Want to know – how and where to invest? Go through this in-depth review and comparison to choose the Best Investment Apps for Beginners:
During this pandemic, when people have lost their jobs and when all their savings have just vanished, people are now realizing a need for digital methods of earning money and growing their wealth.
With the emergence of an era of digitalization and the growing need for jobs through which people can work from home, an investing app can play the role of a savior for everyone.
While investing, you should always remember that the returns on investment depend on the market conditions. So a proper study of the market trends before investing is crucial. Plus, you should always build a diversified portfolio (a portfolio is a record of assets that you own).
Table of Contents:
Investing Apps For Beginners

In this article, we will enlist the best investment apps for beginners. Go through the detailed reviews about each and decide on which one to choose.

List Of The Best Investment Apps For Beginners
Here is a list of popular investing apps for beginners:
- Fidelity
- E-Trade
- SoFi Invest
- TD Ameritrade Investment App
- Robinhood
- Acorns
- Ally
- Betterment
- M1 Finance
- Stash
- Merrill Edge
- Invstr
- Wealthfront
- Round
- Webull
Comparing Some of the Top Investing Apps
| Tool Name | Best for | Price (For Trading) | Advisor | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity | Financial planning tools | Free | Available | 5/5 stars |
| E-Trade | Beginners as well as frequent traders. | $0 for stocks $1 per bond | Available | 5/5 stars |
| SoFi Invest | Loans on low rates and investing without any fees | Free | Available | 4.7/5 stars |
| TD Ameritrade Investment App | Advanced traders | Free ($25 for broker assisted trade) | Available | 4.7/5 stars |
| Robinhood | Simultaneous trading in stocks and crypto currencies. | Free | Not available | 4.6/5 stars |
Detailed reviews of the best investment apps:
#1) Fidelity
Best for financial planning purposes.

Fidelity, a financial solution for investors, has come up with simple investing solutions, financial planning tools, gives you trade market news, and much more.
Top Features:
- Self-directed and professionally managed accounts
- Financial planning tools
- Guidance from specialists so you can pick the right investment
- Digital estate planning
Pros:
- No minimum balance
- No commission on trades
- Latest professional insights
Cons:
- For U.S. citizens only
- Broker assisted trading is relatively costly
Why you want this app: You can trade in fractional shares, get financial planning tools and get specialist guidance with Fidelity.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 4.4/5 stars
- Android downloads: 1 million+
- iOS rating: 4.8/5 stars
Price: Free
Website: https://www.fidelity.com/
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#2) E-Trade
Best for beginners as well as frequent traders.

E-Trade is an investing app for beginners, with easy-to-use features for investing, saving, and borrowing.
Top Features:
- Market insights
- Retirement planning
- Broker assisted trades and automated investing
- Trade in mutual funds without any fees
- Start with pre-built portfolios
Pros:
- No commission on trade
- Guide to investing for beginners
- Prebuilt portfolios of leading mutual funds and ETFs
- Educational resources
- 4500+ mutual funds with no transaction fees
Cons:
- Automated investing requires a minimum balance of $500
Why you want this app: E-Trade can be a good option for a beginner as well as a frequent trader. Free educational resources can help beginners and provide market insights. Other helpful features can work wonders for both.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 4.6/5 stars
- Android downloads: 1 million+
- iOS rating: 4.6/5 stars
Price: There is no commission on the trade of stocks.

Website: https://us.etrade.com/
#3) SoFi Invest
Best for those who want loans at low rates and want to invest without any fees

SoFi Invest is a one-stop shop for all your finances. With SoFi Invest, you can avail of an autonomous investment feature for your spare money, trade-in cryptocurrencies, apply for a loan, and more, all at absolutely no management fees.
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Top Features:
- Allow trade in cryptocurrencies
- Grants loans at low-interest rates
- An automated investing feature
- No fees
Pros:
- Investing options for beginners
- No fees
- Crypto exchanges
Cons:
- Less number of options for investing.
Why you want this app: SoFi Invest has all that you want in an investment app for beginners. It doesn’t charge any fees for investments and has automation features for investing your money and maintaining your portfolio.
Reviews:
- Android rating: 4.4/5 stars
- Android downloads: 1 million+
- iOS rating: 4.8/5 stars
Price: Free
Website: https://www.sofi.com/invest/
#4) TD Ameritrade Investment App
Best for advanced traders.

TD Ameritrade Investment App is an award-winning app, which gives you plenty of investment choices, educational resources, planning tools, and much more.
Top Features:
- Lets you set price alerts, explore integrated charts, and more
- 24/5 Trading
- Analysis features that can calculate the risk involved
- Goal-specific planning tools
Pros:
- $0 commission on trades
- Educational resources
- No trade minimum
Cons:
- No fractional shares
- No crypto exchanges
Why you want this app: TD Ameritrade Investment App is most suitable for advanced traders, due to the availability of plenty of trading options, price alerts, and other features. Educational resources can be helpful for beginners.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 3.2/5 stars
- Android downloads: 1 million+
- iOS rating: 4.5/5 stars
Price: There is no commission on trades. Pay 0.30% annual management fee for a Robo advisor.

Website: https://www.tdameritrade.com/tools-and-platforms/mobile-trading.html
#5) Robinhood
Best for those who want to trade in stocks and cryptocurrencies simultaneously.

Robinhood is an investing app, which provides its services to over 6 million Americans today. You do not need to maintain any minimum account balance with Robinhood.
Top Features:
- Start investing with as little as $1
- Trade with cryptocurrencies
- Lets you access research reports on around 1700 stocks
- The app lets you receive your paycheck, pay rent, and much more.
Pros:
- Commission free trading
- Research Reports
- No minimum balance required
- Crypto exchanges
Cons:
- No 401(k) accounts
- No access to mutual funds
Why you want this app: Robinhood can be a good option for those who have a passion for investing, as they can learn about market trends in about 1700 stocks with the help of the Robinhood investing app.
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Ratings:
- Android rating: 3.9/5 stars
- Android downloads: 10 million+
- iOS rating: 4.1/5 stars
Price: Free
Website: https://www.robinhood.com/
#6) Acorns
Best investment app for savings-oriented people.

Acorns is one of the best investment apps for beginners. You do not need to worry about maintaining your portfolio, the built-in robo-advisor will take care of it. You can start with small investments and need to pay $1 – $5 per month as fees for the services. Acorns Later feature lets you save for your retirement.
Top Features:
- A diversified portfolio, built by experts
- Search for jobs
- Retirement planning
- Earn money when you shop
Pros:
- Automatically rebalances your portfolio by investing your spare money
- Earn money when you buy from a given list of brand names
- Portfolios built by experts
Cons:
- You can’t build your portfolio on your own
- Monthly fees
Why you want this app: This app can be very beneficial for beginners who have little idea of the market. They can have their spare money invested, with the help of an in-built robo-advisor.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 4.4/5 stars
- Android Downloads: 5 million+
- iOS rating: 4.7/5 stars
Price:
- Lite: $1 per month
- Personal: $3 per month
- Family: $5 per month
Website: https://www.acorns.com/
#7) Ally
Best for multiple trading options.

Ally is a self-directed trading app, which lets you connect with the trade market anytime and from anywhere you want. You do not need to have any minimum account balance to get started. Plus, it gives you bonus cash on opening an investment account.
Top Features:
- Self-directed trading
- Banking and Home Loans
- Automated investing function manages your portfolio
- Tools to help you save faster.
Pros:
- Allows both trading options: self-directed and automated trading
- Effective saving tools
- Free advisor for monitoring portfolio
Cons:
- You cannot start trading with the automation feature with an investment of less than $100.
Why you want this app: Ally offers you trading options that can help you invest the way you want. If you are a beginner with little knowledge about the market, you can take the help of the automated investment feature and can switch to self-directed trading, whenever you want.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 3.7/5 stars
- Android downloads: 1 million+
- iOS rating: 4.7/5 stars
Price: Free
Website: https://www.ally.com/
#8) Betterment
Best for long-term investors.

Betterment is one of the best investment apps. It offers you automated investing features, tax-loss harvesting, retirement planning, and much more at nominal prices.
Top Features:
- Automated investing and portfolio rebalancing
- Tax loss harvesting
- Lets you know about the amount of tax on the money you withdraw
- Retirement planning
Pros:
- Invest how you want, or opt for automated investing
- Affordable pricing
- Get advice on saving money from taxes
- Step by step guidance on investing
- Get cashback when you shop at selected brands
Cons:
- Lack of Real Estate Funds
Why you want this app: Betterment can be an affordable and profitable option for investing any amount of money. A step-by-step guide and advice for saving taxes are a plus point.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 4.4/5 stars
- Android downloads: 0.5 million+
- iOS rating: 4.8/5 stars
Price: There is a free plan and two other plans, which charge you 0.25% and 0.40% annual fee, respectively.
Website: https://www.betterment.com/investing/
#9) M1 Finance
Best for granting loans at low-interest rates.

M1 Finance is a wealth-building tool for long-term investors. You can be a self-directed investor and invest your money the way you want, or opt for the automation tool which can rebalance your portfolio for you.
Top Features:
- Low-interest loans
- Trade with $0 commission
- Automated money transfer, based on your pre-set conditions
- Send checks without having to physically sign one.
Pros:
- Earn a bonus when you switch to M1 Finance
- No minimum deposit required
- No commission on trade
- Loans at very low-interest rates
Cons:
- No mutual fund trading
Why you want this app: M1 Finance has some nice automation features, gives you bonus money when you switch to it, and lets you trade with zero commission fees.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 4.4/5 stars
- Android downloads: 0.5 million+
- iOS rating: 4.6/5 stars
Price: Free
Website: https://www.m1finance.com/
#10) Stash
Best for buying fractional shares.

Stash is an investing app, made for U.S-based customers, which makes investing easy for beginners. You can invest in fractional shares or ETFs with any amount of money.
Top Features:
- Get access to research on various tradable items
- Retirement planning
- Tax benefits
- Recommendations for building your portfolio
- Allows you to invest in fractional shares
Pros:
- Investment advice based on stock research
- Tax benefits for retirement investing
- Fractional shares
Cons:
- No tax loss harvesting with smart portfolios
Why you want this app: With Stash, you can buy fractional shares, get genuine investment advice and get tax benefits with retirement planning.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 4.2/5 stars
- Android downloads: 5 million+
- iOS rating: 4.7/5 stars
Price: There is a free trial for a month. Prices are as follows:
- Stash Beginner: $1 per month
- Stash Growth: $3 per month
- Stash+: $9 per month
Website: https://www.stash.com/
#11) Merrill Edge
Best for investors with large wealth.

Merrill Edge is a Bank of America company which provides a self-directed investing platform and gives you guidance on how and where to invest your money. You can even get a dedicated advisor for your complex wealth management needs.
Top Features:
- Provides you with a variety of stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds to invest in
- Professionals do portfolio management and rebalancing
- Retirement planning
- Trade unlimited stocks and ETFs at no fees
- Get access to research on stocks
Pros:
- No minimum balance required
- No annual account fees
- Investing Ideas
- A wide range of stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds
Cons:
- Advisory fee is a bit high
Why you want this app: Merrill Edge is one of the best investment apps, offering plenty of tradable items for investment and even lets you access the research data on various stocks so that you can do an educated investment.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 4 stars
- Android downloads: 0.1 million+
- iOS rating: 4.7/5 stars
Price:
- No fees for self-directed investment
- 0.45% to 0.85% for robo-advice and guided portfolios
Website: https://www.merrilledge.com/
#12) Invstr
Best for beginners or small investors

Invstr is one of the top best investment apps for beginners. The app allows commission-free investing and lets you build a portfolio based on guidance from an in-built advisor.
Top Features:
- Commission-free investing and banking
- Invest in U.S. stocks, ETFs, and fractional shares
- Trade cryptocurrencies
- Portfolio builder that helps you in improving your performance.
Pros:
- No minimum balance
- No monthly fees
- Lets you trade cryptocurrencies
- Portfolio Builder
Cons:
- Not available for Android devices
Why you want this app: Invstr can be a great option for investors as it offers trading in stocks, ETFs, fractional shares, and cryptocurrencies.
Ratings:
- iOS rating: 4.6/5 stars
Price: Free
Website: https://www.invstr.com/
#13) Wealthfront
Best for beginners who want to get their money invested and rebalanced automatically.

Wealthfront is designed to simplify your finances and grow your wealth from the money you own. It has an in-built robo advisor to help you make investment decisions.
Top Features:
- Borrowing money easily
- Automated investing
- Tax loss harvesting
- Lets you plan and save for retirement, vacations, etc.
Pros:
- Beneficial for beginners
- Planning tools
- Automated investing
- Portfolio rebalancing
- No trading fees
Cons:
- No fractional shares
- No trade in cryptocurrencies
Why you want this app: Wealthfront is one of the best investment apps for beginners, due to its robo-advisor, which renders automated investing and rebalancing features.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 4.6/5 stars
- Android downloads: 0.1 million +
- iOS rating: 4.9/5 stars
Price: 0.25% annual advisory fee.
Website: https://www.wealthfront.com/
#14) Round
Best for beginners with large wealth for investing.

Round can be termed as one of the best investment apps for advanced investors, having large capital for investing. They even offer a private manager for your account if the account balance increases by $100,000.
Top Features:
- Analysis tools to calculate the market risks of your portfolio
- Affordable pricing
- Fund managers to look after your investments
- A private management partner for accounts over $100,000
- Minimum investment $500
Pros:
- No fee in case of no profits
- Human assisted advice
- Fractional shares
Cons:
- No tax loss harvesting
- No retirement planning
- Not available for Android phones
Why you want this app: Round can be a great option for those who want to invest but do not have the time to look after the market trends or those who are just beginners, because the advisors make sure you earn profits, otherwise your fees are waived off.
Price: 0.5% annual fees.
Website: https://www.investround.com/
#15) Webull
Best for advanced investors.

Webull is an investing app that gives you the privilege to invest in plenty of tradable items and have a diversified portfolio, with market analysis tools that can give you proper insights into the market trends.
Top Features:
- Lets you analyze market trends for investing
- Wide range of trading options
- Retirement Planning Tools
- 24/7 Customer Service
Pros:
- Zero trade commission
- No minimum balance required
- Wide range of investment products
- Analysis tools
Cons:
- No crypto exchanges
- No fractional shares
Why you want this app: Webull can be a perfect choice for advanced investors who can read the charts and get insights from the in-depth analysis tools on how to invest their money.
Ratings:
- Android rating: 4.4/5 stars
- Android downloads: 10 million+
- iOS rating: 4.7/5 stars
Price:
- Zero Commission on trade.
- Tiered Margin Interest Rates are as follows:

Website: https://www.webull.com/
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the best app to invest in?
The best apps for investing are Fidelity, SoFi Invest, TD Ameritrade, E-Trade, Robinhood, Merrill Edge, and Stash.
2. How can I invest $5?
There are investing apps that let you invest by setting no minimum account balance limit. Some of those investment apps include Robinhood, M1 Finance, Merrill Edge, and Invstr.
3. How do I start investing with little money?
You can invest the money you have in the following ways:
– Put your money in real estate
– Buy gold
– Trade in cryptocurrencies
– Trade in fractional shares
– Get enrolled in a retirement plan
– Buy mutual funds
– Download an investing app that can help you buy stocks, bonds, securities, and other tradable options.
4. What are good investments for beginners?
Since you are a beginner, you have little or no knowledge about the market trends. You should opt for an investment app that gives you the feature of automated investing and portfolio rebalancing so that you do not lose your hard-earned money by taking any wrong steps.
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5. What is the smartest thing to do with your money?
When you have money, the smartest thing you can do with it is to grow your wealth with it. But you should be very cautious in taking each step, as a single wrong step can cost you a fortune.
If you are a beginner, opt for investing in less volatile assets like real estate or gold, or if you want to invest in the stock market, make sure you do the proper research beforehand.There are investing apps that can guide you in investing your money with the help of human or Robo advisors.
Conclusion
People today are searching for ways to invest their money. The demand for investing apps is increasing day by day.
Even people with little or no knowledge of the investing market are now putting their steps forward and are creating a demand for tools that can help them invest their hard-earned money and grow their wealth.
After doing a detailed study of the best investing apps for beginners, we are now in a position to state that the best investment apps include Fidelity, SoFi Invest, TD Ameritrade, E-Trade, Robinhood, Merrill Edge, and Stash.
The features of Automated investing by robo advisors or through specialists, and access to educational resources can be very beneficial for beginners.
Research Process:
- Time taken to research this article: We spent 12 hours researching and writing this article so you can get a useful summarized list of tools with a comparison for your quick review.
- Total tools researched online: 25
- Top tools shortlisted for review: 15








