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Best Investment Apps for December 2023

Review Updated
Matt Frankel, CFP®
By: Matt Frankel, CFP®

Our Brokerages Expert

Nathan Alderman
Check IconFact Checked Nathan Alderman
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.

You don't need a full-service stock broker or financial advisor to help manage your investments. In fact, you don't even need a computer. Excellent investment apps make it easy to buy and sell stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and other investments right from your phone -- from anywhere. There are apps for beginners and experienced investors, for active trading and hands-off automation. Some even offer robust features like stock analysis and research.

The best investing apps are more than apps to buy stocks. While some apps in this list are dedicated to that purpose, some go beyond investing and bring together your full financial picture in one place where you can set up banking and loans through the same app. Whatever your financial needs, there's an app for you. Here's our list of the best investment apps.

There are a lot of options to compare, even on this page. It can be overwhelming! If you're looking for a place to start, here are three investment apps our experts recommend and why they like them:

Our 11 Best Investment Apps for December 2023

Broker/Advisor Best For Commissions Next Steps
Robinhood Offer Image
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
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
Best For:

$0 commissions

Commission:

$0 for stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrencies

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner
SoFi Active Investing Offer Image
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
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
Best For:

Managing your money needs with one app

Commission:

$0 for stocks, $0 for options contracts

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner
Fidelity Offer Image
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.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
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.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best For:

Full-featured broker

Commission:

$0 commission for online U.S. stock and ETF trades

M1 Finance Offer Image
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
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
Best For:

Investing and banking in one

Commission:

$0 commissions and no management fee. M1 Plus membership costs $10 per month.

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner
Ally Invest Offer Image
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
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
Best For:

Combined investment and banking needs

Commission:

$0 stock and ETF trades

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner
Betterment Offer Image
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
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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= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best For:

Robo-advisor investing app

Commission:

$0 per trade, management fee 0.25%

Webull Offer Image
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
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
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
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best For:

Mobile app trading platform

Commission:

$0 per trade

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner
Charles Schwab Offer Image
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
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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= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best For:

Investing app for IRAs

Commission:

$0 stock and ETF trades

Tastytrade Offer Image
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
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
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
= Good
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= Poor
Best For:

Options investing app

Commission:

$0 for stocks, $1 per option contract (opening trades only)

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner
Wealthfront Offer Image
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
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
Best For:

Robo-advisor app

Commission:

$0 per trade, management fee 0.25%

Acorns Offer Image
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
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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= Excellent
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Best For:

Beginning investors

Commission:

$3-$9 monthly

How to choose the best investment app

There are are a few things we like to look for when choosing an investing app:

  • Diverse investment options
  • Low or no fees
  • Affordable account minimum
  • Educational resources
  • User-friendly platform
Robinhood
Open Account 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
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Bottom Line

Robinhood's user-friendly mobile investing app allows trading in stocks, ETFs, options, cryptocurrencies, and fractional shares, all with $0 commissions.

Fees:

$0 for stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrencies

Account Minimum:

$0

Special Offer Circle with letter I in it. Open a new eligible E*TRADE brokerage or retirement account using the code REWARD23, fund your account within 60 days of opening, and earn a cash bonus of up to $700 or more, depending on the size of your deposit. The code is only good for one use per customer, on a single account.

Open and fund & get up to $700 or more

Open Account for Robinhood

On Robinhood's Secure Website.

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner

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.
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= Excellent
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Bottom Line

SoFi is a great lending, investing, saving, and personal finance app all rolled into one, making it a very good investment app for handling your money needs under one roof.

Fees:

$0 for stocks, $0 for options contracts

Account Minimum:

$0

Special Offer Circle with letter I in it. For new accounts: Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $10 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. IRAs: Only offers made via ACH are eligible for the match. ACATs, wires, and rollovers are not included. Offer ends 12/31/23.

For new accounts: Get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new Active Invest account. For IRAs: SoFi will match 1% of your contributions to your IRA.

Open Account for SoFi Active Investing

On SoFi Active Investing's Secure Website.

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner

Our Rating:

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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= Excellent
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Bottom Line

Fidelity is one of the largest and one of the most well-rounded brokerages available in the US 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.

Fees:

$0 commission for online U.S. stock and ETF trades

Account Minimum:

$0

Open Account for Fidelity

On Fidelity's Secure Website.

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

M1 Finance packs in robust investing and banking needs within a simple-to-use-app. What's more, there's no account management fee.

Fees:

$0 commissions and no management fee. M1 Plus membership costs $10 per month.

Account Minimum:

$100

Open Account for M1 Finance

On M1 Finance's Secure Website.

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner

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

Ally combines investment and personal financial accounts in one easy-to-use app.

Fees:

$0 stock and ETF trades

Account Minimum:

$0

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner

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

Betterment helped pioneer the robo-advisor business and remains one of the best investment app options.

Fees:

$0 per trade, management fee 0.25%

Account Minimum:

$10

Our Rating:

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
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Bottom Line

Webull offers a user-friendly stock investing platform with more features than some of its rivals, including cheap margin rates.

Fees:

$0 per trade

Account Minimum:

$0

Open Account for Webull

On Webull's Secure Website.

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner

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

Few stock brokers have a mobile app that closely resembles the robust features and capabilities of their online investment app. Schwab bucks that trend. Importantly, accountholders can manage all of their standard accounts via the app, including IRAs, taxable brokerage, and bank accounts.

Fees:

$0 stock and ETF trades

Account Minimum:

$0

Our Rating:

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
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Bottom Line

tastytrade is laser-focused on options investing and its app is well-suited to options traders. Its feature-rich order entry platform helps is versatile enough on mobile for actions you'd otherwise want to take through its other trading platforms.

Fees:

$0 for stocks, $1 per option contract (opening trades only)

Account Minimum:

$0

Award Icon 2023 Award Winner

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

One of the best robo-advisors for low costs and diverse investing needs, with an excellent mobile app to boot.

Fees:

$0 per trade, management fee 0.25%

Account Minimum:

$500

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

A solid pick for investors that want to put their savings and investments on cruise control. Acorns' approach to automatically rounding up purchases is a simple way to start investing.

Fees:

$3-$9 monthly

Account Minimum:

$0

Open Account for Acorns

On Acorns' Secure Website.

Editor's Note: TD Ameritrade is transitioning to Charles Schwab

Over Labor Day weekend (Sept. 2 - Sept. 5, 2023), most TD Ameritrade accounts were transitioned to Charles Schwab accounts. We’ve removed TD Ameritrade from our list of Best Investment Apps since any new accounts will be transitioned to Charles Schwab accounts in the future. Here at The Ascent, you can trust that we’re constantly evaluating our top broker picks to bring you the most up-to-date information.

Reviews of the best investment apps

SoFi Active Investing

Best for:

Investors managing your money needs within one app

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

SoFi, short for Social Finance, sets out to be an all-in-one financial community. The company is best known for its lending business, which includes:

It also offers a high-yield savings account and an investment option called SoFi Active Invest. You can use the platform for active trading or automated investing. Unlike many financial tech companies, SoFi lets you invest in traditional and Roth IRAs as well as traditional securities. The best part? All of these features are available through a single, highly-rated app.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.8/5 stars
  • Android rating: 4.0/5 stars

Pros

  • Diverse product offerings
  • Stock investing and automated investing
  • Fractional shares
  • Retirement accounts
  • Community-based structure
  • Membership discounts on loan interest rates

Cons

Robinhood

Best for:

Stocks, ETFs, options, cryptocurrency, and fractional-share investing

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

Robinhood is a user-friendly platform that gives you access to a variety of common investment vehicles. It pays interest on cash balances and also offers no-commission options and cryptocurrency trading. A Robinhood Gold premium membership for $5 a month gives you access to Morningstar stock research reports and $1,000 of interest-free margin.

On the downside, the app offers few educational tools, no advanced trading tools, no mutual funds, and no IRAs.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.2/5 stars
  • Android rating: 4.0/5 stars

Pros

  • $0 commissions
  • User-friendly platform
  • Fractional share investing
  • Options and cryptocurrency investing

Cons

  • Few educational resources
  • No stock research with free account
  • No mutual funds

Fidelity

Best for:

Investors who want a great mobile experience with all the features Fidelity has to offer

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

Fidelity's investing platform is user friendly and highly customizable. Through the online investment app, users can set up a customized news feed, view stock research, and even deposit checks and pay bills. Plus, it's one of only a few money investment apps to facilitate trading on international markets.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.8/5 stars
  • Android rating: 4.2/5 stars

Pros

  • Fractional shares of more than 7,000 stocks
  • Highest-rated mobile app among traditional (not app-based) brokers
  • Extensive branch network for face-to-face help
  • Trading on international markets

Cons

  • Higher-than-average margin rates
  • High commissions on options
  • No cryptocurrency trading

Ally Invest

Best for:

Keeping your finances all in one place

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

Ally Invest's mobile app combines a few vital financial services in one easy-to-use app. You can buy and sell stocks, ETFs, options, and mutual funds through this money investment app. You can also access a number of features, including:

In short, Ally is a great financial app that also has impressive investing functionality. It's one of the best stock investing apps for people who want to keep their banking and investing in one user-friendly place.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.7/5 stars
  • Android rating: 3.8/5 stars

Pros

  • Banking, investment, and loans in one app
  • Educational tools and research
  • One of the lowest standard mutual fund commissions in the industry
  • Retirement accounts

Cons

  • Annual fee to attach debit card to account
  • Trading platform is not as sophisticated as some other brokerages
  • No no-transaction-fee (NTF) mutual funds

Betterment

Best for:

Hands-off investors putting their investing on cruise control with a robo-advisor

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

Betterment was one of the pioneers in the robo-advisory space, and it's still one of the best stock investing apps in the business. Betterment will craft an age- and risk-appropriate portfolio to help you meet your long-term goals. It charges a low management fee and has no minimum balance. It offers tax-loss harvesting, which is rare for low-balance brokers. You can also use a cash management account to earn interest on your idle cash. Betterment is a fantastic choice for beginner and intermediate investors, and its user-friendly money investment app is one of the highest-rated in the business.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.7/5 stars
  • Android rating: 4.5/5 stars

Pros

  • Low management fee
  • High-yield cash management account
  • No minimum balance (but $10 to start investing)
  • Tax-loss harvesting with no minimum balance

Cons

  • Human advisors aren't available with a free account
  • Limited account types
  • No self-directed accounts

Webull

Best for:

Mobile app trading platform

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

Webull is a mobile-based trading platform with considerably more functionality than most of its rivals. There are no account minimums, and customers can trade stocks and options commission free. For investors who use margin, Webull has some of the lowest rates in the industry. New investors can take advantage of Webull's virtual trading "play money" feature as they learn. This makes it one of the best apps to invest in stocks for hands-on beginners.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.7/5 stars
  • Android rating: 4.4/5 stars

Pros

  • Commission-free stock and options trading
  • More features than most other mobile trading platforms
  • Traditional IRAs as well as taxable brokerage accounts
  • Cryptocurrency trading
  • Fractional share trading with $5 minimum

Cons

  • No mutual funds or OTC stocks
  • Few educational resources
  • Subscription required for most market data and research

Charles Schwab (Schwab Mobile)

Best for:

Investing app for IRAs

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

Charles Schwab offers one of the best stock investment apps for IRA investing as well as for all your routine investing and banking needs. You can manage a diverse array of account needs on the go. Compare that to many other stock brokers, which offer apps with slimmed-down feature sets that require you to manage your account online to take advantage of all features. Importantly for IRA account holders, you can make annual deposits and withdraw funds for your required minimum distributions (RMD) or other needs, along with paying taxes on those withdrawals.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.8/5 stars
  • Android rating: 3.7/5 stars

Pros

  • $0 commission trading
  • Robust mutual fund access
  • Investing and banking all in one
  • Nationwide branch network
  • Highly rated app

Cons

  • Mid-range margin rates
  • No cryptocurrency trading

Tastytrade

Best for:

Experienced investors interested in mobile options trading 

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

Tastytrade is one of the brokers that made options trading accessible to retail investors. While it offers other types of investments, including cryptocurrencies, options are still its forte. The Tastytrade app puts all the most popular options trading strategies at your fingertips, including strangles, straddles, and iron condors. It also lets you view a trading activity feed and follow the moves of traders you like.

There is a learning curve to Tastytrade, and it doesn't have as many features as all-purpose money investment apps. For those reasons, it's not designed for new investors. If your focus is options trading, Tastytrade is hard to beat.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.8/5 stars
  • Android rating: 4.6/5 stars

Pros

  • Powerful options trading platform
  • Stock, ETF, future, and cryptocurrency trading
  • No minimum account balance
  • Trader feed adds a social element
  • Supports fractional share trading

Cons

  • Not beginner-friendly
  • No educational content

Wealthfront

Best for:

Automated investing

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

Wealthfront is a robo-advisor with one of the highest-rated investment apps. It provides automated investment portfolios with low management fees. It has some excellent features, like Path, which analyzes the impact of investment decisions on your long-term financial health. Customers can also contribute to a high-yield savings account with debit card access. Wealthfront is a rare robo-advisor that offers a 529 college savings account, and it offers a low interest portfolio line of credit to customers with $25,000 or more in their accounts.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.8/5 stars
  • Android rating: 4.5/5 stars

Pros

  • Low costs
  • High-yield savings account with debit card
  • Tax-loss harvesting
  • Lots of account types
  • Line of credit for some customers

Cons

  • $500 account minimum
  • No human financial advisors

Acorns

Best for:

Beginning investors to put savings and investments on cruise control

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

Acorns automates investing by rounding up each purchase you make with a connected credit or debit card and investing that spare change in one of five investment portfolios. Their stock investment app is simple to use, as evidenced by its high user ratings. What's more, Acorns has straightforward and transparent pricing and offers a checking account with a debit card.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.7/5 stars
  • Android rating: 4.6/5 stars

Pros

  • Automatic "round-up" investing
  • Easy-to-use app
  • Several types of accounts, including UGMA/UTMA accounts for kids
  • Straightforward pricing
  • Checking account for members

Cons

  • No tax-loss harvesting
  • No human financial advisors
  • Fees can be high for small account balances

M1 Finance

Best for:

Self-directed investing, stocks, ETFs, fractional-share trading, banking, line of credit

Why it made the list of best investing apps:

M1 Finance is built for self-directed investors. You start by customizing your portfolio with stocks (including fractional shares) and ETFs, or choosing an expert-designed portfolio. You can answer questions about your financial goals and use M1's tools to make investment choices. M1 shows you the balance of your portfolio with its "Pie" interface, which helps you easily see the performance of each stock or ETF. A minimum initial investment of $100 is required to get started ($500 for IRAs). After that, you can fund your account with as little as $10 at a time. M1 also offers a banking account called M1 Spend, an FDIC-insured checking account with no monthly fee and no minimum balance.

App store ratings:

  • iOS rating: 4.7/5 stars
  • Android rating: 4.5/5 stars

Pros

  • Investment integrated with banking and line of credit
  • No account management fees
  • Low expense ratios
  • Dynamic rebalancing
  • Fractional-share trading
  • Low account minimums

Cons

  • No access to human advisors
  • No tax loss harvesting

Best investment apps for beginners

In the list above, we've included an array of good investing apps, some for beginners and some for experienced investors, some for hands-on investing and some for set-it-and-forget-it investors.

If you're brand new to investing and want to use an online investment app tailored to your situation, check out our list of best investment apps for beginners.

Best mutual fund brokers

Mutual fund options can be tough to find when you're browsing online stock brokers and online investment apps. Many of these apps focus on more hands-off securities like ETFs and don't give you the option to invest in mutual funds.

If you know you want mutual funds to be part of your portfolio, find the best stock broker for you on our list of best stock brokers for mutual funds.

Best cryptocurrency investment apps

Many online stock brokers and online investment apps have gotten with the program and added cryptocurrency options to their platforms. But these are usually limited to a fraction of the available currencies and won't likely satisfy you if you're an experienced crypto investor (or want to dive in deeper).

Our list of the best cryptocurrency apps and exchanges includes some of the most popular apps dedicated solely to crypto trading, so you can choose from among hundreds of currencies instead of a handful.

Are stock investment apps worth it?

Is it worth your time and money to get started with an investment app when you could probably sign up for your employer's retirement plan and talk to a local financial planner about where to put your money? For a lot of people, the answer is yes, but whether it makes sense for you depends on your unique circumstances and financial goals.

The advantage most investing apps have over investment advisors and financial planners is cost. A good investing app will tend to come with far lower fees than working with a human advisor, and some are even mostly free to use.

The other advantage investment apps have is automation. For low or no fees, you can set your money on autopilot and let it grow without your time or effort.

If you prefer hands-on investing, you might want to go with a more traditional broker. And if you like personalized service or want to support businesses in your community, a local advisor might be a good choice for you instead of a robo-advisor.

Pros and cons of investing apps

Here are some great reasons why you should consider using an app to invest in stocks (or several).

Pros

  • Plan for retirement without learning complicated investment strategies.
  • Put your money on autopilot for hands-off investing.
  • Track and manage investments on the go.
  • Get a snapshot of your finances in a single app.
  • Integration with banking and loans.
  • Built-in educational resources.

And here are three major downsides to watch out for when choosing an investment app.

Cons

  • Lack of access to or connection with a human advisor.
  • Fees could be a high percentage of assets for micro investors.
  • Hit-or-miss customer support.

What investments are offered with online investment apps?

No investment app offers all of these (at least, we haven't found one yet) like some of the best stock brokers do. But here are some of the types of investments you can buy and sell with investment apps:

  • Individual stocks
  • Bonds
  • Mutual funds
  • Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
  • Futures
  • Cryptocurrencies
  • Automated portfolios
  • Foreign currencies
  • Precious metals
  • Fine art

How much should you invest?

How much money do you need to start investing? That depends on your long-term goals. You can find a broker or investment app that caters to any amount you want to invest. So, instead ask, "What do you want your investments to do for you?"

A general rule of investing is to start ASAP. Your money grows more the longer you leave it in an investment account, so it doesn't help you to wait until you've saved thousands of dollars to make your first investment.

If you just have a few dollars to spare each week or month, you can start with a micro investing app like Acorns. If you have a few hundred, you can start with a beginner-friendly app with more features, like Wealthfront or Betterment.

Before you decide how much you want to invest, set some financial priorities. Make sure you pay off debt first, build an emergency fund of liquid savings, and create a budget to cover your everyday expenses.

Learn more: How much money do you need to start investing?

Keep researching our top picks:

FAQs

  • There are several good investment apps in the market, and the best one for you depends on your investment goals and risk tolerance. Some investment apps are full-featured brokerage platforms, others are user-friendly ways to occasionally buy or sell stocks, and others are robo-advisors that essentially put your investment strategy on autopilot.

  • There are several highly-rated investment apps. Acorns, Wealthfront, and Betterment are popular choices, especially for beginners, as they completely automate your investment strategy. Robinhood and SoFi both have extremely user-friendly investment platforms if you're looking to buy and sell individual stocks. And for more experienced investors, or those who want a more full-featured experience, Schwab Mobile is highly rated in both the App Store and Google Play store.

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