The Best Commission-Free Investment Apps

(Please note: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. investment apps and the financial markets carry inherent risks, and it is crucial to do your own research and consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions. The information provided is based on market conditions as of mid-2025.)

The Ultimate Guide to Commission-Free Investment Apps: Your Path to Smart, Casual Investing

So you’ve decided to start investing. Awesome! Maybe you’ve been thinking about it for a while, or maybe you just got a bonus at work and want to make your money work harder for you. Whatever your reason, you’ve probably heard that the stock market is a great way to build wealth over the long term. But then you start looking at your options and see all these fees, commissions, and complicated-looking charts. It can be intimidating, right?

The good news is, a lot has changed in the world of investing. In the past, you needed a fancy broker and had to pay them a fee for every single trade you made. That meant if you wanted to buy a few shares of a company, a significant chunk of your money would be eaten up by a commission. Thankfully, the rise of technology and a new breed of investment apps has made it possible to invest without paying a dime in trading fees. This is a game-changer for regular people like you and me. You can now put your money directly into the market without a middleman taking a cut every time.

This guide is for anyone who wants to dive into the world of investing with a commission-free app. We’re going to break down what these apps are, how they work, and what you should look for when choosing the right one for you. We’ll also cover some of the most popular options available today and touch on the key concepts you need to understand to get started. By the end of this article, you’ll feel confident and ready to take your first steps toward becoming a savvy investor, all while keeping your hard-earned money where it belongs—in your portfolio.

The Rise of Commission-Free Investing

Remember those old-school brokers we talked about? Their business model was all about commissions. The more trades you made, the more money they made. This created a bit of a conflict of interest and could discourage people from investing small amounts. But then came the internet and mobile technology, and everything changed.

A new wave of fintech companies, short for “financial technology,” realized that they could use powerful software and streamlined operations to offer a much cheaper, and more accessible, service. By cutting out the physical offices and a lot of the manual processes, they could pass those savings on to the customer. And the biggest saving of all? Eliminating commissions on trades.

This shift has been a massive win for individual investors. It means you can buy or sell stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and other assets without worrying about a $5 or $10 fee eating into your returns. For someone just starting out with a few hundred dollars, those fees used to be a major hurdle. Now, you can invest small amounts regularly, which is one of the most powerful strategies for building wealth over time. This is often called “dollar-cost averaging,” and it’s a topic we’ll get into a bit later.

So, how do these apps make money if they aren’t charging commissions? Good question. They have a few different strategies. Some earn interest on the uninvested cash you hold in your account. Others might offer a premium, subscription-based service with extra features, or they might make money from “payment for order flow,” which is a bit more technical but essentially means they get a small rebate from market makers for routing your trades through them. The important thing for you, the everyday investor, is that the direct cost to you for buying and selling is zero. This frees you up to focus on what really matters: choosing the right investments for your financial goals.

What to Look for in a Commission-Free Investment App

With so many apps out there, it can be tough to figure out which one is the best fit. While they all promise commission-free trades, they are not all created equal. Here’s a rundown of the most important things to consider before you download an app and start putting your money in it.

Ease of Use: This is a big one, especially if you’re a beginner. An app that is simple to navigate and understand will make your life a whole lot easier. Look for a clean, intuitive interface that clearly shows your portfolio’s performance, allows you to easily search for stocks or funds, and makes it straightforward to place a trade. You don’t want to be fumbling around trying to find the “buy” button when the market is moving.

Investment Options: What do you want to invest in? Most apps offer stocks and ETFs, but some also provide access to options, mutual funds, or even cryptocurrencies. If you’re a long-term investor, you’ll probably want a good selection of ETFs and individual stocks. If you’re interested in exploring more advanced strategies or different asset classes, make sure the app you choose has those options available.

Fractional Shares: This is one of the coolest features of modern investment apps. It allows you to buy a small piece of a very expensive stock, like a fraction of a share of Amazon or Google. Without fractional shares, you’d need thousands of dollars to buy just one share. With this feature, you can invest as little as a single dollar and still own a piece of these companies. This is incredibly helpful for diversification, as you can spread your money across many different companies without needing a huge budget.

Account Types: Are you looking to invest in a regular taxable account, or do you need a tax-advantaged account like an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)? Some apps offer both, while others might only have one or the other. If you’re planning for retirement, an IRA is a powerful tool, so make sure the app you choose supports the type of account you need (Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, etc.).

Research and Educational Tools: A good app isn’t just a place to buy and sell. It’s a partner in your investing journey. Look for apps that provide helpful research tools, like company news, analyst ratings, and financial data. Many also offer a wealth of educational content, including articles, videos, and tutorials that can help you learn the ropes and become a more informed investor.

Customer Support: When you have a question or an issue, you want to be able to get a hold of someone for help. Check to see what kind of customer support the app offers. Is it 24/7? Is it through a chat, email, or phone call? Reading reviews can give you a good sense of how responsive and helpful their support team is.

Additional Fees: While the apps are commission-free for trades, they might have other fees you need to be aware of. This could include inactivity fees if you don’t trade for a certain amount of time, withdrawal fees, or fees for certain types of advanced trades. Always read the fine print to avoid any surprises.

A Closer Look at Popular Commission-Free Investment Apps

The landscape of investment apps is always changing, but a few have established themselves as leaders in the commission-free space. Here’s a brief, casual overview of some of the top contenders as of mid-2025.

Fidelity: A long-time giant in the financial world, Fidelity has fully embraced the digital age with its user-friendly app. It’s a great option because it combines the modern convenience of commission-free trading with the stability and reputation of a huge, established company. They offer a ton of investment options, including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and even crypto. Their research tools are top-notch and their customer service is excellent. They are a good all-around choice for beginners and experienced investors alike.

SoFi Invest: SoFi started out primarily in the student loan space but has since become a full-service financial company. Their investment app is a strong contender because it’s part of a larger ecosystem of financial products, including banking, loans, and credit cards. This makes it a great choice for people who want to keep all their finances under one roof. They offer commission-free trading on stocks and ETFs, and they have an interesting feature that allows you to “auto-invest” with fractional shares, making it easy to set up a regular investment schedule.

eToro: eToro is known for its “social trading” features. If you’re someone who likes to see what others are doing or even copy the portfolios of successful investors, this could be the app for you. They have a massive global user base and a platform that feels a bit more like a social network than a traditional brokerage. While their focus is on social trading, they also offer commission-free stock trading and a wide range of assets, including cryptocurrencies. It’s a great platform for those who want a more interactive and collaborative investing experience.

Trading 212: This app has gained a lot of popularity, particularly in the UK and Europe. It’s known for its incredibly simple interface, making it perfect for absolute beginners. They offer commission-free trading on stocks and ETFs, and they also have a feature for creating “Pies” which are essentially custom portfolios that you can set to auto-invest. This is a brilliant way to automate your investments and stick to a long-term strategy without having to constantly manage things.

XTB: XTB is a great choice for those who are interested in not only stocks but also in a wide range of other financial instruments like forex and CFDs (Contracts for Difference). They have a strong focus on education, with their “XTB Academy” offering a wealth of information for new investors. The app is fast and powerful, and they offer commission-free trading on stocks up to a certain monthly limit, which is more than enough for most casual investors.

Interactive Brokers (IBKR): While traditionally known as a platform for serious, professional traders, IBKR has made a big push into the retail investor space with its user-friendly mobile app. They offer access to a huge number of global markets and a massive range of assets. Their fees are generally very low across the board, and for US stocks and ETFs, trades are commission-free. While it might have a slightly steeper learning curve than some of the other options, it’s an incredibly powerful platform for investors who want a lot of control and access to international markets.

Understanding the Basics Before You Start

Now that you have a better idea of the apps available, let’s quickly go over a few key concepts that will help you on your journey. You don’t need to be a financial expert to get started, but a basic understanding of these terms will make a world of difference.

Stocks: When you buy a stock, you are buying a small piece of ownership in a company. As the company grows and becomes more profitable, the value of your stock hopefully goes up. You can also get a dividend, which is a small payout from the company’s profits.

ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds): This is a super smart way to invest. An ETF is a basket of different stocks or other assets, all wrapped up into a single fund that you can buy and sell just like a regular stock. For example, you can buy an S&P 500 ETF, which gives you a tiny slice of the 500 largest US companies. This gives you instant diversification, which is a key to reducing risk.

Diversification: This is just a fancy word for not putting all your eggs in one basket. By spreading your money across different companies and industries, you reduce the risk that one bad investment will sink your entire portfolio. ETFs are an easy way to achieve this, but you can also do it yourself by buying a variety of different stocks.

Dollar-Cost Averaging: This is a fantastic strategy, especially for beginners. It means investing a fixed amount of money at regular intervals, regardless of the market conditions. For example, you might decide to invest $50 every week. When the market is down, your $50 buys more shares. When the market is up, it buys fewer shares. Over the long run, this strategy helps you buy at an average price and avoids the stress of trying to “time the market.”

Long-Term Investing: The most successful investors aren’t the ones who get rich quick. They are the ones who stay in the game for the long haul. The goal of investing is to let your money grow over many years, taking advantage of something called “compounding.” This is when your earnings start to earn their own earnings, creating a snowball effect. The longer you invest, the more powerful compounding becomes.

The Power of Automation

One of the biggest advantages of these modern investment apps is the ability to automate your investing. Life is busy, and it’s easy to forget to log in and make a trade. But if you can set up a recurring deposit from your bank account and an automated investment plan within the app, you’ll be building your wealth in the background without even thinking about it.

Imagine you have a paycheck that comes in every two weeks. You can set up your app to automatically transfer a small amount, say $100, into your investment account every payday. Then, you can set the app to automatically buy a diversified ETF. This takes all the emotional guesswork out of investing. You’re not worrying about whether the market is going up or down. You’re just consistently putting your money to work, which is the single best thing you can do for your financial future.

This “set it and forget it” approach is incredibly powerful. It helps you stay disciplined and avoid making impulsive decisions based on short-term market swings. The apps that do this best, like Trading 212 and SoFi, have built-in tools that make this process seamless.

What about the Risks?

It’s super important to talk about the risks. Investing in the stock market is not a guaranteed way to make money. The value of your investments can go down as well as up. You could lose money, and it’s important to be prepared for that possibility.

The key to managing this risk is to have a long-term perspective. Short-term market fluctuations are a normal part of the process. Don’t panic if your portfolio drops in value. If you’re a long-term investor, you should be focused on the bigger picture.

Another way to mitigate risk is to start with a small amount of money that you can afford to lose. Never invest money that you might need for an emergency or to pay bills. Start small, learn the ropes, and as you get more comfortable, you can increase the amount you’re investing.

Also, remember that even with commission-free trading, there can be other costs. We touched on them before, but things like inactivity fees or spreads on more complex instruments can add up. Be sure you fully understand all the potential costs before you start.

The Future of Investing is in Your Pocket

The days of needing a traditional, expensive stockbroker are over. The new era of commission-free investment apps has democratized the financial markets, making it easier than ever for anyone to get started. By providing a simple interface, fractional shares, and automated investing tools, these apps are removing the barriers that once prevented many people from investing.

Whether you’re looking for a simple app to start a long-term, passive portfolio, or a more advanced platform to explore different types of assets, there’s an app out there for you. The most important thing is to do your research, understand your financial goals, and start small. Don’t be intimidated by the jargon or the complexity of the market. With a good app and a bit of discipline, you can take control of your financial future and start building a portfolio that works for you.

So, what are you waiting for? Your journey into the world of investing starts with a simple download. Find an app that feels right, set up your account, and make your first commission-free investment. It’s easier than you think, and the rewards can be life-changing.