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Intro and winners
To help you find the best brokers for free stock trading in the US in 2022, we went ahead and did the research for you. We selected 103 quality online brokers and checked their stock trading and non-trading fees, the markets they provide access to, their product selection and much much more. We dug deep, so you won't have to. Let's see the winners!
Our top 5 picks for best brokers for free stock trading in the US in 2022:
- Interactive Brokers is the winner. Low trading fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
- Fidelity came in second. Commission-free US stocks and ETFs. Great trading platforms and research. US and international stocks.
- E*TRADE rounds out the top three. Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading). User-friendly mobile trading platform. Great research tools.
- Merrill Edge is numero quattro. Low trading fees. Easy and seamless account opening. Strong parent company.
- Charles Schwab just made it to the list in 5th place. Free stock and ETF trading. Outstanding research. Great customer service.
| Name | Company info | Trading platform score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Interactive Brokers | International broker providing all asset classes | 3.7 stars | Visit broker |
| #2 | Fidelity | US stockbroker | 4.4 stars | Visit broker |
| #3 | E*TRADE | US stockbroker | 4.5 stars | Visit broker |
| #4 | Merrill Edge | US discount broker | 4.6 stars | Visit broker |
| #5 | Charles Schwab | US discount broker | 4.1 stars | Visit broker |
In 2022, a multitude of brokers offer free stock trading, so investors have to look beyond the price of a trade to get a fuller picture. Here are the key factors worth checking out:
- Hidden fees
- Non-trading fees
- Trading platforms
- Available markets and order types
- Safety
And now, let's see the best brokers for free stock trading in 2022 one by one, starting with the winner, Interactive Brokers.
#1 Best brokers for free stock trading in the US
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers, one of the biggest US-based discount brokers, was founded in 1977. The broker is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including top-tier ones like the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Given that the broker has licenses from multiple top-tier regulators, Interactive Brokers is considered safe. The fact that it has a long track record and publicly disclosed financials while being listed on a stock exchange all point to IB being a safe service provider.
Interactive Brokers recently launched a new app for global stock trading: read our review of IBKR GlobalTrader.
In addition, Interactive Brokers also has an app you can use for ESG investing: read our review of IMPACT by Interactive Brokers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • Complicated account opening process |
| • Wide range of products | • Complex desktop trading platform |
| • Many great research tools | • Understaffed customer service |
#1 Interactive Brokers
Safety
Interactive Brokers is regulated by several financial authorities, including top-tier ones like the SEC in the US and the UK's FCA. Its parent company is listed on the NASDAQ exchange.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Listed on stock exchange | None |
| • Negative balance protection | |
| • Regulated by top-tier financial authorities |
#1 Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers trading platforms
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 4.0 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 3.5 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | 3.8 stars | Yes |
#1 Interactive Brokers
Deposit and withdrawal
Interactive Brokers offers several account base currencies and one free withdrawal per month. The main drawback is that you can only use bank transfer.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • No deposit fee | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • Several account base currencies | |
| • First withdrawal free each month |
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | No | No | No |
| Electronic wallets | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
#1 Interactive Brokers
Markets and products
At Interactive Brokers, you have access to an extremely wide range of markets and all product types are available.
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 83 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| ETFs (#) | 13,000 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 |
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
#2 Best brokers for free stock trading in the US
Fidelity
Fidelity is a US stockbroker founded in 1946. It is regulated by top-tier authorities like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Fidelity is considered safe because it has a long track record and is regulated by top-tier financial authorities.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Commission-free US stocks and ETFs | • High mutual fund fees and margin rates |
| • Great trading platforms and research | • Slower account verification |
| • US and international stocks | • No crypto&futures |
#2 Fidelity
Safety
Fidelity is regulated by top-tier financial authorities and provides a high level of investor protection. On the other hand, there is no negative balance protection and the firm does not disclose its financial information.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Majority of clients belong to a top-tier financial authority | • No negative balance protection |
| • High level of investor protection | • Does not hold a banking license |
| • Additional coverage by Fidelity | • Not listed on stock exchange |
#2 Fidelity
Fidelity trading platforms
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 4.5 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 4.5 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | 4.3 stars | Yes |
#2 Fidelity
Deposit and withdrawal
Fidelity offers an exceptionally wide range of base currencies. On the negative side, credit/debit cards are not accepted.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free withdrawal | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • No deposit fee | |
| • Several account base currencies |
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | No | No | No |
| Electronic wallets | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
#2 Fidelity
Markets and products
Fidelity offers a lot of different trading products, from stocks to options, including international stocks. However, forex and futures trading is not available.
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 83 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| ETFs (#) | 13,000 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 |
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Stuck with opening your account?
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#3 Best brokers for free stock trading in the US
E*TRADE
E*TRADE is a US-based stockbroker founded in 1982. It is regulated by top-tier financial authorities such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
E*TRADE is considered safe because it has a long track record, is listed on a stock exchange, has a banking background, discloses its financials, and is overseen by top-tier US regulators.
In February 2020, E*TRADE was acquired by Morgan Stanley. To find out more about the motives behind the acquisition and about the wider market context, check out this article we wrote about the deal.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading) | • Only US markets, no forex |
| • User-friendly mobile trading platform | • Only bank transfer |
| • Great research tools | • Slow live chat |
#3 E*TRADE
Safety
E*TRADE is overseen by top-tier US regulators and you are protected by a high investor protection amount, but there is no negative balance protection.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Majority of clients belong to a top-tier financial authority | • No negative balance protection |
| • High level of investor protection | |
| • Banking background |
#3 E*TRADE
E*TRADE trading platforms
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 4.5 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 4.5 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | - | No |
#3 E*TRADE
Deposit and withdrawal
E*TRADE charges no deposit fees and transferring money is easy. On the negative side, you can only use bank transfer and there is a high fee for wire transfer withdrawals.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • No deposit fee | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • User-friendly | • High fee for wire transfer withdrawal |
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | No | No | No |
| Electronic wallets | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
#3 E*TRADE
Markets and products
You can trade plenty of asset classes at E*TRADE from stocks to futures, but only on the US market; in addition, forex trading is not available.
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 83 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| ETFs (#) | 13,000 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 |
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
#4 Best brokers for free stock trading in the US
Merrill Edge
Merrill Edge is a US-based stockbroker founded in 2010 by Bank of America (BofA). BofA acquired Merrill Lynch during the 2008 financial crisis, and the rationale for launching Merrill Edge was to combine its online investing arm and Merrill Lynch's investment expertise. Merrill Edge offers US stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds. It is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Merrill Edge is considered safe because its parent company is a bank with a long track record and solid reputation, it discloses its financials, and is regulated by top-tier regulators.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • Limited to US clients and products |
| • Easy and seamless account opening | • No demo account |
| • Strong parent company | • Few options for deposit/withdrawal |
#4 Merrill Edge
Safety
Merrill Edge is regulated by top-tier US regulators and its clients are protected by a high investor protection amount. On the flip side, negative balance protection is not provided.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Majority of clients belong to a top-tier financial authority | • No negative balance protection |
| • High level of investor protection | |
| • Banking background |
#4 Merrill Edge
Merrill Edge trading platforms
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 4.3 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 4.8 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | - | No |
#4 Merrill Edge
Deposit and withdrawal
Merrill Edge has an easy-to-use deposit and withdrawal system with a bank account connection. Unfortunately, credit/debit cards cannot be used to fund the account, and there is only USD as a base currency.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free withdrawal | • Credit/Debit card not available |
| • No deposit fee | • Only one account base currency |
| • User-friendly | • Slow withdrawal - over 3 days |
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | No | No | No |
| Electronic wallets | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
#4 Merrill Edge
Markets and products
Merrill Edge has a limited product portfolio that consists of stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds. Unfortunately, the product lineup covers only the US market. The broker offers a lower diversity of products in general compared to its competition.
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 83 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| ETFs (#) | 13,000 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 |
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
#5 Best brokers for free stock trading in the US
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab is a US discount broker that was founded in 1971 and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
It is regulated by several top-tier financial authorities, such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free stock and ETF trading | • High fees for some mutual funds |
| • Outstanding research | • Only US/Canada markets available |
| • Great customer service |
#5 Charles Schwab
Safety
Charles Schwab is regulated by top-tier authorities like the SEC and there is high investor protection. However, if you're trading on margin, there's no negative balance protection.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Majority of clients belong to a top-tier financial authority | • No negative balance protection |
| • High level of investor protection | |
| • Banking background |
#5 Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab trading platforms
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 4.3 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 4.2 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | 4.0 stars | Yes |
#5 Charles Schwab
Deposit and withdrawal
Funding your account is easy and user-friendly at Charles Schwab and there is no deposit fee. However, you can only use bank transfer and there is a high fee for wire withdrawals.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • No deposit fee | • High fee for wire (bank transfer) withdrawals |
| • User-friendly |
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | No | No | No |
| Electronic wallets | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
#5 Charles Schwab
Markets and products
At Charles Schwab, you can trade a lot of different asset classes, from stocks to futures. Unfortunately, the product portfolio covers only US and Canadian markets.
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 83 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| ETFs (#) | 13,000 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 |
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Best brokers for free stock trading in the US in 2022
Bottom line
Now that you have seen the details, let's zoom out. Here are the best brokers for free stock trading in the US in 2022:
| Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | E*TRADE | Merrill Edge | Charles Schwab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock fee class | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Trading platform combined score | 3.7 stars | 4.4 stars | 4.5 stars | 4.6 stars | 4.1 stars |
| Deposit and withdrawal score | 3.0 stars | 3.8 stars | 2.2 stars | 2.2 stars | 2.2 stars |
| Markets and products score | 5.0 stars | 3.6 stars | 2.8 stars | 2.4 stars | 3.0 stars |
Interactive Brokers is our winner, the best broker for free stock trading in the US in 2022. Low trading fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
We consider all these stockbrokers a great choice. Feel free to pick the winner or any runner-up and take the next step in your investment journey. Let us know what you think in the comments section.
Still unsure which broker to choose? Use our broker finder tool to find the best broker for your needs or learn more about investing your money.
