Robinhood review

Updated September 28, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Robinhood suits first-time investors and small, regular investors who want nothing charged for holding or trading. It is the cheapest way in on our data, with a minimum deposit of $0, no account fee and no inactivity charge, under the Bank of Lithuania and SIPC.

Key facts

Best for
Starters and small regular investors who want to pay no account or inactivity fee.
Minimum deposit
$0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Stock trade fee
$0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Account fee
$0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Inactivity fee
$0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Markets
Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Crypto (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Regulators
Bank of Lithuania (LSC), LT BL, SIPC (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Investor protection
EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Margin rate
3.95% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Options contract fee
$0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Deposit and withdrawal fees
$100 outgoing transfer (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Platforms
Robinhood app, Robinhood Legend (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Account types
IRA, Roth-IRA, Joint (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Maximum retail leverage
10X (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Robinhood Europe UAB (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Lithuania (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2013 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Features
Crypto, Fractional shares, Options, Futures, Mobile app
Pricing model
Commission-free, Low fees
Audience
Beginners, Day traders
Official website
robinhood.com

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App Store
Elsewhere
Wikidata

Pros and cons

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
Robinhood

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Scored 9.4 / 10 by BrokerCue.

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Who it suits

  • Beginners opening a first account with a small deposit
  • Day-traders working in options, futures and crypto on mobile
  • Retirement investors using an IRA, Roth IRA or joint account

Who should look elsewhere

  • Vantage if a flat minimum deposit of $5 suits you better
  • CFI if you want forex and CFDs alongside shares, since its markets cover stocks, etfs and forex
  • eToro if social copy trading matters more than options and futures

Trading costs beyond commission

Commission is not the only line on a Robinhood statement. Borrowing to hold a leveraged position is charged at a margin rate of 3.95%, which accrues on the borrowed amount rather than on the trade itself. Options contracts are priced at $0 for each contract traded. Between them, the margin rate and the options contract charge are the two costs that decide whether a bigger position is worth the extra risk, and both sit on top of a $0 share commission.

Fees and costs

The headline numbers are the easiest part. Buying or selling a share costs $0, and an options contract costs $0. Keeping the account open costs an account fee of $0, and leaving it untouched costs an inactivity fee of $0, so a dormant account is not quietly drained. The minimum deposit is $0, which means the account can be opened and used at a size most beginners can manage. Two charges do apply beyond trading: borrowing on margin at a margin rate of 3.95%, and moving money out, where an outgoing transfer is charged at $100 outgoing transfer. Read the withdrawal charge before you open, because it is the one cost that hits regardless of how well you trade.

Account opening and funding

Funding starts at a minimum deposit of $0, so there is no floor to clear before your first order. Moving money out is not symmetrical with funding: an outgoing transfer carries $100 outgoing transfer, which is worth checking against the size of any withdrawal you have in mind. The account types listed are an IRA, a Roth IRA and a joint account, which suits investors holding assets in a retirement or shared wrapper rather than one trading a taxable cash account. There is no listed UK or European tax-sheltered wrapper in the account types, so readers who want that sort of account should read this section before applying.

How it compares on our data

Measured across every brand we track, Robinhood sits at position 1 on the account fee out of 138 brands ranked, and at position 1 on the inactivity fee out of 56. The minimum deposit places it at position 1 out of 213, and the stock trade fee at position 1 out of 161. Those four positions are the reason it keeps appearing on cost shortlists: it is not simply cheap on one line, it is cheap on every line we score, including the fees that quietly penalise small, infrequent investors.

Who regulates it

The European entity is registered with the Bank of Lithuania under licence MiCA CASP 254900GTP4UXQO1UMI36, which is the crypto asset service provider registration. It also appears in the Bank of Lithuania register under PSD_PI 306377915. The US side is covered by SIPC member 69916, the membership that sits behind investor protection on US accounts. The two are separate, so the licence that covers your account depends on which entity you hold it with: the Bank of Lithuania registration for European business, and SIPC membership for the US.

The company behind it

The company is Robinhood Europe UAB, based in Lithuania, and it was founded in 2013. It operates under the Bank of Lithuania, holding the crypto asset service provider licence MiCA CASP 254900GTP4UXQO1UMI36 and the entry PSD_PI 306377915 in that register. The US business carries SIPC member 69916. The name you hold the account with matters: the legal entity here is the European one, and it is the Bank of Lithuania registrations and the SIPC membership that sit behind the money, in that order, depending on where the account is held.

How Robinhood compares

Where Robinhood is available

Licence in Lithuania
Bank of Lithuania (LSC) (MiCA CASP 254900GTP4UXQO1UMI36), checked September 26, 2026, also valid in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia
Licence in Lithuania
LT_BL (PSD_PI 306377915), checked September 26, 2026, also valid in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia
Licence in United States
SIPC (SIPC member 69916), checked September 26, 2026

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to trade shares on Robinhood?+

Trading a share costs $0, and an options contract costs $0. There is also an account fee of $0 and an inactivity fee of $0, so nothing is taken for simply holding the account open. Borrowing on margin is charged at a margin rate of 3.95%, which is the main running cost if you use leverage.

Is there a minimum deposit to open a Robinhood account?+

The minimum deposit is $0, so you can open an account and place a small first order without funding a large balance. It is worth comparing that with the deposits other brands ask for before you commit, since the figure varies widely across the market. Outgoing transfers are charged at $100 outgoing transfer, so factor that in if you plan to move money out early.

Who regulates Robinhood?+

In Europe the entity is Robinhood Europe UAB, registered with the Bank of Lithuania under licence MiCA CASP 254900GTP4UXQO1UMI36 and listed in that register as PSD_PI 306377915. The US side is covered by SIPC member 69916. Which of these applies to you depends on the entity holding your account, so check that before you fund it.

What investor protection applies to a Robinhood account?+

The investor protection listed is the EU investor compensation scheme, shown as EU ICS up to EUR 20,000. US accounts sit under SIPC, and Robinhood appears as SIPC member 69916 in the membership list. These are separate schemes, so the cover available to you follows the entity that holds your account rather than the brand name.

Which account types can I open?+

The account types listed are an IRA, a Roth IRA and a joint account, which gives you a retirement wrapper, a tax-advantaged retirement wrapper and a shared account. There is no tax-sheltered UK or European wrapper among them, so readers who want that sort of account should look elsewhere. Funding can start from a minimum deposit of $0.

Can I trade options, futures and crypto on the same account?+

Yes, and the feature list includes crypto, fractional shares, options, futures and a mobile app, so all of these sit on one account rather than separate platforms. An options contract costs $0. Access to the app means you can trade and monitor positions away from a desk, which suits active day-traders.

What leverage is available, and what does it cost?+

Maximum retail leverage is 10X, so a small move in the market produces a much larger move in your position. The borrowing is charged at a margin rate of 3.95%, and that interest is a cost whether or not the position makes money. Beginners are usually better served by the $0 share commission than by borrowing.

Which platforms can I use to trade?+

The listed platforms are the Robinhood app and Robinhood Legend, and a mobile app is one of the features offered. Legend is the desktop-style side of the offering for more detailed charts and screening, while the app covers everyday buying and selling. Both sit behind the same account fee of $0 and inactivity fee of $0.

Sources

Compiled from 8 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Retail accounts that lose money.

Robinhood

Robinhood

Starters and small regular investors who want to pay no account or inactivity fee.

9.4/10Visit

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