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eToroAlly Invest Review
Written by Jessica Inskip
Edited by Jeff Anberg
Reviewed by Blain Reinkensmeyer
Jessica InskipJessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. Jessica focuses on investor education and brokerage industry research.
Ally Invest is an online brokerage known for its straightforward, user-friendly platform and basic research tools that work well for anyone taking a long-term, buy-and-hold approach to investing. If you already use Ally Bank and want to start investing, this platform provides an easy transition. If you’re just looking to trade stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds, you’ll find enough here to get started without feeling overwhelmed.
However, active traders who thrive on advanced trading tools and a dedicated desktop platform will find Ally Invest lacking. For me, the appeal lies in its simplicity and the seamless banking integration for Ally Bank customers. But if your investing style demands more horsepower and deeper analytical tools, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
-
Minimum Deposit:
$0.00 -
Stock Trades:
$0.00 -
Options (Per Contract):
$0.50
| Range of Investments | |
| Mobile Trading Apps | |
| Platforms & Tools | |
| Research | |
| Education | |
| Ease of Use | |
| Customer Service |
Check out StockBrokers.com's picks for the best stock brokers in 2025.
| 2025 | #11 |
| 2024 | #8 |
| 2023 | #9 |
| 2022 | #8 |
| 2021 | #8 |
| 2020 | #8 |
| 2019 | #9 |
| 2018 | #8 |
Table of Contents
Pros & cons
Pros
- Integrated banking and investing for seamless transfers.
- Strong fixed-income selection with a helpful bond-finder tool.
- Competitive robo-advisor with just a $100 minimum for hands-off investors.
Cons
- Educational content favors passive investors over active traders.
- Research tools lack depth.
- Limited portfolio management.
My top takeaways for Ally Invest in 2025:
- Great for beginners and passive investors: Ally Invest emphasizes simplicity and convenience, making it easy to build your first portfolio or stick to a buy-and-hold approach.
- Banking-first mentality: Because Ally is primarily a bank, its high-yield savings account and seamless transfers make building an emergency fund and transitioning into investing hassle-free.
- Lacks advanced tools & research: While there’s enough here for basic investing and bond screening, more active traders or deep researchers may miss advanced analytics, comprehensive tools, and robust educational materials.
Range of investments
When I first tested Ally Invest, I was surprised by just how many different investment products you can explore. It’s not just stocks and ETFs — if you’re looking for fixed income to help balance your portfolio, there are Treasurys, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, brokerage CDs, and agency bonds. I appreciated that flexibility, because it felt like I could stick to one platform for most of my investment needs, rather than juggling multiple accounts. Ally also supports mutual funds, rounding out a solid range of investments that you'd expect to find at a full-service online broker.
That said, one significant downside is that Ally Invest doesn't offer fractional shares, making it difficult for beginners who use a dollar-cost averaging strategy. Investing only in whole shares means larger upfront investments, limiting the ability to gradually build a diversified portfolio. Considering fractional investing is widely available at many other competitors, this omission feels outdated.
A focus on robo-investing
One standout offering during my testing was Ally Invest’s automated investing portfolios, which include four main strategies (core, income, tax-optimized, and socially responsible), each available in either a cash-enhanced or market-focused version.
Whatever option you select, there is a minimum deposit requirement of just $100, which is much lower than many other competing robo-advisors. The difference comes down to how much cash is kept on the sidelines; the more cash you hold, the less aggressive your strategy. While your cash is still invested in “cash equivalents,” it remains a more conservative approach. The market-focused option charges a 0.30% annual advisory fee (as of March 2025) which I find to be pretty reasonable, while the cash-enhanced option charges no advisory fee at all.
This combination of low entry requirements, clear strategy options, and overall ease of use makes Ally’s robo-advisor a compelling pick, especially for beginners who want to keep things simple but still want to have some level of customization.
Retirement planning at Ally Invest
If retirement planning is top of mind for you, zero in on our comprehensive review of Ally Invest's individual retirement accounts and tools: Ally IRA Review.
| Feature |
 Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes |
| Margin Trading | Yes |
| Fractional Shares | No |
| OTC Stocks | Yes |
| Options Trading | Yes |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 |
| Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes |
| Futures Trading | No |
| Forex Trading | No |
| Mutual Funds (Total) | 14000 |
| Crypto Trading | No |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes |
| Roth IRAs | Yes |
| Advisor Services | Yes |
Ally Invest fees
I expect all online brokerages to offer commission-free trades for stocks and ETFs, and Ally Invest certainly follows suit. If you venture into lower-priced stocks, though, you’ll run into an extra penny-per-share fee for those priced under $2. Keep in mind there’s also a $4.95 minimum commission up to a 5% maximum of the value of the trade on these stock purchases, so you’ll want to do the math before diving into penny stocks.
What also caught my eye during my review was Ally’s competitive fixed-income pricing. Bonds and Treasurys cost $1 per bond, with a $10 minimum and a $250 maximum per transaction. For context, one bond typically equals $1,000 in face value, so if you decide to buy 10 bonds, you’re looking at $10 in fees (hitting that minimum). There’s also a $24.95 transaction fee for CDs. As for options, you’ll pay $0.50 per contract for equity options and $0.35 per contract for index options, both of which are in line with many other brokers. Overall, Ally’s fee structure feels fair to me and in-line with the competition.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $4.95 |
| ETF Trade Fee | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 |
| Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $0.00 |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $20 |
Mobile trading apps
My first impression of Ally Invest’s mobile app is that it closely mirrors the Ally Invest web experience. It’s user-friendly enough for simple trades or casual check-ins, though more seasoned traders might find themselves longing for deeper functionality. There’s room to polish the workflow, especially when it comes to research and accessing educational materials without leaving the app.
Jessica's take:
"I appreciated the clean layout and straightforward navigation menu when using Ally Invest's mobile app. It even nudged me to check out educational resources in a conversational way, which was a nice touch."
The watchlists I set up synced smoothly between web and mobile, displaying basic info like the last trading price, dollar change, and percentage change. When checking the markets, the app gave me major indices and volume data, plus some news and top movers by volume sorted by exchange. Switching to a different exchange felt a bit clunky, though, and I noticed that Treasurys and key economic dates were missing. The screener, on the other hand, replicated what’s on the website, so if you’re used to the web version, you’ll find it familiar. As for trading, I found the stock trade ticket straightforward, just like on the web platform.
Ally’s mobile app features a simple, easy-to-read watchlist showing just the stock symbol, last price, and daily change. While basic compared to more advanced platforms, it serves the needs of passive investors who simply want to check in on their holdings at a glance.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes |
| Android App | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | No |
| Stock Alerts | No |
| Charting - After-Hours | No |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 |
| Charting - Study Customizations | No |
| Watch List (Streaming) | No |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | No |
Trading platforms
When it comes to actual trading platforms and tools, Ally Invest is functional but bare-bones. You’ll find the typical web-based platform for placing trades, doing basic research, and reviewing account details. It works fine for basic investing but lacks the tools that many investors, especially active ones, expect.
A lack of advanced features
As I dug deeper into the tools, I found them lacking in several key areas. There's not even the bare minimum of portfolio tracking features or index comparisons. If you want to measure your performance against the market, you’ll have to do that manually or use an outside tool. Additionally, the UI can feel clunky at times and I didn’t appreciate how certain pages removed the navigation bar entirely, making it harder to find my way back. Maintenance tasks, like adding a beneficiary, require printing out a PDF and mailing it rather than completing them digitally, which feels quite old-fashioned.
Activity tracking is also very basic as there’s no easy way to search transactions, and the running cash balance isn’t clearly displayed. At one point, I had $100 in cash in my account, and I had to dig to figure out exactly what cash equivalent it was sitting in.
Tax resource center
One fantastic find was the tax resource center, which I genuinely appreciated. It provides a well-organized table of important tax deadlines, making it easy to keep track of key dates. I was impressed by the way education was integrated. It’s easy to follow and even links directly to IRS.gov for further guidance. Tax centers are often an afterthought, but Ally Invest clearly put effort into making theirs both useful and easy to navigate.
Overall, while Ally Invest’s platform gets the job done for basic investing, its lack of advanced tools, portfolio tracking, and intuitive navigation makes it feel more like a supplement to Ally Bank rather than a competitive standalone brokerage.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | N/A |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No |
| Trade Journal | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 10 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 120 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 36 |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 8 |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes |
| Streaming Time & Sales | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No |
Research
Exploring Ally Invest’s research tools for the first time, I had high hopes for robust market insights that would help me find and validate new trading ideas. After all, I’m the kind of investor who loves diving deep into data. What I found was solid enough for casual or buy-and-hold investors, but left me longing for more advanced insights. And honestly, that’s okay — not every platform is built with the power user in mind.
Macro analysis
For macro analysis, the platform provides little beyond headline news and a brief look at major indices. You can click through to charts, but it’s not easy to get a full picture of the market’s moves or big economic catalysts. There’s also no economic calendar to be found. If you’re used to scanning for upcoming events like interest rate decisions or earnings releases, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Market screeners
When screening for stocks, you’ll see a few predefined screens (like “value stocks” or “analyst top picks”) and just seven manual criteria to filter by, which is limited for anyone wanting deeper fundamental or technical analysis. Ally Invest does integrate TipRanks’ “Smart Score,” showing blogger sentiment, hedge fund exposure, and price targets. I found that feature intriguing, but it still isn’t enough for advanced traders looking for comprehensive fundamentals or charting.
Still, there were bright spots. The bond-finder tool was pleasantly thorough, walking me through my tax preferences, time horizon, and even my state of residence to pinpoint suitable fixed-income investments. It was one of the more helpful and user-friendly features I encountered. Overall, Ally’s research seems aimed at newcomers who just need the basics.
Ally’s Bond Finder tool helps investors navigate the fixed income market by matching them with bonds that fit their personal needs. This guided questionnaire takes tax considerations and investment goals into account, recommending products like municipal bonds, corporate bonds, CDs, and U.S. Treasurys. It’s a user-friendly way to build a fixed income portfolio with confidence.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes |
| Stock Research - ESG | No |
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes |
Education
It should be clear by now that Ally Invest’s platform is designed primarily with passive investors in mind, a theme that runs through nearly every part of its offering, including education.
Market education
For instance, there’s an article on falling interest rates that focuses on paying off credit cards and refinancing before diving into the market. That advice can be great for someone just starting out, but it barely touches on the bigger market picture, like which sectors might benefit most from a rate cut. You’ll see this pattern throughout Ally’s educational material: it’s well-intentioned but often stops short of deeper analysis.
I tried a quick “investing IQ” quiz and was proclaimed an investing wizard, only to be nudged to find an advisor. It was fun, but not very useful. Ally’s basic step-by-step guide on buying your first stock is helpful, though it gives just two sentences explaining what a stock is, then jumps straight to PDT (Pattern Day Trader) rules, which could scare off newcomers.
Fixed-income education
On the bright side, their fixed-income content really stood out to me. The “What is a Bond?” article dives into the different types of bonds, how economic factors can affect them, and even covers ratings and underwriting. It’s thorough enough to give a beginner a solid grounding in the bond market. Still, I’d love to see this level of detail more prominently integrated across product pages for easier access. That said, the focus on fixed income is a definite highlight, a theme that also appears in Ally’s broader research offerings.
Ally Bank’s Conversation-ally education hub focuses on personal finance topics that go beyond investing. From budgeting and debt management to saving strategies and automated investing, the platform offers a wide range of easy-to-understand articles designed to help users take control of their financial wellness. While it’s separate from the investing platform, it’s a valuable resource for building a strong financial foundation.
Financial literacy for kids
Leaving the world of adult investing for a moment, another feature that caught my attention is the Financial Education Programs designed specifically for kids. As a mother, I know firsthand how valuable it is to introduce healthy money habits early.
For younger children in grades 1 through 3, Ally offers Adventures with Money, an interactive game that turns saving and spending into a fun exploration. Older kids can delve into Fintropolis, a Minecraft world where they face real-life financial decisions, like choosing between spending and saving, to earn gold and purchase homes. It’s a clever way to make big financial concepts feel approachable. Meanwhile, Wallet Wise is aimed at young adults, teaching the budgeting and investing basics they’ll need once they start managing their own finances.
I find that it is these unique educational resources that set Ally Invest apart when compared to the competitors.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes |
| Education (Bonds) | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No |
| Videos | No |
| Webinars | No |
| Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Progress Tracking | No |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No |
Customer service
To score Customer Service, StockBrokers.com partners with customer experience research firm Confero to conduct phone tests from locations throughout the United States. For this year's testing, 130 customer service tests were conducted over six weeks, with wait times logged for each call.
Customer service representatives were asked for assistance or details in several areas of broker services for prospective customers, including account opening, trading tools, apps, rollovers, active trading, and more. Here are the results for Ally Invest.
- Average Connection Time: 1-2 minutes
- Average Net Promoter Score: 8.5 / 10
- Average Professionalism Score: 7.9 / 10
- Overall Score: 8.13 / 10
- Ranking: 5th of 13 brokers
Banking services
From my perspective, Ally is fundamentally a bank first and an investing platform second, which makes it a fantastic bridge from building your emergency fund to making your first investments. The high-yield savings account (HYSA) is a key offering, offering competitive rates and a seamless digital experience that helps you grow your cash cushion quickly. Once you’re ready, it’s easy to move that money over to Ally Invest and get started in the market, all within the same user-friendly ecosystem.
Ally’s banking lineup goes beyond savings, too. You’ll find interest-bearing checking accounts, money market accounts, CDs (including no-penalty CDs), plus home and auto loans all accessible through a single online hub. Having all these options in one place saves you from juggling multiple platforms and logins, and keeps the entire journey, from saving for emergencies to making your first trade, as straightforward as possible.
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | Yes |
| Checking Accounts | Yes |
| Savings Accounts | Yes |
| Credit Cards | Yes |
| Debit Cards | Yes |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes |
Final thoughts
Ally Invest works best for new or casual investors, especially those who already bank with Ally and appreciate the ease of moving money seamlessly from saving to investing. It’s geared toward long-term, passive strategies rather than active or advanced trading. However, if you need cutting-edge tools or in-depth research features, you might feel underwhelmed.
Ally Invest Star Ratings
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Overall |
|
| Range of Investments |
|
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| Research |
|
| Customer Service |
|
| Education |
|
| Ease of Use |
|
StockBrokers.com Review Methodology
Why you should trust us
Jessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. A former FINRA-licensed rep, she held Series 7, 63, 66, and 4 licenses. Jessica focuses on investor education and brokerage industry research, appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg, The Schwab Network, Fox Business, and Yahoo! Finance, and hosts the Market MakeHer podcast.
Blain Reinkensmeyer, co-founder of 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. Today, Blain is widely respected as a leading expert on finance and investing, specifically the U.S. online brokerage industry. Blain has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Fast Company, among others. Blain created the original scoring rubrics for StockBrokers.com and oversees all testing and rating methodologies.
How we tested
- We used our own brokerage accounts for testing.
- We collected thousands of data points across the brokers we review.
- We tested each online broker's website, desktop platforms, and mobile app, where applicable.
- We maintained strict editorial independence; brokers cannot pay for inclusion or a higher rating.
Our research team meticulously collected data on every feature of importance to a wide range of customer profiles, including beginners, casual investors, passive investors, and active traders. We carefully track variables like margin rates, trading costs, fees, and platform features and use them to help rate brokers across a range of categories measuring ease of use, range of investments, research, education, and more.
At StockBrokers.com, our reviewers use a variety of computing devices to evaluate platforms and tools. Our reviews and data collection were conducted using the following devices: iPhone SE running iOS 17.5.1, 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.
Each broker was evaluated and scored on over 200 different variables across seven key categories: Range of Investments, Platforms & Tools, Research, Mobile Trading, Education, Ease of Use, and Overall. Learn more about how we test.
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About Ally Invest
Ally Invest is the online brokerage arm of Ally Financial (NYSE: ALLY), which also operates Ally Bank. Originally founded in 1919 by General Motors as GMAC to finance auto purchases, it renamed to Ally Financial in 2010, expanded into digital banking, and acquired brokerage firm TradeKing in 2016, rebranding it as Ally Invest. Today, Ally Financial is best known for FDIC-insured online banking, auto loans, home loans, and brokerage services under Ally Invest.
About the Editorial Team
Jessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. A former FINRA-licensed rep, she held Series 7, 63, 66, and 4 licenses. Jessica focuses on investor education and brokerage industry research, appears regularly on CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg, and hosts the Market MakeHer podcast.
Jeff Anberg is a Senior Editor at StockBrokers.com. Along with years of experience in media distribution at a global newsroom, Jeff has a versatile knowledge base encompassing the technology and financial markets. He is a long-time active investor and engages in research on emerging markets like cryptocurrency. Jeff holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature with a minor in Philosophy from San Francisco State University.
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.