Online Brokerages
Reviewed by the Clientele Research Team · Last checked 9 days ago (2026-07-15)
5 options
CLIENTELE RATED
Best overall
Fidelity
The most complete brokerage for long-term investors
Fee Friendliness10.0
Ease of Use8.0
What You Can Buy9.0
Account Variety10.0
✓ZERO expense-ratio index funds — no cost to hold them.
✓Widest retirement account selection of any broker: Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, Solo 401(k), 403(b), 529, and more.
✓Fractional shares on any US stock starting at $1.
✓Research tools and stock screeners included free.
✓24/7 support by phone, chat, and 200+ branch locations nationwide.
✓No account minimum, no inactivity fees, no transfer fees.
✓Cash Management Account earns interest and comes with a debit card.
✓Named Best Investing App and Best for Beginners by NerdWallet, and Best Online Broker and Best for Low Costs by Investopedia.
Best for beginners
Robinhood
The app that made investing feel approachable
Fee Friendliness9.0
Ease of Use9.0
What You Can Buy5.0
Account Variety3.0
✓Start investing with as little as $1 — buy fractions of any stock.
✓The simplest investing app available.
✓Earn interest on uninvested cash — rate depends on account tier.
✓Buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, and 15+ other cryptocurrencies in the same app.
✓No account minimum.
✓Instant deposit up to $1,000 to start trading the same day.
✓No commissions on options trades — other brokers charge $0.65/contract.
✓24/7 live chat support.
Best for active traders
Interactive Brokers
Professional-grade access to every major market
Fee Friendliness9.0
Ease of Use7.0
What You Can Buy10.0
Account Variety9.0
✓Stocks, ETFs, futures, and options in 150+ countries — no other retail broker offers this.
✓Lowest margin rates in the industry — less than half of Schwab or Fidelity.
✓IBKR Lite: $0 commissions on US stocks and ETFs, no account minimum.
✓IBKR Pro: per-share pricing starting at $0.005/share with superior order execution.
✓Uninvested cash earns interest automatically.
✓Fractional shares on US stocks and ETFs starting at $1.
✓Sophisticated order types — VWAP, algo, conditional — not available at retail brokers.
✓IBKR GlobalAnalyst compares valuations across global markets, free.
✓Paper trading account to test strategies.
All online brokerages · 5 options
SORTMIN SCORE
Charles Schwab
Full-service brokerage with strong retirement account depth
Fee Friendliness9.0
Ease of Use6.0
What You Can Buy8.0
Account Variety9.0
8.0Open →
Fidelity
The most complete brokerage for long-term investors
Fee Friendliness10.0
Ease of Use8.0
What You Can Buy9.0
Account Variety10.0
9.3Open →
Robinhood
The app that made investing feel approachable
Fee Friendliness9.0
Ease of Use9.0
What You Can Buy5.0
Account Variety3.0
6.5Open →
Webull
Advanced charts and data for active traders, still free
Fee Friendliness8.0
Ease of Use7.0
What You Can Buy5.0
Account Variety4.0
6.0Open →
Interactive Brokers
Professional-grade access to every major market
Fee Friendliness9.0
Ease of Use7.0
What You Can Buy10.0
Account Variety9.0
8.8Open →
LEADERBOARD · OVERALL SCORE
WHAT MOVED
•
Fidelity — Initial publish
9.2→9.2
1 month agoMOST RECENT CHANGE
Fidelity — Initial publish
9.2→9.2
Initial research and scoring published for 5 options in Online Brokerages.
How we score online brokerages
Fee Friendliness
How low the costs are to trade, hold an account, and access features — higher score means lower fees.
Ease of Use
How easy the app and website are to use — higher score means simpler and more beginner-friendly.
What You Can Buy
Stocks, ETFs, crypto, bonds, mutual funds — how broad your investment options are.
Account Variety
How many account types are available — IRAs, joint, custodial, 529, and more. Higher score means more options.
clntl may earn a commission when you open an account through links on this page. This does not affect our scores or rankings.