5 Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025

SogoTrade is geared toward the self-directed investor. In keeping with their commitment to the customer, they make a promise not to be intrusive, obnoxious, or sell you something you don't need. A SogoTrade Asset Management advisor will help you in setting financial goals, making a plan, and building a portfolio. While SogoTrade's portfolio analysis tools are limited, you can work with SogoTrade Asset Management if you need advisory services. And for certain basic trading, you can use the app. They all have a different function, so at first it's like going on a scavenger hunt to find out which platform should be used for what function.

Unlike many AI tools out there, FirstradeGPT is also able to provide robust supporting materials such as charts, sources, and screening materials. FirstradeGPT gives you AI-driven insights, offering in-depth stock analysis and data visualization to enhance your investment strategy. Firstrade GPT has recently been released, and the company is celebrating by giving customers temporary unlimited access to this feature.

A warning to all investors

They intended to make the stock market accessible to millennials who had not yet generated a lot of wealth and who were completely ignorant of the world of financial markets. When they decided to launch an app that had no commissions, it upset the big players in stock trading, ruffling a lot of feathers. SpeedTrader is definitely not for inexperienced investors, long-term buy-and-hold clients, or anyone who places value on research analysis for trading. SpeedTrader would most likely be a nightmare for beginning investors or those who only trade as an on-and-off hobby. Since 1999, SpeedTrader has focused its efforts in developing trading platforms on a tiered level of service.

What brokerage account is best for beginners?

• Offer good for one use per customer, on a single account.
• Keep in mind that most of today's online stock trading platforms very proudly advertise that they charge "$0 fees." That usually just refers to a $0 commission fee.
• By combining free stock trades with a spectrum of cost-saving investment options, Fidelity supports both short-term trading and long-term growth without burdening investors with unnecessary fees.
• Charles Schwab offers a dedicated advisor backed by an experienced team with the Schwab Wealth Advisory™ account.
• A SogoTrade Asset Management advisor will help you in setting financial goals, making a plan, and building a portfolio.

$0 online; $25 broker-assisted fee for some phone trades of stocks and ETFs from other companies (Less than $1 million) Here's our curated list of the best brokers and trading platforms for December 2025. The other I use for more active trading and money moves, like dabbling in individual stocks or ETFs. Our research team meticulously collected data on every feature of importance to a wide range of customer profiles, including beginners, casual investors, passive investors, and active traders.

How do brokers make money on commission-free trades?

My brother keeps saying we should put our money into silver (he buys silver coins). You will lose, and with fast-trading forex the odds are that you’ll get wiped out quickly. I’ve started searching for options but am bamboozled by the plethora of trader-training companies out there.

If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, you can get refunded on your fees or commissions. This is a completely personalized approach that starts with your individual goals and takes into account a strategy that adapts to life changes. $500,000 minimum investment for fully-managed accounts

It not only offers free trades, you can open an account with just a few bucks, which is a big reason Millennials love it. Brokers also hope to upsell their commission-free stock investors into advisory services or other managed products. With larger full-service brokers such as Fidelity and Schwab, the largest revenue source comes from sweeping the idle cash sitting in customer accounts into subsidiary banks each night. If you prefer trading on the go, see our picks for best mobile apps for stock trading.

Best for simple, fee-free trading: Robinhood

Motley Fool Money is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters. By submitting your email address, you consent to us sending you money tips along with products and services that we think might interest you. Get expert advice, actionable strategies, and exclusive offers that help you save more and spend with confidence. All ETFs are subject to management fees and expenses; refer to each ETF's prospectus for more information. The prospectus contains investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other information; read and consider carefully before investing.

• For God’s sake do not get your news from Facebook … or any financial advice for that matter.
• Before placing your first order, it’s important to understand price discovery, market hours, and how settlement works.
• If you start as a passive investor, Schwab has everything you need to succeed.
• Fortunately, there are many other platforms you can look for to meet your stock trading needs.
• Fractional shares make it possible to buy blue chips and ETFs without spending hundreds of dollars for a single share, which is a great way to build consistency.
• Placing and managing simple trades is a pretty intuitive process and not overwhelming.

If the economy is so screwed … why is the share market at all-time highs?

You can't buy fraction shares here, either, but you can turn on DRIP and have dividends reinvest themselves if you choose. It is one of the best values for your money out there, especially if you are already an account holder at Bank of America. Being a part of the Bank of America family means Merrill Edge has the resources and power to create beautiful digital platforms, and the Merrill Edge websites and apps are some of the best out there. At the time of this review, new accounts making a qualifying investment within 45 days while maintaining the balance for at least 90 days could earn as much as $600 cash. It offers three different accounts - one self-directed account you build yourself, a guided account, and a guided account with an advisor.

Vanguard World ex US total stock market index fund (ASX:VEU)

You could make extra contributions and direct that into cash so you can ride out any pullbacks in the share market when you retire in 18 months’ time. I own Nvidia (among hundreds of other stocks) through my international index funds, and that’s enough for me. “If the economy is so screwed … why is the share market at all-time highs? So, finally, why do I think it’s time for investors to play dead? So, given the share price has been whacked recently, is now the time to buy some shares?

Active traders with less than $25,000 must also consider the pattern day trader rule, which can limit trading activity. Cash accounts keep things straightforward and avoid interest costs, but you need to be mindful of good faith and free-riding violations tied to unsettled funds. With most standard brokerage accounts, you can choose to trade in a cash account or apply for margin. U.S. stock trades settle on T+1 (the day after the trade date), which determines how quickly proceeds and buying power update.

What does the Barefoot Investor think of index funds?

Firstrade consistently offers discounts or perks for first-time account holders. Firstrade started in Flushing, New York, in 1985, and over the years, major industry publications have consistently rated it one of the best online stock brokers. As a result, the platform caters to those with some experience in stock trading, but they welcome new clients with open arms and a lot of educational resources.

Want to make more money to invest?

Merrill Edge is a superior platform for those with an account at Bank of America who have some knowledge of trading and who will be using the self-directed account. The robo-advisor and hybrid platforms known as Merrill Guided are more pricey than other automated trading platforms we've reviewed, so they are not as valuable. Merrill Edge often offers sign-on incentives for first-time accounts. Commission-free trading of Vanguard ETFs applies to trades placed both online and by phone. Not all investors will be eligible to trade on Margin. Crypto as an asset class is highly volatile, can become illiquid at any time, and is for investors with a high risk tolerance.

Weibull crossed that line with their reminders of all the many bonuses you can take advantage of when signing up as a first-time account holder. As a financial company driven by technology, they offer an all-in-one self-directed investment platform with a good barefoot investor share trading platform user experience. Robinhood offers 24/7 chat support and business hours support for phone customer service. Beautiful platform and mid-level customer service When they first officially launched in April of 2013, they disrupted the entire industry by offering an app that would allow for trading with no commissions or minimum account balances. We were surprised to find that this relatively expensive software that SpeedTrader offers isn't exactly as sophisticated as we expected it to be for the advanced and active day trader.

What is a brokerage account?

It has been reported that at times it can take 3 days for account approval, but at its slowest, it is still faster than other stock trading platforms we've reviewed. Unlike other stock trading platforms, opening an account with Firstrade is very simple. Charles Schwab's stock trading platform has $8.56 trillion in client assets and offers a robust learning library for investors of any experience level.