8 Best Brokers for Trading Fractional Shares of December 2024
Fractional share investing allows you to purchase small slices of a stock, rather than a full share. These brokers let investors buy fractional shares with no commission.
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Why trust NerdWallet
A few years ago, if you wanted to invest in a stock, you needed to pony up enough money to buy a full share. And with some popular stocks trading in the triple digits or more, that left some would-be stock investors on the sidelines.
Brokers that offer fractional shares are the solution to that problem: They allow investors to purchase a small slice of a stock, rather than a full share. What that means is that through an account with the brokers below, you could invest $10 into a stock that's currently trading for $100 a share. Then, you would own a small piece of a share, rather than the full thing.
All of the brokers below allow you to invest in fractional shares with no trade commission, which means your entire investment goes into the stock you choose.
Why trust NerdWallet
A few years ago, if you wanted to invest in a stock, you needed to pony up enough money to buy a full share. And with some popular stocks trading in the triple digits or more, that left some would-be stock investors on the sidelines.
Brokers that offer fractional shares are the solution to that problem: They allow investors to purchase a small slice of a stock, rather than a full share. What that means is that through an account with the brokers below, you could invest $10 into a stock that's currently trading for $100 a share. Then, you would own a small piece of a share, rather than the full thing.
All of the brokers below allow you to invest in fractional shares with no trade commission, which means your entire investment goes into the stock you choose.
Best Brokers for Trading Fractional Shares
| Broker | NerdWallet rating | Fees | Account minimum | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Robinhood Learn more on Robinhood's website | $0 per trade | $0 | 1 Free Stock after linking your bank account (stock value range $5.00-$200) | Learn more on Robinhood's website | |
 Public Learn more on Public's website | $0 | $0 | Earn up to $10,000 when you transfer your investment portfolio to Public. | Learn more on Public's website | |
 Interactive Brokers IBKR Lite Learn more on Interactive Brokers' website | $0 per trade | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Learn more on Interactive Brokers' website | |
 J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Learn more on J.P. Morgan's website | $0 per trade | $0 | Get up to $700 when you open and fund a J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account with qualifying new money. | Learn more on J.P. Morgan's website | |
 Firstrade | $0 per trade | $0 | Up to $200 in Transfer Fee Rebates | Read review |
$0
per trade
$0
1 Free Stock
after linking your bank account (stock value range $5.00-$200)
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Streamlined interface.
Cryptocurrency trading.
IRA with 1% match (3% for Gold members).
High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
No mutual funds.
Little third-party research.
Why We Like It
Robinhood provides free stock, options, ETF and cryptocurrency trades (but no bonds or mutual funds), and its account minimum is $0, too. Robinhood Gold offers a high interest rate on uninvested cash and low margin rates.
$0
$0
Earn up to $10,000
when you transfer your investment portfolio to Public.
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Rebates for trading options.
Impressive selection of alternative assets.
Easy-to-use signup and trading interface.
High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
No mutual funds.
Lack of tools (e.g. customizable investment screeners).
No IRA accounts.
Why We Like It
Public provides free stock and ETF trades, pays you to trade options, and gives traders access to crypto, alternative assets and bonds, as well as a high-yield savings account. The platform will appeal to traders looking for a low-cost options broker and access to many types of assets.
Best Online Broker for Advanced Traders 2024
$0
per trade
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Large investment selection.
Strong research and tools.
Huge selection of no-transaction-fee mutual funds.
High order execution quality.
Cons
High minimum to earn interest on uninvested cash.
Website can be difficult to navigate.
Why We Like It
Don't let the name fool you: IBKR Lite offers commission-free stock trading (including international trade capabilities), more than 19,000 mutual funds, and a well-featured platform.
$0
per trade
$0
Get up to $700
when you open and fund a J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account with qualifying new money.
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Easy-to-use platform.
App connects all Chase accounts.
In-person customer support at Chase branches.
Cons
Bare-bones trading platform isn't for advanced traders.
Low interest rate on uninvested cash.
Why We Like It
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is a clear-cut investment platform that is great for beginners looking to learn how to buy and sell investments. More advanced investors, however, may find it lacking in terms of available assets, tools and research. INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE
$0
per trade
$0
Up to $200
in Transfer Fee Rebates
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
$0 contract fee on options trades.
All mutual funds are commission-free.
Chinese language options.
Cons
No forex, futures or crypto trading.
Low interest rate on uninvested cash.
Why We Like It
In addition to free stock and options trading, Firstrade charges no commission for mutual funds, a deal no other broker matches. Options traders will appreciate that the broker charges no contract fee, also a rarity among brokers.
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Large selection of research providers.
Strong customer service.
Expense-ratio-free index funds.
Highly rated mobile app.
High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Why We Like It
Fidelity is one of the largest and most well-established brokerages, and it shows. Fidelity charges no trading commissions, offers an extensive set of no-fee, no-minimum index funds. It also stands out for its top-notch research tools, a renowned trading platform and very strong customer service.
$0
$0
N/A
Pros
Powerful trading platform.
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Low options contract fees.
Strong mobile trading app.
Cons
Limited external research providers.
Low interest rate on uninvested cash.
Advanced platform not suitable for beginners.
Want to compare more options? Here are our other top picks:
Fractional shares of ETFs
The above brokers offer fractional shares of individual stocks. But if you're looking for fractional shares of exchange-traded funds, you might also consider two more options.
Vanguard
Vanguard offers fractional share purchases of Vanguard ETFs only, which is why it didn't make our list. However, Vanguard's ETFs are popular choices among investors, and if you want to purchase fractional shares of them, the broker is worth a look.
» MORE: Read our Vanguard review
Stash
Stash offers fractional shares of individual stocks and ETFs. However, the company charges a monthly subscription fee, which is why it didn't make our list above. But the subscription has other benefits, including a banking account and a Stock-Back® Card that pays out stocks as rewards when you shop. It may be worth a look for investors seeking fractional share access alongside those other features.
» MORE: Read our Stash review
Last updated on December 3, 2024
Methodology
NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks the largest U.S. brokerage firms by assets under management, along with emerging industry players. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgements on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 20 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).
For more details about the categories considered when rating brokers and our process, read our full methodology.
To recap our selections...
