Best stock brokers in the US for 2019

To help you to find the best stock broker in the US, we went ahead and did the research for you. First, we selected more than 57 quality stock brokers, then we checked and compared their fees, trading platform, deposit and withdrawal and more. We went deep, so you won't have to.

5 made it to the top in the US. We highly recommend all 5 to you. And now, without further ado...

Our top 5 picks for the best stock brokers of 2019 for citizens in the US:

1. Interactive Brokers is the winner. Broad product portfolio. Low fees. Great and diverse research tools.
2. Fidelity in the second place. Solid research tools. Great web trading platform. US and international stocks offered.
3. Charles Schwab rounded out the top three. Outstanding research. Low fees. Great customer service.
4. E-Trade, numero quatro. Solid research tools. Well-designed mobile trading platform. Good customer service.
5. TD Ameritrade. Solid research and education. Superb desktop trading platform. Great customer support. Just made it to the list with being number five.

All 5 brokers are considered safe. They are regulated by top-tier financial regulators.

What makes a good stock broker? They need to offer fair fees. It must also be easy to open an account and deposit. They should offer access to a lot of markets and need to have a great platform. Easy to list, but hard to figure it out. We are testing brokers along ~100 criteria with real accounts and real money. We know what's up.

Not sure which broker? For a tailored recommendation, check out the broker finder tool. You can enter your country and it will show only the relevant brokers. Want more details? Compare brokers with this detailed comparison table.

And now, let's see the best stock brokers in the US one by one, starting with the winner, Interactive Brokers.

#1 Best stock broker
Interactive Brokers

Best online broker

Interactive Brokers was founded in 1978 and it is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers. It is regulated by several regulators globally, including top-tier authorities like FCA and SEC. Interactive Brokers Group is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Interactive Brokers is considered safe because it has a long track record, is listed on a stock exchange, discloses its financials, and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

Recommended for traders who prefer low fees and a professional trading environment

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Stock trading fees

Interactive Brokers stock trading fees are low.

It is not so easy to compare trading fees for stock trading. What did we do at Brokerchooser? Instead of quoting long fee tables, we compare brokers by calculating all fees of a typical trade for two popular stocks:

• Apple
• Vodafone

A typical trade means that you buy and sell the shares for $2,000.

This super catch-all benchmark fee includes spreads, financing costs (if applies) and commission for all brokers.

Here is the verdict:

Want to check the pricing by yourself? Here you go:

Non-trading fees

Interactive Brokers has high non-trading fees.

Feel free to check out more about brokerage fees if your want to learn more.

#1 Interactive Brokers
Account opening 3 stars

The account opening process is fully digital, but slow and complicated.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Deposit and withdrawal 2 stars

Interactive Brokers offers a lot of base currencies and one withdrawal per month is free. On the negative side, only bank transfer is available.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Markets and products 5 stars

Interactive Brokers allows you access to a very wide range of markets and you can trade with all product types. IB's product range is the widest available.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Web trading platform 4 stars

The Interactive Brokers web platform is simple and easy to use, even for beginners. On the negative side, it is a bit complicated to customize.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Verdict

IB is one of the biggest discount US brokers regulated by top-tier regulators. If you like low-cost trading and easily navigate on a really complicated platform, Interactive Brokers is for you. We mainly recommend IB for traders.

It has low trading fees, a wide range of product portfolio, and diverse research tools. 

On the flip side, only bank transfer is available for deposit and withdrawal. The account opening and the desktop platform are not user-friendly and complicated.

Interactive Brokers is definitely recommended if you want low fees, a lot of products and you are experienced to cope with a complicated platform.

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#2 Best stock broker
Fidelity

Fidelity was founded in 1946 and it is one of the biggest US stockbrokers. It is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Fidelity is considered safe because it has a long track record and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

Recommended for beginners, investors, traders looking for solids research and great trading platforms

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#2 Fidelity
Stock trading fees

Fidelity stock trading fees are average.

It is not so easy to compare trading fees for stock trading. What did we do at Brokerchooser? Instead of quoting long fee tables, we compare brokers by calculating all fees of a typical trade for two popular stocks:

• Apple
• Vodafone

A typical trade means that you buy and sell the shares for $2,000.

This super catch-all benchmark fee includes spreads, financing costs (if applies) and commission for all brokers.

Here is the verdict:

Want to check the pricing by yourself? Here you go:

Non-trading fees

Fidelity has low non-trading fees.

Feel free to check out more about brokerage fees if your want to learn more.

#2 Fidelity
Account opening 3 stars

Opening an account at Fidelity is easy and fast, but not fully digital. The application had to be mailed with the relevant ID's photocopy.

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#2 Fidelity
Deposit and withdrawal 3 stars

Fidelity offers bank transfer and electronic wallets as deposit and withdrawal options. Exceptionally wide range of base currencies is provided too. However, credit/debit cards are not accepted and the wire withdrawals are charged.

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#2 Fidelity
Markets and products 3 stars

Fidelity offers a lot of asset classes, from stocks to options. Within the stock offer, both the US and international markets covered. On the negative side, forex and futures are missing.

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#2 Fidelity
Web trading platform 5 stars

Fidelity's web platform is easy to use, has a lot of order types, and provides a two-step authentication. On the negative side, the web trading platform is not customizable.

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#2 Fidelity
Verdict

Fidelity Schwab is one of the biggest US stockbrokers regulated by top-tier regulators.

Fidelity's research is outstanding and covers many tools, including trading ideas and detailed fundamental data. The web trading platform is easy to use and offers advanced order types. The product offer covers international stock exchanges besides the US market, it's unique among the US brokers.

Fidelity has some drawbacks though. It doesn't provide credit/debit cards for money transfers. The account is not fully digital and the fees for mutual funds are quite high. 

As the research tools are great, the web trading platform is user-friendly, and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to try Fidelity.

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#3 Best stock broker
Charles Schwab

Best research

Charles Schwab was founded in 1971 and it is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers. It is regulated by top-tier regulators, like the US SEC or the UK FCA.

Charles Schwab is considered safe because it has a long track record, is listed on a stock exchange, has a banking background, and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

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

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#3 Charles Schwab
Stock trading fees

Charles Schwab stock trading fees are low.

It is not so easy to compare trading fees for stock trading. What did we do at Brokerchooser? Instead of quoting long fee tables, we compare brokers by calculating all fees of a typical trade for two popular stocks:

• Apple
• Vodafone

A typical trade means that you buy and sell the shares for $2,000.

This super catch-all benchmark fee includes spreads, financing costs (if applies) and commission for all brokers.

Here is the verdict:

Want to check the pricing by yourself? Here you go:

Non-trading fees

Charles Schwab has low non-trading fees.

Feel free to check out more about brokerage fees if your want to learn more.

#3 Charles Schwab
Account opening 5 stars

Opening an account at Charles Schwab is easy, fast and fully digital. For US-clients there is no minimum deposit. However, if you open an account outside the US, there is a $25,000 minimum.

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#3 Charles Schwab
Deposit and withdrawal 2 stars

Charles Schwab deposit and withdrawal can be improved. You can use only bank transfer, there is only USD as a base currency, and a high fee is charged for wire withdrawals. As a plus, there is no deposit fee and transferring money is easy and user-friendly.

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#3 Charles Schwab
Markets and products 3 stars

At Charles Schwab, you can trade with a lot of asset classes, from stocks to futures. However, the offered products cover only the US market.

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#3 Charles Schwab
Web trading platform 4 stars

Charles Schab's web platform is simple and easy to use. Even beginners can easily navigate it. On the negative side, it lacks two-step login and customizability.

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#3 Charles Schwab
Verdict

Charles Schwab is one of the biggest discount US brokers regulated by top-tier regulators.

Its research is outstanding and covers many tools, including trading ideas and detailed fundamental data. It charges low trading and non-trading fees.  The customer service is great, you will get relevant answers within a short time.

It has some drawbacks though. It doesn't provide credit/debit cards and electronic wallets for money transfers. The product portfolio covers only US markets. Lastly, the educational tools are not well-structured. 

As the research tools are great, the account opening is seamless, and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to try it.

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#4 Best stock broker
E-Trade

E-Trade was founded in 1982 and it is a US-based stockbroker. It is regulated by 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 regulated by top-tier regulators.

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

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#4 E-Trade
Stock trading fees

E-Trade stock trading fees are low.

It is not so easy to compare trading fees for stock trading. What did we do at Brokerchooser? Instead of quoting long fee tables, we compare brokers by calculating all fees of a typical trade for two popular stocks:

• Apple
• Vodafone

A typical trade means that you buy and sell the shares for $2,000.

This super catch-all benchmark fee includes spreads, financing costs (if applies) and commission for all brokers.

Here is the verdict:

Want to check the pricing by yourself? Here you go:

Non-trading fees

E-Trade has low non-trading fees.

Feel free to check out more about brokerage fees if your want to learn more.

#4 E-Trade
Account opening 4 stars

The account opening is fully digital and user-friendly for US clients. On the flip side, the account verification process was slow.

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#4 E-Trade
Deposit and withdrawal 2 stars

E-Trade deposit and withdrawal can be improved. You can use only bank transfer, there is only USD as a base currency, a high fee is charged for wire transfer withdrawals. As a plus, there is no deposit fee and transferring money is easy and user-friendly for US clients.

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#4 E-Trade
Markets and products 3 stars

At E-Trade, you can trade with a lot of asset classes, from stocks to futures, but not with forex. However, the offered products cover only the US market.

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#4 E-Trade
Web trading platform 4 stars

E-Trade has a great web-based trading platform. It is user-friendly and well-designed. On the negative side, there is no two-step login.

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#4 E-Trade
Verdict

E-Trade is one of the biggest US stockbrokers regulated by top-tier regulators.

E-Trade's research functions are high-quality and channel a lot of tools, including trading ideas, and strategy builders builders as well. We liked the easy handling and the persionalizable features of the mobile trading platform. The customer service is great, you will get relevant answers within a short time.

It has some drawbacks though. E-Trade doesn't provide credit/debit cards and electronic wallets for money transfers. The product portfolio covers only US markets. The account verification process is slow. 

As the research tools are great and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to try it.

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#5 Best stock broker
TD Ameritrade

TD Ameritrade was founded in 1971 and it is one of the big US discount brokers. It is regulated by top tier regulators, like US SEC.

TD Ameritrade is considered safe because it has a long track record, is listed on stock exchange, has a banking background, discloses its financials, and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

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

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#5 TD Ameritrade
Stock trading fees

TD Ameritrade stock trading fees are low.

It is not so easy to compare trading fees for stock trading. What did we do at Brokerchooser? Instead of quoting long fee tables, we compare brokers by calculating all fees of a typical trade for two popular stocks:

• Apple
• Vodafone

A typical trade means that you buy and sell the shares for $2,000.

This super catch-all benchmark fee includes spreads, financing costs (if applies) and commission for all brokers.

Here is the verdict:

Want to check the pricing by yourself? Here you go:

Non-trading fees

TD Ameritrade has low non-trading fees.

Feel free to check out more about brokerage fees if your want to learn more.

#5 TD Ameritrade
Account opening 3 stars

Opening an account is easy, but not fully digital. For US-clients there is no minimum deposit.

More Visit broker

#5 TD Ameritrade
Deposit and withdrawal 2 stars

TD Ameritrade deposit and withdrawal can be improved. You can use only bank transfer, there is only USD as a base currency, and a high fee is charged for wire transfer withdrawals. As a plus, there is no deposit fee and transferring money is easy and user-friendly.

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#5 TD Ameritrade
Markets and products 3 stars

At TD Ameritrade, you can trade with a lot of asset classes, from stocks to futures and forex. However, the offered products cover only the US market.

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#5 TD Ameritrade
Web trading platform 4 stars

TD Ameritrade offers a good web-based trading platform with a clean design. On the flip side, there is no two-step login and the platform is not customizable.

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#5 TD Ameritrade
Verdict

TD Ameritrade is one of the biggest discount US brokers regulated by top-tier regulators.

Research and education are outstanding and covers a lot of tools. The thinkorswim desktop trading platform is one of the best on the market. The customer service is great, you will get relevant answers within a short time.

It has some drawbacks though. It charges high fees. It doesn't provide credit/debit cards and electronic wallets for money transfers. The product portfolio covers only US markets. 

As the research tools are great, the account opening is seamless, and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to try it.

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Best stock brokers
What makes a good stock broker

Now you know the top 5. You are probably curious about how we came up with this list. Let's go through a few points quickly. What is a stock broker? Why do we think these brokers are safe? What are the most important factors when selecting the best stock brokers?

What is a stock broker?

Thirty years ago if you wanted to buy a stock, you had to pick up the phone and call your broker, who executed the transaction in return for a commission. Brokers were like in the Wolf of Wall Street movie. They were checking the stocks' prices while holding a telephone and shouting. Everything changed after the internet appeared. Nowadays if you want to buy Apple shares, you open online an account, deposit money, and make the order through the brokers' online platform. These brokers are the online brokers. Online brokers help you buying and selling securities, like stocks. After making your order, the online broker executes it immediately. Everything is online.

Are these brokers safe?

Yes, they are considered safe. You can be sure none of them is a scam. They are regulated by top-tier regulators. Some of them are also listed on an exchange, and some have a banking background.

However, also brokerage companies can go down. Remember Lehman Brothers? In these cases, it is important to know what happens with your securities and cash. These are usually held in segregated accounts, so even in case of a broker bankruptcy, you are safe.

If everything goes very bad and for example, the broker steals your assets, then you have a last resort, the compensation fund of the country where the broker is regulated.

How did Brokerchooser pick the best international stock brokers for a citizen in the US?

At Brokerchooser we test online brokers along ~100 criteria, with a real account and real money. Not to overwhelm you we list the five most important criteria.

The 5 most important criteria for stock brokers are:

Best stock brokers
Bottom line

You saw the details, now let's zoom out. Here are the best stock brokers of 2019 in the US:

Interactive Brokers is our winner, the best stock broker in the US for 2019. Broad product portfolio. Low fees. Great and diverse research tools.

All are considered safe, and a great choice. Pick the winner, or any runner-up and take the next step in your investment journey. Let us know what you think in the comment section.

Still unsure? Use the broker finder and find the best broker for you or learn more about investing your money

AUTHOR

Gergely Korpos

Co-founder, CPO

Gergely's aim is to bring more clarity into personal investing. He has 10 years of experience in financial markets with GE Money, KPMG and MOL. He concluded thousands of trades as a commodity trader and financial portfolio manager

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