7 Best Robinhood Alternatives in 2026: Brokers and Trading Apps Compared
Brokerage Guide · Updated 2026
7 Best Robinhood Alternatives in 2026
Robinhood made commission-free trading mainstream and pulled a generation of retail investors into the markets. But research is thin, options come without serious analytics, customer service is famously hard to reach, and the lingering memory of the 2021 GameStop trading halt still shapes how some investors view the platform. We compared the seven strongest alternatives across commissions, features, research depth and audience fit — so you can pick the broker that matches how you actually invest.
People & Media may earn referral fees from some links in this article. Recommendations are based on platform research and publicly available pricing as of 2026. This is not financial advice. All investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Margin and options trading carry additional risk and are not suitable for every investor.
Robinhood works for a specific kind of investor: someone who wants a frictionless mobile app for commission-free stocks, options and crypto, and who doesn’t need much in the way of research, screeners, mutual funds or human support. If those limits start to bite — or if you’ve simply outgrown the simplified interface — there are better fits depending on what you actually trade. We’ve covered the wider field in our best online brokers and trading platforms roundup; this comparison narrows in on the seven brokers that compete most directly with Robinhood. (For non-US readers, our European brokers comparison is the better starting point, since several names below are US-only.)
Quick comparison
| Platform | Min. to open | Fees | Asset class / use case | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity | $0 | $0 stocks/ETFs · $0.65 / options contract | Stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, bonds, retirement | Long-term investors who want real research |
| Charles Schwab | $0 | $0 stocks/ETFs · $0.65 / options contract | Full-service: stocks, ETFs, options, futures, MFs | All-around investors who want thinkorswim |
| Webull | $0 | $0 stocks, ETFs & options | Stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, paper trading | Active mobile traders |
| E*TRADE | $0 | $0 stocks/ETFs · $0.65 / options ($0.50 active) | Stocks, ETFs, options, MFs, futures | Options-focused active traders |
| Public.com | $0 | $0 trades · Premium tier $10/mo | Stocks, ETFs, T-bills, bonds, crypto, alts | Transparent, social-style investing |
| SoFi Invest | $0 | $0 trades · 0.25% on robo | Stocks, ETFs, IPOs, crypto, retirement | Banking-integrated beginners |
| Interactive Brokers | $0 | IBKR Lite $0 · Pro tiered/fixed | Global stocks, options, futures, FX, bonds | Power users & international investors |
Fidelity
The grown-up version of Robinhood — with real researchFidelity is the broker most analysts now recommend as a first move beyond Robinhood. It charges nothing on stock and ETF trades, $0.65 per options contract, and has no account minimum. What you get on top is the part Robinhood famously skimps on: deep research from Morningstar, Argus and Zacks, a vast mutual fund lineup including Fidelity’s own zero-expense-ratio index funds, fractional “Stocks by the Slice” from $1, IRAs, custodial accounts, and a cash management account that sweeps idle cash into a money-market fund. The mobile app has matured, the desktop platform is excellent, and customer service is genuinely reachable.
Pros
- Outstanding research and screening tools included free
- Fidelity ZERO index funds with 0.00% expense ratio
- Fractional shares from $1, including in retirement accounts
- Strong customer service via phone and branch network
Cons
- Crypto is on a separate Fidelity Crypto app, not the main brokerage
- Mobile UI is less playful than Robinhood by design
- No 24/7 stock trading window
Charles Schwab
Full-service broker with thinkorswim built inSchwab finished integrating TD Ameritrade in 2024, and the most important thing it inherited from that deal is thinkorswim — the desktop and mobile platform power users have built workflows around for years. For a Robinhood user who wants to move up, Schwab gives you the same $0 commission economics, $0.65 per options contract, fractional “Schwab Stock Slices” from $5, plus serious charting, paper trading, options analytics and a free robo-advisor (Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, $5,000 minimum). Research from Schwab Equity Ratings, Morningstar and Credit Suisse is included, and the branch network is large if you want a human on the phone or in a chair.
Pros
- thinkorswim is one of the strongest retail platforms anywhere
- Schwab Stock Slices fractional shares from $5
- Free Schwab Intelligent Portfolios robo-advisor
- Mature international and futures support
Cons
- Default cash sweep pays low interest unless you opt into a money-market fund
- Mobile app is functional but less polished than Fidelity’s
- No crypto trading directly on the platform
Webull
The most direct mobile-first competitor — with better chartsIf you like Robinhood’s mobile experience but want better tools, Webull is the natural switch. Trades on stocks, ETFs and options are all $0 (no per-contract options fee, which is unusual at this tier). Charts are noticeably more capable than Robinhood’s, paper trading is built in, Level 2 market data is available, and the platform supports traditional and Roth IRAs — something Robinhood only added relatively recently. Crypto is offered via Webull Pay. The main caveat: Webull is owned by a Chinese-founded parent (now US-domiciled), and customer support is online-only.
Pros
- Commission-free options — no $0.65 per contract
- Advanced charting, indicators and paper trading
- Level 2 (Nasdaq TotalView) market data available
- Traditional and Roth IRAs supported
Cons
- Limited research and educational content compared to Fidelity/Schwab
- Customer support is chat/email only — no phone in most cases
- No mutual funds or bonds
E*TRADE
Options-focused trading inside Morgan StanleyE*TRADE has been part of Morgan Stanley since 2020 and remains a top pick for traders who lean heavily into options. Pricing is $0 on stocks and ETFs and $0.65 per options contract — dropping to $0.50 if you place 30+ trades per quarter. The Power E*TRADE platform is purpose-built for options strategies, with strong probability tools, spread builders and risk analysis. You also get full access to mutual funds, bonds and futures, plus banking products via the Morgan Stanley parent. The trade-off is that the regular E*TRADE app is more conservative-looking than Robinhood and the two-platform setup (E*TRADE vs. Power E*TRADE) takes time to learn.
Pros
- Power E*TRADE is one of the best options platforms in retail
- Active-trader pricing of $0.50 per options contract
- Broad mutual fund and futures support
- Banking products from Morgan Stanley
Cons
- Two distinct platforms (classic + Power) can feel fragmented
- No crypto trading on the platform
- UI is less inviting than Robinhood for very casual users
Public.com
A more transparent, multi-asset take on social investingPublic was originally pitched as the anti-Robinhood — same commission-free stock trading, but with a social feed and (initially) no payment for order flow. The product has since broadened: alongside fractional stocks and ETFs, you can buy Treasury bills and bond ladders directly, trade crypto, hold an IRA, and access alternative assets like music royalties. A Premium tier ($10/month) layers in richer fundamentals, advanced data and analyst reports. Order flow practices have evolved over the years, so check current disclosures, but Public remains one of the more thoughtful retail apps for an investor who wants visibility into how their orders are routed.
Pros
- T-bills and bond ladders sit alongside stocks in one app
- Alternative assets (music royalties, collectibles) baked in
- Premium tier adds useful fundamentals and analyst data
- Cleaner UI for a beginner-to-intermediate investor
Cons
- Smaller selection of advanced order types and charting tools
- Order-routing practices have changed since launch — verify current disclosures
- No mutual funds or futures
SoFi Invest
Trading inside an all-in-one banking appSoFi’s pitch is convenience: keep your checking, savings, credit card, loans and investing in a single app, and let the ecosystem cross-subsidise the rates and perks. SoFi Invest charges $0 commissions on stock and ETF trades, supports fractional shares, offers IPO access (a feature usually reserved for institutional clients) and includes both active and automated investing accounts. The robo-advisor charges 0.25% per year. Crypto trading was paused and later restored via a partnership with Blockchain.com, so the in-app experience now hands off to a partner. Research is light, but for someone whose primary goal is “start investing alongside my main bank account,” few apps do it more smoothly.
Pros
- True one-app experience: banking, investing, credit, loans
- Retail-accessible IPO allocations
- Fractional shares and automated investing in the same place
- SoFi member benefits and rate boosts
Cons
- Limited research, screeners and advanced order types
- Crypto is via a third-party partner, not native any more
- Smaller asset universe — no mutual funds, bonds or futures
Interactive Brokers
The power-user and global-markets choiceInteractive Brokers is the broker professionals use, and over the last few years it has worked hard to be approachable for retail clients too. The IBKR Lite tier offers free trades on US stocks and ETFs (with payment-for-order-flow economics, similar to Robinhood). IBKR Pro uses tiered or fixed pricing with smart-order routing that frequently improves execution beyond the quoted spread. Where Interactive Brokers genuinely has no peer is breadth: 150+ markets across 30+ countries, multi-currency accounts, the lowest margin rates in the industry, plus options, futures, FX and bonds. The trade-off is a learning curve — Trader Workstation is dense — though IBKR’s GlobalTrader and mobile apps are far simpler.
Pros
- Access to 150+ global markets in one account
- Lowest margin rates in retail brokerage
- Excellent execution quality on IBKR Pro
- Multi-currency cash management
Cons
- Trader Workstation has a steep learning curve
- Two-tier pricing (Lite vs Pro) takes time to understand
- Customer-service experience is more workmanlike than warm
Which alternative is right for you?
- Pick Fidelity if you’re investing for the long term and want a single broker that does research, retirement, mutual funds and cash management properly.
- Pick Charles Schwab if you want thinkorswim’s analytics on top of a full-service broker with a real branch network.
- Pick Webull if you like Robinhood’s mobile-first feel but want better charts, paper trading and commission-free options.
- Pick E*TRADE if options strategies are the centre of your trading and you want Power E*TRADE’s analytics with active-trader pricing.
- Pick Public.com if you want stocks, T-bills, bonds and crypto in one tidy app with more transparency around order routing.
- Pick SoFi Invest if your priority is keeping investing inside the same app as your checking, savings and credit card.
- Pick Interactive Brokers if you trade global markets, run real margin or want institutional-grade execution from a retail account.
- Stick with Robinhood if you mostly buy and hold a small number of US stocks and crypto, value the simple UI, and don’t need research, mutual funds or bonds.
Our take: For most investors looking outside Robinhood, the strongest single switch is Fidelity — same $0 commissions, but with research, mutual funds and retirement support that Robinhood simply doesn’t match. Active mobile traders are usually better served by Webull, and serious options or global-markets traders by Interactive Brokers.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the closest direct alternative to Robinhood?
Webull is the closest like-for-like — mobile-first, $0 commissions on stocks, ETFs and options, fractional shares, crypto and IRAs. The main differences are better charting and paper trading on Webull, and weaker research than Robinhood Gold’s Morningstar reports.
Are there free alternatives to Robinhood?
All seven brokers in this guide offer $0 commissions on US stock and ETF trades. Webull also charges $0 per options contract, where Fidelity, Schwab and E*TRADE charge $0.65 (dropping to $0.50 at E*TRADE for active traders). “Free” trading is generally subsidised by interest on cash, payment for order flow, or premium tiers — check each broker’s disclosures.
Which Robinhood alternative has the lowest cost overall?
For options-heavy traders, Webull is the cheapest because options are commission-free. For long-term passive investors, Fidelity is hard to beat thanks to its zero-expense-ratio ZERO index funds. For active or international traders, Interactive Brokers Pro typically ends up cheapest once you factor in execution quality and margin rates.
Can I migrate my account from Robinhood to another broker?
Yes. Most brokers accept ACATS transfers, which move your stock and ETF positions in kind without selling them — preserving your cost basis. Fidelity, Schwab, E*TRADE and Interactive Brokers all support full and partial ACATS transfers from Robinhood. Crypto holdings are not transferable via ACATS and usually need to be sold or moved separately. Robinhood typically charges around $100 for outgoing account transfers, and the receiving broker often reimburses this.
What are realistic return expectations on these platforms?
Returns depend on what you invest in, not which broker you use. Long-term US equity returns have historically averaged around 7–10% per year before inflation, but any individual year can be sharply higher or lower. Active trading typically underperforms simple index investing for retail investors. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
Are these brokers available outside the United States?
Most are US-only. Fidelity, Schwab, E*TRADE, Public, SoFi and Webull’s main offering are restricted to US residents (Webull has separate entities in some other markets). Interactive Brokers is the major exception — it accepts clients in 200+ countries and is often the default choice for non-US retail investors. Our European brokers comparison covers alternatives like DEGIRO, Trading 212 and Trade Republic.
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