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Your investment platform is your door to the U.S. and global markets. It defines your experience, accessibility, fees and more, making your platform choice a key part of your journey, whether you’re a new or seasoned investor. After years of using various platforms, I’ve narrowed down the best options that suit different investment styles and needs. My top picks are:
Let’s dive in to explore each platform’s features, fees, available assets and drawbacks.
1. Best overall: Charles Schwab
Fees:
Stocks and ETFs: $0 commissions
Mutual funds: $0 for over 4,000 Schwab and partner funds and up to $74.95 for all other funds
Automated investing: 0% annual advisory fees
Account minimums:
Active investing: $0
Automated investing: $5,000
Available assets: U.S. and international stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, options, IPOs, futures and forex
Charles Schwab is a brokerage that was founded in 1971 by Charles R. Schwab. As the founder, he capitalized on shifting investing regulations in 1975 to create the discount brokerage, lowering investing costs for his clients.
Today, Schwab is one of the largest U.S. investment brokers, serving 35.9 million accounts with about $9.74 trillion in client assets. The company’s longevity and size made it easy to trust it with my money since I began using its services five years back.
Charles Schwab stands out as a jack of all trades, offering a wide range of investment products and robust research tools. As someone who prefers a set-it-and-forget-it approach, I love letting Schwab’s robo-advisor, called Intelligent Portfolios, choose my investments for me. This robo-advisor service charges 0% advisory fees, making it cost efficient. However, it requires a minimum investment of $5,000, which can be a barrier for someone who wants to start out small.
I also use my Schwab brokerage account to invest in specific stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with $0 commissions and access over 4,000 no-fee mutual funds. However, as a full-service brokerage, I found Schwab’s active trading platform less intuitive compared to platforms that focus on simplifying active trading like SoFi and Robinhood.
Dig deeper: Can a robo-advisor manage your investments better than an expert? How it works
- $0 commissions for active investing
- 0% advisory fees for automated investing
- $0 minimum balance requirement for active investing
- Wide range of investment options
- Reputable and long-standing brokerage
- $5,000 minimum requirement for automated investing
- Advanced trading platform can be confusing for new investors
2. Best for beginners: SoFi
Fees:
Stocks and ETFs: $0 commissions
Mutual funds: Varies by fund
Automated investing: 0% annual advisory fee
Account minimums:
Active investing: $0
Automated investing: $1
Available assets: U.S. stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options and IPOs
SoFi, short for Social Finance, was founded in 2011 as a student loan refinancing company. In 2019, SoFi expanded into investment services, offering a user-friendly platform to new investors.
Today, the company offers bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages and more to its base of more than 8.8 million members. SoFi’s focus on simplifying access to financial products and education made it a trusted investment and banking platform, especially for people who prefer to keep things effortless or those just starting out.
SoFi offers active investing and automated investing. It charges 0% advisory fees and $0 commissions on stocks and ETFs, meaning you’d have no platform costs to worry about. It also has little to no minimum balance requirements, which is why I often recommend it to family and friends who want to dip their toes into the stock market.
Setting up an investment account with SoFi only takes about 10 minutes online. If you opt for automated investing, its robo-advisor will ask a few questions about your financial situation, goals and risk tolerance to automatically create and manage an investment portfolio for you.
However, SoFi’s simplicity comes at the cost of advanced features. SoFi’s investment platform lacks the research tools experienced investors might need. It also has fewer asset classes than full-service brokerages, as it doesn’t offer direct access to bonds, futures and international stocks.
Dig deeper: SoFi and 6 more banks worth ditching your bank for
- $0 commissions and 0% advisory fees
- $0 to $1 minimum balance requirements for active and automated investing
- Simple and user-friendly trading platform
- One-stop shop for banking, lending, credit card and insurance products
- Basic research tools
- Fewer available asset classes than full-service brokerages
3. Best for retirement savings: Fidelity
Fees:
Stocks and ETFs: $0 commissions
Mutual funds: $0 for over 3,000 Fidelity and partner funds and up to $49.95 for other funds
Automated investing: 0% annual advisory fee for balances under $25,000 and 0.35% annual advisory fee for balances of $25,000+
Account minimums:
Active investing: $0
Automated investing: $0
Available assets: U.S. and international stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, cryptocurrencies, options, IPOs and forex
Fidelity is an investment service, brokerage and advisory firm that was established in 1946 and has since become one of the largest investment management companies in the world. The company’s focus on retirement solutions and low-cost mutual funds has made it a go-to choice for long-term investors.
Today, Fidelity manages over $14 trillion for more than 51 million investors. The firm’s reputation for reliability and comprehensive retirement planning tools has kept me a loyal customer for my individual retirement account (IRA).
Fidelity offers a wide range of retirement account options, including traditional and Roth IRAs, 401(k)s and other employer-sponsored plans. Its $0-fee mutual funds and robust educational resources make it easy for anyone to build and manage their retirement portfolio.
Fidelity also offers automated investing through its Fidelity Go robo-advisor. However, one drawback to its robo-advisor is that it charges a 0.35% annual advisory fee for balances of $25,000 and more.
Active and experienced investors will appreciate Fidelity’s trading platform, which offers extensive planning and research tools. However, the platform can be overwhelming for new investors.
Dig deeper: Best low-risk investments for retirees
- $0 commissions for active investing
- 0% advisory fees for automated investing balances under $25,000
- $0 minimum balance requirements for active and automated investing
- Extensive retirement planning tools
- One of the world’s largest investment management services
- 0.35% annual advisory fee for automated investing balances of $25,000+
- Advanced trading platform can be confusing for new investors
4. Best for automated investing: M1 Finance
Fees:
Stocks and ETFs: $0 commissions with $3 monthly platform fee for account with balances under $10,000
Mutual funds: Unavailable
Automated investing: 0% annual advisory fee, but the same platform fee applies
Account minimums:
Active investing: $0, but accounts with balances of $50 or less that are inactive for 90+ days will be charged a $50 minimum balance fee
Automated investing: $0, but the same inactivity fee applies
Available assets: U.S. stocks and ETFs
M1 Finance was founded in 2015 as a hybrid robo-advisor and brokerage platform. In recent years, the platform has grown to manage over $5 billion in client assets.
M1 Finance uses a unique investing tool it calls pies. Each pie allows you to group up to 100 stocks and ETFs, creating your own custom building block for your larger portfolio. Your portfolio can contain one or more pies for a full range of personalization.
M1 Finance’s hybrid active and automated investing account first caught my eye when I was looking for a more customizable robo-advisor experience two years ago. M1 allows me to select specific U.S. stocks and ETFs to add to my pie, something most other robo-advisors don’t support.
From there, I can set up a number of automations, such as regular transfers from my bank account to automatically buy more stocks and ETFs in line with how I customized my portfolio. I can also set up dynamic rebalancing that automatically adjusts my stock and ETF purchases to align my portfolio with its defined goals.
These features make M1 Finance a great tool for investors who want to have some control over their investments without fully diving into market research and advanced analysis tools. It also helps that the M1 Finance online platform and mobile app is intuitive and easy to navigate. However, the types of assets the platform offers is limited compared to larger investing platforms.
Dig deeper: From automated investing to passive income: 5 smart moves put your money to work
- $0 commissions and 0% advisory fees
- $0 minimum balance requirements
- Uniquely customizable robo-advisor
- Automatic portfolio rebalancing
- $3 monthly platform fee for balances under $10,000
- $50 inactivity fee
- Only U.S. stocks and ETFs are available
5. Best for social trading: eToro
Fees:
Stocks and ETFs: $0 commissions
Mutual funds: Unavailable
Automated investing: 0% annual advisory fees, but only supports cryptocurrencies
Account minimums:
Active investing: $1
Automated investing: $500
Available assets: U.S. stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies and options
eToro is a brokerage that was founded in 2007 with the goal of simplifying investing for a broader audience. From its early days, eToro focused on social trading, which was a massive hit with its client base as the platform reached over 1 million users by 2010.
Today, eToro serves over 33 million people across more than 140 countries. Its CopyTrader feature creates a community-driven approach to investing by allowing you to automatically copy trades of successful investors with little to no effort. You can also interact with other investors, share learnings and discuss strategies.
eToro’s trading platform offers a user-friendly interface, providing a smoother experience for new investors compared to full-service brokerages. New investors can also get more support from the eToro Academy, which provides extensive educational materials.
Every eToro account comes with a demo trading account that has $100,000 in play money. These virtual funds let you practice trading skills and strategies without risking real money. Just keep in mind that successful virtual trades don’t guarantee profits with your real trades.
While eToro’s social trading approach is unique, it comes at the cost of some traditional investing features. The platform has a limited selection of assets compared to full-service brokers. Its advanced market analysis tools are also somewhat limited compared to platforms like Schwab and Fidelity.
- $0 commissions on stocks and ETFs
- $1 minimum balance requirement for active investing
- Unique social and copy trading features
- Virtual trading account for practice
- Limited selection of assets
- Fewer advanced research tools than competitors
6. Best for real estate: CrowdStreet
Fees:
Platform usage: $0
Investing: Varies and may include fees for property or fund management, financing costs and more
Account minimum: $25,000
Available assets: Residential and commercial buildings and real estate funds
CrowdStreet is a real estate investment platform that was founded in 2014 with the goal of connecting accredited investors with investing opportunity sponsors. The company has raised over $4.3 billion for more than 790 deals since its inception.
💡What is an accredited investor? The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defines an accredited investor as someone who has a net worth over $1 million (excluding primary residence) or an annual income exceeding $200,000 ($300,000 for couples) for the past two years.
As an investor on CrowdStreet, you can view residential and commercial opportunities that real estate companies list on the platform. Once you find an opportunity that you like, you’d need to invest a minimum of $25,000, which gets pooled with money from other investors to fund the purchase of the property in question. The listing company is the sponsor and organizer for its deals, and in exchange, may charge you fees for managing the investment and the property on your behalf.
The CrowdStreet platform provides detailed information on each investment opportunity, including financial projections, market analysis, and details on each sponsor’s track record. This makes it easy for accredited investors to access everything they need on one platform, streamlining the process of investing in real estate.
However, the accredited investor requirement and technical information make the platform less accessible for new investors. Additionally, real estate investments through CrowdStreet are typically illiquid during their hold periods, which ranges from three to 10 years.
- $0 platform fees
- Centralized access to residential and commercial real estate investments
- Detailed information on each opportunity and its sponsor
- $25,000 minimum investment
- Limited to accredited investors
- Illiquid investments with long hold periods
7. Best for active traders: Robinhood
Fees:
Stocks and ETFs: $0 commissions
Mutual funds: Unavailable
Automated investing: Unavailable
Account minimums:
Active investing: $1
Automated investing: Unavailable
Available assets: U.S. stocks, ETFs, options and cryptocurrencies
Robinhood, founded in 2013, is an investment platform that pioneered commission-free trading within the brokerage industry. The platform quickly gained popularity by focusing on simplifying trading and providing access to a broader range of people with its user-friendly interface.
Today, Robinhood serves over 10 million investors and has become one of the go-to platforms for many first-time active traders thanks to its accessible investing approach.
The Robinhood brokerage account makes it incredibly easy to buy and sell stocks, ETFs, options and cryptocurrencies. Its Instant Deposit feature allows users to begin trading immediately after initiating a bank transfer, which I’ve found particularly useful for time-sensitive trades.
However, Robinhood’s ease of access to active trading comes at a cost. The platform doesn’t offer a robo-advisor or automated investing feature. On top of that, it lacks some of the assets and advanced research tools found on more dedicated investing platforms like Schwab.
- $0 commissions on stocks and ETFs
- $1 minimum balance requirement
- User-friendly trading interface
- Immediate access to investing with the Instant Deposit feature
- No automated investing
- Limited asset selection
- Limited advanced research tools
How to choose the right investment platform for you
It can be challenging to choose a single investment platform out of the many available in the market today. But you can simplify your decision by considering these questions:
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Are you new to investing? As a new investor, it’d make more sense to choose a robo-advisor or a platform that offers a simple interface so you’re not overwhelmed with information.
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What is your investment goal? If your goal is to build long-term wealth, you might prefer set-it-and-forget-it investments that robo-advisors, mutual funds and ETFs offer. If your goal is short-term investments to capitalize on daily price movements, you’d be better off with a platform that supports active investing and provides you the information and research you need.
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What assets do you want to invest in? While most platforms offer access to stocks and ETFs, not all platforms allow you to invest in bonds, mutual funds and more. Make sure that your platform provides you with the assets you want to invest in.
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What account type do you want to open? Many platforms on our list support taxable brokerage accounts and tax-advantaged individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Confirm that your platform offers the account type you need.
What assets can I invest in?
The investment platforms on our list offer a wide range of investment assets. Some, such as stocks, ETFs, bonds and mutual funds, are great for new and experienced investors alike.
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Stocks. These represent portions of ownership in a company, enabling you to play a part in the firms that you believe in their potential success.
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Exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These are large asset baskets, each containing many stocks, bonds and more. Each ETF trades on a stock exchange, offering a simple method to invest in all the assets it contains by buying its shares.
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Bonds. These are assets that governments or companies issue to borrow money from investors. They typically provide regular interest payments called dividends.
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Mutual funds. These are large baskets of stocks, bonds and other assets that trade once a day after the market closes. They offer diversification similar to ETFs.
Other assets, like options, IPOs, futures, crypto, forex and real estate, can be more complicated and volatile, making them a better fit for experienced investors.
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Options. These are contracts that give you the right to trade an asset at an agreed-upon for a specific period. Options are more technical and riskier than stocks, ETFs and mutual funds.
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Initial public offerings (IPOs). These represent the first patch of stocks that a company sells as it transitions from a private company to a publicly traded company.
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Futures. These are a form of contract to buy or sell a specific asset, such as gold or oil, at a specific price on a future date. They can be more risky due to their future speculative nature.
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Cryptocurrencies. These are digital currencies that were introduced in 2009 and include bitcoin and ethereum. They allow for payments and money transfers outside the traditional network of banks. Cryptocurrencies are risky since their market isn’t as regulated as stocks, ETFs and more established markets.
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Foreign exchange (Forex). This is the global market for trading conventional currencies, such as the U.S. dollar and the British pound. This is a highly liquid market but it can be volatile as currency prices rapidly fluctuate on a daily basis.
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Real estate. These are residential or commercial buildings that provide income through rent and potential increase in value over time. However, they’re typically highly illiquid and require significant amounts of money to invest in them.
FAQs: Using investment platforms
How much money do I need to start investing?
Many investment platforms, including Charles Schwab, SoFi and Fidelity, allow you to start investing with as little as $1, making it easy to join the market with a small amount. Many platforms also offer robo-advisors, a form of automated investing tools that take care of your portfolio setup and management for you.
Can I have more than one investment account?
Yes, you can open multiple investment accounts with more than one platform. For example, you can use one platform for your IRA, another for your active trades and a third for real estate investments. However, having multiple accounts complicates your financial picture, so develop a clear strategy for each account’s purpose.
How do I pay taxes on my investments?
Your investment platform will provide the necessary tax documents for reporting and paying your taxes. You’ll typically receive 1099 forms that detail your investments, profits and losses for the entire tax year. You can provide these forms to your tax preparer or use tax software to upload your tax forms and automatically pull the information needed. Some tax software can also connect to your investment accounts to import this information and reflect it on your tax return.
How we choose the best investment platforms
We evaluate the investment platforms on our list based on several criteria, including:
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Fees. We favor platforms that offer $0 trading commissions for stocks and ETFs and low advisory fees for automated investing. This allows you to keep more of your money toward your investments and minimizes the associated costs.
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Investment options. We consider the full range of investment options each platform offers. This gives you a wider range of assets to invest in based on your preferences and investment experience.
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User experience. We choose investment platforms that offer streamlined investing and trading experiences that range from simple to informed. This helps you find the platform that best fits your knowledge level while enjoying the smooth functionality these platforms provide.
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Account features. We review each investment platform based on the features it has, including research tools, portfolio management and educational materials. This helps you decide the platform that best fits your needs.
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First-hand experience. We utilize my professional experience as a certified educator in personal finance (CEPF) and personal experience with various investment platforms. This provides you real experience based on professional credentials and real-world testing.
About the writer
Yahia Barakah is a personal finance writer at AOL with over a decade of experience in finance and investing. As a certified educator in personal finance (CEPF), he combines his economics expertise with a passion for financial literacy to simplify complex retirement, banking and credit topics. He loves empowering people to make informed financial decisions that improve their everyday and long-term wellness. Yahia’s expertise has been featured on FinanceBuzz, FX Empire and EarnForex. Based in Florida, he balances his love for finance with freediving, hiking and underwater photography.
Article edited by Kelly Suzan Waggoner