The Ascent’s 2024 Stock Broker and Robo-Advisor Awards award banner The Ascent’s 2024 Stock Broker and Robo-Advisor Awards

Our best stock brokers for beginners, options, IRAs and more

To determine the Best Stock Brokers and Robo-Advisors awards for 2024, The Ascent’s experts evaluated accounts with our ratings model, focusing on industry factors and user benefits, including:

  • Assets and portfolio options
  • Account variety (like 529, custodial, IRAs, and trusts)
  • Features like tax loss harvesting, research, and customer service
  • Trading platform and mobile app ratings

Fidelity

Best Stock Broker Overall

Fidelity

Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
5.0/5 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.
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Fidelity is one of the largest and one of the most well-rounded brokerages available in the U.S. today. Importantly, Fidelity offers $0 commission for online stock and ETF trades, plus a high-quality mobile app that's good for both beginners and seasoned investors.

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Fidelity disclosure

Fractional share quantities can be entered out to 3 decimal places (.001) as long as the value of the order is at least $1.00. Dollar-based trades can be entered out to 2 decimal places (e.g. $250.00)

SoFi Active Investing

Best Stock Broker for Beginners

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.
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SoFi has built a robust and valuable ecosystem to help manage your money in one place. SoFi Active Investing enhances that ecosystem with $0 stock commissions and low account minimums.

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Tastytrade

Best Stock Broker for Options Trading

Tastytrade

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.
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A true options-first broker that sprinkles in the ability to trade mostly stocks, ETFs, and futures. The standouts are its options trading platform and commission structure.

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tastytrade, Inc. (“tastytrade”) has entered into a Marketing Agreement with Marketing Agent (“Marketing Agent”) whereby tastytrade pays compensation to Marketing Agent to recommend tastytrade’s brokerage services. The existence of this Marketing Agreement should not be deemed as an endorsement or recommendation of Marketing Agent by tastytrade and/or any of its affiliated companies. Neither tastytrade nor any of its affiliated companies is responsible for the privacy practices of Marketing Agent or this website. tastytrade does not warrant the accuracy or content of the products or services offered by Marketing Agent or this website. Marketing Agent is independent and is not an affiliate of tastytrade.

tastytrade was previously known as tastyworks, Inc.

Interactive Brokers

Best Stock Broker for International Trading

Interactive Brokers

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.
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Interactive Brokers' Trader Workstation offers access to more than 150 markets around the globe, several times more markets than any other discount brokerage firm. Investors can also trade assets in 27 different currencies.

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Charles Schwab

Best Stock Broker for IRAs

Charles Schwab

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.
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Schwab sports hundreds of no-commission ETFs and the largest amount of no-transaction-fee mutual funds of any broker we evaluated, and individual stock trades are now $0. Its lineup of retirement accounts expands beyond just online access to robust account management capabilities via its mobile app.

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Robinhood

Best Stock Broker for Fractional Shares

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.
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Fractional shares can be purchased commission free with as little as $1 for companies with a market capitalization of at least $25 million. Robinhood's commission-free and modern brokerage experience further its lead in this area.

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Robinhood disclosure

All investments involve risk and loss of principal is possible. 

Securities are offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Cryptocurrency services are offered through an account with Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840). Robinhood Crypto is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Cryptocurrency held through Robinhood Crypto is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected. For more information see the Robinhood Crypto Risk Disclosure.

Trades of stocks, ETFs and options are commission-free at Robinhood Financial LLC.  Other fees may apply. Please see Robinhood Financial’s Fee Schedule to learn more.

Fractional shares are illiquid outside of Robinhood and are not transferable.  Not all securities available through Robinhood are eligible for fractional share orders. For a complete explanation of conditions, restrictions and limitations associated with fractional shares, see the Fractional Shares section of our Customer Agreement

Robinhood Gold is an account offering premium services available for a $5 monthly fee. Not all investors will be eligible to trade on Margin. Margin investing involves the risk of greater investment losses. Additional interest charges may apply depending on the amount of margin used. Bigger Instant Deposits are only available if your Instant Deposits status is in good standing.

Wealthfront

Best Robo Advisor Overall

Wealthfront

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.
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If you have a large account balance or are in a high tax bracket, Wealthfront could be great for you as tax-loss harvesting can result in significant savings. Robo trading and advising capabilities are just one of the many investor-friendly features that help to simplify the process.

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Betterment

Best Robo Advisor for IRAs

Betterment

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.
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Betterment offers a wide array of investment services and account types, along with essential cash management features such as a high-yield cash account. Best yet, Betterment is now offering up to one year managed free. Top it off with one the best robo investors available, and Betterment is a perfect fit for investors of every experience level.

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Betterment disclaimers

†Betterment Cash Reserve ("Cash Reserve") is offered by Betterment LLC. Clients of Betterment LLC participate in Cash Reserve through their brokerage account held at Betterment Securities. Neither Betterment LLC nor any of its affiliates is a bank. Through Cash Reserve, clients' funds are deposited into one or more banks ("Program Banks") where the funds earn a variable interest rate and are eligible for FDIC insurance. Cash Reserve provides Betterment clients with the opportunity to earn interest on cash intended to purchase securities through Betterment LLC and Betterment Securities. Cash Reserve should not be viewed as a long-term investment option.

Funds held in your brokerage accounts are not FDIC‐insured but are protected by SIPC. Funds in transit to or from Program Banks are generally not FDIC‐insured but are protected by SIPC, except when those funds are held in a sweep account following a deposit or prior to a withdrawal, at which time funds are eligible for FDIC insurance but are not protected by SIPC. See Betterment Client Agreements for further details. Funds deposited into Cash Reserve are eligible for up to $1,000,000.00 (or $2,000,000.00 for joint accounts) of FDIC insurance once the funds reach one or more Program Banks (up to $250,000 for each insurable capacity—e.g., individual or joint—at up to four Program Banks). Even if there are more than four Program Banks, clients will not necessarily have deposits allocated in a manner that will provide FDIC insurance above $1,000,000.00 (or $2,000,000.00 for joint accounts). The FDIC calculates the insurance limits based on all accounts held in the same insurable capacity at a bank, not just cash in Cash Reserve. If clients elect to exclude one or more Program Banks from receiving deposits the amount of FDIC insurance available through Cash Reserve may be lower. Clients are responsible for monitoring their total assets at each Program Bank, including existing deposits held at Program Banks outside of Cash Reserve, to ensure FDIC insurance limits are not exceeded, which could result in some funds being uninsured. For more information on FDIC insurance please visit www.FDIC.gov. Deposits held in Program Banks are not protected by SIPC. For more information see the full terms and conditions and Betterment LLC's Form ADV Part II.

**The annual percentage yield ("APY") on the deposit balances in Betterment Cash Reserve ("Cash Reserve") is 4.00% and represents the weighted average of the APY on deposit balances at the banks participating in Cash Reserve (the "Program Banks") and is current as of Feb. 6, 2023. This APY is variable and subject to change daily. Deposit balances are not allocated equally among the participating Program Banks. A minimum deposit of $10 is required, but there is no minimum balance required to be maintained. The APY available to a customer may be lower if that customer designates a bank or banks as ineligible to receive deposits. APY applies only to Cash Reserve and does not apply to checking accounts held through Betterment Checking. Cash Reserve and Betterment Checking are separate offerings and are not linked accounts.

For Cash Reserve (“CR”), Betterment LLC only receives compensation from our program banks; Betterment LLC and Betterment Securities do not charge fees on your CR balance.

SoFi Automated Investing

Best Robo Advisor for Low Costs

SoFi Automated 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.
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With no management fee or account minimum, anyone can get started with SoFi Automated Investing and cut their costs.

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Charles Schwab

Best Online Trading Platform

Charles Schwab

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.
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Charles Schwab has aggressively slashed fees on its mutual funds and ETFs, eliminated common account fees, and lowered its base commissions to $0 per trade, making it one of the least-expensive brokers.

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Vanguard

Best Stock Broker for ETFs

Vanguard

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.
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Vanguard is the pioneer of the low-cost index fund. While you can trade Vanguard's excellent ETFs without commissions other places, a Vanguard brokerage account also gives you commission-free access to its mutual fund family that can't be found elsewhere.

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Vanguard disclosures

Visit vanguard.com to obtain a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus, for Vanguard and non-Vanguard funds offered through Vanguard Brokerage Services. The prospectus contains investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other information; read and consider carefully before investing.

Options are a leveraged investment and are not suitable for every investor. Options involve risk, including the possibility that you could lose more money than you invest. Before buying or selling options, you must receive a copy of Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options issued by OCC. A copy of this booklet is available at theocc.com. It may also be obtained from your broker, any exchange on which options are traded, or by contacting OCC at 125 S. Franklin Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60606 (888-678-4667 or 888-OPTIONS). The booklet contains information on options issued by OCC. It is intended for educational purposes. No statement in the booklet should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell a security or to provide investment advice. For further assistance, please call The Options Industry Council (OIC) helpline at 888-OPTIONS or visit optionseducation.org for more information. The OIC can provide you with balanced options education and tools to assist you with your options questions and trading.

Commission-free trading of Vanguard ETFs applies to trades placed both online and by phone. All ETFs are subject to management fees and expenses; refer to each ETF's prospectus for more information. Account service fees may also apply. All ETF sales are subject to a securities transaction fee. See the HYPERLINK "https://investor.vanguard.com/investing/transaction-fees-commissions/etfs" Vanguard Brokerage Services commission and fee schedules for full details.

Vanguard funds not held in a brokerage account are held by The Vanguard Group, Inc., and are not protected by SIPC. Brokerage assets are held by Vanguard Brokerage Services, a division of Vanguard Marketing Corporation, member FINRA and SIPC.

Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor of the Vanguard Funds

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing

Best Stock Broker for Mutual Funds

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing

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.
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One of the few brokers we've come across with a $0 mutual fund commission. The fact that you can manage your J.P Morgan self-directed and separate robo-advisor accounts under one roof is a nice plus.

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J.P Morgan Disclosure
INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE

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