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Best Stock Trading Apps of 2024

March 18, 2024

Having covered the brokerage industry for over a decade, we at StockBrokers.com have seen stock trading apps evolve from basic watch lists to fully functioning stand-alone trading platforms. Now the focus has shifted to making stock apps easy to use while still offering features that can satisfy the most demanding investors.

To find the best app for stock trading, I compared trading apps from 17 brokers side by side. My testing uncovered some interesting differences in both he user experience and features, which I'll break down below. For example, Merrill Edge’s app takes an entirely different approach to sharing stock data than, say, Interactive Brokers, but Interactive Brokers has three apps to choose from.

Why you can trust StockBrokers.com

Since 2009, we've helped over 20 million visitors research, compare, and choose an online broker. Our writers have collectively placed thousands of trades over their careers. Here's how we test.

Best Stock Trading Apps

Here are the online brokers with the best apps for trading in 2024.

  • Interactive Brokers
    - Best Overall
  • E*TRADE
    - Best for Casual Traders
  • Fidelity
    - Best App for Investors and Beginners
  • Charles Schwab - Best for Traders
  • Merrill Edge - Best App for Stock Research
  • Firstrade - Best for Chinese-Speaking Investors
  • Webull
    - Excellent Charts
Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars 4.5 Overall

Best Overall

Minimum Deposit$0.00
Stock Trades$0.00
Options (Per Contract)$0.65

Mobile trading with Interactive Brokers is well-supported across all devices. From lightning-quick streaming data to full-featured order entry and portfolio management, Interactive Brokers includes everything professionals require in three different high-performing apps. Read full review

Pros
  • Astounding array of customizable tools
  • Allows trading in foreign markets
  • Convenient apps for individual investors
Cons
  • Restrictive trading permissions
  • Main platforms might feel cold
Visit Site

New clients, special margin rates.

E*TRADE
5/5 Stars 5.0 Overall

Best for Casual Traders

Minimum Deposit$0.00
Stock Trades$0.00
Options (Per Contract)$0.65

In our 2024 Annual Awards, E*TRADE once again ranked among the best because its apps are easy to use and feature-rich. Our recommendation: use E*TRADE mobile for stock trading and Power E*TRADE Mobile for options trading. Read full review

Pros
  • Watch lists are the best in the business
  • Smooth mobile navigation
  • High-quality high-net-worth Morgan Stanley proprietary research
Cons
  • Cryptocurrencies not currently available
  • Margin rates are high compared to other brokers
Visit Site

Open and fund & get up to $1,000.

Fidelity
5/5 Stars 5.0 Overall

Best App for Investors and Beginners

Minimum Deposit$0.00
Stock Trades$0.00
Options (Per Contract)$0.65

Fidelity’s mobile experience is cleanly designed, bug-free and delivers a phenomenal experience for investors. Fidelity’s investing app is excellent for everyday investors, while novices will appreciate Bloom and Spire. Read full review

Pros
  • Excellent research and mobile app
  • Top-notch education
  • Decades of reliable client service
Cons
  • No dedicated mobile app for active trading
Visit Site

Trade at Fidelity. 1

Charles Schwab
5/5 Stars 5.0 Overall

Best for Traders

Minimum Deposit$0.00
Stock Trades$0.00
Options (Per Contract)$0.65

With the addition of TD Ameritrade's thinkorswim platforms and the enhancement of several features, Schwab is now a vigorous competitor with thought-provoking research and commentary and a client experience to fit any preference. Read full review

Pros
  • TD Ameritrade’s excellent thinkorswim trading platforms now available
  • Trading-friendly app and browser enhancements
  • Exceptional high net worth services
Cons
  • No cryptocurrency trading
  • Mutual fund fees are complex
Merrill Edge
4.5/5 Stars 4.5 Overall

Best App for Stock Research

Minimum Deposit$0.00
Stock Trades$0.00
Options (Per Contract)$0.65

Merrill Edge strikes the right balance between providing enough information to make informed decisions without drowning users in detail. Its easy-to-use mobile app is a particular winner for existing Bank of America customers. Read full review

Pros
  • Portfolio Story, Dynamic Insights, and the Stock and Fund Stories are groundbreaking features
  • High-quality proprietary research
Cons
  • Some site elements slow to load
  • No crypto, futures, forex or penny stocks
Firstrade
4.5/5 Stars 4.5 Overall

Best for Chinese-Speaking Investors

Minimum Deposit$0.00
Stock Trades$0.00
Options (Per Contract)$0.00

Firstrade scored well for penny stock trading in our 2024 Annual Awards, and is a great choice for Chinese-speaking investors. However, it lags behind the competition in certain areas, especially platforms, tools and education. Read full review

Pros
  • Excellent for Chinese-speaking investors
  • Has bolstered its options education and trading capabilities
  • Easy-to-use mobile app
Cons
  • Trading platform and tools trail industry leaders
  • Investor education is thin
Webull
4/5 Stars 4.0 Overall

Excellent Charts

Minimum Deposit$0.00
Stock Trades$0.00
Options (Per Contract)$0.00

Webull is an excellent choice for beginning and intermediate traders. The user experience is outstanding, and Webull has better charts than its natural competitor, Robinhood. Options contracts are commission-free, but crypto markups and markdowns are on the high side. Experienced investors may eventually miss the features, research, and investment choices available at leading brokers. Read full review

Pros
  • Terrific user experience across all devices
  • Zero-cost option trading
  • 44 cryptocurrencies
Cons
  • Limited investment options
  • 1% markups and markdowns on crypto trades
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Get up to 75 free fractional shares!

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Winners Summary

Best overall - Interactive Brokers

Company Minimum Deposit Stock Trades Options (Per Contract) Offers Visit Site
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers $0.00 $0.00 $0.65 New clients, special margin rates. Visit Site

Interactive Brokers offers three mobile apps to retail investors, and I tried out stock trades on all three. Each has a unique focus. I prefer the IBKR Mobile flagship app for its extensive features, but beginners might appreciate the other two apps, as they are much easier to use. The Impact app focuses on ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing. Global stock investors will find a very friendly experience on the Global Trader app. Though I found the stock trading on Impact and Global Trader to be very similar, I also enjoyed using Global Trader to speculate in foreign currency, even if it was only a few dollars. Read review.

Interactive Brokers apps gallery

Best for casual traders - E*TRADE

Company Minimum Deposit Stock Trades Options (Per Contract) Offers Visit Site
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE $0.00 $0.00 $0.65 Open and fund & get up to $1,000. Visit Site

What stands out to me about E*TRADE apps is, first, how clearly everything is labeled and, second, the responsiveness. E*TRADE Mobile and Power E*TRADE Mobile are quick, clear, and feature-rich and won’t scare novice traders into giving up and just buying CDs. I prefer E*TRADE Mobile for monitoring market news and doing deep stock research dives. Power E*TRADE Mobile does a better job with chart-driven day trading. Read review.

E*TRADE stock trading apps gallery


A demo of E*TRADE Mobile, the broker’s more beginner-friendly mobile app.

Best app for investors and beginners - Fidelity

Company Minimum Deposit Stock Trades Options (Per Contract) Offers Visit Site
Fidelity logoFidelity $0.00 $0.00 $0.65 Trade at Fidelity. 1 Visit Site

I found that Fidelity’s mobile experience is cleanly designed, bug-free, and delivers comprehensive research and market insights in an easy-to-navigate format. Fido’s app will satisfy almost every long-term investor, but I think its logical layout makes it easier for beginning investors to find useful insights into the markets and their holdings. Read review.

Fidelity app gallery

Best for traders - Charles Schwab

Company Minimum Deposit Stock Trades Options (Per Contract) Offers Visit Site
Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab $0.00 $0.00 $0.65 Read Review

Schwab’s mobile suite should satisfy everyone except for the most active professionals and a few highly specialized traders. There’s Schwab Mobile for occasional and long-term investors and, new for this year, thinkorswim mobile for active traders. Though I’m happy to use either Power E*TRADE or thinkorswim, I lean toward thinkorswim personally because I prefer the layout. Read review.

Best app for stock research - Merrill Edge

Company Minimum Deposit Stock Trades Options (Per Contract) Offers Visit Site
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge $0.00 $0.00 $0.65 Read Review

Merrill has a unique way of presenting stock information that makes the former investment analyst/advisor in me very happy. Edge’s Story format delivers what I think clients absolutely need to know before they make an investment. For existing Bank of America customers, the universal account access and functionality make the app an easy winner. Read review.

FAQs

What are some tips for choosing the best stock trading app?

Now that almost all stock apps offer free stock trading, we recommend comparing other features to choose the best stock trading app. The most widely used stock app features are watch lists, stock charts, and order tickets, so make sure those are great. To help readers, we include full screenshots of each stock trading app in our broker reviews.

Fun fact: Not all stock trading apps offer real-time streaming quotes. Instead, some apps only refresh stock quotes every few seconds or longer. Watch lists aside, apps like TradeStation's and Charles Schwab's thinkorswim provide excellent stock chart tools and stock alerts functionality. Both brokers offer traders access to several hundred technical indicators in addition to endless customization options.


StockBrokers.com shows you what to look for when checking out a broker's mobile app.

What is the best stock trading app?

The best stock trading apps for 2024, based on our extensive, hands-on app testing, are:

What is the best stock trading app for beginners?

For beginners in 2024, the best stock trading apps are Fidelity and Charles Schwab. Between the two brokers, Schwab has the edge for educational resources and trading tools. Meanwhile, Fidelity stands out for ease of use.

What app allows you to practice stock trading?

Several mobile apps allow you to practice stock trading without risking real money — also called paper trading. Here are our top brokers with simulated trading:

Are stock trading apps safe?

Trading apps from established U.S. based brokerage firms are safe against theft and broker insolvency. Brokers in the United States are among the highest-regulated financial service providers in the world. They go to enormous lengths to protect your privacy and you are protected against the loss of cash and securities by the Security Investors Protection Corporation if, for some reason your broker is financially distressed (up to $500,000 in securities and $250,000 in cash per customer). Many brokers buy additional coverage to insure even larger amounts.

Remember, SIPC insurance does not cover against losing money from your investments going down. Your investing decisions will play a far bigger part than the risk of fraud or theft in determining whether your portfolio is safe.

How do I buy shares of stock on my phone?

Follow these steps to make a mobile stock purchase. There may be minor variations between brokers for these steps.

  1. Open an account with a broker. Most brokers have no minimum deposit or investment minimum, so you can try them out for free. See our top picks above.
  2. Once you have opened an account with a broker, deposit money. Some give instant credit for deposits via e-checks.
  3. Choose a stock. You may have to search for its symbol. Once you have it, there will be a “trade” or “buy” and “sell” buttons. Tap “buy.”
  4. Select the number of shares or dollar amount you want to buy.
  5. Choose either a market order or a limit order. A limit order specifies the maximum you are willing to pay for the stock.
  6. Select time in force, either for the day, or good-until-canceled.
  7. Hit confirm, check for any errors, then send the trade.

Our Research

Why you should trust us

Sam Levine, CFA, CMT, the lead writer for StockBrokers.com, has over 30 years of investing experience and actively trades stocks, ETFs, options, futures, and options on futures. He's held roles as a portfolio manager, financial consultant, investment strategist and journalist. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designations and served on the board of directors of the CMT Association.

Blain Reinkensmeyer, head of research at StockBrokers.com, has been investing and trading for over 25 years. After having placed over 2,000 trades in his late teens and early 20s, he became one of the first in digital media to review online brokerages. Blain created the original scoring rubric for StockBrokers.com and oversees all testing and rating methodologies.

For this guide:

  • We used our own brokerage accounts for testing. For several brokers, we also used test accounts that were provided to us.
  • We collected 450 data points (25 per broker).
  • We took over 200 app screenshots.
  • We tested each online broker's mobile app (or apps, for those brokers offering more than one).
  • Our editorial team met with the product teams of nine online brokers.

How we tested

For this guide to the best stock apps, we thoroughly tested key features including the availability and quality of watch lists, charting, real-time and streaming quotes, stock alerts, and educational resources, among other variables. We also look for a fluid user experience moving between mobile and desktop platforms, where offered. Our writers maintained active, funded online brokerage accounts for testing. In certain circumstances, a demo account was provided by the broker.

StockBrokers.com uses a variety of computing devices to evaluate trading platforms. Our reviews were conducted using the following devices: iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, MacBook Pro M1 with 8 GB RAM running the current MacOS, and a Dell Vostro 5402 laptop i5 with 8 GB RAM running Windows 11 Pro. In testing platforms and apps, our reviewers place actual trades for a variety of instruments.

As part of our data check process, we sent a data profile link to each broker summarizing the data we had on file and the data they provided us last year, with a field for entering any data that had since changed. For the brokers that filled out these profiles, we audited the information for any discrepancies between our data and the broker’s data to ensure accuracy.

As part of our review process, all brokers had the opportunity to provide updates and key milestones in a live meeting that took place in the fall. Meetings with broker teams also took place throughout the year as new products rolled out. Insights gathered from these calls helped steer our testing efforts to ensure every feature and tool was assessed.

Trading platforms tested

We tested 17 online trading platforms for this guide:

» Looking for forex trading apps? See our picks for best forex trading apps on our sister site, ForexBrokers.com.

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About the Editorial Team

Sam Levine, CFA, CMT
Sam Levine, CFA, CMT

Sam Levine has over 30 years of experience in the investing field as a portfolio manager, financial consultant, investment strategist and writer. He also taught investing as an adjunct professor of finance at Wayne State University. Sam holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and the Chartered Market Technician designations and is pursuing a master's in personal financial planning at the College for Financial Planning. Previously, he was a contributing editor at BetterInvesting Magazine and a contributor to The Penny Hoarder and other media outlets.

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.

E*TRADE: *Other fees apply.

1 Fidelity Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal. Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk. Before trading options, please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. Supporting documentation for any claims, if applicable, will be furnished upon request.

*Webull Disclaimer View Disclaimer.

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