Selecting the right brokerage account is an important first step in your stock trading journey. Not only will this account enable you to purchase stocks or fractional shares but will also supply you with tools to research your next move, affect your profit margin through fees and provide you with support if you run into problems. With seemingly endless brokerage options available, it’s important to choose an account which is right for your unique needs, experience level, and other factors you may not yet be aware of.
Key Factors To Consider When Examining Brokerage Accounts
When determining the right brokerage account to choose for stock trading, you may have different priorities including cost, seamlessness of experience across platforms, or research tools to help you find and execute on opportunities. To help you make a determination, this guide highlights cost information, which investment products are available, as well as deep dives into types of research tools offered by the platform. You may be more interested in customer support if you’re a newer investor, interactive charts if you’re an advanced trader looking for the best stocks for 2025 or a beautiful app experience like Public offers if you’re a digital native.
Criteria For Selecting Brokerage Accounts
The criteria for selecting the best brokerage accounts for stock trading was based on the primary criteria of trading fees, investment options, research tools and ease of use. Accounts were selected based on low or no fees, provision of a broad range of investment options and ease of use was based on research tools like screeners and research reports to make informed decisions as well as user experience and customer support quality.
Top 7 Best Brokerage Accounts for Stock Trading In 2025
1. Fidelity Investments
Brokerage Overview
- Trading Fees: $0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; $0.65 per options contract
- Investment Options: Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, fractional shares
- Research Tools Available: Stock screeners, analyst ratings, news feeds, market commentary
- Customer Support: 24/7 via phone, live chat and email
Why Fidelity Is A Top Choice
Fidelity is a leading brokerage for stock trading due to its balance of accessibility with powerful optionality. This account offers a range of tools for trading for each level of investor while providing user-friendliness across all platforms. Known as a discount brokerage, it offers low fees for trading as well as options and fractional share trading.
Fidelity scores 5/5 for ease of use due to excellent customer support, broad investment options, polished user experience and research tools including stock screeners and analyst ratings.
2. Charles Schwab
Brokerage Overview
- Trading Fees: $0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; $0.65 per options contract
- Investment Options: Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, fractional shares
- Research Tools Available: Equity ratings, screeners, Schwab Stock Lists, analyst reports
- Customer Support: 24/7 via phone and chat
Why Charles Schwab Is A Top Choice
Charles Schwab, another leading brokerage firm, excels for stock trading whether you’re a novice investor or advanced trader in need of a suite of tools to capture alpha. Like Fidelity, Schwab offers consistent access to tools across platforms, all of the investment options needed for stock trading and excellent 24/7 customer support.
This brokerage scores 5/5 for ease of use for the reasons mentioned, as well as useful trading tools like screeners, Schwab Stock Lists and analyst reports to ensure investors have sufficient information to make reasonable trades.
3. E*Trade
Brokerage Overview
- Trading Fees: $0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; $0.65 per options contract
- Investment Options: Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options
- Research Tools Available: Morningstar, screeners, technical analysis
- Customer Support: Phone and chat
Why E*Trade Is A Top Choice
E*Trade is another top brokerage option for stock trading due to its low fees, thorough research tools including Morningstar reports and screeners and easy-to-use interface. E*Trade offers a primary platform for trading for regular investors and Power E*Trade with advanced opportunity-finding tools and charting for advanced traders. E*Trade scores 4.5/5, losing half a point due to its lack of fractional share trading, which may be less than ideal for investors who have less funds to trade full shares and may be more interested in buying stocks for beginners.
4. Interactive Brokers (IBKR Lite)
Brokerage Overview
- Trading Fees: $0 for stocks and ETFs; $0.15–$0.65 per options contract
- Investment Options: Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, fractional shares
- Research Tools Available: IB Market Signals, news feeds, analyst ratings, screeners
- Customer Support: Phone, chat and email
Why IBKR Lite Is A Top Choice
IBKR Lite by Interactive Brokers offers a powerful platform with low costs, especially for options contracts, intended for advanced traders. Through IBKR Lite, traders can access the advanced tools they need like analyst ratings and screeners across Trader Workstation for desktop or the IBKR mobile app. While IBKR Lite is an excellent choice for stock trading, it earns just a 4/5 due to its at-times complicated platform intended more for experienced traders rather than new investors.
5. Merrill Edge Self-Directed
Brokerage Overview
- Trading Fees: $0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; $0.65 per options contract
- Investment Options: Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options
- Research Tools Available: Bank of America Global Research, Morningstar ratings, screeners, interactive charts
- Customer Support: Phone and chat
Why Merrill Edge Self-Directed Is A Top Choice
Merrill Edge Self-Directed provides a leading investing experience for beginner and seasoned investors with low fees and advanced research tools including access to Bank of America Global Research, screeners, and Morningstar ratings. While the user experience is not as sleek as Public for example, Merrill Edge Self-Directed does offer a good experience for Bank of America customers who want a more integrated banking and investing experience. This brokerage loses a point in ease-of-use with 4/5 for ease due to its lack of fractional share trading.
6. Public
Brokerage Overview
- Trading Fees: $0 for stocks, ETFs, options (rebates available for options)
- Investment Options: Stocks, ETFs, options, fractional shares, crypto, alternative assets (collectibles, Treasuries)
- Research Tools Available: Basic analytics, advanced research tools available via Premium
- Customer Support: Email, in-app support
Why Public Is A Top Choice
Public is a top choice for stock trading due to its sleek design, low fees and unique rebate program for options trading, and innovative investing tools like AI research. This brokerage offers a broad suite of investment options from fractional shares to a margin product. Public scores 3.5/5 for ease-of-use due to limited research tools without a Premium account, while still offering a powerful trading platform to free users.
7. Robinhood
Brokerage Overview
- Trading Fees: $0 for stocks, ETFs, and options
- Investment Options: Stocks, ETFs, options, fractional shares, crypto
- Research Tools Available: Limited free data, premium research through Robinhood Gold
- Customer Support: In-app call scheduling
Why Robinhood Is A Top Choice
Robinhood is a primary cause of why every brokerage firm on this list offers fee-free trading. With its broad investment offerings for trading, easy-to-use mobile and desktop applications, and low fees, Robinhood is excellent for new traders. Robinhood scores just 3/5 for ease of use due to limited customer support options as well as pay-walled research behind Robinhood Gold.
Bottom Line
As brokerage accounts continue to launch new features and compete more on price and technology, this list will change. The incumbents will need to innovate and better serve investors and traders or be crushed by newcomers to the market, hungry to become the best brokerage available. Whether you choose a long-time favorite like Charles Schwab or an innovative new brokerage like Robinhood, ensure you’re aware of competing features and fees so you can trade as effectively as possible.
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