7 Best Online Brokerage Accounts for Stock Trading in 2025

Fidelity was launched in 1946 and has long been one of the largest and most-trusted brokerages in the world. There are over 50 million investors with accounts at Fidelity and over $14 trillion invested on the platform. “New” brokers have better technology, simpler offerings, lower costs, and are overall more user-friendly for new investors. Educational resources can help you develop new trading strategies and connect with a similar investor community.

SoFi Active Investing

Bankrate follows a stricteditorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. In addition to trading in U.S. markets, you can also invest in the Hong Kong and China-A-shares markets. Plus, Moomoo’s paper trading feature allows you to practice your strategies with virtual funds, right from the same place. Also like Fidelity, Schwab has embraced the times and continued to improve its technology offerings and the user experience of its web and mobile platforms.

Which online broker has the lowest fees?

Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don’t provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service. Trading fees have become very competitive, with many brokers offering commission-free stock and ETF trades.

What is an online brokerage account?

Interactive Brokers currently offers the lowest margin rates, ranging from 5.33% to 6.33%, making it a cost-effective choice for margin traders. Robinhood charges a flat 8% margin rate, while Charles Schwab and Fidelity have higher variable rates, ranging from 8.575% to 13.075% and 8.5% to 12.075%, respectively. If you are trading stocks on margin, Interactive Brokers have some of the lowest margin loan financing rates in the industry from USD 4.83% to USD 5.83%. The brokers below also scored highly under Bankrate’s methodology and excel in a number of features that may appeal to certain investors. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey.

Public

Additionally, with its recent purchase of TD Ameritrade, Schwab added thinkorswim — a powerful trading platform that is especially useful for analyzing options trades — to its feature set. If you’re new to investing, Public likely has everything you need in an extremely clean and easy-to-use platform — both web and mobile app. Use the broker comparison tool to compare over 150 different account features and fees. Yes, you can transfer an existing brokerage account to a new broker, maintaining your holdings and not having to sell them.

• However, Plus500 is not a platform for novices as it solely makes money from spreads and does not charge a commission.
• If you want to buy US stocks you need a US stock broker to buy them on your behalf.
• Bankrate analyzed dozens of brokerage firms to help you find the best brokers for online stock trading.
• TradeZero also offers advanced trading tools and 24/7 live customer support to seal its position as one of the top online stock brokers.
• It’s nice to have so many options to choose from, but it can be tough to sort through all the options, figure out what makes them different, and decide which one suits you best.
• Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens.

Summary of the best brokerage accounts

The platform also offers flexibility with stocks, ETFs, crypto and CFDs. While popular for crypto, eToro offers multiple asset classes, including stocks, ETFs, options, cryptocurrencies and CFDs (subject to regulation). Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a long-standing favorite of experienced traders. The comprehensive trading platform gives you access to a massive range of securities worldwide, including access to 150 global markets. It is renowned for its extensive market access and professional trading tools, making it ideal for active and global traders. Robinhood is known for providing easy access to the markets for all investors.

Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can best stock brokers trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens.

A brokerage account is an account provided by a brokerage firm that allows you to buy and sell stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds using an online trading platform. Think of it as your direct link to the markets, giving you access to a variety of investment products and the tools you need to build and manage your portfolio. TradeZero offers ultralow commissions and advanced trading tools, making it ideal for active traders.

You may start trading Plus500 right away, leverage your experience, expand your portfolio and start making money right away. If you want to buy US stocks you need a US stock broker to buy them on your behalf. This is by far the most efficient way of getting exposure to a companies share price.

Many LSE-partnered brokers also provide research, market insights, and trading platforms to help investors navigate the markets. While the user experience is not as sleek as Public for example, Merrill Edge Self-Directed does offer a good experience for Bank of America customers who want a more integrated banking and investing experience. This brokerage loses a point in ease-of-use with 4/5 for ease due to its lack of fractional share trading. Many brokers provide advanced trading tools, including Interactive Brokers, Cobra Trading and TradeZero. These platforms cater to active traders with features like order routing and in-depth market data.

If you’re a buy-and-hold ETF investor, you’ll probably need something different than if you’re an active trader. While new investors might find choosing a broker to be daunting, you aren’t likely to go wrong with any of the names mentioned above. Once you’ve found a broker, you can begin plotting your way to a more secure financial future. The first thing you need to know before choosing a brokerage account is what your needs will be as an investor or trader.

This is a good example of how they are at the forefront of stock trading technology. However, it can be a bit of a pain trying to get through to someone on the phone if you are not a large customer with a personal stock broker. Selecting a broker requires you to think about your needs, because the deciding factor is not always about price.

While IBKR Lite is an excellent choice for stock trading, it earns just a 4/5 due to its at-times complicated platform intended more for experienced traders rather than new investors. Users of all levels can access AI-powered research and level 2 market data. Moomoo offers a well-rounded package with features that go beyond basic stock trading, making it ideal for active investors. Webull offers commission-free trading for stocks, options and ETFs, making it an excellent choice for cost-conscious investors who don’t want to reduce their profit margins. It also offers paper trading so you can build your strategy before risking funds and fractional shares so you can hold a small portion in major, high-priced stocks. For those looking to expand their portfolios, Public offers access to over 300 select over-the-counter (OTC) stocks, primarily focusing on large-cap international companies.

• Whether you’re a long-term investor or short-term trader, experienced or new to the stock market, here’s our list of the top seven online brokerages.
• We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you.
• However, it can be a bit of a pain trying to get through to someone on the phone if you are not a large customer with a personal stock broker.
• Visit my comprehensive Charles Schwab review to learn more about the thinkorswim platform and find out more about its offerings.
• You can access active trade platforms with advanced charting, technical analysis tools and level 2 market data.
• Many brokers, including Schwab, Interactive Brokers and Webull, offer commission-free stock and ETF trades.

What are the typical trading fees and commissions?

To engage in margin trading, an investor must open a margin account with a brokerage firm. The Federal Reserve’s Regulation T mandates that investors can borrow up to 50% of the purchase price of securities, meaning they must initially fund at least 50% with their own capital. For example, to buy $10,000 worth of stock, an investor could use $5,000 of personal funds and borrow the remaining $5,000 on margin. We’ve examined the best brokers based on characteristics that matter to individual investors, including trading fees, account minimums, free research and many other features. We’ve evaluated each broker on their pros and cons, and here’s how they stack up on the most important aspects.

Categorised in: Forex Trading

This post was written by vladeta