Written by StockBrokers.com
Is Fidelity better than Robinhood? After testing 17 of the best online brokers over three months, our analysis finds that Fidelity (98.44%) is better than Robinhood (84.47%). Our top pick overall for 2023, Fidelity is a value-driven online broker offering $0 trades, industry-leading research, excellent trading tools and an easy-to-use mobile app.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Fidelity Review | Robinhood Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platform & Tools Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Trading Fees | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.00 | N/A | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $49.95 | N/A | |
| Options (Base Fee) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $32.95 | N/A |
| Margin Rates | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13.58% | 12.00% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 13.08% | 12.00% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12.13% | 12.00% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 12.08% | 12.00% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 11.83% | 12.00% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 9.50% | 12.00% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 9.25% | 12.00% |
| Account Fees | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $100.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $0.00 | $100.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | No | No | |
| Forex Trading | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 15 | |
| Mutual Funds (No Load) | 5843 | 0 | |
| Mutual Funds (Total) | 10000 | 0 | |
| Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes | No | |
| Bonds (Corporate) | Yes | No | |
| Bonds (Municipal) | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 25 | 0 |
| Order Types | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - OCO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
| Beginners | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Videos | Yes | No | |
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Features | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | Yes | No | |
| Videos on Demand | Yes | No | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 92 | 3 |
| Stock App Charting | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 129 | 6 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | Active Trader Pro | ||
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Journal | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 92 | 3 |
| Stock Chart Features | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 129 | 6 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 37 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 5 | 1 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
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| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Ladder Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Hot Keys | Yes | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No | |
| Short Locator | Yes | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
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| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 11 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - Social | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | No |
| ETF Research | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
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| ETFs - Strategy Overview | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
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| Option Chains - Basic View | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains - Strategy View | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains - Streaming | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains - Total Columns | 26 | 17 | |
| Option Chains - Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Chains - Quick Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Probability Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Option Probability Analysis Adv | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Greeks | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Positions - Greeks Streaming | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Positions - Adv Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Rolling | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Positions - Grouping | Yes | Yes |
| Banking | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
| Checking Accounts | No | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | No | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | No | |
| Debit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Customer Service | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
| Overall | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
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| Overall |
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| Commissions & Fees |
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| Investment Options |
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| Platforms & Tools |
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| Mobile Trading Apps |
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| Research |
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| Education |
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| Ease Of Use |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Fidelity Review | Robinhood Review |
Comparing brokers side by side is no easy task. We spend hundreds of hours each year testing the platforms, mobile apps, trading tools and general ease of use among online brokerages, as well as comparing commissions and fees, to find the best online broker.
Though many U.S. brokers offer basic trading features, such as an app, charting tools, stock research and educational content, the depth of those features can vary widely. Let's compare Fidelity vs Robinhood.
In stock trading, the more you know, the better you’ll do. Taking advantage of resources like articles, webinars, videos and interactive elements is a great way to shorten the learning curve. In our analysis, we examine the availability of several different types of educational materials.
For 2023, our review finds that Fidelity offers more comprehensive new investor education for beginning investors than Robinhood. Fidelity offers investors access to Videos, Education (Stocks), Education (ETFs), Education (Options), Education (Mutual Funds), Education (Bonds) and Education (Retirement), while Robinhood offers investors access to Education (Stocks) and Education (Options). Neither have Paper Trading.
Fidelity and Robinhood charge the same amount for regular stock trades, $0.00. Option contracts are pricier at Fidelity, costing $0.65 per contract versus $0.00 per contract at Robinhood. Fidelity and Robinhood both charge (Not offered) per option contract. For a deeper dive, see our best brokers for free stock trading guide.
Looking at a full range of investment options, including order types and international trading, our research has found that Fidelity offers a more comprehensive offering than Robinhood. Fidelity ranks #6 out of 17 brokers for our Investment Options category, while Robinhood ranks #15.
Fidelity offers investors access to Stock Trading, Fractional Shares, Options Trading, OTC Stocks, Mutual Funds and Advisor Services, while Robinhood offers investors access to Stock Trading, Fractional Shares, Options Trading and OTC Stocks. Neither have Futures Trading and Forex Trading Looking at Mutual Funds, Robinhood trails Fidelity in its offering of no transaction fee (NTF) mutual funds, with Fidelity offering 3401 and Robinhood offering 0.
In our analysis of top U.S. brokerages, we research whether each broker offers the ability to trade cash cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin and ethereum. Though crypto has risen steadily in popularity, availability still varies from broker to broker. Our review finds that neither Fidelity and Robinhood offer crypto trading.
To compare the day trading platforms of Fidelity and Robinhood, we focused on trading tools and functionality across both web and desktop-based platforms. Popular day trading platform tools include streaming real-time quotes, stock alerts, trading hotkeys, direct market routing, streaming time and sales, customizable watch lists, backtesting, and fully functional charting packages, among many others. For day trading, Fidelity offers a better experience.
After testing 25 features across the stock trading apps of Fidelity and Robinhood, we found Fidelity to be better overall. The best stock market apps are easy to use, have excellent design, and deliver a fully featured online trading experience. Fidelity ranks #4 out of 17 brokers, while Robinhood ranks #9.
Fidelity Trading App Gallery
Robinhood Trading App Gallery
For research, Fidelity offers superior market research than Robinhood. Fidelity ranks #6 and Robinhood ranks #14.
Over the years, we've found that the best brokers provide rich market commentary, a variety of third-party research reports, and thorough quote screens that are not just easy to navigate, but that also include a comprehensive selection of fundamental data. Robust stock, ETFs, and mutual fund screeners are also must-haves for trade idea generation.
Fidelity requires a minimum deposit of $0.00, while Robinhood requires a minimum deposit of $0.00. From our testing, we found that SoFi is the only broker that requires a minimum deposit.
Fidelity charges 13.58% for accounts under $25,000 while Robinhood charges a margin rate of 12.00%. The industry average of the 17 brokers we track is 11%.
Fidelity and Robinhood allow traders to trade fractional shares. Our research has found that 41% of brokers offer fractional shares investing. Fractional shares allow traders to buy a part of a whole share of stock. For example, if Amazon is trading at $1,000, you could buy half a share for $500.
Both Fidelity and Robinhood allow you to trade penny stocks. Fidelity charges $0.00 per trade while Robinhood charges N/A. Penny stocks are companies whose shares trade for under $5 and are listed over the counter (OTC). For brokers that do offer penny stock trades, the average commission is $3.
Online banking can be a benefit for investors, and some brokerages do provide banking services to customers. Debit Cards and Credit Cards are offered by Fidelity while Robinhood offers Debit Cards. Neither have Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts and Mortgage Loans.
StockBrokers.com partners with customer experience research group Confero to conduct phone tests from locations across the United States to thoroughly evaluate the quality and speed of brokerage customer service. (Read more about How We Test.) Here are the results of our current testing.
Fidelity was rated 3rd out of 14 brokers, with an overall score of 8.6 out of 10.
Robinhood’s customer service could not be tested or rated due to the fact it does not offer phone support for prospective customers.
Our top pick overall for 2023, Fidelity is a value-driven online broker offering $0 trades, industry-leading research, excellent trading tools and an easy-to-use mobile app.
In the 2023 StockBrokers.com Annual Review, Fidelity was rated No. 1 Overall Broker and No. 1 for Commissions & Fees, Education, IRA Accounts and Penny Stocks. It also ranked among Best in Class for Platforms & Tools, Mobile Trading Apps, Ease of Use, Active Trading, Beginners, Customers Service, and Penny Stocks. Fidelity also won four StockBrokers.com Industry Awards: No. 1 for Fractional Shares, Innovation, New Tool and Order Execution.
Robinhood is very easy to use and its educational content is a joy to read. But, in today’s competitive market for your investing dollars, there are several more compelling options among brokerages.
Overall winner: Fidelity
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