Best Stock Apps Right Now: 11 Top Picks for May 2022
The best apps to buy stocks offer free trades, a powerful mobile trading platform and high user ratings. Below are our picks for the best stock apps.
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Stock apps are having a bit of a moment: While previously there were only a few popular ones, the mobile stock-trading field has exploded after Robinhood's early success. Online brokers have clamored to up their game in order to compete with a rise of newcomers.
All of that is good news for consumers: The best stock apps now nearly mirror powerful desktop and web platforms, with advanced functionality, analysis tools, research and watch lists. They also offer low or no commissions on stock trades, low account fees and no minimum investment.
If you're looking to place trades on the go, review our list of the best apps to buy stocks below. You'll note that many of these come from established online brokers — that's because these companies tend to offer apps with the most well-rounded capabilities for stock and options traders.
Stock apps are having a bit of a moment: While previously there were only a few popular ones, the mobile stock-trading field has exploded after Robinhood's early success. Online brokers have clamored to up their game in order to compete with a rise of newcomers.
All of that is good news for consumers: The best stock apps now nearly mirror powerful desktop and web platforms, with advanced functionality, analysis tools, research and watch lists. They also offer low or no commissions on stock trades, low account fees and no minimum investment.
If you're looking to place trades on the go, review our list of the best apps to buy stocks below. You'll note that many of these come from established online brokers — that's because these companies tend to offer apps with the most well-rounded capabilities for stock and options traders.
Best Stock Apps Right Now: 11 Top Picks
Broker | NerdWallet Rating | Fees | Account minimum | Promotion | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Merrill Edge Learn more on Merrill Edge's website | $0 per trade | $0 | Up to $600 when you invest in a new Merrill Edge® Self-Directed account. | Learn more on Merrill Edge's website | |
![]() Fidelity Learn more on Fidelity's website | $0 per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs | $0 | Get $100 when you open a new, eligible Fidelity account with $50 or more. Use code FIDELITY100. Limited time offer. Terms apply. | Learn more on Fidelity's website | |
![]() E*TRADE Learn more on E*TRADE's website | $0 per trade | $0 | Get up to $600 or more when you open and fund an E*TRADE account | Learn more on E*TRADE's website | |
![]() TD Ameritrade Learn more on TD Ameritrade's website | $0 per trade | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Learn more on TD Ameritrade's website | |
![]() SoFi Active Investing Learn more on SoFi Invest's website | $0 per trade | $0 | $5 to $1,000 in free stock for users who sign up via mobile app | Learn more on SoFi Invest's website |

on Merrill Edge's website
Merrill Edge

Fees
$0per trade
Account minimum
$0Promotion
Up to $600when you invest in a new Merrill Edge® Self-Directed account.
on Merrill Edge's website

on Fidelity's website
Fidelity

Fees
$0per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
Account minimum
$0Promotion
Get $100when you open a new, eligible Fidelity account with $50 or more. Use code FIDELITY100. Limited time offer. Terms apply.
on Fidelity's website

on E*TRADE's website
E*TRADE

Fees
$0per trade
Account minimum
$0Promotion
Get up to $600 or morewhen you open and fund an E*TRADE account
on E*TRADE's website

on TD Ameritrade's website
TD Ameritrade

Fees
$0per trade
Account minimum
$0Promotion
Noneno promotion available at this time
on TD Ameritrade's website

on SoFi Invest's website
SoFi Active Investing

Fees
$0per trade
Account minimum
$0Promotion
$5 to $1,000in free stock for users who sign up via mobile app
on SoFi Invest's website

on Vanguard's website
Vanguard

Fees
$0per trade
Account minimum
$0Promotion
Noneno promotion available at this time
on Vanguard's website

on J.P. Morgan's website
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing

Fees
$0per trade
Account minimum
$0Promotion
Get up to $625when you open and fund a J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account with qualifying new money
on J.P. Morgan's website

on Ally Invest's website
Ally Invest

Fees
$0per trade (on eligible US securities)
Account minimum
$0Promotion
$100-in cash bonus with qualifying deposit.
on Ally Invest's website

on TradeStation's website
TradeStation

Fees
$0per trade
Account minimum
$500Promotion
$50-cash credit with a minimum deposit of $5,000.
on TradeStation's website
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Last updated on May 11, 2022
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Methodology
NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks the largest U.S. brokers and robo-advisors by assets under management, along with emerging industry players, using a multifaceted and iterative approach. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgments on which ones will best meet your needs.
DATA COLLECTION AND REVIEW PROCESS
We collect data directly from providers, and conduct firsthand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. Our process starts by sending detailed questionnaires to providers to complete. The questionnaires are structured to equally elicit both favorable and unfavorable responses from providers. They are not designed or prepared to produce any predetermined results. The questionnaire answers, combined with product 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 (1 star) to excellent (5 stars). Ratings are rounded to the nearest half-star.
RATING FACTORS
Evaluations vary by provider type, but in each case are based upon the weighted averages of factors that include but are not limited to: advisory and account fees, account minimums and types, investment selection, investment expense ratios, trading costs, access to human financial advisors, educational resources and tools, rebalancing and tax minimization options, and customer support including branch access, user-facing technology and mobile platforms.
Each factor can involve evaluating various sub-factors. For instance, when gauging the investment selections offered by robo-advisors, 80% of the score is based on the potential for diversification (how well-diversified a resulting portfolio of investments could be) combined with the availability of specialty portfolios and level of customization for investors. Expense ratios form an additional 10% of the score, and low or no management fee the remaining 10%.
FACTOR WEIGHTINGS
The weighting of each factor is based on our team’s assessment of which features are the most important to consumers and which ones impact the consumer experience in the most meaningful way. The factors considered, and how those factors are weighted, change depending upon the category of providers reviewed.
Provider categories include: Best Brokers for Stock Trading, Best Brokers for Beginners, Best Brokers for Day Trading, Best Brokers for Options Trading, Best Discount Brokers, Best Brokers for Free Trading, Best Investment Apps, Best Brokers for Penny Stocks, Best IRA Brokers, Best Robo-Advisors, Best Financial Advisors, Best Real Estate Platforms, Best Brokers for ETFs and Best Brokers for Mutual Funds.
INFORMATION UPDATES
Writers and editors conduct our broker and robo-advisor reviews on an annual basis but continually make updates throughout the year. We maintain frequent contact with providers and highlight any changes in offerings.
THE REVIEW TEAM
The review team comprises seasoned writers, researchers and editors who cover stocks, bonds, mutual funds, index funds, exchange-traded funds, alternative investments, socially responsible investing, financial advisors, retirement and investment strategy on a daily basis. In addition to NerdWallet, the work of our team members has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, USA Today, Bloomberg News, Nasdaq, MSN, MarketWatch, Yahoo! Finance and other national and regional media outlets.
The combined expertise of our Investing team is infused into our review process to ensure thoughtful evaluations of provider products and services from the customer perspective. Our writers and editors combine to have more than 70 years of deep experience in finance, ranging from a former Wall Street Journal reporter to a former senior financial advisor at Merrill Lynch.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
While NerdWallet does have partnerships with many of the reviewed providers, we manage potential conflicts of interest by maintaining a wall between our content and business operations. This wall is designed to prevent our writers and the review process from being influenced or impacted by our business partnerships. This way, all reviews can provide an unbiased review that serves the interests of our users.
To recap our selections...
NerdWallet's Best Stock Apps Right Now: 11 Top Picks for May 2022
Frequently asked questions
Most of the brokers on our list of the best brokers for beginners also show up here, including SoFi Active Investing, E*TRADE, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity and Charles Schwab. In general, mobile trading apps are a good choice for beginners because they're typically easier to navigate than online or desktop platforms.
Nearly all of the apps above offer commission-free trades of U.S.-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds. The best one for you depends largely on your trading needs — for example, active traders often index heavily on the available investment options, and what type of functionality is possible on the go. If you'd prefer more education or a more advanced mobile trading platform, you may want to opt for an app from an online broker.
Robinhood did not make our list here, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth considering to see if it meets your needs. We have a full comparison of Robinhood and its alternatives, where you can dive into more details. In general, Robinhood offers a streamlined, clean interface that makes it easy for even beginners to trade. Online brokers tend to provide more bells and whistles, including advanced tools, stronger customer support and educational resources.