10 Best Online Brokers for Stock Trading of April 2025

Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions by people searching for the best stock brokers in America. 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. Yes, overall, we rate eToro as a recommended stock broker in the US as they are correctly regulated and offer a wide range of US stocks to trade. While we adhere to stricteditorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Along with years of experience in media distribution at a global newsroom, Jeff has a versatile knowledge base encompassing the technology and financial markets.

Best online brokers of 2025: Top places to invest your money

If you’re starting to invest best brokers for stock trading or looking for a new brokerage account, checking out Bankrate’s list of the best online brokers is a great place to begin. The best ones offer low commissions, strong trading platforms, plenty of research and education as well as helpful customer support – all the features to help you succeed as an investor. Public is a top choice for stock trading due to its sleek design, low fees and unique rebate program for options trading, and innovative investing tools like AI research. This brokerage offers a broad suite of investment options from fractional shares to a margin product.

Best Overall Stock Broker: Public.com

As you might expect, a retirement account is designed to hold and invest the funds you plan to use after you retire. Nonretirement accounts are other investment accounts that let you invest and trade in the short and long term. There are some notable differences between retirement and nonretirement accounts. Lei Deng, founder of Savor Financial, says you are looking for trade commissions, other transaction fees, and advisory fees if you plan to delegate your investing to a broker. The right brokerage for you will depend on several factors, including your investment type and the important features. One of SogoTrade’s unique features is its “Get Paid to Trade” campaign.

Best Online Brokers for Stock Trading of April 2025

To help you in the decision-making process, our expert contributors compare common preferences and potential pain points, such as affordability, accessibility, and credibility. Claire is a senior editor at Newsweek focused on credit cards, loans and banking. Her top priority is providing unbiased, in-depth personal finance content to ensure readers are well-equipped with knowledge when making financial decisions. Educational resources can help you develop new trading strategies and connect with a similar investor community. Look for educational resources for your skill level, plus advanced videos, tutorials or community chats for further learning opportunities.

• I spent hundreds of hours testing online trading platforms and mobile apps, placing trades, exploring tools, and gathering thousands of data points; here are my picks for the best stock brokers of 2025.
• For example, an online broker may not have an account minimum, but they may also offer a limited range of investment products.
• There’s no shortage of online brokerage accounts to choose from, so if you’re new to investing, it can be hard to know where to begin.
• Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions by people searching for the best stock brokers in America.
• The incumbents will need to innovate and better serve investors and traders or be crushed by newcomers to the market, hungry to become the best brokerage available.

Current Ally customers can manage all their finances in one easy-to-use platform. As Cobra Trading advertises on its homepage, it can help you strike first, like a cobra, on trades. Cobra Trading is known for sophisticated trading tools and exceptional support to competitive day traders. If you looking to open your first brokerage account or need an additional broker for diversification there are a few key questions you need to ask yourself. You can read our full guide on how to open a brokerage account or use our US stock broker comparison tables to find your perfect broker.

Trading Services

Interactive Brokers is a good choice for advanced investors thanks to its powerful trading technology. There are tons of investment assets to choose from, and the broker offers low margin rates. Many brokers allow fractional shares and commission-free trades, so you can invest $5 to $10 and gradually build your portfolio over time. It offers advanced order types on a wide range of order types and strategic trade execution. You can access active trade platforms with advanced charting, technical analysis tools and level 2 market data. Robinhood remains a top choice for beginners due to its affordability and user-friendly platform.

Best Brokerage Accounts of 2025

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. The investment information provided in this table is for informational and general educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment or financial advice. Bankrate does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it provide individualized recommendations or personalized investment advice.

• Conversely, you won’t be able to invest in mutual funds, futures, or international stocks.
• There’s also a free daily newsletter featuring equity analysis and trade ideas.
• Investing in index funds is a good way to do this and is a pretty easy strategy for beginners.
• Nonretirement accounts are other investment accounts that let you invest and trade in the short and long term.
• This brokerage loses a point in ease-of-use with 4/5 for ease due to its lack of fractional share trading.

It offers one of the most advanced trading platforms in the industry and has won numerous awards. EToro’s user-friendly interface and social trading features are appreciated by many customers, especially beginner investors. However, some customers report technical issues like slow loading times and occasional crashes, which present a challenge to active traders. Some customers also find it difficult to withdraw funds and report that customer-service resolution can take weeks. We evaluate each firm based on its advisory services, educational resources, trading fees, customer support and other key factors. Fidelity scores 5/5 for ease of use due to excellent customer support, broad investment options, polished user experience and research tools including stock screeners and analyst ratings.

Certain Zacks Rank stocks for which no month-end price was available, pricing information was not collected, or for certain other reasons have been excluded from these return calculations. Zacks may license the Zacks Mutual Fund rating provided herein to third parties, including but not limited to the issuer. New Merrill Edge customers can earn a sign-up bonus of up to $600, depending on your account balance. The online broker offers commission-free trading, extensive third-party research and access to over 2,000 Bank of America locations.

Robinhood was the first online broker to offer commission-free trading, and now it’s a staple in the investment community. There are different flavors of brokerage accounts tailored to your investing style. On the other hand, a margin account lets you borrow funds to potentially boost your buying power, which can amplify gains but also comes with its own drawbacks. Though advanced traders praise TradeStation’s advanced tools, less experienced traders say its platforms are intimidating and complex. Some appreciate the assistance provided by representatives, while others report long response times and less-than-helpful responses.

He is a long-time active investor and engages in research on emerging markets like cryptocurrency. Jeff holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature with a minor in Philosophy from San Francisco State University. Jessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. A former FINRA-licensed rep, she held Series 7, 63, 66, and 4 licenses.

Trading platforms tested

The exact features you need will depend on your preferences, experience and financial situation, but most investors will benefit from the following factors. Fidelity is known for its straightforward platform and wide range of financial services. The company’s low fees, generous interest rate on uninvested cash and strong customer support make it the best overall value for investors. Available investment products are key to choosing the best online stock broker. Depending on your investment strategy, that may include low-cost mutual funds or index funds, futures, options or shorts. SogoTrade combines affordability with robust free trading tools and research resources, making it an attractive platform for investors.

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). Charles Schwab charges a $0 commission for online stock and ETF trading. He offers a broad array of asset types including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, options, futures, IRAs, custodial accounts and trusts. The diverse investment options give you access to a variety of asset classes. While some stock brokers require a minimum deposit, others have no minimum at all, which is increasingly becoming more common.