Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Fidelity vs Robinhood, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Bottom line: In the Fidelity vs Robinhood comparison of investment options, Fidelity comes out ahead for breadth. StockBrokers.com rates Fidelity 5 stars and ranks it #3 out of 14 brokers for Range of Investments, while Robinhood earns 3.5 stars and ranks #12. Choose Fidelity if you want the widest mix; choose Robinhood if you want futures and a larger crypto list in a simple online broker experience.
Both brokers let you trade stocks (including OTC), options, margin, and fractional shares. Fidelity adds mutual funds and forex—two areas Robinhood doesn’t support—while Robinhood is the only one of the two with futures. For crypto, both offer trading; Fidelity lists 3 coins, while Robinhood lists 22.
On the account side, both offer Traditional and Roth IRAs and provide access to advisor services. So the choice hinges on what you plan to trade: pick Fidelity for access to mutual funds and forex alongside stocks and options; pick Robinhood if you prioritize futures and a wider selection of cryptocurrencies.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 3 | 22 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market
Fidelity vs. Robinhood: For trading platforms and tools, Fidelity comes out ahead for most investors. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #4 of 14 at StockBrokers.com, while Robinhood scores 3.5 stars and ranks #9. Fidelity offers fuller desktop access, deeper charting and watch list controls, plus helpful extras like a trading journal. Robinhood is easier to pick up in the browser and offers an unusually large set of drawing tools, but it skips several analysis features that active traders may want.
Platform access and basic tools: Fidelity provides downloadable desktop platforms for both Windows and Mac, along with a browser-based platform. Robinhood offers a browser-based platform only (no Windows or Mac downloads). Neither broker supports paper trading. Fidelity includes a built-in trading journal; Robinhood does not. For watch lists, Fidelity supports up to 92 columns versus Robinhood’s 34. Both let you adjust open orders directly on the chart and save multiple chart profiles. Editing a simple moving average study offers five fields on Fidelity and six on Robinhood. Neither broker allows creating custom studies.
Charting and analysis: Fidelity supplies 129 technical indicators and 38 drawing tools, while Robinhood provides 90 indicators and a very large 2,326 drawing tools. Both let you add notes, choose custom date ranges, and save chart profiles. Fidelity can display your historical trades on charts, show corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends, and surface automated chart patterns; Robinhood does not offer those three features. In short, Fidelity is the better pick if you want fuller chart data and platform depth, while Robinhood suits traders who prefer straightforward web trading and extensive drawing tool options.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 92 | 34 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 129 | 90 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 38 | 2326 |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
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Fidelity and Robinhood both provide beginner-friendly investor education on stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds. Fidelity goes further with mutual funds education, while Robinhood does not. Both platforms offer educational videos, but Fidelity adds live and on-demand webinars, interactive quizzes, and tools to track your learning progress—features Robinhood doesn’t include. Neither broker offers paper trading for practice.
For quality and depth, Fidelity earns 5 stars for education and is ranked #2 out of 14 brokers by StockBrokers.com. Robinhood scores 4 stars and ranks #8 out of 14. If you want a more structured learning path with webinars, quizzes, and progress tracking, Fidelity is the stronger pick. If you prefer quick lessons and videos focused on core topics, Robinhood can still meet basic education needs.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
Fidelity edges out Robinhood for mobile stock trading. Both brokers offer polished apps for iPhone, Android, and Apple Watch, along with streaming quotes, stock alerts, options trading, and customizable watch lists. Where Fidelity pulls ahead is in charting depth and built-in research media, helping it earn a higher app rating (5 stars vs. Robinhood’s 4.5 stars) and a better ranking from StockBrokers.com (#3 of 14 vs. #7 of 14).
App access is strong on both sides: iPhone and Android support, plus Apple Watch. On-the-go trading features line up closely with mobile options trading, streaming quotes, and the ability to build and customize watch lists available at both brokers. Fidelity supports mobile after-hours trading; the provided data did not specify Robinhood’s status for mobile after-hours trading.
Fidelity’s charting and media tools are more extensive. Both apps offer after-hours charting and multiple time frames, but Fidelity supports landscape charts while Robinhood does not. Fidelity also provides 128 technical studies versus Robinhood’s 90, and it lets you compare multiple stocks on a single chart, which Robinhood lacks. For research and education, Fidelity includes streaming live TV and videos on demand; Robinhood does not include those media features.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 128 | 90 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When choosing between Fidelity and Robinhood, it's important to weigh the benefits of each platform's account fees and charges. Both Fidelity and Robinhood offer $0 minimum deposits and commission-free trading for regular stock trades, making them both attractive choices for the cost-conscious investor. However, when it comes to options trading, Fidelity charges $0.65 per contract, while Robinhood allows options trading without any fees. For those considering margin trading, Robinhood provides a more cost-effective option with rates starting at 5.55% compared to Fidelity's higher rates, which begin at 11.125% for balances above $50,000.
Delving deeper into account-related fees, both platforms score equal points for non-existent fees on IRA annual and closure fees, as well as options exercise and assignment fees. This makes either a feasible option for retirement planning without the worry of hidden charges. However, an important distinction lies in the account transfer process. Fidelity offers a seamless transfer with no fees for partial or full Account Transfers (ACAT). In contrast, Robinhood imposes a significant $100 fee for both partial and full account transfers, which could be a dealbreaker for investors considering future financial movements between accounts.
Ultimately, Fidelity stands out for its comprehensive fee-free account services and competitive stock trading options, although its higher margin rates and options contract fees may sway budget-conscious traders towards Robinhood. Robinhood appeals with its zero-cost options trading and lower margin rates but falls short with costly account transfer fees. The decision depends on what features matter most to you; whether it's flexibility in account transfers or lower margin costs.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
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For day trading, Fidelity offers a deeper toolset: streaming time and sales (the tape), streaming live TV news, direct market routing for stocks, trading hotkeys, Level II quotes, basic strategy backtesting, and a short-locator to check real-time borrow availability. These features help active traders see intraday momentum, react faster, test ideas, choose routes, and locate shares to short. Fidelity does not provide ladder trading or advanced backtesting, and neither Fidelity nor Robinhood offers maker/taker rebates.
Robinhood includes Level II quotes and does offer ladder trading, which some scalpers prefer for quick clicks. However, it lacks streaming time and sales, live TV, direct routing, hotkeys, backtesting, and a short-locator. If your day trading relies on tape reading, routing control, hotkey speed, and planning tools, Fidelity is generally the stronger fit. If you mainly want a simple ladder inside a streamlined app and can go without those extras, Robinhood may suffice.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No |
| Short Locator | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2025 for Beginners and Active Traders
Bottom line: for market research, Fidelity is the stronger choice over Robinhood. Fidelity earns 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com, while Robinhood gets 2 stars and ranks #10. If you want a wider range of research topics, richer data, and downloadable reports, choose Fidelity; if you only need basic stock and ETF checks and a simple screener, Robinhood can work.
Both brokers let you research stocks and ETFs, view OTC/pink sheet information, and see your portfolio split by asset class. Fidelity goes further with mutual fund and bond research, ESG insights, and stock research that includes social media sentiment; Robinhood doesn’t offer those extras. Fidelity also supplies seven downloadable stock research PDFs plus ETF PDFs, while Robinhood offers no downloadable reports; neither broker provides PDF reports for mutual funds.
For finding ideas, each one has a stock screener. Fidelity adds ETF, mutual fund, and bond screeners, giving you more ways to filter and compare investments; Robinhood does not offer those additional screeners. In short, in the Fidelity vs. Robinhood market research comparison, Fidelity fits investors who want more tools and report detail, while Robinhood suits those who prefer a lighter, basics-only setup.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Research |
|
|
When comparing the banking features of Fidelity and Robinhood, both platforms come with certain similarities and differences. Neither Fidelity nor Robinhood offers checking or savings accounts, making them different from traditional banks. However, both provide debit and credit cards, giving users flexibility in their spending. When it comes to more specialized banking services, Fidelity offers mortgage loans, while Robinhood does not, potentially making Fidelity a more suitable choice for homebuyers. Additionally, Fidelity offers Certificates of Deposit (CDs) whereas Robinhood does not, which might appeal to those looking to grow their savings over time. This set of services highlights Fidelity's broader range of banking options compared to Robinhood, which focuses more on investing.
| Feature |
Fidelity
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | No |
| Savings Accounts | No | No |
| Debit Cards | Yes | Yes |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
| Brokerage CDs | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2025
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Fidelity is better than Robinhood. Fidelity finished with an overall score of 96.2%, while Robinhood finished with a score of 77.3%.
Fidelity is a value-driven online broker offering $0 trades, industry-leading research, excellent trading tools and an easy-to-use mobile app.
Fidelity and Robinhood both offer crypto trading, with Robinhood providing a wider selection by offering 22 coins compared to Fidelity's 3.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Both Fidelity and Robinhood offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual or closure fees, making them cost-effective options for retirement investment management.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
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| Review | Fidelity Review | Robinhood Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
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| 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 | Varies | N/A | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | $0.75 | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $32.95 | N/A |
| Margin Rates | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 12.575% | 5.75% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.075% | 5.75% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 11.125% | 5.55% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 11.075% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 10.825% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 8.500% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8.250% | 5% |
| 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 | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | No | Yes | |
| Forex Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 3 | 22 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 25 | 1 |
| 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 | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | 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 |
| 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 | 128 | 90 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | Active Trader Pro | Robinhood Legend | |
| 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 | 34 |
| Stock Chart Features | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 129 | 90 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 38 | 2326 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 5 | 6 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No | |
| Ladder Trading | No | Yes | |
| Trade Hot Keys | Yes | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Research | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 7 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total 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 - Investment Objective | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
| Banking | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
| Checking Accounts | No | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | No | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Debit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
| Customer Service | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
| Overall | Fidelity | Robinhood | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Fidelity Review | Robinhood Review |
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