What Is The Best Stock Market App

The StockBrokers.com best online brokers 2021 review (11th annual) took three months to complete and produced over 40,000 words of research. Here's how we tested.

Like most things in today's high-tech world, trading stocks has become an everyday activity on mobile devices. The best stock trading apps offer $0 stock and ETF trades, are easy to use, and deliver a fully-featured online trading experience for everyone from beginner to seasoned active traders.

For our 2021 Annual Review, we thoroughly tested 11 stock trading apps and reviewed each one across 40 different features. To score high marks, a broker had to provide an excellent stock trading experience across many usability categories. Testing was conducted using an iPhone XS (Apple iOS) and Samsung Galaxy S9+ (Android).

Best Stock Trading Apps 2021

Fidelity - Best Stock App for Investors
E*TRADE - Best App for Options
TD Ameritrade - Best Stock App for Traders
Interactive Brokers - Best Stock App for Professionals
Merrill Edge - Great for Stock Research

Other Trading Apps

In addition to our top five stock apps for 2021, we reviewed six others: TradeStation, Charles Schwab, Webull, Robinhood, Firstrade, and Ally Invest. Here are our high-level takeaways for each. To dive deeper, read our reviews.

Best stock trading apps comparison

Comparing stock apps side by side, while features such as real-time streaming quotes, charting with multiple indicators, and synced watch lists are commonly found, others are not. For example, less than 50% of stock apps support basic stock alerts.

Looking for forex trading apps? See our picks for best forex trading apps on our sister site, ForexBrokers.com.

Feature	Fidelity	*ETRADE**	TD Ameritrade
Market Movers (Top Gainers)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stream Live TV	Yes	Yes	Yes
Videos on Demand	Yes	No	Yes
Stock Alerts	Yes	Yes	Yes
Option Chains Viewable	Yes	Yes	Yes
Watch List (Real-time)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Watch List (Streaming)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Watch Lists - Create & Manage	Yes	Yes	Yes
Watch Lists - Column Customization	Yes	Yes	Yes
Watch List - Column Filtering	Yes	Yes	Yes

Comparison Tool: Compare 100+ features side-by-side

What is the best free trading app?

The best free stock trading app is TD Ameritrade. Unlike most brokers, TD Ameritrade offers two apps: TD Ameritrade Mobile and thinkorswim Mobile. TD Ameritrade Mobile is designed for casual investors. Meanwhile, thinkorswim Mobile is designed for the feature-hungry active trader. Both apps are top notch.

TD Ameritrade best trading app stock chart

How do I choose the best stock trading app?

Now that all stock apps offer $0 stock trades, we recommend comparing other app features to choose the best stock trading app. The most widely used stock app features are watch lists, stock charts, and order tickets, so make sure those are great. To help readers, we include full screenshots of each stock trading app in our broker reviews.

Fun fact: Not all stock trading apps offer real-time streaming quotes. Instead, some apps only refresh stock quotes every few seconds or longer. Watch lists aside, apps like TD Ameritrade and TradeStation provide excellent stock chart tools and stock alerts functionality. Both brokers offer traders access to several hundred technical indicators in addition to endless customization options.

TradeStation trading app stocks watch list

What is the best stock trading app for beginners?

For beginners in 2021, the best stock trading apps are TD Ameritrade and Fidelity. Between the two brokers, TD Ameritrade has the edge for educational resources and trading tools. Meanwhile, Fidelity offers a more comprehensive research experience for casual investors.

Fidelity stock app watch list Fidelity app stock chart

What is the safest stock app?

The safest stock apps come from the overall best and most trustworthy brokers. The following brokers offer the safest stock apps in 2021:

Fidelity: Best stock app for investors
E*TRADE: Best app for options
TD Ameritrade: Best stock app for traders
Interactive Brokers: Best stock app for professionals
Merrill Edge: Great for stock research

If the broker you're using were compromised, a secure app would do little to protect your account; whereas a broker that has proper security measures across its websites, platforms and applications will have you covered.

The best apps allow login with biometrics (fingerprint or retina, for example) and other features such as two-factor authentication to reduce the chance of accounts being hacked.

Which stock app offers the best technology?

On the innovation front, TD Ameritrade was one of the first brokers to offer an Alexa Skill, and in August 2017, it became the first broker to integrate with Facebook Messenger, embracing the future of artificial intelligence (AI) with its own chatbot. In 2018, Apple Business Chat was added. Then, in 2019, TD Ameritrade for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both rolled out. All in all, TD Ameritrade is the undisputed leader in mobile trading tech and can be found everywhere you are.

TD Ameritrade isn't the only broker to offer Alexa Skills. Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and Interactive Brokers offer Alexa Skills compatibility, too. Note: Our research this year did not include testing specific Alexa features; however, based on Amazon's ratings, it appears TD Ameritrade has the lead in delivering a diverse quality experience.

What app gives you free stock?

Apps from brokers like Webull and Robinhood will give you a small amount of a stock of their choice — usually one or two shares — as a way to incentivize you to trade and invest, subject to certain terms and eligibility conditions. Robinhood offers U.S. customers free stock for new accounts and referrals, up to $500 per year. Webull offers one free share for opening an account, and another for making a deposit.

Often the free shares will be given after you first open and fund a new brokerage account, or when you complete certain actions for the first time, such as linking your bank account.

Can I start trading with $100?

Yes. Nowadays, most online brokers offer no minimum deposit to open an account, commission-free stock and ETF trades, as well as the availability of fractional shares. As a result, new traders can start trading with a small investment such as $100. To compare features and pricing, use our online broker comparison tool.

Summary

To recap, here are the best stock trading apps.

Best stock trading apps 2021

Methodology

For the StockBrokers.com 11th annual best trading platforms review published in January 2021, a total of 2,816 data points were collected over three months and used to score brokers. This makes StockBrokers.com home to the largest independent database on the web covering the online broker industry.

Participation is required to be included. Each broker completed an in-depth data profile and offered executive time (live in person or over the web) for an annual update meeting. Our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .001% each year, providing site visitors quality data they can trust. Learn more about how we test.