13 Best Stock Apps of October 2023
The best apps to buy stocks offer free trades, powerful mobile trading platforms and high user ratings. Below are our picks for the best stock apps.
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The mobile stock-trading field exploded after Robinhood's early success: Online brokers have clamored to up their game and improve their stock apps 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 completely free stock trades, low or no account fees and no minimum investment. Some, like Webull and SoFi Active Investing, don't charge options contract fees, either.
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.
The mobile stock-trading field exploded after Robinhood's early success: Online brokers have clamored to up their game and improve their stock apps 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 completely free stock trades, low or no account fees and no minimum investment. Some, like Webull and SoFi Active Investing, don't charge options contract fees, either.
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.
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Best Stock Apps
| Broker | NerdWallet rating | Fees | Account minimum | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Charles Schwab Learn more on Charles Schwab's website | $0 per trade | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Learn more on Charles Schwab's website | |
 Webull Learn more on Webull's website | $0 per trade | $0 | Get up to 12 free fractional shares (valued up to $3,000) when you open and fund an account with Webull. | Learn more on Webull's website | |
 TD Ameritrade | $0 per trade | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Read review | |
 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 | |
 J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Learn more on J.P. Morgan's website | $0 per trade | $0 | Get $50 when you open & fund a new account with $5K on Chase.com or the Chase Mobile® app. | Learn more on J.P. Morgan's website |
$0
per trade
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Three platforms with no minimum or fees.
Above-average mobile app.
Extensive research.
Large fund selection.
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Cons
Low default cash sweep rate.
Why We Like It
With no account minimum or annual fee, the Schwab mobile apps are easy to use for investors both new and experienced. Schwab mobile and StreetSmart mobile apps allow commission-free trades across a wide selection of stock, options, and ETFs, and the broker provides access to over 4,000 no-transaction fee mutual funds. Schwab is also highly rated for its research, including Schwab’s own equity ratings and analysis from 14 providers including Morningstar, Credit Suisse and Thompson Reuters.
$0
per trade
$0
Get up to 12 free fractional shares (valued up to $3,000)
when you open and fund an account with Webull.
Pros
Low costs.
Easy-to-use platform.
Advanced tools.
Access to cryptocurrency.
Cash management.
Cons
No mutual funds.
Thin educational support.
Why We Like It
Webull will appeal to the mobile-first generation of casual investors with its slick interface for desktop and mobile apps, but the brokerage also delivers an impressive array of tools for active traders. However, its relatively weak educational content may leave true beginners in the lurch, and it lacks access to a few common asset classes.
$0
per trade
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Commission-free stock and ETF trades.
Free research.
High-quality trading platforms.
No account minimum.
Good customer support.
Large investment selection.
Cons
No fractional shares.
Why We Like It
TD Ameritrade is known for its powerful trading platforms, and that extends to its mobile apps: The broker's highly-rated thinkorswim app is a solid companion to the desktop platform, offering many of the same capabilities. Traders can place simple to complex stock, ETF, options, futures and forex trades.
$0
per trade
$0
$5 to $1,000
in free stock for users who sign up via mobile app
Pros
Commission-free stock and ETF trades.
Cryptocurrency trading.
Fractional shares available.
Free financial counseling.
Cons
Small selection of tradable securities.
No mutual funds.
Low interest rate on uninvested cash.
Why We Like It
SoFi Active Investing offers two free mobile apps that are both highly rated by iOS and Android users. The apps allow investors to place trades, track the performance of their existing investments and access real-time quotes.
$0
per trade
$0
Get $50
when you open & fund a new account with $5K on Chase.com or the Chase Mobile® app.
Pros
Easy-to-use platform.
$0 commissions.
App connects all Chase accounts.
No account minimum.
Cons
Limited tools and research.
Portfolio Builder tool requires $2,500 balance.
Why We Like It
J.P. Morgan’s mobile app offers a way to begin investing and managing your portfolio. The Self Directed Investing app connects to Chase accounts, creating a seamless and streamlined experience for Chase customers to easily trade stocks, ETFs, options, bonds and mutual funds. However, J.P. Morgan’s additional investment products, such as the Portfolio Builder tool, require a $2,500 minimum that could be prohibitive to some investors. Self-Directed Investing also doesn’t allow investing in futures, forex or cryptocurrencies, nor does it offer fractional shares.
$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.
Pros
Commission-free stock, ETF and options trades.
Large selection of research providers.
Strong customer service.
Expense-ratio-free index funds.
Highly rated mobile app.
Cons
Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Why We Like It
Fidelity's mobile apps are highly rated by users, and offer real-time quotes, advanced options trading strategies and streamlined access to investment research. Fidelity also offers a customized app experience for its Youth Account, with in-app educational resources.
$0
per trade
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Large mutual fund selection.
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Leader in low-cost funds.
Cons
Basic trading platform only.
Limited research and data.
Why We Like It
Vanguard's mobile apps cater to the retirement investors Vanguard aims to attract, and they provide all the functionality needed by those account holders: Trade capabilities for stocks, ETFs and mutual funds, plus the ability to monitor account and investment performance. Users rate Vanguard's apps highly.
$0
per trade
$1
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Commission-free stock and ETF trades.
Expansive selection of low-minimum and no-transaction-fee mutual funds.
Integration with Axos Bank.
Cons
Thin investment selection.
Some features require a premium subscription.
Underwhelming educational tools.
Why We Like It
Axos Self-Directed — with its affordable trading fees and easy integration with Axos Bank — make the provider a logical pick for existing Axos customers or investors who are looking for a one-stop shop when it comes to banking and investing. However, the brokerage’s trading platform is relatively basic, and you’ll need to pay a monthly subscription to access features that often come free with other providers. Advanced, active traders may be better off relying on mainstays.
Want to compare more options? Here are our other top picks:
Last updated on October 2, 2023
Methodology
NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks the largest U.S. brokers. 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 providers and our processes, read our full broker ratings methodology.
To recap our selections...
NerdWallet's Best Stock Apps of October 2023
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 about how Robinhood stacks up to its biggest competition. In general, Robinhood offers a streamlined, clean interface that makes it easy for even beginners to trade. Traditional online brokers tend to provide more bells and whistles, including advanced tools, stronger customer support and educational resources.
