Best Online Brokerage Accounts in 2026
Based on hours of analysis and hands-on testing, here are our picks for the best brokerage accounts based on their low fees, strong platforms, quality customer support and other factors.The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.
Picking a broker is one of the most important decisions you make as an investor. And what's more, it can be overwhelming. There are dozens of firms out there that want you to buy stocks, ETFs and other securities through their platform.
So let's start with the basics. No matter where you are in your journey, you'll want these things: a comprehensive yet user-friendly trading platform, no-commission online stock trading, responsive customer service, free investment research and a wide range of investment options.
Using that as a baseline, we've narrowed the selection down to eight brokers we think excel in an otherwise crowded field because they do all of this and more.
You may recognize some of the names on our list. Fidelity and Charles Schwab, for example, are industry giants for good reason. These established brokers have a history of investor trust and offer low costs and a wide investment selection.
But our reviewers also highlight lesser-known names that excel in other ways. Robinhood, Webull and SoFi are newer arrivals, but each offers something unique. And Public, for example, is, in one reviewer's words, "investing's best-kept secret."
Here's our definitive ranking of the best brokers for 2026:
Best for beginners & best investing app: Fidelity
Best for basic stock trading: Robinhood
Best for educational content: E*TRADE
Best for paper trading: Webull
Best for advisor access: SoFi® Active Investing
Best for options-trading costs: Public
Best for customer service: Charles Schwab
Best for advanced stock trading: Interactive Brokers
Company | NerdWallet rating | Fees | Account minimum | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Best App for Investing | 5.0/5 | $0 per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Learn moreon Fidelity's website |
Learn moreon Fidelity's website | |||||
Learn moreon Fidelity's website | |||||
Best for paper trading | 4.8/5 | $0 per trade | $0 | Get 12 free shares when you open and fund an account with Webull | Learn moreon Webull's website |
Learn moreon Webull's website | |||||
Learn moreon Webull's website | |||||
Best for basic stock trading | 4.5/5 | $0 on trades of stocks, ETFs and their options. Other fees may apply. | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Learn moreon Robinhood's website |
Learn moreon Robinhood's website | |||||
Learn moreon Robinhood's website | |||||
Best for educational content | 4.6/5 | $0 per trade. Other fees apply. | $0 | Get up to $1,500 when you open and fund an E*TRADE brokerage account. Terms apply. | Learn moreon E*TRADE's website |
Learn moreon E*TRADE's website | |||||
Learn moreon E*TRADE's website | |||||
Best for customer service | 4.9/5 | $0 per online equity trade | $0 | Up to $500 when you make a qualifying net deposit | Learn moreon Charles Schwab's website |
Learn moreon Charles Schwab's website | |||||
Learn moreon Charles Schwab's website | |||||
The star ratings below represent each online brokerage's overall score. Our reviewers — full-time investing writers and editors on NerdWallet’s editorial team — spend months researching brokerage accounts and extensively testing each broker's stock trading platforms using real accounts we open and fund to place trades. That way, we’re able to report on every aspect of the user experience, from how long it takes to fund a new brokerage account — and how easy the process is — to what it's like to trade stocks and other investments.
Fidelity: Best broker for beginners and best app for investing
Fidelity routinely tops our list of the best brokers and scores well in every category, but our team found it to be an especially good fit for beginners and mobile-first users.
You may expect a legacy broker like Fidelity to have a lackluster mobile app, but it’s far from it. It’s simple and offers a stress-free user experience — I've never had to fumble around to fund an account or place a trade. The platform is also packed with educational resources. I was particularly impressed with Fidelity’s retirement planning tools, which I found to be much more in-depth than those offered by competitors.
Fidelity also stands out for its low fees; trades are free, and there’s no minimum to open an account. It’s also one of only two brokers that offer index funds with no expense ratios. That’s right — they’re completely free. These funds focus on broad areas of the stock market, which makes them worth a look for beginners just starting to build their portfolios.
While I could go on about all the great features Fidelity offers new investors (e.g., fractional shares, top-tier customer support), I'd be remiss not to mention that it’s not just a platform for beginners. It has a huge selection of investments, offers many different types of accounts, and has an advanced trading platform — all things that make Fidelity a broker that you don’t have to abandon if you gain more investing experience and want more functionality.
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.
Editor's Insight: "Fidelity is my go-to for all things investing. I opened an IRA and a taxable brokerage account with Fidelity because it was a legacy broker I trusted, and I already had a 401(k) through them. There was virtually no learning curve to start investing, and I love being able to manage all of my accounts in one app."
— Bella Avila, Investing Editor
Robinhood: Best for basic stock trading (but we don’t love the gambling features)
There’s a lot to like about Robinhood’s investment offerings. Options trades are free, the UX is clean and easy to use, and it offers one of the best crypto selections of any stock broker we review.
I’ve been a Robinhood Gold user for years, partly because Robinhood kinda invented the streamlined mobile brokerage and partly because it's still pretty good. The high APY on uninvested cash pays for the subscription fee if you have more than $2,000-ish in your account, and the subscription also offers perks like the Robinhood Gold Card.
My two main complaints about Robinhood: Its “instant withdrawals” feature is tempting for convenience, but carries a pretty hefty fee that significantly reduces the net interest you earn on your cash. Second, Robinhood may not be a good choice for someone who’s prone to impulsive decisions and is trying to invest responsibly. Gambling-like products such as sports prediction markets are prominently built into the app. Other high-risk strategies like IPO investing and options trading are also featured prominently and sometimes promoted via push notifications.
At Robinhood, trades of stocks, ETFs and their options are commission free, as are cryptocurrency trades. (Other fees may apply, including on index options.) Robinhood Gold offers a high interest rate on uninvested cash and low margin rates. The company does not offer mutual funds or individual bonds.
Writer's Insight: "I do much of my taxable investing through Robinhood because it's still a standout for its smooth, well-designed mobile investing interface. The high APY on uninvested cash for Robinhood Gold members is a nice perk. If you have a large enough balance, that $60 annual fee doesn't cancel out the interest you earn."
— Sam Taube, Lead Investing Writer
E*TRADE: Best for educational content
Founded in 1982, E*TRADE (then known as TradePlus) helped pioneer computerized trading and eventually grew into one of the more well-known and established investment firms. Today, it stands out among the brokers we review for its quality trading platforms and educational videos and offerings.
The broker hosts a multitude of webinars and daily webcasts that discuss the market. If you’re new to investing and want the extra support, that kind of offering can be enticing. However, our editors tend to think these resources resonate more with intermediate investors.
Beyond its learning support, E*TRADE also offers 13 types of IRAs and two platforms to choose from (accessible online, on mobile and through desktop), which can be helpful as you graduate to different levels of comfort in investing. Most notably, E*TRADE is one of two brokers (Fidelity is the other) with a small selection of no-expense-ratio index funds, meaning the fund charges you nothing for annual operating costs. That’s significant because expense ratios can eat away at your returns over time.
E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley has long been one of the most popular online brokers. The company's $0 commissions and strong trading platforms appeal to active traders, while intermediate investors benefit from a large library of educational resources.
Editor's Insight: "If you already have a handle on basic investing and want to up your game, E*TRADE has some really solid educational content. In addition to webinars, educational videos, and a paper trading platform, the broker hosts live webcasts every week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays where you can tune in to learn about charting, options and more."
— Sabrina Parys, Investing Editor
Webull: Best for paper trading (and really good at a whole lot more)
Webull's paper trading platform lets you practice trading stocks, options and futures with $1 million in play money, which can be a helpful and safe way to learn some of the trickier parts of investing. You'll get all the news feeds, charting, data, analysis and research available in the actual trading environment, but no real money at stake. Not all the brokers we review offer paper trading accounts, and among the ones that do, most only offer stocks and ETFs to try.
When you’re ready to toggle on the real trading interface, you’ll find a platform that’s jam-packed with features (in both good and bad ways). Webull has squeezed an impressively advanced platform into a mobile app. That means a large lineup of assets (stocks, options, crypto, bonds, mutual funds, events and futures), advanced screeners and research, social trading feeds, retirement, cash management and advisory products and more are all wedged into an app that has historically been very clean and sparse. Navigating all the new products can be a little daunting, as good as those products are.
Perhaps that’s why Webull introduced Webull Lite, a simple toggle for a more streamlined screen that’s perfect for basic or beginner stock trading. And by doing this, Webull has maintained its status as an ideal broker for a beginner-to-intermediate trader who wants to grow into more advanced trading.
Webull will appeal to the mobile-first generation of casual investors with its slick interface for desktop and mobile apps. The brokerage also delivers an impressive array of tools for active traders and a wide investment selection, including stocks (plus fractional shares), options, ETFs, crypto, commodities and futures. However, it lacks access to mutual funds outside of its IRA offering.
Editor's Insight: "Webull's paper trading feature is advanced, and that's why I like it. It forces you to pay attention and learn the lingo and flow of submitting various order types for equities and options. Buy-and-hold investing is pretty straightforward, and as long as you start with a small amount, you don't really need to practice with a paper trader. But if you're interested in testing advanced trading strategies, or want to learn options trading (which is much harder when you can only invest a small amount), I'd recommend paper trading first, and Webull's platform offers everything you need to start learning safely. "
— Chris Davis, Managing Editor
SoFi Active Investing: Best for advisor access
SoFi has long held the title of the best broker for advisor access, but we'll admit that title came under question in 2026. Previously, SoFi users had unlimited access to a financial planner for free, as long as they enabled direct deposits into SoFi. However, SoFi discontinued that perk and instead lumped it into the $10/month cost of SoFi Plus Premium. After looking deeper, we concluded that even with the $10/month requirement, we love SoFi's unlimited access to a financial planner.
Put into context, this is $120 per year. On a theoretical account balance of $25,000, that's like paying 0.48% for unlimited access to a financial planner. Vanguard Personal Advisor, which has some of the lowest management fees in the industry, charges 0.3%. Factor in everything else that comes with SoFi Plus Premium (Boosted cash APY, 1% match on investments), and this starts to feel like a pretty good deal.
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.
Editor's Insight: "It's not uncommon for self-directed brokerage accounts to encourage customers to enroll in the broker's affiliated advisory service. But SoFi really outdoes the competition here by making it extremely convenient. When I checked recently, I could book my first appointment for that day with a few taps in the app. And then there's the cost, which really is the true standout. Unlimited access to wealth planners for $10 per month (financial planner access is a part of SoFi Plus) is about the best you'll find."
— Chris Davis, Managing Editor
Public: Best for options trading costs
Public is one of the best-kept secrets in the brokerage industry. It’s got an elegant, well-designed app that is just as easy to use (if not more so) than Robinhood or Webull. The dark mode, in particular, is nice on the eyes. It’s not the only broker we review that has done away with options trading fees, but it’s the only one that pays you a rebate for every options contract traded (a few cents from its payment-for-order-flow revenue — not a ton of money, but enough to make a difference in overall returns if you trade a lot of options). Public is also a trailblazer in AI-assisted investing. Its “Generated Assets” feature basically allows you to make your own stock ETF by typing any investment theme into a text box, all for a reasonable expense ratio of 0.19%. Its “Agentic Brokerage” feature also lets you set up autonomous trading bots with just a text prompt. We found only a few areas for improvement in Public’s investing experience. The lack of an automatic logout or passcode system when opening the app after a long time away is a potential security vulnerability. And those who are considering a transfer from a more old-school brokerage should note that Public still doesn’t support mutual funds at the time of this update.
Public provides free stock and ETF trades, pays you to trade options, and gives traders access to crypto and bonds, as well as a high-yield cash account. The platform will appeal to traders looking for a low-cost options broker and access to many types of assets.
Writer's Insight: "Many brokers still charge per-contract fees on options trades, so it's really exceptional that Public has no fee and pays you a rebate for each contract traded."
— Sam Taube, Lead Investing Writer
Interactive Brokers: Best for advanced traders
Interactive Brokers clearly stands out as the best broker for advanced traders. It offers a huge selection of investments (really, most things you can invest in, IBKR lets you invest in: stocks, mutual funds, bonds, options, futures, event contracts, weather forecast contracts, forex, crypto, gold, etc.); every tool you’d need for active trading as well as building a long-term portfolio; and one of the largest suites of educational content among any broker we review.
IBKR could potentially be likened to Schwab’s thinkorswim: a huge, advanced platform not meant for beginners. And while IBKR’s mobile and desktop interfaces have always been a little confusing to use (mostly because of the sheer breadth of the offering and the tilt toward highly advanced traders), even this has improved in recent years.
Basically, if you want a professional-grade platform and you’re willing to spend some time on the learning curve, you’ll love IBKR. But if you don’t need access to all the bells and whistles of its immense offering, you’ll likely find yourself overwhelmed.
Don't let the name fool you: IBKR Lite offers commission-free stock trading (including international trade capabilities), more than 21,000 mutual funds, and a well-featured platform.
Editor's Insight: "If you peek under the hood of Interactive Brokers, you quickly see why no other broker comes close to being the best broker for advanced traders — a universe of more than 1 million bonds globally, fractional share trading in 15,000 U.S., Canadian and European stocks, a selection of 50,000 mutual funds (21,000 of which are transaction-fee-free) from around 500 fund families and several platforms, including a highly customizable desktop app with multi-monitor support. I could go on. It's definitely not for beginners, but if you're looking for professional-level trading, your search can probably stop at IBKR."
— Chris Davis, Managing Editor
Charles Schwab: Best for customer service
If getting a real human on the line about an account question matters to you, consider taking a closer look at Charles Schwab, which scores high marks for customer service. The broker offers 24/7 phone and chat support. And when put to the test, we were typically able to connect with a representative within minutes — that can make a big difference when you have an urgent question about your money. Of all the brokers we review, Schwab is also one of the few with physical branch locations: more than 400 across the U.S. and abroad.
Although we’ve highlighted Charles Schwab for its customer service, it’s not the only reason we rate this industry giant well. Schwab has 7,774 no-transaction-fee mutual funds — that’s more than any other broker we review with the exception of Interactive Brokers. Retirement investors will appreciate that.
In addition to its standard Schwab.com and Schwab mobile experience, the broker also offers thinkorswim, a high-octane trading platform that advanced traders who still want to operate within the confines of an established firm may gravitate toward. Schwab also offers paperMoney, a paper trading platform that lets investors practice with simulated money.
Charles Schwab has earned its strong reputation: The broker offers high-quality customer service, four free trading platforms, a wide selection of no-transaction-fee mutual funds and $0 commissions for stocks, ETFs and options.
Editor's Insight: "The ability to get help when you need it is pretty important, especially when it comes to money you have invested. I've called their service line several times over and have always been connected with a knowledgeable rep within minutes. That peace of mind is something that I place high value on."
— Sabrina Parys, Investing Editor
How to choose the best online broker for you
To sift through brokerage accounts, look first at the following key factors:
Commissions: Commissions or other stock trading fees are rare among online brokers these days, but they can still pop up on stock options trades as a per-contract fee. If charged, this fee usually runs between $.50 to $.65. (Learn more about brokerage fees and how to minimize them.)
Account fees: You may not be able to avoid them entirely, but you can certainly minimize them. Most brokers will charge a fee for transferring out investments, or for closing your account entirely. If you’re transferring to another broker, that new brokerage firm may offer to reimburse your transfer fees, at least up to a limit. Most other fees can be sidestepped by simply choosing a broker that doesn’t charge them, or by opting out of services that cost extra. Common fees to watch out for include annual fees, inactivity fees, trading platform subscriptions and extra charges for research or data.
Execution quality: Most casual stock traders won't notice differences in execution quality between brokers, as they tend to be relatively minor, especially if you're placing a few trades. But active traders, particularly those who frequently trade large quantities of shares, often do. For our reviews, we look at each broker's self-reported execution quality, which is defined as the percent of a broker's orders that are executed at or better than the National Best Bid and Offer.
Tools, education and research: If you’re new to investing, it may be best to look for a brokerage that offers free educational resources, such as live webinars, thorough how-to guides, video tutorials, glossaries and more. And, if you’re interested in continued learning around advanced trading strategies, be sure to research how well the broker supports its clients in helping them understand the risks of such strategies. This may mean guidance from an on-call customer support team, a live chat function or clear and in-depth instructions on how to use these investment products responsibly.
Fractional shares: Another great feature to look for is fractional shares, which let investors purchase stock or ETFs by the dollar amount, rather than by the number of shares. This is especially helpful for investors who don’t have much money to invest but want to build a diversified portfolio, or are looking to set up a dollar-cost averaging strategy, which entails regularly investing over time. (Learn more about fractional shares.)
Platforms: Active traders may want a little more out of their brokerage account. Some brokers offer highly customizable downloadable platforms with in-depth analysis tools or access to additional research and data for an extra cost. If these aren’t the types of tools and resources you’ll need, be sure to avoid paying extra for them.
Interest rate on uninvested cash: Even if you've carefully selected investments, idle cash can start to accrue in your brokerage account from activities like dividend payments. Though the Federal Reserve has started to cut interest rates, overall rates remain high — it still pays to consider what rate your brokerage firm pays on this uninvested cash.
Reliability: There’s a wide range of brokers out there. Some have been around for decades, while others are relatively new to the scene. That doesn’t mean these newcomers are untrustworthy — if they’re handling trades for other people, then they’re regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and are members of a self-regulatory body, such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. But it does mean they may be unproven during a variety of stock market scenarios. If this concerns you, you may want to consider investing with a large institution. But if all you need is a no-frills investment account, then trimmed-down apps or relatively new brokerage firms are likely fine for you.
Promotions: Online brokers, like many companies, frequently entice new customers with deals, such as a cash bonus on certain deposit amounts. It isn’t wise to choose a broker solely on its promotional offer — a high commission over the long term could easily wipe out any initial bonus or savings — but if you’re stuck between two options, a promotion may sway you one way or the other.
How to switch online brokers
Switching to a new broker is quick and easy, and in most cases, the entire process can be handled online. Here's a quick three-step process to transfer your investments to a new online broker:
Frequently asked questions
Not much. Note that many of the online brokers above have no account minimum. 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.
Another option for investing smaller amounts of money is exchange-traded funds. ETFs are essentially mutual funds that are bought and sold just like individual stocks on a stock market exchange. Like mutual funds, each ETF contains a basket of stocks (sometimes hundreds) that adhere to particular criteria (e.g., shares of companies that are part of a stock market index like the S&P 500). Unlike mutual funds, which can have high investment minimums, investors can purchase as little as one share of an ETF at a time (some brokers even offer fractional shares of ETFs, too). All of the online brokers on our list offer ETFs.
Trading costs definitely matter to active and high-volume traders, but many brokers offer commission-free trades of stocks and ETFs. A few online brokers have also eliminated fees for options contracts. Other factors — such as access to a range of investments and the quality of the research — may be more valuable than saving a few bucks when purchasing shares. You might also want to consider platforms. If that's important to you, we have a separate list of brokers with the best trading platforms.
Your money is indeed insured but only against the unlikely event a brokerage firm or investment company fails. SIPC insurance covers up to $500,000 for lost or missing assets; within that, $250,000 can be applied to cash that is not yet invested. What it doesn't cover is a loss in the value of your investments.
After you’ve opened the brokerage account, you’ll need to initiate a deposit or fund transfer to the brokerage firm, which typically takes just a few days — though certain circumstances may mean it takes longer. For example, if you're transferring investments from another brokerage account rather than moving around cash, that may extend the timeframe. Several of the brokerage firms on our list will allow you to begin trading before your deposit clears.
All brokers considered for this list include: SoFi Invest, Firstrade, M1 Finance, E*Trade, Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Public, Vanguard, Ally, Cash App, TastyTrade, eToro, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed, Interactive Brokers, Moomoo, Robinhood, Merrill Edge, Webull, Zacks Trade, and TradeStation.
For detailed information about the categories considered when rating brokers, read our full methodology.