Best Investing & Trading Platforms
We scored the top brokerages and robo-advisors on what actually matters: fees, tax efficiency, automation, and whether you can trust them with your money.
Affiliate Disclosure: We research and test every product independently. We may earn a commission if you purchase through our links — this never affects our rankings, scores, or editorial independence. All tier assignments are based strictly on our 100-point rubric.
How We Rank Investing & Trading
Every product is scored on a 100-point rubric. Here's exactly what we measure:
Fee Structure
Trading commissions, account fees, management fees, and expense ratios — the costs that compound against your returns every year
Investment Options
Asset class coverage — stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, crypto, fractional shares, and mutual funds
Account Types
Range of account types: taxable, IRA (traditional/Roth/SEP), 401(k), 529, and cash management
Automation & Tools
Robo-advisor quality, automatic rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, dividend reinvestment, and goal-based planning
Research & Education
Quality of market research, screening tools, third-party analysis, and investor education resources
Security & Regulation
SIPC/FDIC coverage, regulatory history with FINRA/SEC, financial stability, and track record
🥇 Gold — Best in Category
90+ points. Excellent across every criterion.
Fidelity Investments
The best all-around brokerage — no account minimum, zero commissions, and research that rivals firms charging 10x more
Fidelity earns Gold as the best overall brokerage for most investors: zero trading commissions, no account minimum, fractional share investing from $1, and research tools that rival Goldman Sachs clients. The free cash management account earns a competitive yield. Fidelity manages $12+ trillion in assets for 43+ million accounts — it's not a startup trying to scale, it's the institution that's been quietly outcompeting everyone else for 30 years. The mobile app is excellent. Customer service is actually available by phone in under a minute. For investors who want a single platform to do everything — IRA, brokerage, 401k rollover, and cash management — Fidelity is the default right answer.
From $0/mo· Free tier
Betterment
The original robo-advisor — automated ETF portfolios, tax-loss harvesting, and goal-based investing on autopilot
Betterment earns Gold as the best robo-advisor for hands-off investors: you set a goal, a time horizon, and a risk level — Betterment builds a diversified ETF portfolio, rebalances automatically, and harvests tax losses to reduce your tax bill. At 0.25%/yr ($25/yr per $10K), it's significantly cheaper than paying a human financial advisor (typically 1%/yr) for the same hands-off portfolio management. Betterment Premium ($100K minimum, 0.40%/yr) adds unlimited access to CFP professionals. The platform has $40B+ in AUM, no account minimum, and a track record since 2010. Best for people who want to invest intelligently without managing it themselves.
From $0/mo
🥈 Silver — Strong Choice
75–89 points. Solid option, missing a few things the Gold tier has.
M1 Finance
The hybrid between a brokerage and a robo-advisor — build your own portfolio, automate the investing
From $0/mo· Free tier
Robinhood
The app that brought zero-commission trading to everyday investors — influential, controversial, and still the simplest way to start
From $0/mo· Free tier
🥉 Bronze — Worth Considering
60–74 points. Functional, entry-level, or niche-specific.