Top 10 Investment Apps in 2025
From robo-advisors to commission-free trading, we tested 15+ investment apps on fees, UX, asset selection, and reliability.
Commission-free trading is now table stakes — what separates investment apps in 2025 is account types, fractional shares, research tools, and tax features. We compared 15+ apps spanning the US and Europe on fees, tradeable assets, account types, and research depth to find the 10 best for 2025.
Quick Comparison
| # | Provider | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fidelity | $0 commissions | Visit | |
| 2 | Interactive Brokers | $0 (IBKR Lite) or low per-share | Visit | |
| 3 | Charles Schwab | $0 commissions | Visit | |
| 4 | Vanguard | $0 stocks/ETFs | Visit | |
| 5 | Robinhood | $0 commissions | Visit | |
| 6 | Trade Republic | €1 per trade | Visit | |
| 7 | eToro | $0 stocks (spread on others) | Visit | |
| 8 | M1 Finance | $0 commissions | Visit | |
| 9 | Wealthsimple | CAD $0 commissions | Visit | |
| 10 | Public | $0 commissions | Visit |
Fidelity
Best overall brokerage for serious investors.
Fidelity offers commission-free stocks/ETFs, zero-expense-ratio index funds (FZROX), excellent research, and the best customer service in the industry. The most well-rounded US brokerage available.
Pros
- Zero-expense-ratio index funds
- Excellent customer service
- No payment for order flow on equities
- Strong research tools
- Robust retirement account support
Cons
- US-only
- Older interface in some areas
- Complex for absolute beginners
Key Features
| Commissions | $0 stocks/ETFs |
| Fractional | Yes |
| Account Types | All major |
| Crypto | Limited |
| Research | Excellent |
Interactive Brokers
Best for active traders and international markets.
Interactive Brokers offers access to 150+ markets in 33 countries with the lowest margin rates in the industry. The professional-grade platform (TWS) is unmatched for active traders.
Pros
- 150+ markets across 33 countries
- Industry-low margin rates
- Professional trading tools
- Strong API for algorithmic trading
- Foreign exchange at interbank rates
Cons
- TWS has steep learning curve
- Less beginner-friendly
- Customer service can be slow
Key Features
| Commissions | $0 (Lite tier) |
| Fractional | Yes |
| Markets | 150+ |
| Margin | Industry-low |
| API | Excellent |
Charles Schwab
Best for retirement and full-service investing.
Schwab combines commission-free trading with full banking, advice, and retirement services. After acquiring TD Ameritrade, they inherited thinkorswim — one of the best trading platforms available.
Pros
- thinkorswim platform included
- Strong banking integration
- Excellent retirement services
- No-minimum index funds
- 24/7 customer service
Cons
- US-focused
- Mobile app could be better
- Some features still post-merger fragmented
Key Features
| Commissions | $0 |
| Fractional | Yes (Stock Slices) |
| Account Types | All major |
| Platform | thinkorswim |
| Banking | Yes |
Vanguard
Best for long-term, low-cost index investing.
Vanguard is the gold standard for buy-and-hold index investors. The lowest expense ratios on flagship index funds (VTSAX, VTI) and a member-owned structure means costs flow back to investors.
Pros
- Lowest expense ratios on flagship funds
- Member-owned investor-first philosophy
- Strong retirement focus
- Best for buy-and-hold
- Solid retirement target-date funds
Cons
- Dated user experience
- Less suitable for active traders
- No crypto
- Customer service inconsistent
Key Features
| Commissions | $0 |
| Fractional | Vanguard ETFs only |
| Index Funds | Cheapest available |
| Account Types | All retirement |
| Advisor | Yes (paid) |
Robinhood
Best mobile-first commission-free trading.
Robinhood made commission-free trading mainstream. The interface remains the best on mobile, with options, crypto, and IRAs now offered. The 1% IRA match is genuinely competitive.
Pros
- Best mobile-first UX
- 1% IRA match (Gold)
- 24/5 trading
- Easy options trading
- Crypto trading built-in
Cons
- Payment for order flow concerns
- Past outages and controversies
- Limited research depth
- No mutual funds
Key Features
| Commissions | $0 |
| Fractional | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes |
| Options | Yes |
| Margin | Robinhood Gold |
Trade Republic
Best European mobile-first broker.
Trade Republic offers €1 trades on stocks and ETFs from Germany, with 2.75% interest on uninvested cash (€50,000 cap). Best mobile-first European investing app.
Pros
- Excellent European coverage
- 2.75% on uninvested cash
- Beautiful mobile-first design
- Free savings plans (ETF Sparpläne)
- BaFin-regulated
Cons
- €1 trade fee (not zero)
- Mobile-only — no web
- Limited research compared to giants
- Limited US options trading
Key Features
| Commissions | €1 per trade |
| Cash Yield | 2.75% |
| Markets | EU + US |
| Crypto | Yes |
| App | Mobile-only |
eToro
Best for social and copy trading.
eToro pioneered social trading — you can copy other traders' portfolios with a single click. Strong globally, including crypto. CopyPortfolios bundle smart-beta strategies for hands-off investing.
Pros
- Best social/copy trading
- Global availability
- Crypto built-in
- Strong CFD offering (where legal)
- Demo account included
Cons
- Spreads on non-stock products
- CFD risk warnings
- Limited research compared to traditional brokers
Key Features
| Commissions | $0 stocks |
| Copy Trading | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes |
| Demo | Yes |
| Regions | Global |
M1 Finance
Best for automated pie-based investing.
M1 lets you build a portfolio Pie (visual allocation), then automatically invests new contributions according to target percentages and rebalances on every deposit. Hybrid robo-advisor and brokerage.
Pros
- Pie-based visual portfolios
- Automatic rebalancing
- Fractional shares
- Borrow against portfolio
- Custodial accounts available
Cons
- Trading windows (not real-time)
- Limited research
- Not for active traders
- US-only
Key Features
| Commissions | $0 |
| Fractional | Yes |
| Rebalance | Automatic |
| Margin | M1 Borrow |
| Banking | M1 Spend |
Wealthsimple
Best for Canadian investors.
Wealthsimple dominates Canada with commission-free stock trading, robo-advisor offerings, and TFSA/RRSP support. The interface is beautifully simple — best beginner experience in Canada.
Pros
- Best Canadian-focused experience
- TFSA, RRSP, FHSA support
- Robo-advisor option
- Crypto built-in
- Tax software bundled
Cons
- Canada-focused only
- Higher FX fees
- Limited research compared to giants
Key Features
| Commissions | $0 (Canada) |
| Tax-Free | TFSA, FHSA |
| Retirement | RRSP, LIRA |
| Crypto | Yes |
| Robo-advisor | Yes |
Public
Best for social-friendly community investing.
Public combines commission-free trading with a community feed where users discuss positions. Alpha (their AI) explains earnings and market moves. Treasuries directly accessible.
Pros
- Social discussion built-in
- Treasury Bills directly accessible
- Alpha AI explains markets
- No payment for order flow
- Strong UX
Cons
- Smaller asset selection
- No options on cheap tier
- US-only
Key Features
| Commissions | $0 |
| Treasuries | Yes |
| AI | Alpha |
| Social | Yes |
| Account | Brokerage |
Conclusion
For US investors, Fidelity is the best all-around brokerage; Vanguard is the cheapest for long-term buy-and-hold index investing. Active traders should use Interactive Brokers or Schwab thinkorswim. Europeans get the cleanest experience with Trade Republic. Don't chase commission-free if your broker is selling your order flow — execution quality matters more than commissions at small trade sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Trading is commission-free on stocks and ETFs at most major US brokers, but many earn revenue via payment for order flow (PFOF) — selling your trade routing to market makers. Fidelity, Vanguard, Schwab, and Public don't do PFOF on equities. Robinhood and most others do.
Start with whatever amount won't destabilize you emotionally if it dropped 30% — for many people that's $50-200/month to start. Time in market beats timing the market: a small consistent automatic contribution into a broad index fund will outperform most attempts at active trading.
For people who would otherwise do nothing or panic-sell at the wrong moment, yes. Wealthfront and Betterment charge 0.25%, which is reasonable. For self-directed investors comfortable with low-cost index funds, DIY at Vanguard or Fidelity is even cheaper.