1st place
2nd place
3rd place
Intro and winners
Top 5 brokers for ESG investments in the United States in 2023
- Interactive Brokers - the best broker for ESG investments in 2023. Low trading fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
- Fidelity - Commission-free US stocks and ETFs. Great trading platforms and research. US and international stocks.
- Merrill Edge - Low trading fees. Easy and seamless account opening. Strong parent company.
- J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing - Commission-free US stocks, ETFs, funds and bonds. Fast and fully digital account opening. Well-established parent company.
- Vanguard - Stocks and ETFs are free to trade. Easy account opening. Great mobile trading platform.
How did BrokerChooser select the best brokers for ESG investing?
- We checked the 101 online brokers we've reviewed so far, finding the ones that offer ESG-related products
- We looked at their ESG product selection, giving high marks for a diverse offering of ESG funds and ETFs
- We favored brokers with excellent ESG research quality, such as an ESG stock or ETF screener
- We compared fees for products favored by ESG investors, such as stocks, ETFs and funds
- Having quality ESG educational material like articles and videos was a plus
- We looked at the overall service quality of the broker (quick account opening, easy and fast deposit and withdrawal)
Save hours of research!
Our expert team has done all the work for you, and reviewed brokers based on BrokerChooser's unique methodology.
BrokerChooser evaluates 9 key areas for all brokers, including fees, safety, ease of account opening, education and trading platforms. We check more than 500 criteria for each broker and fine-tune our methodology every year based on our own and our users' experiences. We have more than 100 brokers reviewed on our site and our team of analysts examines more than 50,000 data points overall.
Best brokers for ESG investing in 2023
Overview of the best brokers for ESG investing
When it comes to brokers that offer a wide range of ESG products at reasonable fees, along with quality research and educational services, the following brokers are hard to beat.
| Broker | ESG ETFs | ESG ETFs | Minimum deposit | Account activated in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | 700 | 800 | $0 | 1-3 days |
| Fidelity | 130 | 250 | $0 | 1-3 days |
| Merrill Edge | 130 | 50 | $0 | 1 day |
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | 130 | 130 | $0 | 1 day |
| Vanguard | 130 | 500 | $0 | 1-3 days |
Fees at the best brokers for ESG investing
How much you have to pay in various brokerage fees is a key broker selection criteria. We collected the most important fees that ESG investors need to keep an eye on.
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 stock trade on the NYSE or NASDAQ | $1.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 |
| Mutual fund fee | $14.95 per transaction or 3% of trade value, whichever is lower | $49.95 or $75 for buying while selling is free; some 3,600 free mutual funds | $19.95 per transaction, but there are also more than 800 funds that are free to trade | $0 per trade | $20 per trade if investment is less than $500k, but Vanguard funds and 3000 other funds are free |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No | No | No |
If you are unsure how brokerage fees work, check out our article explaining various brokerage fees.
Research and education services at the best brokers for ESG
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESG research quality | Great | Great | Great | Mid-range | Mid-range |
| ESG education quality | Great | Mid-range | Mid-range | Great | Great |
Best brokers for ESG investing in 2023
Get the best brokers tailored to your needs
Didn't find the best broker for you? Answer a few questions and get a personalized broker list!
Your broker toplist will be selected based on your answers.
And now, let's see the top brokers for ESG investing one by one, starting with the winner, Interactive Brokers.
#1 Best brokers for ESG investing
Interactive Brokers
Recommended for traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment
| Interactive Brokers snapshot | |
|---|---|
| International broker providing all asset classes | |
| Overall score | 4.9 stars |
| BrokerChooser ESG score | 4.7 stars |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Time to open an account | 1-3 days |
| Trading platform score | 3.6 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Interactive Brokers services, check out our review for 2023 |
#2 Best brokers for ESG investing
Fidelity
Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and great trading platforms
| Fidelity snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US stockbroker | |
| Overall score | 4.8 stars |
| BrokerChooser ESG score | 4.6 stars |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Time to open an account | 1-3 days |
| Trading platform score | 4.7 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Fidelity services, check out our review for 2023 |
#3 Best brokers for ESG investing
Merrill Edge
Recommended for investors and traders looking for low fees, quick account opening and simple platforms
| Merrill Edge snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US discount broker | |
| Overall score | 4.8 stars |
| BrokerChooser ESG score | 4.6 stars |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Time to open an account | 1 day |
| Trading platform score | 4.5 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Merrill Edge services, check out our review for 2023 |
#4 Best brokers for ESG investing
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
Recommended for beginners and buy-and-hold investors focusing on the us stock market
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US-based discount broker | |
| Overall score | 4.8 stars |
| BrokerChooser ESG score | 4.3 stars |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Time to open an account | 1 day |
| Trading platform score | 3.6 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing services, check out our review for 2023 |
#5 Best brokers for ESG investing
Vanguard
Recommended for long-term investors looking for great etf and mutual fund selection
| Vanguard snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US stockbroker | |
| Overall score | 4.5 stars |
| BrokerChooser ESG score | 4.2 stars |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Time to open an account | 1-3 days |
| Trading platform score | 4.1 stars |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Vanguard services, check out our review for 2023 |
Best brokers for ESG investing in 2023
FAQ
Where can I invest in ESG?
To invest in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) funds, you will need to open an account at a broker that offers ESG products, such as ESG funds or ESG ETFs. The brokers on our toplist, starting with Interactive Brokers, Fidelity and Merrill Edge, are all great choices to start in this form of sustainable investing.
Which ESG rating agency is the best?
There are many ESG rating providers out there, but the top ones are generally considered to be MSCI and Sustainalytics, mainly due to their wide coverage. Bloomberg, Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters), as well as credit ratings agencies like Moody's, S&P and Fitch also provide ESG ratings. See our article on top ESG rating providers for more details.
How do I start investing in ESG?
Once you have opened a brokerage account, you need to start building an ESG portfolio. There is a wide range of options to choose from, as there are more ESG investments available than ever. There are several ways to build an ESG portfolio: you can use a robo-advisor, buy ESG ETFs, invest in ESG mutual funds, or build your own ESG portfolio from individual stocks. You can also mix it up, incorporating elements of all of the above. Read more about how to get into ESG investing in our handy guide.
Want to understand ESG investing in more detail?
Check out these articles written by our broker and trading experts:
- ESG Index: Revealing the best brokers for ESG investments
- How to get into ESG investing
- ESG investing - a jungle of scores and ratings
- Top ESG rating providers
- Free online ESG research tools
- Top 5 ESG investment strategies
- ESG investing - expert roundup
- EU initiatives to support ESG investing
- US steps up pace of ESG regulatory reforms
- ESG investing - Putting your money where your values are
Comments