Top investment platforms and apps compared

About Top investment platforms and apps compared

Investment platforms and apps cover 82 brands on BrokerCue, and they are where most retail investors first meet the cost of investing in something other than cash. The charges that matter are the annual account fee, the dealing charge on each trade, the minimum deposit, and any foreign exchange or inactivity fee. A fifth question sits alongside them and it is not a pricing question at all: who regulates the firm, and which protection scheme stands behind the holdings. The trade-off readers weigh most is between a cheap deal and a well supported account. Commission free dealing is the norm, 73.8% of the ranking, yet only some wrap those trades in a tax sheltered account such as an ISA or a SIPP, 26.8%, and only some will pick up the phone, 71%. Charles Stanley Direct heads the list on published fees and Financial Conduct Authority authorisation, Moneybox follows with a wider set of accounts for beginners, and Totality reaches across more markets than any other member. Further down, the table moves from app based investing to leveraged forex, CFDs and crypto trading, where costs and risk behave very differently.

How we picked

Every brand in this ranking is scored on fixed weights, and the weights decide as much as the facts do. Trust carries the largest share at 40%, drawn from the regulator, the legal entity and the protection scheme attached to the account. Cost is weighted at 35% and comes from account fees, stock dealing charges, minimum deposits, foreign exchange fees, inactivity fees and deposit or withdrawal charges. The offer itself, meaning markets, account types, platform features, audience and support channels, accounts for 25%. Sources are provider pages, regulator registers, protection scheme member lists and written reviews, and retail loss percentages are used in their published form rather than restated. The category draws 82 brands from 270 on the site, of which 45 are licensed. Partner brands appear first and the remaining brands follow in score order, and the partner flag sits outside the scoring.

Our top picks

1. 1. Robinhood

   Robinhood is in this ranking as a commission free app with a wider account set than the member above. Accounts cover an IRA, a Roth IRA and a joint account, and dealing runs across stocks, ETFs, options, futures and crypto, with an account fee of $0, a stock trade at $0 and an options trade at $0. The minimum deposit is $0 and the inactivity fee is $0, while borrowing costs extra at a margin rate of 3.95% with retail leverage of 10X. The client entity is Robinhood Europe UAB, regulated by the Bank of Lithuania, with EU ICS protection up to the stated limit, and outgoing transfers carry a fee under its deposit and withdrawal fees. Firstrade, ranked next, also deals without commission and adds funds to its market list.

   • Minimum deposit: $0
   • Stock trade fee: $0
   • Account fee: $0

   Pros

   • Nothing to pay to open or hold an account, with an account fee of $0 and an inactivity fee of $0
   • Trading a share costs $0, so a small first order is not eaten by commission
   • You can start with a deposit of $0, lower than most brands on our data
   • Fractional shares, options, futures, crypto and a mobile app are all available on the same account
   • Supervised by the Bank of Lithuania and a SIPC member, so your money sits with a regulated firm

   Cons

   • Leverage is available at 10X, which magnifies losses as well as gains
   • Outgoing transfers carry a charge of $100 outgoing transfer
   • Margin borrowing is priced at a margin rate of 3.95%, so interest adds to your cost
   • The listed account types cover retirement and joint accounts rather than tax-sheltered UK and European wrappers

2. RD4. Rocket Dollar: best for Rocket Dollar

   Rocket Dollar offers self-directed retirement accounts, including the Rocket Dollar IRA and the Solo 401(k), where you make the investment decisions yourself.

3. F5. Finvesto: best for Finvesto

   finvesto offers funds and ETF securities accounts, savings plans and managed ETF portfolios for private and business customers in Germany.

4. 7. Webull

   Webull sits in this ranking for range of products on a commission free footing. Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, crypto, bonds and funds all sit on one account, with a stock trade at $0 and an options trade at $0. Features cover fractional shares, a demo account, crypto and a mobile app, delivered on desktop, mobile and web. Incoming stock transfers are free, support runs on email, phone and help centre, and the firm is regulated by the FINRA and the SEC, with SIPC protection up to the stated limit through WEBULL FINANCIAL LLC. The account type listed is an IRA, which makes it a retirement account first. Robinhood, ranked next, offers an IRA, a Roth IRA and a joint account, adds a margin rate of 3.95% and a European entity regulated by the Bank of Lithuania, but charges on outgoing transfers under its deposit and withdrawal fees.

   • Stock trade fee: $0
   • Markets: Stocks, ETFs, Options, and 4 more
   • Regulators: FINRA, SEC, SIPC

   Pros

   • A stock trade costs $0 and an options contract $0 on the ira account.
   • Investor protection is SIPC up to USD 500,000, with registration under FINRA, SEC and SIPC.
   • A single app covers stocks, etfs and options, so shares, bonds, funds, options, futures and crypto sit together.
   • Fractional shares, a demo account and a mobile app are all in crypto, demo account and fractional shares, and incoming stock transfers are free.

   Cons

   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, with no live chat listed.
   • Account choice is narrow, with ira the only type listed.
   • Across the brokers compared, the middle retail loss share is 70.15% and the top of the range 88%.

5. 9. Firstrade

   Firstrade closes this ranking as a commission free, long established US option. Accounts cover an IRA, a Roth IRA and a joint account, with an account fee of $0, a stock trade at $0 and an options trade at $0. The minimum deposit is $0 and the inactivity fee is $0, while bank transfers are free under its deposit and withdrawal fees and wire transfers carry a charge. Markets cover stocks, ETFs, options and funds, features add fractional shares, a demo account, options and a mobile app, and the platform runs on web, iOS, Android and iPad. Founded in 1985 in the US, it is regulated by the FINRA, with SIPC protection up to the stated limit for FIRSTRADE SECURITIES INC, and support by phone and help centre. Robinhood, the member ranked above, adds futures, crypto and a margin rate of 3.95%.

   • Minimum deposit: $0
   • Stock trade fee: $0
   • Account fee: $0

   Pros

   • Regulated in the US by FINRA and SIPC, with protection stated as SIPC up to USD 500,000 and a membership record at SIPC member 34642.
   • A traditional IRA, a Roth IRA and a joint account all sit in ira, roth ira and joint under the commission-free pricing in commission free, so retirement and shared accounts hold at the same cost.
   • Fractional shares and a demo account sit in demo account, options and mobile app, which helps the beginners and day traders named in beginners, experienced and day traders start small.
   • Trading runs on the platforms in Web, iOS and Android, so the same account works in a browser and on a phone or tablet.

   Cons

   • The market list in stocks, etfs and options covers stocks, ETFs, options and funds, a narrow range next to eToro at stocks, etfs and forex and CFI at stocks, etfs and forex.
   • Live chat and email are not among the listed support channels (phone and help centre), which pair a phone line with a help centre.
   • An ISA and a SIPP are not among the listed account types (ira, roth ira and joint), which cover a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA and a joint account.
   • Across the site 70.15% of retail accounts lose money, and brands aimed at beginners sit at 74%, so a low price says little about how a portfolio ends.

What to look for

The dealing charge on one trade

The median stock dealing charge in this category is €0 and the higher end reaches €0.44. A headline price tells you little, so check what a single trade actually costs and what a platform charges for currencies.

The account fee and what it applies to

The median account fee is €0 while the top of the range reaches €201.70. Read which account type a fee applies to before comparing two platforms, because a fee can sit on a tax wrapper only.

The minimum deposit

A median minimum deposit of €1.16 sits against €274.05 higher up the range and €0 at the floor. Low entry points suit investors who add money in small, regular amounts.

The account type you will use

IRAs appear in 48.8% of the category, joint accounts in 34.1% and SIPPs in 26.8%. Choose the wrapper you need first, then look at the fee and the markets inside it.

Support when money is involved

Help centres appear in 75.8% of the category, phone support in 71% and email in 53.2%. A phone line matters most on a platform where cash sits for days.

Markets and features that change the risk

Stocks are listed in 74.7% of the category, ETFs in 76%, crypto in 24% and options in 26.7%, while mobile apps are close to standard at 94.4%.

Frequently asked questions

Top investment platforms and apps compared by country

• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• United Kingdom
• United States

Brokers compared head to head

• Robinhood vs Traders Place

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV