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Stockpile vs. Robinhood: Which Broker Is Right for You?

Review Updated
Christy Bieber
Robin Hartill, CFP

Our Brokerage Experts

Ashley Maready
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

Both Robinhood and Stockpile cater to beginner investors, but the brokerages aren't the same. While Stockpile is heavily focused on fractional share investing and helping people acquire assets over time, Robinhood offers a wider range of investment options. Stockpile, however, offers some unique features Robinhood doesn't, including the ability to gift stock using stock gift cards as well as supervised custodial accounts designed for teaching children to invest.

This Robinhood vs. Stockpile review will help you understand the key differences between the two trading platforms, so you can decide which one is the right choice based on your investor profile and financial goals.

Stockpile vs. Robinhood: At a glance

Offer


Rating

Rating


Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
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Rating


Rating image, 3.5 out of 5 stars.
3.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
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Commissions

Commissions


$0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; up to $6.99 monthly for Robinhood Gold

Commissions


$4.95 monthly membership fee, $0 stock and ETF commissions, 1% spread fee on crypto trades

Account Minimum

Account Minimum


$0

Account Minimum


$0
Learn More
Learn More for Robinhood

On Robinhood's Secure Website.

Stockpile vs. Robinhood: Commissions & fees

Robinhood is available for free, but for $5 monthly, you can upgrade to Robinhood Gold and get features like extra APY on uninvested cash, bigger instant deposit, lower margin rates, and access to professional research. Stockpile charges members a $4.95 monthly subscription fee, which gets you one adult account and up to five kids' accounts.

When it comes to buying stocks and ETFs, both Robinhood and Stockpile will work for most investors. Both companies offer commission-free trades for both stocks and ETFs. If you're looking for the best options trading platforms, Stockpile won't work for you, but Robinhood might. Stockpile doesn't allow you to trade options at all, while Robinhood provides options trading with no contract fees. That sets Robinhood apart from many competitors, as it's common for brokerage firms to charge around $0.65 per contract fee for options trading.

Robinhood and Stockpile both offer crypto trading. While Robinhood still offers zero-commission crypto trades, you'll pay a 1% to 2% fee for each crypto trade on Stockpile.

Stockpile Robinhood
Stock & ETF commissions $0 $0
Options commissions N/A $0
Crypto commissions 1%-2% 0%
Mutual fund commissions N/A N/A
Account transfer fee $75 fee for outbound transfers $100 for outbound transfers
Account maintenance fee $4.95 per month $0 or $5 monthly for Robinhood Gold
Data source: Stockpile and Robinhood

Stockpile vs. Robinhood: Investments available

Robinhood undoubtedly has a wider choice of investment options than Stockpile. With Robinhood, you get access to over 5,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs, plus 650 global stocks through American Depository Receipts (ADRs), and 25 cryptos. Stockpile allows you to purchase up to 4,000 stocks ETFS, and ADRs, as well as access to some cryptos, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Unlike Robinhood, Stockpile doesn't allow options trading.

Both brokerage firms allow fractional share trading with as little as a $1 investment, though. This low minimum investment makes both trading platforms worthy of consideration for those looking for the best online brokers for beginners.

Stockpile offers a few unique features Robinhood doesn't, though. You can gift stocks using eGift cards, and you can create a custodial account to teach kids about investing. Kids can submit a request to buy or sell stocks or ETFs in supervised custodial accounts and the trades will be executed after adult approval.

Stockpile Robinhood
Stocks and ETFs Yes Yes
Fractional shares Yes Yes
Options No Yes
Mutual funds No No
CDs No No
Bonds No No
Futures No No
Crypto Yes Yes
Currencies No No
Data source: Stockpile and Robinhood

Alternatives to Consider

We recommend comparing brokerage options to ensure the account you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of our best trading platforms of 2024.

Broker Best For Commissions Learn More
Logo for Public
Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
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= Poor
Easy fractional investing in stocks and bonds. $0 commissions, 1%-2% crypto markups
Learn More for Public

On Public's Secure Website.

Logo for SoFi Active Investing
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Managing your finances under one roof $0 for stocks, $0 for options contracts
Learn More for SoFi Active Investing

On SoFi Active Investing's Secure Website.

Logo for Robinhood
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
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Low fees on stocks, ETFs, crypto, and options $0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; up to $6.99 monthly for Robinhood Gold
Learn More for Robinhood

On Robinhood's Secure Website.

Stockpile vs. Robinhood: Account types available

If you're looking for the best brokers for IRAs or the best robo-advisors, Stockpile and Robinhood will both disappoint, as neither brokerage account offers a robo-advisory service. However, Robinhood now offers Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs for retirement savers. It even provides a 1% match for non-Gold members and a 3% match for Gold members. You can't open tax-advantaged retirement accounts such as IRAs with Stockpile.

Stockpile does offer custodial accounts, though, which Robinhood doesn't. But those interested in a spending account will find them available at Robinhood, while Stockpile has no comparable alternative.

Stockpile Robinhood
Taxable brokerage Yes Yes
Joint tenant No Yes
Margin No Yes
Robo-advisor No No
Traditional IRA No Yes
Roth IRA No Yes
Other IRA No No
Custodial Yes No
Checking No Spending account; cash management account is no longer accepting new members
Savings No No
Credit card No Yes
Data source: Stockpile and Robinhood

Stockpile vs. Robinhood: Mobile app and trading platforms

Stockpile and Robinhood are both focused on mobile investing and have full-featured apps that make trading stocks and ETFs simple on the go. The Robinhood app received a 4.2 out of 5-star rating, while Stockpile received a 4.7-star rating from the App Store.

Neither Stockpile nor Robinhood offer full-featured desktop versions such as those offered by Charles Schwab. But their platforms don't have much of a learning curve and they make it simple to find assets to buy, manage your portfolio, and track your investing progress.

Final take

When deciding between Stockpile vs. Robinhood, a lot depends on the kind of investor you are and the account type you are looking for.

Stockpile is an ideal choice for parents who hope to teach kids about investing, while Robinhood is a better fit for anyone who wants to trade options or invest for retirement. If you're simply interested in stock trading -- or in buying fractional shares -- you can't go wrong with either brokerage firm. You may want to try out the apps each offers to see which user interface you prefer.

Robinhood
Learn More for Robinhood

On Robinhood's Secure Website.

Ratings Methodology

Our Rating:

Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Bottom Line

Robinhood is a simple, low-cost brokerage with a few rare perks. What it lacks in customer service it provides in a smooth in-app experience. Without membership, you will lack research resources but still be able to trade affordably. With a membership, you can earn 3% and 1% match on IRA and taxable deposits. The app grows fast -- new perks are being released at a rapid pace.

Fees:

$0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; up to $6.99 monthly for Robinhood Gold

Account Minimum:

$0

Learn More for Robinhood

On Robinhood's Secure Website.