Best Stock Trading Apps: 2024 Top Picks - NerdWallet (2024)

More about the stock apps that made our list

Charles Schwab

Why we picked it: Schwab already had some of the best educational offerings of any broker we review, but its acquisition of TD Ameritrade puts it above the other stock apps listed here in terms of ways to learn about investing and practice trading. The combined Schwab-thinkorswim platforms also offer best-in-class paper trading tools, newsletters, webcasts, articles and more.

Fidelity

Why we picked it: Fidelity's brokerage service is one of the best in the business, and regularly scores the highest in several categories. It's beginner-friendly, but also offers a suite of advanced trading products and tools. In addition to its main Fidelity Investments mobile app, it also offers the Fidelity Youth app, designed to acquaint teens with investing, and Fidelity Bloom, which is meant to help users build good money habits. And, for anyone who has a Fidelity workplace 401(k), setting up a separate brokerage account for non-retirement investing can all be done in-app.

Webull

Why we picked it: Webull's trading app is highly reviewed by users, and offers advanced features you wouldn't necessarily expect in a mobile app, including paper trading and voice command. Webull also offers investors some of the lowest margin rates among these stock apps. While many brokers charge annual interest rates of at least 10% for borrowed investment money, Webull’s margin loans have an interest rate range of just 5.74% to 9.74%, depending on the balance.

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing

Why we picked it: J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing's stock app could be a clear choice for existing Chase Bank customers. As the retail investing arm of the largest bank in the U.S., the app seamlessly integrates with Chase credit cards and bank accounts. But non-Chase Bank members will still enjoy the streamlined interface, which features J.P. Morgan research, analyst investment ideas and stock market educational tools.

Interactive Brokers IBKR Lite

Why we picked it: Interactive Brokers has one of the most advanced trading platforms and apps in the industry, with unique features such as a customizable dashboard, an ESG dashboard, more than 200 news and research services, and support for nine languages — more than any other broker we review. It is well-suited to more advanced traders.

E*TRADE

Why we picked it: E*Trade offers longer extended trading hours than any other stock app listed here. In addition to a pre-market session that starts at 7:00 a.m. ET on weekdays, and a post-market session that ends at 8:00 p.m. ET on weekdays, E*Trade offers 24-hour ETF trading Monday through Friday, and 24-hour futures trading Monday through Saturday. E*TRADE's app for advanced active trading, called Power E*TRADE, scores high marks from users.

SoFi Active Investing

Why we picked it: SoFi Active Investing was among the first next-generation stock apps to offer clients access to initial public offerings (IPOs), something that has typically been reserved for institutional investors. And while investing in IPOs is certainly a more advanced trading strategy, SoFi's stock app is very straightforward and simple to use. For existing SoFi customers, the app easily connects to other SoFI products, such as banking, credit cards and loans.

Why we picked it: Robinhood's name is almost synonymous with mobile stock trading —the company pretty much single-handedly popularized the concept, alongside free trades. Still, for a long time it didn't make this list for us, due to its pared-down offering and customer service issues we couldn't get past. It has since improved in that area and started offering more features, including an IRA with matching dollars and a wider investment selection. Robinhood's streamlined, clean interface makes it easy for beginners to start trading, and advanced traders appreciate the discount pricing and low margin rates.

Ally Invest

Why we picked it: Ally Invest offers some of the best customer support services in the brokerage business, with 24/7 phone, email and chat help available to all users. Among online-only brokers, Ally’s customer service availability is unmatched. That, paired with Ally Invest's clean, simple mobile app and integration with Ally Bank makes it an easy choice for Ally customers.

Firstrade

Why we picked it: Firstrade's stock app skews more toward experienced investors, and is one of the rare brokers that charges no per-contract fee on options trades nor commissions on over-the-counter trades. The broker is also one of the few that offer access to international investors, accepting clients from nearly 30 countries.

Public

Why we picked it: Public is the only stock app we review that actually pays you to trade options. Public users get a rebate of $0.06 per options contract traded. If you refer enough friends to Public, that rebate can go as high as $0.18 per contract traded.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best stock app for beginners?

Most of the brokers on our list of the best brokers for beginners also show up here, including SoFi Active Investing, E*TRADE, 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.

What's the best app for free stock trading?

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.

How much money do you need to open an account with a stock trading app?

Generally speaking, the providers on our list do not require a minimum deposit to open an account. But beyond that, you do need to have enough money to purchase a stock —stocks trade by the share price, so be sure to check the price of any stocks you have your eye on. As noted above, many apps offer fractional share trading, which allows you to invest a dollar amount instead of the full share price. In exchange, you'll own a small slice of a share rather than the whole thing. If you're looking to start with a smaller amount of money, you may want to prioritize an app that offers fractional shares.