Intro and winners
Find below the strengths of the best trading platforms available in the United States, updated for 2024:
- Webull - the best trading platform in the United States in 2024. Free stock/ETF trading and high 5% interest on uninvested cash. Fast and easy account opening. Great trading platforms.
- NinjaTrader - Low trading fees. Great platform and research. Quality educational materials.
- IG - First-class web trading platform. Superb educational tools. Great deposit and withdrawal options.
- eToro - Free stock and ETF trading. Seamless account opening. Social trading.
- Fidelity - Commission-free US stocks and ETFs. Great trading platforms and research. US and international stocks.
- Oanda - Great trading platforms. Outstanding research tools. Fast and user-friendly account opening.
- Robinhood - Free US stock and ETF trading. Great mobile and web trading platforms. Fast and fully digital account opening. Interest paid on uninvested cash.
- Merrill Edge - Low trading fees. Easy and seamless account opening. Strong parent company.
- E*TRADE - Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading). User-friendly mobile trading platform. Great research tools. Pays interest on uninvested cash.
- Firstrade - Free stock, ETF, fund and options trading. Solid research tools. Quality educational tools.
Summary of the best trading platforms in the United States
Trading platforms provided by your broker - mobile apps, downloadable desktop apps or web-based trading sites - are your main window on the market. An easy-to-use platform with quality tools can enormously improve your trading experience. While other aspects such as trading fees are also important, you can't go wrong with any of the following brokers if you're focusing on platform quality.
| Broker | Mobile platform score | Web platform score |
|---|---|---|
| Webull | 5.0 /5 | 5.0 /5 |
| NinjaTrader | 4.5 /5 | 0.0 /5 |
| IG | 5.0 /5 | 5.0 /5 |
| eToro | 4.9 /5 | 4.4 /5 |
| Fidelity | 5.0 /5 | 4.5 /5 |
| Oanda | 4.9 /5 | 4.4 /5 |
| Robinhood | 5.0 /5 | 3.5 /5 |
| Merrill Edge | 4.8 /5 | 4.3 /5 |
| E*TRADE | 4.5 /5 | 4.5 /5 |
| Firstrade | 4.5 /5 | 4.5 /5 |
Popularity of the best trading platforms in the United States
Interested in what others think? Here's how many people chose these brokers at BrokerChooser in the last 6 months.
Let's take a look at the key details of the best trading platforms in the United States in 2024, including our verdict for mobile, desktop and web platforms.
Trading fees
The fees you pay for a trade play a critical role in selecting a broker. While trading fees are super important in our rankings, they aren't the only ones. Although we prioritize low-cost or even zero-fee brokers, our experience tells us that the cheapest option isn't always the best choice. We collected the most important fees for you in the following interactive table. Based on industry standards, we consider these fees to be low or acceptable.
| Broker | US stock fee | Stock fee class |
|---|---|---|
| Webull | $0 per trade plus regulatory and exchange fees | Low |
| NinjaTrader | Available if you connect brokers, like TD Ameritrade | |
| IG | Real stocks available only in a few countries, like UK, Ireland, or Australia. US stock fees: $0.02 per share with $10 min | |
| eToro | Free stock and ETF trading, except for clients in Australia, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden, where a $1-2 commission per trade applies for stocks | Low |
| Fidelity | Free stock and ETF trading | Low |
| Oanda | Free stock trading | Low |
| Robinhood | Stock and ETF trading is free | Low |
| Merrill Edge | Commission-free stock and ETF trading | Low |
| E*TRADE | Free stock and ETF trading | Low |
| Firstrade | $0 per trade | Low |
If you are unsure how brokerage fees work, check out this article on the various fees, charges and costs.
Non-trading fees
Non-trading fees are charges not directly related to a given trade and typically include the account maintenance fee, deposit/withdrawal fees, and the inactivity fee..
| Broker | Account fee | Inactivity fee |
|---|---|---|
| Webull | ||
| NinjaTrader | ||
| IG | ||
| eToro | ||
| Fidelity | ||
| Oanda | ||
| Robinhood | ||
| Merrill Edge | ||
| E*TRADE | ||
| Firstrade |
Research quality of the best trading platforms in the United States
Quality research instruments can help you decide what, when and how to trade. Stock traders often value fundamental data and real-time news, while forex traders usually appreciate sophisticated charting tools. See what these top brokers have to offer:
| Broker | Recommendation | Fundamental data |
|---|---|---|
| Webull | ||
| NinjaTrader | ||
| IG | ||
| eToro | ||
| Fidelity | ||
| Oanda | ||
| Robinhood | ||
| Merrill Edge | ||
| E*TRADE | ||
| Firstrade |
Recommended for investors and traders looking for zero-commission trading and easy platforms
| Webull snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US discount broker | |
| Overall score | 4.6 stars |
| Trading platform combined score | 5.0 stars |
| Fee score | 4.6 stars |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Webull, check out our review for 2024. |
Recommended for active traders focusing on futures
| NinjaTrader snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Global platform provider focusing on futures trading | |
| Overall score | 4.5 stars |
| Trading platform combined score | 5.0 stars |
| Fee score | 4.3 stars |
| Time to open account | >3 days |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of NinjaTrader, check out our review for 2024. |
Recommended for traders of any experience level looking for an easy-to-use trading platform
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75% of retail CFD accounts lose money
| IG snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Global CFD and forex broker | |
| Overall score | 4.5 stars |
| Trading platform combined score | 5.0 stars |
| Fee score | 3.6 stars |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, PayPal |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of IG, check out our review for 2024. |
Recommended for traders interested in social trading (i.e. copying other investors’ trades) and zero-commission stock trading
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eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal
| eToro snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Global social trading broker | |
| Overall score | 4.9 stars |
| Trading platform combined score | 4.8 stars |
| Fee score | 4.2 stars |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, eToro Money, Neteller, Skrill, Trustly, iDEAL, Przelewy 24, RapidTransfer, Klarna, Giropay |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of eToro, check out our review for 2024. |
Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and great trading platforms
| Fidelity snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US stockbroker | |
| Overall score | 4.7 stars |
| Trading platform combined score | 4.7 stars |
| Fee score | 3.5 stars |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Fidelity, check out our review for 2024. |
Recommended for forex traders who value a user-friendly platform and great research tools
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75% of retail CFD accounts lose money
| Oanda snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US forex broker | |
| Overall score | 4.6 stars |
| Trading platform combined score | 4.7 stars |
| Fee score | 4.4 stars |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Oanda, check out our review for 2024. |
Recommended for beginners and buy-and-hold investors focusing on the US stock market
| Robinhood snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US zero-fee discount broker | |
| Overall score | 4.3 stars |
| Trading platform combined score | 4.6 stars |
| Fee score | 4.9 stars |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Robinhood, check out our review for 2024. |
Recommended for investors and traders looking for low fees, quick account opening and simple platforms
| Merrill Edge snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US discount broker | |
| Overall score | 4.6 stars |
| Trading platform combined score | 4.5 stars |
| Fee score | 4.2 stars |
| Time to open account | 1 day |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Merrill Edge, check out our review for 2024. |
Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a great mobile trading platform
| E*TRADE snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US stockbroker | |
| Overall score | 4.5 stars |
| Trading platform combined score | 4.5 stars |
| Fee score | 3.8 stars |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of E*TRADE, check out our review for 2024. |
Recommended for beginners and investors looking for zero-commission trading, focusing on the US market
| Firstrade snapshot | |
|---|---|
| US discount broker | |
| Overall score | 4.4 stars |
| Trading platform combined score | 4.5 stars |
| Fee score | 4.2 stars |
| Time to open account | 1-3 days |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Firstrade, check out our review for 2024. |
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How did we pick the best trading platform in the United States in 2024?
- We checked 101 online brokers, testing their trading platforms with real money
- We gathered impressions on how user-friendly and navigable each platform is
- We tested the usability of key functions such as order panels, login and search
- We looked at the quality of research tools such as charting and fundamental data
- We checked that the brokers are overseen by at least one rock solid regulator.
Save hours of research!
Our expert team has done all the work for you, and reviewed brokers based on BrokerChooser's unique methodology. This includes collecting more than 600 data points for each broker. Now let's jump straight to the results.
FAQ
Which broker is best for beginners?
If you're considering long-term investments and are just starting your investment journey, you should pick a broker that, in addition to low fees, offers an easy-to-use mobile trading platform and good educational material. A free demo account is also handy if you want to practice trading with virtual money first. To make your choice easier, we have collected the best brokers for beginners.
Save hours of research and check out our broker recommendation tool that will give you a tailor-made list of the best forex brokers available to you.
Which is the best platform for stock trading?
When deciding where to buy stocks, you should look for low stock commissions, low inactivity and withdrawal fees, and smooth deposit and withdrawal functions. Here's our list of the best online stock brokers.
Use our in-depth broker comparison table to see how Zerodha compares to similar brokers..
What is the safest trading platform?
There are many aspects to safety, but perhaps the most important is for the broker to be regulated by a top-tier financial authority, such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), or one of a handful of similar regulators worldwide. We at BrokerChooser only recommend brokers where a majority of clients belong to an entity overseen by a top-tier regulator.
Want to read more?
Check out these articles written by our broker and trading experts:
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.
