Investing apps have matured considerably in 2026. What was once easy stock-trading instruments are actually full investing platforms providing commission-free trades, fractional shares, automated investing, and long-term portfolio instruments — all out of your cellphone.
Based mostly on usability, charges, investing choices, and actual investor suggestions, we ranked the finest investing apps that allow you to make investments without cost. Whether or not you’re a newbie investing $20 or constructing a long-term portfolio, these are the apps value utilizing in 2026.
Listed here are the very best investing apps that allow you to make investments without cost (sure, free). You may also try our list on the best brokers to invest.
1. Constancy
Greatest For: Full Service Investing At $0 Commerce Costs
Fidelity is one in every of our favourite apps that lets you make investments without cost. This surprises most individuals, as a result of most individuals do not affiliate Constancy with “free”. Nonetheless, Fidelity offers a range of commission-free ETFs that will permit nearly all of traders to construct a balanced portfolio. Plus, they now supply $0 fee inventory, possibility, and ETF trades!
The additionally supply fractional share investing, that means which you could make investments dollar-based, not simply share-based. It is a large win for individuals beginning with low greenback quantities.
Fidelity IRAs additionally haven’t any minimal to open, and no account upkeep charges. Which means you would deposit simply $5, and make investments it without cost. That makes this a a lot better deal in comparison with corporations like Stash Invest.
Moreover, Constancy simply introduced that it now has two 0.00% expense ratio funds – sure free. So, you can’t solely make investments fee free, however these funds do not cost any administration charges. Actually free investing.
However to make it a high app, it has to have a fantastic app, and Constancy does. Their app is the cleanest and best to make use of out of all the investing apps we have examined. They’ve a ton of options, nevertheless it all works nicely collectively.
Plus, you get the advantage of having a full service investing dealer do you have to want extra than simply free. Take a look at Constancy’s app and open an account here.
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Constancy |
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|---|---|
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Minimal Funding |
$0 |
|
Fee |
$0 for shares, ETFs, choices |
|
Month-to-month Charges |
$0 |
|
Account Kind |
Taxable, IRA, HSA, 401k, Belief |
|
Promotions |
Varies by account kind |
2. Robinhood
Greatest For: 100% Free Inventory Trades & Restricted Crypto
Robinhood is an app permits you to purchase and promote shares without cost. Customers should buy or promote shares at market worth. The app lets you make restrict orders and cease loss orders too. Except you’re an energetic dealer, that is loads of performance. Plus, the app comes with a clear consumer interface and primary analysis instruments.
Most severe traders ought to pair Robinhood with a number of free analysis instruments. This can assist them develop a extra systematic method to investing. That stated, you may’t beat Robinhood’s free trades, however its shortcomings right here make it third.
Additionally they permit choices, fractional shares, and cryptocurrency investing, however these are restricted as nicely.
The drawbacks are actually restricted, however one of many greatest is that the platform has develop into unreliable in current months with massive outages impacting traders.
In the event you’re curious how Robinhood makes cash, it’s by means of Robinhood Gold. Robinhood Gold is a margin account that lets you purchase and promote after hours. Shopping for on margin means you double your anticipated returns. It additionally means you double your anticipated losses. The end result (based mostly on the magic of compounding) signifies that buying and selling on margin tends to eat into your principal.
Take a look at the opposite options for trading stocks for free.
Open a Robinhood account here and get a free share of stock >>
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Robinhood |
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|---|---|
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Minimal Funding |
$0 |
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Fee |
$0 for shares, ETFs, choices, crypto |
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Month-to-month Charges |
$0 |
|
Account Kind |
Taxable |
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Promotions |
Free share of inventory |
Get a free share of inventory!
3. Schwab
Greatest For: Investing and Banking Mixed
Schwab is among the finest brokers, and it has been gaining floor considerably over the previous few years, particularly with the acquisition of TD Ameritrade. Plus, it is buying and selling platform thinkorswim is among the highest rated for merchants.
The place Schwab actually shines is it is capacity to have each commission-free investing, together with a fantastic banking product. The Schwab checking is constantly named a favourite, and you’ll see within the app how they make investing and banking mixed very seamless.
Schwab additionally has each account kind conceivable, they usually have a community of places of work nationwide for those who ever do want in-person assist. However once more, their investing app is very rated.
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Schwab |
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|---|---|
|
Minimal Funding |
$0 |
|
Fee |
$0 for shares, ETFs, choices |
|
Month-to-month Charges |
$0 |
|
Account Kind |
Taxable, IRA, HSA, 401k, Belief |
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Promotions |
None |
4. E*TRADE by Morgan Stanley
E*TRADE additionally provides a big collection of commission free ETFs. We are literally large followers of E*TRADE for our solo 401k account, however they do not make the highest 5 in the case of investing apps and free investing.
They simply lately introduced $0 inventory, ETF, and choices trades, however we’ll see how they compete with others on this record.
Whereas they do supply IRAs with no minimums, and cost no transaction charges, we did not discover their app as consumer pleasant as the remainder. Just like their web site, it is only a bit more durable to make use of. Nonetheless, we nonetheless actually like E*TRADE and they’re undoubtedly a runner up.
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E*TRADE |
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|---|---|
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Minimal Funding |
$0 |
|
Fee |
$0 for Inventory, Choices, ETF trades |
|
Month-to-month Charges |
$0 |
|
Account Kind |
Conventional, Roth, Solo 401k, and Extra |
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Promotions |
None |
5. Acorns
Acorns is a particularly fashionable investing app, nevertheless it’s not free. Acorns fees wherever from $3 to $12 per 30 days, nevertheless it does make automating your investments simple!
Acorns lets you spherical up your spare change and make investments it simply in a portfolio that is sensible for you. Nonetheless, if you do not have some huge cash invested, that subscription value can eat up your returns.
Plus, you will get an IRA match of 1% to three% relying in your subscription degree.
Learn our full Acorns review here.
Bonus Supply: Proper now Acorns is providing a $20 bonus once you open a brand new account. Start investing with as little as $5 >>
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Acorns |
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|---|---|
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Minimal Funding |
$0 |
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Fee |
$0 for shares, ETFs, choices |
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Month-to-month Charges |
$3/mo to $12/mo |
|
Account Kind |
Taxable, Conventional, Roth, SEP, UTMA/UGMA |
|
Promotions |
$20 Bonus |
Runners Up
There are numerous apps and instruments that come near being within the High 5. When the competitors is so good, it is exhausting to make the minimize.
Vanguard
Vanguard is constantly generally known as the low value funding service supplier. They had been one of many authentic mutual fund and ETF corporations to decrease charges, they usually regularly advocate a low-fee index fund method to investing.
At Vanguard, you do not pay any commissions once you purchase and promote Vanguard ETFs. You additionally pay no account service charges for those who signal as much as obtain your account paperwork electronically, or for those who’re a Voyager, Voyager Choose, Flagship, or Flagship Choose Companies consumer.
Moreover, Vanguard lately introduced that they will not cost a fee on an enormous quantity of competitor’s funds and ETFs as nicely!
Vanguard additionally does not have an account minimal, and there’s no minimal buy requirement for mutual funds, however shares and ETFs it is the price of 1 share.
What holds Vanguard again is that their app is a bit more clunky that the opposite apps. It feels slightly “old fashioned”, and it appears to be constructed for the fundamentals solely.
Nonetheless, it’s free, so perhaps solely the fundamentals are wanted?
Vanguard Private Advisor
In the event you’re in search of skilled assist along with your investments and monetary planning, Vanguard provides Private Advisor that will help you construct, execute, and proceed to handle your monetary plan. These are fiduciary advisors and can allow you to create a plan based mostly in your targets (it is not a robotic). It prices 0.30% AUM, which is among the lowest you may discover.
Public
Public is one other free investing platform that has put an enormous give attention to the social side of investing and training. On account of utilizing influencers and training, Public has been considerably rising their consciousness.
Public has a strong investing app – you may put money into any asset: from shares, ETFs, crypto, advantageous artwork, collectibles, and extra – multi function place, together with fractional shares and choices. Additionally they supply desktop assist, which is extremely helpful for issues like taking a look at brokerage statements or tax varieties.
Additionally they promote themselves as being one of many few funding brokerage corporations that does not do Fee for Order Movement.
Learn out full Public review here.
M1 Finance
Greatest For: Constructing A Free Portfolio For The Lengthy Time period
M1 has develop into our favourite investing app and platform during the last 12 months. With fee free investing, the flexibility to put money into fractional shares, automated deposits, and extra, M1 Finance is high notch.
In the event you’re in search of a solution to create and preserve a free, diversified portfolio of shares and ETFs, look no additional than M1 Finance. They supply a reasonably revolutionary instrument/investing app that lets you setup a portfolio and make investments into it (appropriately allotted) for free.
What do I imply? Effectively, think about a portfolio of ETFs – perhaps you could have 5 ETFs at 20% every. Effectively, as a substitute of getting to do 5 transactions (and fee for every) once you purchase, now you can merely make investments and M1 Finance takes care of the remainder – without cost!
If you do not know precisely easy methods to set it up, you are greater than welcome to make use of one in every of their already setup portfolios as nicely.
It does not get a lot better than M1 Finance in the case of investing without cost. Try M1 Finance >>
J.P. Morgan Self Directed Investing
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is the most recent replace from Chase in the case of investing (beforehand this was generally known as Chase You Make investments). The good factor is that they made their platform really commission-free. That is what makes it a runner up on our record of free investing apps.
Learn our full J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing review.
The details about J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing has been collected independently by The Faculty Investor. The product particulars haven’t been reviewed or authorized by the corporate.
Ally Make investments
Ally Invest is a strong alternative without cost investing. They’ve a strong app that lets you make investments, and like others on this record, you may put money into shares, choices, and ETFs commission-free.
Ally additionally provides strong bonus provides for those who switch your account to them. Proper now, you may rise up to $3,000 once you transfer your property over to them.
Learn our full Ally Invest review here.
Moomoo
Moomoo is the most recent free investing app working to make a splash with US traders. This app has numerous recognition within the Asian market, and it lately launched in each america and Australia. Like most apps right here, it provides free inventory, ETF, and choices buying and selling. It additionally has strong charting and different info. Once you open a brand new account, you may earn as much as 15 free shares!
Learn out full Moomoo review here.
Webull
Webull has been gaining numerous traction within the final a number of years as a competitor to Robinhood. It is an funding platform that’s app-first, and it focuses on buying and selling. Actually, this 12 months it made our Honorable Mentions record of Greatest Inventory Brokers.
Webull provides highly effective in-app funding analysis instruments, with nice technical charting. It is a step above what yow will discover on most different funding apps.
Yow will discover inventory, choices, and restricted crypto buying and selling on the Webull platform. Additionally they supply aggressive margin charges. The downside right here is that they at present do not assist mutual funds, bonds, OTC Bulletin Board or Pink Sheets shares. Shares which might be beneath $1 and/or have a market cap of $10 million or much less are restricted as nicely.
Bonus: WeBull is providing a fantastic bonus of two free shares of inventory!
Learn our full Webull review here.
Get a free share of inventory!
Different Investing Apps
There are different investing apps that we’re together with on this, however they don’t seem to be free. Nonetheless, they’re fashionable and could also be helpful to some traders.
Stash
Stash is one other investing app that is not free, however makes investing very easy. They’ve turned the investing course of into a simple to grasp platform, they usually do not cost any commissions to speculate. Nonetheless, they do cost a month-to-month charge that ranges wherever from $1 to $9 per 30 days.
Stash was once recognized for $5 investing, however they’ve since gone to $0 minimums, they usually permit fractional share investing.
Learn our full Stash review here.
Who Is This For?
Investing apps are a good way to start out investing with the comfort of with the ability to do every thing out of your cellular gadget. It was once the one solution to invest in the stock market was to name a inventory dealer and make a commerce. This was gradual, expensive (large commissions to commerce), and also you needed to meet sure minimums.
Once I began investing, issues had moved on-line. However it was nonetheless not commission-free (I bear in mind paying $9.99 per commerce), and there wasn’t any capacity to do it on cellular.
Quick ahead to at this time, and there are a number of mobile-first investing platforms (like Robinhood, Webull, and Public). These corporations are majority-run on apps, and consequently, they opened up investing to numerous younger individuals.
In the event you’re seeking to get began investing and need to do it in your cellphone, this record is for you.
Why Ought to You Belief Us?
This record relies on a survey of 600 Individuals who recognized themselves as traders or keen on investing. The survey was fielded on January 2, 2026.
Moreover, I’ve been writing about investing and evaluating completely different investing platforms since 2009. I’ve reviewed and tested almost every major investing platform and app available, and the evaluation relies on that have.
We consider that our record precisely displays the very best free investing apps within the market for shoppers.
Investing App Questions
Listed here are some frequent questions on investing apps.
What makes an investing app completely different than a brokerage?
Investing apps are cellular first investing platforms. They’re brokerages (similar to the names you could be used to), however they permit traders to commerce and put money into an app.
Are investing apps secure?
Sure, they’re simply as secure as holding your cash at any main brokerage. These apps all are insured by the SIPC and have a wide range of investor protections.
Can I put money into something on an app?
Is dependent upon the app. Some apps considerably restrict what you may put money into, whereas others supply the complete ranges of funding choices.
Are these apps actually free?
Sure. The highest apps we record do not cost a month-to-month charge to make use of, and do not cost a fee to put money into shares, ETFs, and choices. In fact, these apps could cost service charges for extra providers, reminiscent of wire transfers, paper statements, and extra.
Have you ever ever heard of any of those investing apps? Which one is your favourite?
Disclaimer:
Vanguard Recommendation providers are offered by Vanguard Advisers, Inc., a registered funding advisor, or by Vanguard Nationwide Belief Firm, a federally chartered, restricted‐goal belief firm
The submit Best Investing Apps In 2026: Free Stock Trading & Long-Term Investing appeared first on The College Investor.
