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Best International Brokers for Stock Trading 2023

Blain Reinkensmeyer

Written by Blain Reinkensmeyer
Edited by Carolyn Kimball
Fact-checked by Steven Hatzakis

May 24, 2023

The StockBrokers.com best online brokers 2023 review, our 13th annual, took three months to complete and produced over 40,000 words of research. Here's how we tested. Our editorial content is independent and unbiased; here's how we make money.

This guide summarizes the best online brokers for international trading in 2023. To qualify, online brokers must be based in the United States, must be U.S.-regulated, and offer international investors the ability to buy and sell stocks.

Currently, there are very few U.S. brokers that support non-U.S. citizens as clients. This is mostly due to the complexities surrounding international regulations, customer service, and language translation.

If you are U.S. citizen and want to buy stocks overseas, the three best international brokers are Interactive Brokers, Fidelity Investments, and Charles Schwab.

Best International Brokers for Stock Trading

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars 4.5 Overall

Best overall, 217 countries

Traditionally known for its leading offering of platforms, tools, and pricing for professionals, Interactive Brokers has made significant strides in recent years and today also appeals to casual investors, thanks to $0 trades and its Client Portal web platform. Read full review

Visit Site open_in_new

New clients, special margin rates.

TradeStation
4/5 Stars 4.0 Overall

156 countries

As a trading technology leader, TradeStation supports casual traders through its web-based platform and active traders through its award-winning desktop platform, all with $0 stock and ETF trades. Read full review

Visit Site open_in_new

Trade Stocks, Options, Futures, & Crypto.

Firstrade
4.5/5 Stars 4.5 Overall

29 countries

Firstrade offers $0 stock, ETF, and options trades and is best known for its easy-to-use web platform, alongside its Chinese language services. While Firstrade offers Morningstar research and various tools, its overall offering struggles to stand out against household name brands who are also priced at $0. Read full review

Visit Site open_in_new

Earn up to $4,000 in cash rewards

International trading guides

If you are resident of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, or Australia, read our full international trading guide below. Similarly, if you are looking for an international forex broker, we have a separate tool for forex through our sister site, ForexBrokers.com.

Interactive Brokers: 184 Countries

IG logo

Traditionally known for its leading offering of platforms, tools, and pricing for professionals, Interactive Brokers has made significant strides in recent years and today also appeals to casual investors, thanks to $0 trades and its Client Portal web platform. Read full review

Interactive Brokers countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Albania, Armenia, Antarctica, Argentina, American Samoa, Australia, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Bermuda, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Botswana, Belize, Canada, Central African Republic, Switzerland, Cook Islands, Chile, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Falkland Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Faroe Islands, Gabon, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Gambia, Guinea, Guadeloupe, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Guam, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hong Kong, Honduras, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, India, British Indian Ocean Territory, Iceland, Jamaica, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Cayman Islands, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Saint Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Morocco, Monaco, Montenegro, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Macedonia, Mali, Mongolia, Macao, Northern Mariana Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Montserrat, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, New Caledonia, Niger, Norfolk Island, Nicaragua, Norway,  Nepal, Niue, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Palestine, Palau, Paraguay, Qatar, Réunion, Serbia, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Singapore, Saint Helena, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, San Marino, Senegal, Suriname, São Tomé and Príncipe, El Salvador, Swaziland, Turks and Caicos Islands, Chad, French Southern Territories, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tokelau, East Timor, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Tonga, Turkey, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uganda, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,  Vatican City, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa, Mayotte, South Africa, Zambia. If you are a resident of any of these countries, you can open an account with Interactive Brokers and invest in U.S. stocks.

currency_poundInvesting in the U.K.

Interactive Brokers also made our top picks for trading apps in the United Kingdom. Read more on our sister site, UK.StockBrokers.com.

TradeStation: 156 Countries

TradeStation logo

As a trading technology leader, TradeStation supports casual traders through its web-based platform and active traders through its award-winning desktop platform, all with $0 stock and ETF trades. Read full review

TradeStation countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Antarctica, Argentina, American Samoa, Austria, Australia, Aruba, Åland, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Saint-Barthélemy, Bermuda, Brunei, Bolivia; Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba; Brazil, Bhutan, Belize, Canada, Cocos [Keeling] Islands, Republic of the Congo, Switzerland, Cook Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Curaçao, Christmas Island, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Spain, Finland, Fiji, Falkland Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Faroe Islands, France, United Kingdom, Grenada, French Guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Greece, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Guatemala, Guam, Hong Kong, Honduras, Croatia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Isle of Man, India, British Indian Ocean Territory, Iceland, Italy, Jersey, Jamaica, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Japan, Kiribati, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Cayman Islands, Laos, Saint Lucia, Liechtenstein, Lesotho, Republic of Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Republic of Moldova, Saint Martin, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Martinique, Montserrat, Malta, Mauritius, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Netherlands, Norway, Nauru, Niue, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Palau, Paraguay, Qatar, Réunion, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Sweden, Singapore, Saint Helena, Slovenia, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Slovak Republic, San Marino, Senegal, Suriname, São Tomé and Príncipe, El Salvador, Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands, French Southern Territories, Togo, Thailand, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Tanzania, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa, Kosovo, South Africa. If you are a resident of any of these countries, you can open an account with TradeStation and invest in U.S. stocks.

Firstrade: 21 Countries

Firstrade logo

Firstrade offers $0 stock, ETF, and options trades and is best known for its easy-to-use web platform, alongside its Chinese language services. While Firstrade offers Morningstar research and various tools, its overall offering struggles to stand out against household name brands who are also priced at $0. Read full review

Firstrade countries: Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States. If you are a resident of any of these countries, you can open an account with Firstrade and invest in U.S. stocks.

Other international brokers

Site visitors frequently ask about other popular online brokers and the countries of residence they support. Most brokers only offer trading to residents of the United States.

Charles Schwab countries: United States, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Guam, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan (Province of China), Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands. If you are a resident of any of these countries, you can open an account with Charles Schwab and invest in U.S. stocks.

Fidelity countries: United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

E*TRADE countries: United States residents only.

TD Ameritrade countries: United States and Canada residents only.

What is an international broker?

Any stockbroker that accepts clients from more than one country and offers trading access to global stock exchanges is considered an international broker. Some online stock brokers in the U.S. only accept U.S. citizens. Meanwhile, other U.S. brokers support residents of Canada, Australia, the U.K., broader Europe, or other countries across the globe.

Ultimately, what matters is that the broker is regulated and licensed to do business in your country of residence.

Can a non-U.S. citizen open a brokerage account?

It depends. In many cases, if you are a legal resident in the U.S. but not a U.S. citizen, then proper identification may be enough to open a U.S. brokerage account.

If you reside outside of the United States and are not a U.S. citizen, you may still be able to open a brokerage account. As long as the online broker accepts applications from your country of residence, then you should be able to proceed.

How do I buy stocks internationally?

To buy foreign stocks, you must first open an international brokerage account. Then, after funding your account, you may need to request access (including price data) for the exchange you want to trade. Alternatively, simply search for the specific symbol to see if it is available to trade from within your account.

Example: A trader who wants to buy British Petroleum PLC (LSE: BP) would enter the symbol BP on the trading platform. If you enter this on the Interactive Brokers platform, BP will yield a few results, but the correct one if you want to buy it on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) is “BP PLC – LSE.”

Companies can have multiple results because they may be dually-listed, trade as an American Deposit Receipt (ADR), or trade as a Contract for Difference (CFD). Bottom line: you will need to know the exchange and symbol to buy an international stock.

Which broker is best for international trading?

Interactive Brokers is the best U.S.-based international stock broker because it provides you access to the most exchanges and supports clients from the widest variety of countries.

That said, the best international broker will vary depending on where you live. Use our international trading search tool above to compare trading platforms available across the globe.

StockBrokers.com 2023 Overall Ranking

Here are the Overall rankings for the 17 online brokers whose offerings we analyze and test, sorted by Overall ranking.

Company Overall Commissions & Fees Research Platforms & Tools Mobile Trading Apps Investment Options Education Ease Of Use Visit Site
Fidelity logoFidelity 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
TD Ameritrade logoTD Ameritrade 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars Visit Site
Firstrade logoFirstrade 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars Visit Site
Webull logoWebull 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Robinhood logoRobinhood 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing logoJ.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
tastytrade logotastytrade 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 2/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
TradeStation logoTradeStation 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars Visit Site
Tradier logoTradier 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars 2/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
eToro logoeToro 3.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Vanguard logoVanguard 3.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars 2/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Sofi Invest logoSofi Invest 3.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 2/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
View More

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Methodology

For the StockBrokers.com 13th Annual Review published in January 2023, a total of 3,332 data points were collected over three months and used to score 17 top brokers. This makes StockBrokers.com home to the largest independent database on the web covering the online broker industry.

As part of our annual review process, all brokers had the opportunity to provide updates and key milestones and complete an in-depth data profile, which we hand-checked for accuracy. Brokers also were offered the opportunity to provide executive time for an annual update meeting.

Our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .001% each year, providing site visitors quality data they can trust. Learn more about how we test.

About the Editorial Team

Blain Reinkensmeyer
Blain Reinkensmeyer

Blain Reinkensmeyer has 20 years of trading experience with over 2,500 trades placed during that time. He heads research for all U.S.-based brokerages on StockBrokers.com and is respected by executives as the leading expert covering the online broker industry. Blain’s insights have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Chicago Tribune, among other media outlets.


Carolyn Kimball
Carolyn Kimball

Carolyn Kimball is managing editor for Reink Media and the lead editor for the StockBrokers.com Annual Review. Carolyn has more than 20 years of writing and editing experience at major media outlets including NerdWallet, the Los Angeles Times and the San Jose Mercury News. She specializes in coverage of personal financial products and services, wielding her editing skills to clarify complex (some might say befuddling) topics to help consumers make informed decisions about their money.


Steven Hatzakis
Steven Hatzakis

Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Research for ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. Steven is an active fintech and crypto industry researcher and advises blockchain companies at the board level. Over the past 20 years, Steven has held numerous positions within the international forex markets, from writing to consulting to serving as a registered commodity futures representative.


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