks and ETFs in five different kid account options and one adult account. Cryptocurrencies are also available, but only investors who understand the risks involved should invest in high-risk securities like crypto.

When it comes to what you can invest in, you have plenty to choose from, including fractional or whole shares in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, crypto and options. Charles Schwab is a top pick for this list because of its wide-access to equity investments, accessible 24/7 customer support and research tools. Schwab scored 5/5 in ease of use for a consistent app and desktop experience, feature-rich mobile app, customer support and variety of educational resources including guides, podcasts and webinars. The most highly rated brokers have a full range of investment offerings, low fees, a robust trading platform, a well-rounded collection of research tools, and excellent customer support.

Neither Atomic Invest nor Atomic Brokerage, nor any of their affiliates is a bank. Investments in securities are Not FDIC insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, and May Lose Value. Before investing, consider your investment objectives and the fees and expenses charged. Custodial and clearing services used by Atomic Brokerage can be found on its BrokerCheck report.

Methodology: How We Score Our Products

We also gave points to firms that do not accept any payment for order flow (commissions from market makers). That gave a boost to Fidelity, J.P. Morgan, Merrill Edge and WellsTrade. One way brokerages vie for your allegiance is with intuitive tools to help you come up with investing ideas and manage your money better. We awarded points to brokerages that have extensive screening tools and a selection of calculators to help you, say, analyze your risk tolerance or your budget.

Best for International Trading

Some brokerages encourage newbies with lots of educational materials and the ability to buy fractions of expensive stocks. And some cater to day traders by providing sophisticated tools to analyze and trade derivative investments such as options. Some online brokerages provide almost no human assistance, while others will assign you dedicated advisers – for a hefty annual fee. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers individuals the ability to invest directly in stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and options.

Suppose you prefer a passive investment style for your retirement portfolio. In that case, the broker’s robo-advisor, Fidelity Go, is one of the best robo-advisors for budget investors to access low-cost investment strategies and Fidelity’s unique zero-expense ratio Fidelity Flex mutual funds. Fidelity Go also offers unlimited one-on-one coaching calls for investors with account balances of $25,000 or more. For a minimum of $250, you can further diversify your portfolio with access to over 40 themed investment funds containing up to 25 stocks, such as AI, dining out, healthcare, and the blockchain. Other noteworthy features include Schwab’s suite of wealth management tools, educational resources, extended trading hours, and fractional share investing called Schwab Stock Slices ($5 to start investing). An online brokerage account from a top investment firm is your gateway to investing in the stock market.

Fidelity was launched in 1946 and has long been one of the largest and most-trusted brokerages in the world. There are over 50 million investors with accounts at Fidelity and over $14 trillion invested on the platform. “New” brokers have better technology, simpler offerings, lower costs, and are overall more user-friendly for new investors. The SIPC covers your funds, up to $500,000, in the unlikely event the brokerage fails. This insurance doesn’t cover any funds you may lose due to market shifts or personal investment decisions.