The 7 Best Stock Brokerage Accounts in 2025

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Michael

I have found TradeStation to have the best combination of power and user-friendliness of all trading-centric brokerages. While we adhere to stricteditorial integrity, this post may contain best brokerage accounts references to products from our partners. TradeStation started as a software development company in the 1980s, which explains its focus on offering innovative trading tools. One of SogoTrade’s unique features is its “Get Paid to Trade” campaign. This perk rewards users a dollar for every 1,000 shares traded via limit orders during regular market hours. Please disable your adblocker to enjoy the optimal web experience and access the quality content you appreciate from GOBankingRates.

Track market capital flow to help time transactions, view position cost distribution and other technical indicators and use Moomoo’s Indicator Sentiment for a quick view of the overall status of all technical indicators. Notably, Fidelity boasts some of the lowest fees in the industry, with commission-free trading on stocks, ETFs, options and Fidelity mutual funds. The broker also avoids many common account fees, such as outgoing account transfer fees and statement fees. Trade futures and commission-free stocks, options and ETFs, with no per-contract fees on options.

As brokerage accounts continue to launch new features and compete more on price and technology, this list will change. 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. Whether you choose a long-time favorite like Charles Schwab or an innovative new brokerage like Robinhood, ensure you’re aware of competing features and fees so you can trade as effectively as possible. Robinhood is a primary cause of why every brokerage firm on this list offers fee-free trading. With its broad investment offerings for trading, easy-to-use mobile and desktop applications, and low fees, Robinhood is excellent for new traders.

Consumers should consider various options appropriate for their circumstances. Education savings accounts have advantages like the kiddie tax rule, which taxes earnings at a lower rate (up to a certain amount). Parents and kids will enjoy the built-in education resources, such as the “mini-lessons,” which teach stock market basics that prepare anyone for a more successful future in the stock market. SoFi Plus members earn unlimited 1% rewards on all SoFi deposits to a SoFi Invest account. A Plus membership also includes unlimited one-on-one consultations from a certified financial planner (CFP).

Public Investing uses a commission-free pricing model, so most users won’t pay any fees when they trade. Interactive Brokers is a top investment platform for active and passive investors seeking global diversification across a wide range of securities. Fidelity’s retirement services and features include several retirement calculators, tax strategies, and long-term growth opportunities catered to individuals’ preferences. If you want more help, you can sign up for managed Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, the brokerage’s robo-advisor. Since 2009, we’ve helped over 20 million visitors research, compare, and choose an online broker.

What are some tips for choosing a stock broker?

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. TradeStation’s platform comes in desktop, web-based (above), and mobile form. You can also paper trade and backtest with virtual money, so you don’t need to risk your own capital until you’re confident in your trading strategies.

These include Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Robinhood, Webull and Interactive Brokers.
Trade commission-free stocks, options and ETFs, with additional access to precious metals, futures, cryptocurrencies and more.
Fidelity earns its spot as the third-best brokerage account for 2025 and distinguishes itself as one of the most versatile online trading platforms I’ve tested.
Other account types may add more value and/or tax efficiency depending on a household’s financial situation.
Though many brokers, including those listed on this page, offer no-commission trades, you might still be responsible for a contract fee.
Ensure you understand the tax implications of the account you are opening and the assets you invest in before purchasing.

Best stock broker – Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab has over 36 million brokerage accounts as of late 2024. Schwab is one of the few brokerages on our list with physical branches that offer in-person customer service. To qualify, you typically need to open a new brokerage account, deposit or transfer a minimum amount, and sometimes hold the funds for a set period (e.g., 90 days). 📅 These brokerage account bonuses are valid until March 31, 2025 (expired). Each broker was scored based on these individual categories, which were then summed up for a final score.

Commission Rates for Trades

More Robinhood, ensure you’re aware of competing features and fees so you can trade as effectively as possible. Owned by Bank of America, Merrill Edge is notable for its extensive market research and analysis. Plus, if you’re a Bank of America customer, you can bank and invest on the same platform and easily transfer funds.

Why Public Is A Top Choice

Firstrade isn’t as large as some other firms on the list, but its top-notch features and benefits make it a solid contender for being one of the best brokerage accounts. Interactive Brokers has always been known for its advanced trading platform for experienced traders, but you don’t have to be an expert to use it. Most of these firms have excellent trading capabilities, service and low costs. Many also run promotions offering free trades, cash bonuses or discounted products and services. GOBankingRates works with many financial advertisers to showcase their products and services to our audiences. These brands compensate us to advertise their products in ads across our site.

Robinhood – Free Stock + Up to 3% IRA Match

Completed applications are typically approved instantly, though the broker may take a couple of days to verify your information. If a brand is a referral partner, we’re paid when you click or tap through to, open an account with or provide your contact information to the provider. Partnerships are not a recommendation for you to invest with any one company.

As one of the largest brokerage firms in the world, Charles Schwab is a popular option for many investors. Schwab offers a wide range of commission-free investment products and publishes its own research and market insights. We evaluate each firm based on its advisory services, educational resources, trading fees, customer support and other key factors. Moomoo delivers one of the most generous brokerage account bonuses in terms of quantity. Robinhood democratized trading in 2014 by providing the first commission-free mobile alternative to Wall Street brokerage accounts.

Best for advanced tools and global markets – Interactive Brokers

The Forbes Advisor Investing team is committed to providing unbiased rankings and information with complete editorial independence.
Public offers commission-free trading for stocks, ETFs and options, with rebates on options trades and no per-contract fees.
Brokers usually report these bonuses to the IRS, and you’ll need to include them when filing your taxes.
Finder US is an information service that allows you to compare different products and providers.
The top brokerage accounts charge the lowest fees with little to no commissions.
Parents and kids will enjoy the built-in education resources, such as the “mini-lessons,” which teach stock market basics that prepare anyone for a more successful future in the stock market.

This is where you can purchase stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, options, and almost the entire inventory of the open markets. Interactive Brokers Interactive Brokers has multiple pricing options depending on your level of trading activity and personal trading needs. The basic account, IBKR Lite, offers commission-free stock and ETF trades and competitive fees for most other trades. You can trade at higher volumes and get access to tools optimized for your investing needs. Typical investors may not care about the difference of a few seconds when entering and executing a trade.

Choose a broker or robo-advisor, and complete a brief application by providing personal information such as your name, address, date of birth and Social Security number. Meanwhile, Opto’s Folios offer customizable portfolios with automatic rebalancing and an option to mirror the top-performing Folios managed by the OPTO community. 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. Standard security protections include network security controls like firewalls and proxy servers, data encryption, multifactor authentication, and fraud monitoring. Our team verified the data by conducting thorough online research and directly contacting companies to confirm or fill in any missing details. IBKR’s founder, Thomas Peterffy, developed the first fully automated trading system on Wall Street.

Visit my full review of Interactive Brokers to learn more about its entire offering. Visit my comprehensive Charles Schwab review to learn more about the thinkorswim platform and find out more about its offerings. While we cover a range of products, our comparison may not include every product or provider in the market. Always confirm important product information with the relevant provider and read the relevant disclosure documents and terms and conditions before making a decision.