Best Brokers and Apps for Fractional Shares in 2026

Fractional shares enable investors to own a percentage of a share of company stock. With fractional shares, investors and traders are not required to purchase at least one share in order to invest in a company.

As an example, let’s say you’ve decided to invest in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.B), which was priced at around $484.89, as of May 2026. Maybe the price tag on that stock is simply too steep for you; not all traders can afford to pay over $400 for one share. With fractional shares, you can still invest in BRK.B by purchasing a percentage of one share. For example, if you decided that you could afford to invest $100, you could purchase 21.11% of one share at that price.

On most major platforms, buying a fraction of a share is no different than buying a whole share. In most cases, you’ll simply specify two extra decimals (or more if supported) to any whole number or zero (i.e., you might decide to buy 1.34 shares of a company stock). This is done in the order window before submitting your order for execution with a broker that supports fractional shares.

For example, on Fidelity’s web platform, you can either specify the dollar amount you wish to invest or the number of shares you want to buy. If you choose the dollar amount, the platform will automatically calculate the corresponding fractional share based on the current price of the stock. This flexibility makes it easy to invest exactly how much you want.

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the buying process:

1. Choose a broker: First, ensure that your online stock broker supports fractional shares. Some of the best stock brokers, like Fidelity, Schwab, and Interactive Brokers offer the ability to buy fractional shares.
2. Log in: Access your brokerage account using your credentials.
3. Select the stock: Find the stock you want to buy. For example, you might search for “TSLA” for Tesla.
4. Enter your order: Click on the option to buy shares of the selected stock. This will bring you to the order entry screen. You’ll need to specify the fraction of shares you want to buy, typically in decimals (e.g., 0.1 for a tenth of a share). You can also just enter the dollar amount you wish to invest. Most platforms will provide a real-time share percentage calculation based on the dollar amount.
5. Review and submit your order: Once you’ve reviewed the order details, click on the “Buy” or “Submit” button to execute the trade. Your fractional shares will be added to your portfolio.

Fidelity is the best app for buying fractional shares. Its mobile app combines a thoughtfully designed order ticket with consistently low-cost executions, and you can start with as little as $1 across more than 7,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs. The "Basket Portfolios" feature lets you build and manage an entire group of fractional positions right from your phone, so you can automate recurring investments or rebalance with a few taps. Between its low costs, deep selection, and intuitive design, Fidelity is a strong fit for beginner traders and experienced investors alike.

Yes, fractional shares can be worth it for investors and stock traders of all experience levels. Here are three reasons that fractional shares can have a place in any investor’s portfolio:

1. Flexible investment: Fractional shares let you invest according to your budget. Investors can diversify a portfolio by buying multiple stocks without the budget requirements that would be necessary for buying full shares of each stock.
2. Customizable portfolios: With fractional shares, you can create a personalized basket of stocks, similar to an ETF, tailored to your investment strategy. This customization can include specific allocations. For example, you might want to set a target weight of 12% for a given stock to allocate from your trading balance; you can purchase fractional shares to hit the exact 12% portfolio allocation.
3. Convenience for all investors: Fractional shares aren't just for those on a tight budget. Even seasoned investors with substantial portfolios can benefit by making precise allocations without needing to round up to the nearest whole share.

Yes, in most cases you will earn fractional dividends if you own fractional shares (but it’s best to check with your broker to make sure). Your dividend will be proportional to the number of fractions of a share that you own.

Both Fidelity and Interactive Brokers offer a wide variety of fractional ETFs to trade. Most of the brokers on our list, with the exception of Charles Schwab, allow you to buy fractional shares of ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds), making it easier than ever to invest in the stock market – regardless of your trading budget. This flexibility allows you to allocate any dollar amount toward your investment strategy, whether you're pursuing a passive approach with ETFs or engaging in more active trading.

For example, consider the Vanguard 500 Index Fund ETF (VOO), which aims to replicate the performance of the S&P 500 Index. As of May 2026, VOO is priced at approximately $688.78. If you wanted to invest $250 per week in this ETF, you could set up a recurring purchase to either allocate that exact dollar amount using fractional shares.

Investing a fixed dollar amount instead of a specific fractional share can be a more consistent approach, especially given the fluctuations in ETF prices. This method allows you to buy into the ETF over time without worrying about the exact share price on the day of your purchase.

No. TD Ameritrade no longer operates as a separate broker. Charles Schwab completed its acquisition of TD Ameritrade in 2020 and finished moving TD Ameritrade client accounts to Schwab in May 2024.

Former TD Ameritrade clients can buy fractional shares through Charles Schwab's Stock Slices program. Stock Slices covers companies in the S&P 500 and requires a minimum purchase of $5.

No. TradeStation doesn't offer fractional shares. The broker supports trading in whole shares of stocks, along with options, futures, and futures options.

For fractional trading, Fidelity allows purchases starting at $1 on more than 7,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs.