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eToroRobinhood Review
Written by Jessica Inskip
Edited by John Bringans
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.
Robinhood’s mobile-first design helps it stand out as one of the best platforms for beginner investors. The app is intuitive, easy to navigate, and packed with educational resources that make learning to invest accessible and enjoyable.
Though Robinhood excels at making investing approachable for beginners and casual investors, its platform suite lacks the deep analytical tools, portfolio monitoring, and comprehensive research options that appeal to advanced traders.
-
Minimum Deposit:
$0.00 -
Stock Trades:
$0.00 -
Options (Per Contract):
$0.00
| Range of Investments | |
| Mobile Trading Apps | |
| Platforms & Tools | |
| Research | |
| Education | |
| Ease of Use | |
| Customer Service | N/A |
Check out StockBrokers.com's picks for the best stock brokers in 2025.
| 2025 | #12 |
| 2024 | #10 |
| 2023 | #10 |
| 2022 | #13 |
| 2021 | #11 |
| 2020 | #12 |
| 2019 | #15 |
Table of Contents
Pros & cons
Pros
- Robinhood's app is simple, straightforward, and designed for beginners.
- Educational content isn’t just fluff; you’ll actually learn something useful.
- Robinhood’s round-the-clock, 24-hour trading means you can trade any time, day or night.
Cons
- You should probably look elsewhere for macro research.
- No portfolio monitoring tools.
- Minimal stock or fund analysis. Robinhood leaves you in the dark here.
My top takeaways for Robinhood in 2025:
- Easy to use: Robinhood is simple and intuitive, perfect for new investors who want to dive into the market.
- Excellent educational content: Engaging and well-structured lessons make complex investing concepts easier to understand, but I found a disconnect between the educational content and what’s available on the platform.
- Limited for advanced traders: Lacks comprehensive research, portfolio monitoring tools, and the deep market data that more experienced traders need.
Range of investments
Robinhood offers the basics – think meat and potatoes. Robinhood’s menu sticks to the essentials: Stocks, ETFs, Options, Crypto, and newly added Futures. What’s missing? Fixed income and mutual funds. However, ETFs can serve as a potential substitute for passive investors looking to add fixed-income exposure to their portfolios.
Fractional shares: On Robinhood, most stocks trading over $1 per share with a market cap over $25 million are available to purchase as fractional shares – you can order smaller portions, so to speak. And if you’re feeling extra hungry for consistency, you can even set up automatic investments into these smaller portions.
Crypto trading: Robinhood has a strong crypto trading platform. Robinhood supports trading in 22 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, without commissions, fees, or markups/markdowns. Only eToro offers more coins. Robinhood also stands out by allowing crypto transfers, a rare feature among the brokers we’ve reviewed.
Options at Robinhood: The options chain lacks key information like open interest and volume, making it hard to gauge contract tradeability or determine order types. The Greeks are only visible after clicking on an individual contract, which limits their usefulness in analyzing potential trades. Overall, options trading at Robinhood has its shortcomings. Check out my picks for the best brokers for options trading.
During my testing of Robinhood's platform...
...I used the strategy builder to set up a bull call spread with AAPL. I couldn’t see bid/ask prices or key metrics like implied volatility, which are critical details for informed decisions. It’s easy to see why some view Robinhood as encouraging speculative behavior – trading options without access to all relevant critical data feels like going in blind.
That said, the trade confirmation experience was excellent, better than most brokers I’ve used. The interactive profit/loss chart clearly showed profitability, breakeven points, and risk.
Robinhood’s IRA account: Robinhood launched its “Robinhood Retirement” product in late 2022, offering a 1% bonus on IRA contributions, which jumps to a 3% bonus for Gold users. The resources available in the help center were extensive enough that I could get all my questions answered without needing to contact customer service. Read our Robinhood IRA review to learn more.
| Feature |
 Robinhood
|
|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes |
| Margin Trading | Yes |
| Fractional Shares | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | No |
| Options Trading | Yes |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 |
| Bonds (US Treasury) | No |
| Futures Trading | No |
| Forex Trading | No |
| Mutual Funds (Total) | 0 |
| Crypto Trading | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 22 |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes |
| Roth IRAs | Yes |
| Advisor Services | No |
Robinhood fees
Like many other $0 commission-free brokers, Robinhood charges no commission for trading stocks, ETFs, options, or cryptocurrency. Robinhood makes money from payment for order flow, or PFOF, a common practice in which the broker sells a customer’s order to wholesale market makers.
Robinhood Gold is available for $6.99 per month (or $75 per year). Whether or not it’s worth it for you will depend on how much you use the Gold-specific features. To make it easier to decide if the subscription is worth it for you, I did the math and put a dollar value on the Robinhood Gold perks:
Robinhood Gold benefits breakdown:
– 4.5% APY on uninvested cash: Robinhood Gold lets you earn 4.5% interest on cash sitting in your brokerage account. To cover the $6.99 monthly fee, you’d need to keep around $1,667 in uninvested cash. (Keep in mind that interest rates change.)
– 1% deposit boost: For those who like to keep cash on hand, Robinhood offers a 1% boost on your deposits. To cover the $75 annual cost of Gold with this alone, you’d need to deposit $7,500 each year.
– 3% IRA match: If you’re saving for retirement, Robinhood Gold offers a 3% match on your IRA contributions. This means if you are eligible to contribute the maximum of $7,000 for the year, you get $210 extra – definitely enough to offset the annual cost of Gold.
– 3% cash back with a credit card: The Robinhood Gold credit card offers 3% cash back (5% on travel) and other high-end perks. Depending on your spending habits, this could be a big win. To break even, you’d need to spend around $233 per month on eligible purchases to get $6.99/month back in rewards.
Key takeaway: For those looking to maximize their savings and cash flow, the perks you get with Robinhood Gold could easily pay for the subscription, and then some. (“The math is mathing.”) That said, if you’re fully invested, not interested in another credit card, and don’t plan on contributing to an IRA or holding a large cash balance, you might find little benefit in subscribing to Robinhood Gold.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | N/A |
| ETF Trade Fee | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 |
| Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | N/A |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | N/A |
Mobile trading apps
Robinhood’s mobile-first platform is designed with on-the-go traders in mind. The app features compelling visuals and integrated educational content, providing an easy way for investors to track their investments, place trades, and learn about the markets – all from the convenience of their mobile device.
Trading stocks on mobile: Placing trades on Robinhood's mobile app is straightforward; users can buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and options with just a few taps. The order ticket is streamlined and thoughtfully designed. Robinhood’s visual representation of basic order types like market, limit, and stop orders is one of the best in the industry.
That said, there's a lack of customization and advanced order types (like stop-loss or bracket orders) desired by more experienced traders. While the app automatically syncs across devices, Robinhood’s watch list functionality (limited to a spark chart and the last price) remains limited. TradeStation, tastytrade, and Schwab, on the other hand, offer hundreds of column choices for their watch lists (though few investors need more than a dozen).
Charting on mobile: Robinhood’s charting features feel restrictive, especially compared to platforms that offer dozens of indicators and extensive customization options. Note: As an experienced chartist, I would never rely solely on a mobile app for creating detailed charts – I treat it as a last resort when I need to check something quickly. Nonetheless, Robinhood could improve here by offering seamless integration of advanced charting features, including custom indicators, annotations, and syncing between desktop and mobile.
Trading options on mobile: The chain only allows two fields at once, focusing on directional speculative trading rather than providing key data points that experienced traders need. Creating a mobile options trading experience is challenging, but platforms like tastytrade and Firstrade have excelled in catering to this type of client.
Robinhood’s mobile options chain features a clean, simplified layout, with percent breakeven shown by default for each contract. While this may appeal to short-term traders, it lacks key metrics, like the Greeks or probability of profit, that serious options traders often rely on. It’s a sleek experience, but one that leans more toward speculation than in-depth strategy analysis.
Research on mobile: Robinhood's mobile app integrates Bloomberg shorts directly within the mobile news feed, along with the Investor’s Guild, Robinhood's opinion blog that provides market commentary on current events and educational insights. However, these are all post-event tools. The app, like the web platform, lacks the tools necessary (like an economic calendar) to prepare for upcoming events and market shifts, understand trends, and ultimately formulate your own opinions.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes |
| Android App | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 6 |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes |
| Watch List (Streaming) | Yes |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes |
Trading platforms
Robinhood recently introduced a new tool aimed at active traders: Robinhood Legend, a web-based trading platform. The name alone sets high expectations, and in many ways, it delivers. Legend was built in-house and has a fresh, original feel. It’s a great fit for beginners who want to passively invest and add a few stocks to their portfolio. However, as your account grows and you gain confidence as an investor, the platform’s general lack of in-depth tools and comprehensive market data becomes more obvious.
Robinhood Legend is arguably one of the best-looking active trading platforms on the market, with a sleek, modern interface that’s a pleasure to use. However, that clean design comes with trade-offs: some advanced tools and features are missing compared to more robust platforms. It’s a great experience for visual clarity and ease of use, but power traders may find themselves wanting more.
Things I liked: Legend simplifies the onboarding process for active traders, minimizing setup hassles. I found that my watchlists synced automatically, and I could customize the charts exactly how I wanted, making it easy to tailor the experience right from the start. I love the clean design, news integration, and ease of use. It’s also worth noting that the web platform closely mirrors the simplicity of the mobile app, which makes it easy to navigate.
Things I didn't like: Tools like bracket orders, hotkeys, and advanced charting are absent and there’s no easy way to keep tabs on the overall market; major indices (like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite) are included but they aren’t prominently displayed. However, when assessing the market at a glance, treasurys really do matter, and their absence makes for an incomplete view of the overall market. It's worth noting that the options chain lacks depth.
Jessica's take:
"Despite the limitations, I’m excited about Legend’s potential. By building an innovative trading experience from the ground up, Robinhood has created something that feels fresh and original. In my opinion, this new web platform is on the path to evolving into something truly legendary."
Account types, investment options, portfolio monitoring, and planning tools are all limited, as is in-depth research on stocks, funds, options, and the broader market. Basics like stocks, ETFs, options, cryptos, and IRAs are covered, but there are no 529 plans, custodial accounts, or individual bonds.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | Robinhood Legend |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No |
| Trade Journal | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 3 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 16 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 23 |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 1 |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | No |
| Streaming Time & Sales | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No |
Research
Robinhood’s research may work well for beginner investors, but more experienced investors will likely find that the platform lacks the comprehensive data needed for deeper analysis. Ultimately, Robinhood's limited research tools make it challenging to fully answer the question: "How is the market doing today, and why?"
Analyzing stocks and ETFs: Robinhood offers basic tools for evaluating stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), but they fall short of offering detailed analysis:
- Analyst ratings and company profiles: Robinhood provides basic ratings and "people also bought" suggestions, along with brief company descriptions. These tools are helpful for beginners but lack the depth needed for informed decision-making.
- Dividend information: For stocks like Apple (AAPL), Robinhood shows the dividend yield but omits key details such as the ex-dividend date (when you need to own the stock to receive dividends) and the actual dividend amount, limiting insights into potential income.
- Inconsistent data: Robinhood displays the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio for some funds but not for individual stocks, a critical metric for valuing stocks. For ETFs like TLT, only the 30-day yield is shown, with no details on annual income or distributions.
Robinhood’s research tools present analyst ratings in a clean, visually appealing format, shown here with the buy, hold, and sell breakdown for Apple. The platform also includes concise “bulls vs. bears” commentary, giving investors a quick snapshot of both sides of the debate. While this type of data is common across brokerages, Robinhood’s design makes it especially easy to digest at a glance.
Finding new investment ideas: Robinhood offers basic tools for discovering new investments, but they are limited compared to more advanced platforms:
- Predefined lists: Robinhood offers lists like “Top Movers” or “Popular Stocks,” which highlight trending stocks based on price changes or volume. These lists are useful for spotting popular stocks but lack depth for strategic research.
- Basic screeners: You can filter stocks and ETFs by categories like market cap or price, but there are no detailed options to screen by fundamentals or technical indicators. Check out my picks for the best free stock screeners.
- "People Also Bought" suggestions: This feature shows what other users have purchased alongside a stock, but it lacks context, making it less useful for serious investors.
- Morningstar Reports (Robinhood Gold): For in-depth research, Robinhood Gold subscribers can access Morningstar reports. However, this is an additional cost, while many competitors offer similar reports for free.
Researching the markets: Robinhood offers basic market research tools, but they lack the depth needed for a full market analysis.
- News feed and limited insights: Robinhood provides a generic news feed with basic market updates, but it lacks detailed insights. Bloomberg shorts are integrated on mobile, but beyond that, macro opinions are limited to the Writer’s Guild and Snacks newsletter, created in-house.
- Missing key data points: To properly research the market, you need information on major indices, commodities, sectors, and the treasury market. Robinhood doesn't offer treasury market data, which distorts the full picture. Without an economic calendar, understanding when key events are happening is difficult, leaving investors without the "when" needed to contextualize market moves.
- Price vs. analysis: While Robinhood offers basic pricing information for major assets, it often lacks the "why, when, and how" behind those moves. Other platforms may also focus on price, but they tend to provide deeper analysis to explain market movements, which Robinhood does not.
Snacks newsletter: The Snacks newsletter, produced by Sherwood Media, delivers daily market summaries in a quick, easy-to-read format, helping traders stay informed.
Premium research: To access detailed Morningstar reports, you’ll need to subscribe to Robinhood Gold at $6.99 per month ($75 per year). These reports cover the micro (stock/ETF-specific research), not the macro (broader market research). It’s worth noting that some of the best stock brokers (like Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley) provide similar third-party research for free.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes |
| Stock Research - ESG | No |
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No |
Education
Robinhood’s educational offerings are a standout feature of the platform, providing a strong library of clear, engaging, and easy-to-understand educational materials across a wide range of topics, from investing basics to more complex strategies.
However, at times there’s a disconnect between the educational content and Robinhood’s actual platform. For example, Robinhood educates users on important metrics like the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio and debt-to-equity ratios, but these aren’t always accessible on the platform, limiting the practical application of what you learn.
Robinhood’s education center is one of the most accessible and well-crafted out there, offering clear, engaging content for all levels. This article on understanding ETFs stands out with creative examples, relatable analogies, and a deep dive into how ETFs work.
Stock market education: Robinhood offers well-rounded macroeconomic education that addresses a wide variety of questions users might have about markets and the broader economy. That said, a more structured, guided flow through the content could enhance the overall learning journey, especially for beginners trying to piece together how the stock market fits into the larger economic picture and how macroeconomic factors can impact their investments. The information is there; the organization of the information is not.
Stocks and funds (ETFs) education: This is one of Robinhood’s strengths. The platform provides clear explanations of stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs. Creative analogies make complex topics more accessible, making this a great resource for new investors.
Options education: Robinhood’s options education stands out with its engaging graphics, interactive content, and clear, relatable explanations. Complex concepts like time decay, volatility, bull call spreads, and the Greeks are introduced without overwhelming jargon, and features like “Best case to nail it” and “Watch out for” explain the risks and rewards of options trading without diving into heavy technical terms. Interactive features, such as the P/L (profit/loss) charts, give users a hands-on understanding of how options work. If Robinhood continues to build on this strength, it has the potential to become a go-to resource for options education across the industry.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No |
| Education (Bonds) | No |
| Education (Retirement) | No |
| Paper Trading | No |
| Videos | No |
| Webinars | Yes |
| Webinars (Archived) | No |
| Progress Tracking | No |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No |
Banking services
Robinhood isn’t a traditional bank, meaning it doesn’t offer services like branch offices, credit cards, mortgages, or wire transfers. It’s important to understand that there are important differences between accounts at bank brokerages and traditional banks. Regulatory rules require that banks and brokerages remain separate entities, with distinct insurance coverages. For example, bank accounts are insured by the FDIC, while brokerage accounts are protected by the SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation), which covers securities, not cash. This distinction is key when considering where to keep your assets.
Cash Management: Robinhood offers a “Cash Card,” a prepaid debit card issued through a partner bank. This card allows for direct deposit and earns bonuses that are automatically invested into your brokerage account.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No |
| Checking Accounts | No |
| Savings Accounts | No |
| Credit Cards | Yes |
| Debit Cards | Yes |
| Mortgage Loans | No |
Final thoughts
Robinhood has come a long way since it first shook up the industry with zero-commission trades, and it continues to evolve with its user-centric design and innovative features. For beginners, it’s an excellent platform to start investing, offering simplicity and accessibility. In particular, I appreciate its standout educational content, which is engaging and well-crafted, helping new investors feel more confident.
That said, Robinhood has room to grow, especially when it comes to more advanced tools. The platform doesn’t fully integrate the data points it teaches users to analyze – like P/E ratios and macroeconomic trends – leaving experienced investors wanting more. Additionally, the lack of deep research tools and comprehensive portfolio management features means those looking to level up their investing strategy might outgrow it.
Overall, Robinhood is perfect for the beginner or passive investor, but for those who want more advanced trading tools and detailed market research, there are stronger options elsewhere.
Robinhood's Star Ratings
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
|---|---|
| Overall |
|
| Range of Investments |
|
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| Research |
|
| Customer Service | N/A |
| 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.
Trading platforms tested in 2025
We tested 16 online trading platforms in 2025:
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- E*TRADE review
- Fidelity Investments review
- Firstrade review
- Interactive Brokers review
- J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing review
- Merrill Edge review
- Public.com review
- Robinhood review
- SoFi Invest® review
- tastytrade review
- TradeStation review
- Tradier
- Webull review
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About Robinhood
Founded in 2013 and based in Menlo Park, California, Robinhood is an online broker that has raised $2.2 billion in venture capital funding and has more than 14 million monthly active users. The millennial- and Gen Z-focused broker is best known for offering $0 stock, ETF, options and cryptocurrency trades via an easy-to-use website and mobile trading app.
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.
John Bringans is the Managing Editor of StockBrokers.com. An experienced media professional, John has a decade of editorial experience with a background that includes key leadership roles at global newsroom outlets. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University, and conducts research on forex and the financial services industry while assisting in the production of content.
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.