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Best for beginners

Robinhood

SCORE6.5STRONG

The app that made investing feel approachable

BEST FORFirst-time investors who want a simple mobile experience with no minimum to start.
Reviewed by the Clientele Research Team · Last checked 9 days ago (2026-07-15)
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Scores — click any row to see our rationale
Fee Friendliness9/10

Zero commissions on stocks, ETFs, options, and crypto. Fractional shares from $1. No account minimum.

Ease of Use9/10

Clean design, one-tap trades, built for beginners — consistently rated the most intuitive investing app.

What You Can Buy5/10

Covers stocks, ETFs, options, and 15+ cryptocurrencies. No mutual funds, bonds, or CDs.

Account Variety3/10

Taxable brokerage, Roth, and Traditional IRAs are all free to open. Gold subscription ($5/month) is optional and boosts the IRA match rate from 1% to 3% — it does not gate IRA access.

PROS
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.
CONS
IRA match rate is only 1% on the free tier — reaching the 3% match requires the $5/month Gold plan.
No mutual funds or bonds.
No phone support on the free plan.
Trade orders may not always get the best available price due to the PFOF model.
No desktop platform — web experience is basic compared to Fidelity or IBKR.