Advertisement
Download the new IBKR GlobalTrader app to invest globally.

Best stock brokers in 2023

Find below the best stock trading platforms available in the United States, updated for 2023:
  1. Interactive Brokers - the best stock broker in 2023. Low trading fees and high interest (up to 4.58% for USD) on cash balances. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
  2. eToro - Free stock and ETF trading. Seamless account opening. Social trading.
  3. Fidelity - Commission-free US stocks and ETFs. Great trading platforms and research. US and international stocks.
  4. TD Ameritrade - Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading). Superb desktop trading platform. Great customer support.
  5. Merrill Edge - Low trading fees. Easy and seamless account opening. Strong parent company.
  6. Charles Schwab - Free stock and ETF trading. Outstanding research. Great customer service.
  7. Zacks Trade - Low fees. Extensive stock and ETF selection. Great customer service.
  8. Vanguard - Stocks and ETFs are free to trade. Easy account opening. Great mobile trading platform.
  9. E*TRADE - Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading). User-friendly mobile trading platform. Great research tools.
  10. Ally Invest - Low trading and non-trading fees. Easy and fully digital account opening. Great education.
Your location is the United States
To see the top brokers in another country, choose from the list below

Best stock brokers in 2023
Overview of the best stock brokers

While many online stock brokers offer an excellent service, the ones in our toplist go the extra mile.

Broker
Minimum deposit
Time to open account
Interactive Brokers
$0
$0 for non-margin client accounts, $2,000 for margin accounts. (A margin account is where you trade with borrowed money, also known as leverage.)
1-3 days
eToro
$10
For Israeli clients, the minimum first-time deposit is $10,000. For residents of Australia and the US, it is $50, while for residents of Russia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, it is $500.
1 day
Fidelity
$0
No minimum account balance
1-3 days
TD Ameritrade
$0
$0 for US non-margin accounts, $2,000 for US margin accounts, and clients in Malaysia and Singapore are recommended to start with $3,500.
1-3 days
Merrill Edge
$0
No minimum deposit
1 day
Charles Schwab
$0
$0 for US clients and $25,000 for non-US clients
1 day
Zacks Trade
$0
No minimum deposit, but Zacks Trade recommends to open an account with $2500
>3 days
Vanguard
$0
No minimum deposit; however, for funds and ETFs there is an investment minimum (starting with $1,000).
1-3 days
E*TRADE
$0
No minimum deposit for non-margin brokerage account, while $2,000 for margin accounts and $500 for Core Portfolios
1-3 days
Ally Invest
$0
No minimum account balance
1-3 days
Best stock brokers data compiled for June 2023

Popularity of the best stock brokers

Interested in what others think? Here's how many people chose these brokers at BrokerChooser in the last 6 months.

🆕 If you’re a first-time investor, we’re here to help you buy your first stock! Follow our new step-by-step guide, including screenshots and hands-on tips, and you’ll have no trouble purchasing your first stocks by yourself!

Best stock brokers in 2023
Stock trading fees

Broker
US stock
German stock
Interactive Brokers
$1.0
Fixed pricing: $0.005 per share, min. $1, max. 1% of trade value. Free for US clients choosing IBKR Lite plan.
$3.2
Fixed €3 for trade value less than €6,000, 0.05% of trade value for more than €6,000
eToro
$0.0
Free stock and ETF trading
$0.0
Free stock and ETF trading, except for clients from Australia, where a 0.09% spread cost per transaction applies
Fidelity
$0.0
Free stock and ETF trading
$20.3
€19 per trade
TD Ameritrade
$0.0
Free stock and ETF trading
-
Not available
Merrill Edge
$0.0
Commission-free stock and ETF trading
-
Not available
Charles Schwab
$0.0
Free stock and ETF trading
-
Not available
Zacks Trade
$1.0
$0.01 per share commission for stocks priced above $1, or 1% of trade value for stocks priced below $1. The minimum fee is $1.
$12.8
0.3% of trade value with a €12 minimum
Vanguard
$0.0
Commission-free
-
Not available
E*TRADE
$0.0
Free stock and ETF trading
-
Not available
Ally Invest
$0.0
Free stock and ETF trading for stocks priced above $2, otherwise $4.95 commission plus $0.1 per share
-
Not available
Stock trading fees at the best stock brokers June 2023
All commissions, spreads and financing rates (if applicable) for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.

Best stock brokers in 2023
Non-trading fees

Broker
Account fee
Inactivity fee
Interactive Brokers
No account fee
No inactivity fee
eToro
No account fee
$10 per month after one year inactivity. Inactivity means that you don't log in to your account
Fidelity
No account fee
No inactivity fee
TD Ameritrade
No account fee
No inactivity fee
Merrill Edge
No account fee
No inactivity fee
Charles Schwab
No account fee
No inactivity fee
Zacks Trade
No account fee
$15 per month, but waived for account balances above $25,000
Vanguard
$20 per year for standard accounts unless you hold $10,000+ or choose electronic statements
No inactivity fee
E*TRADE
No account fee
No inactivity fee
Ally Invest
No account fee
No inactivity fee
Best stock trading platforms non-trading fees
Interactive Brokers Logo

#1 Best stock broker
Interactive Brokers

Recommended for traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment

Visit broker

Interactive Brokers snapshot
Minimum deposit $0
US stock fee $1.0
Demo account Yes
Mobile platform score 3.5 stars
Time to open account 1-3 days
Inactivity fee No
Read review For a detailed analysis of Interactive Brokers services, check out our review for 2023
eToro Logo

#2 Best stock broker
eToro

Recommended for traders interested in social trading (i.e. copying other investors’ trades) and zero-commission stock trading

Visit broker
eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal

eToro snapshot
Minimum deposit $10
US stock fee $0.0
Demo account Yes
Mobile platform score 4.9 stars
Time to open account 1 day
Inactivity fee Yes
Read review For a detailed analysis of eToro services, check out our review for 2023
Fidelity Logo

#3 Best stock broker
Fidelity

Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and great trading platforms

Visit broker

Fidelity snapshot
Minimum deposit $0
US stock fee $0.0
Demo account Yes
Mobile platform score 5.0 stars
Time to open account 1-3 days
Inactivity fee No
Read review For a detailed analysis of Fidelity services, check out our review for 2023
TD Ameritrade Logo

#4 Best stock broker
TD Ameritrade

Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform

Visit broker

TD Ameritrade snapshot
Minimum deposit $0
US stock fee $0.0
Demo account Yes
Mobile platform score 4.8 stars
Time to open account 1-3 days
Inactivity fee No
Read review For a detailed analysis of TD Ameritrade services, check out our review for 2023
Merrill Edge Logo

#5 Best stock broker
Merrill Edge

Recommended for investors and traders looking for low fees, quick account opening and simple platforms

Visit broker

Merrill Edge snapshot
Minimum deposit $0
US stock fee $0.0
Demo account No
Mobile platform score 4.8 stars
Time to open account 1 day
Inactivity fee No
Read review For a detailed analysis of Merrill Edge services, check out our review for 2023
Charles Schwab Logo

#6 Best stock broker
Charles Schwab

Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research, low fees and great customer service

Visit broker

Charles Schwab snapshot
Minimum deposit $0
US stock fee $0.0
Demo account Yes
Mobile platform score 4.2 stars
Time to open account 1 day
Inactivity fee No
Read review For a detailed analysis of Charles Schwab services, check out our review for 2023
Zacks Trade Logo

#7 Best stock broker
Zacks Trade

Recommended for traders and investors looking for comprehensive research tools, a wide product selection and low fees

Visit broker

Zacks Trade snapshot
Minimum deposit $0
US stock fee $1.0
Demo account Yes
Mobile platform score 3.5 stars
Time to open account >3 days
Inactivity fee Yes
Read review For a detailed analysis of Zacks Trade services, check out our review for 2023
Vanguard Logo

#8 Best stock broker
Vanguard

Recommended for long-term investors looking for great etf and mutual fund selection

Visit broker

Vanguard snapshot
Minimum deposit $0
US stock fee $0.0
Demo account No
Mobile platform score 4.4 stars
Time to open account 1-3 days
Inactivity fee No
Read review For a detailed analysis of Vanguard services, check out our review for 2023
E*TRADE Logo

#9 Best stock broker
E*TRADE

Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a great mobile trading platform

Visit broker

E*TRADE snapshot
Minimum deposit $0
US stock fee $0.0
Demo account No
Mobile platform score 4.5 stars
Time to open account 1-3 days
Inactivity fee No
Read review For a detailed analysis of E*TRADE services, check out our review for 2023
Ally Invest Logo

#10 Best stock broker
Ally Invest

Recommended for investors and traders looking for low fees and focusing on the us market

Visit broker

Ally Invest snapshot
Minimum deposit $0
US stock fee $0.0
Demo account No
Mobile platform score 3.3 stars
Time to open account 1-3 days
Inactivity fee No
Read review For a detailed analysis of Ally Invest services, check out our review for 2023

Best stock brokers in 2023
Didn't find the best broker for you?

Answer a few questions and get a personalized broker list!
Get a personalized broker recommendation
125,500 people already found a broker via this tool!

Your broker toplist will be selected based on your answers.

Where do you live?
More info

Best stock brokers in 2023
How did BrokerChooser select the best stock brokers?

  • We checked whether the broker is regulated by a trusted regulator,
  • Compared stock fees and non-trading fees (e.g. currency conversion, withdrawal or inactivity),
  • Compared the number of equity markets,
  • Checked minimum deposit requirements,
  • Opened an account and tested the platform (charting, features, usability, customer service).


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 finetune 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 stock brokers in 2023
FAQ

Are these brokers safe?

Yes, the brokers on this list are all considered safe and rock solid. You can be sure none of them is a scam. They are each regulated by at least one top-tier regulator.

Which broker should I use as a beginner?

Low fees and an excellent mobile platform make a broker great for beginners. Beginners can also benefit greatly if a broker has excellent educational material, and tools, such as a demo account. The best way to start your journey in the world of investing is by learning. We provide a great starting point on our education page, where you can find a lot of useful learning materials. Here we give you some tips on how to start investing. To find the best online broker for your level of expertise and risk-tolerance, use our find my broker tool.

Where should a beginner invest in stocks?

Before you make stock investments, you should draw up a plan, which involves several basic questions you ought to think about, such as what is your objective, how much time do you want to spend investing and what level of risk you want to take. For beginners, one of the best ways to to starting investing in stocks is choosing an index fund or stock mutual funds, which are an easy and low-cost way to tip your toe into the stock market. We put together a guide on how to start investing in stocks, and how to buy shares online. We explicitly guide you through how to invest in stocks. We also give you tips on how much you should invest when you are starting out. You can also browse through our top recommendations for best trading platforms for stocks.

Is trading gambling?

Trading is not gambling, although some poeple might treat it like that, but they will learn quickly that gamblers lose their money. The goal of a trader is to make predictions that will be as accurate as possible to make money, while gamblers can't predict anything, they bet. People who trade for the thrill of it, or because they want to prove something, or can’t accept losing on the market from time to time, and don’t have a plan or consistency, are trading in a gambling style. New online trading apps have recently come under the spotlight for bringing a gambling aspect into trading. The gamification of trading, with easy-to-use online platforms, little education for retail traders and the social pressure of FOMO also contribute to a gambling attitude on the market. Serious traders should consider their objectives, their attitudes to risk, and carefully devise an investment strategy when entering a market.

Is trading hard to learn?

Trading is not diffficult to learn if you invest enough time and energy into it. But that is a big if. Plenty of people trade, but the more time you spend studying trading, the more you practice, - as with everything else -, the better results you can expect. Knowing yourself, your attitude to risk-taking, and being patient and disciplined are also crucial factors if you want to be successful. Keep a cool head, don’t look for easy money, commit to studying trading and always have a trading plan. Our aim is to make personal investing as clear and accessible for you, as possible. Our educational page is a good starting point. You can also learn from our expert traders about the difference between investing and trading, and learn here about how to become a trader. You can also learn about different investment strategies from us.

Want to learn more?

Check out these articles written by our broker and trading experts:

Author of this article

Gergely Korpos

Author of this article

Gergely is the co-founder and CPO of BrokerChooser. His aim is to make personal investing crystal clear for everybody. Gergely has 10 years of experience in the financial markets. He concluded thousands of trades as a commodity trader and equity portfolio manager.

Gergely Korpos

Co-Founder, CPO

Gergely is the co-founder and CPO of BrokerChooser. His aim is to make personal investing crystal clear for everybody. Gergely has 10 years of experience in the financial markets. He concluded thousands of trades as a commodity trader and equity portfolio manager.

Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology

Share

Comments

×