11 Best Online Brokers for Free Trading of December 2024
All of the online brokers below offer free stock trading, so investors can bypass transaction costs and build portfolios free of charge. They also charge low or no account fees.
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Commission-free trades for stocks, exchange-traded funds and options are the industry standard among top online brokerages. That means investors looking for the best free stock trading platform need to compare their options on other factors — things like investment selection, trading platform and options contract fees.
We've done that work for you. Here are NerdWallet’s picks for the best brokers for free trading. In addition to not charging commissions on stock, ETF or options trades, all of the brokers below offer fractional shares and solid execution quality.
Note: Increasingly, brokers are doing away with their options contract fees in addition to commissions. Below, we've flagged the brokers that don't charge commissions for options trades.
Why trust NerdWallet
Get matched with a trusted financial advisor for free with NerdWallet Advisors Match
Commission-free trades for stocks, exchange-traded funds and options are the industry standard among top online brokerages. That means investors looking for the best free stock trading platform need to compare their options on other factors — things like investment selection, trading platform and options contract fees.
We've done that work for you. Here are NerdWallet’s picks for the best brokers for free trading. In addition to not charging commissions on stock, ETF or options trades, all of the brokers below offer fractional shares and solid execution quality.
Note: Increasingly, brokers are doing away with their options contract fees in addition to commissions. Below, we've flagged the brokers that don't charge commissions for options trades.
Best Online Brokers for Free Trading
| Broker | NerdWallet rating | Fees | Account minimum | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Webull Learn more on Webull's website | Best for no options contract fee | $0 per trade | $0 | Get up to 40 free fractional shares ( each valued up to $3,000) when you open and fund an account with Webull. | Learn more on Webull's website |
 Charles Schwab Learn more on Charles Schwab's website | $0 per online equity trade | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Learn more on Charles Schwab's website | |
 Interactive Brokers IBKR Lite Learn more on Interactive Brokers' website | $0 per trade | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Learn more on Interactive Brokers' website | |
 E*TRADE Learn more on E*TRADE's website | $0 per trade. Other fees apply. | $0 | Get up to $1,000 when you open and fund an E*TRADE account | Learn more on E*TRADE's website | |
 Public Learn more on Public's website | Best for no options contract fee | $0 | $0 | Earn up to $10,000 when you transfer your investment portfolio to Public. | Learn more on Public's website |
Our pick for
no options contract fee
$0
per trade
$0
Get up to 40 free fractional shares ( each valued up to $3,000)
when you open and fund an account with Webull.
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Easy-to-use platform.
Advanced tools.
High interest rate on uninvested cash.
High order execution quality.
Cons
No mutual funds.
Separate app required to trade crypto.
Why We Like It
Webull will appeal to the mobile-first generation of casual investors with its slick interface for desktop and mobile apps. The brokerage also delivers an impressive array of tools for active traders and a wide investment selection, including stocks (plus fractional shares), options, ETFs, crypto, commodities and futures. However, it lacks access to mutual funds.
$0
$0
Earn up to $10,000
when you transfer your investment portfolio to Public.
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Rebates for trading options.
Impressive selection of alternative assets.
Easy-to-use signup and trading interface.
High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
No mutual funds.
Lack of tools (e.g. customizable investment screeners).
No IRA accounts.
Why We Like It
Public provides free stock and ETF trades, pays you to trade options, and gives traders access to crypto, alternative assets and bonds, as well as a high-yield savings account. The platform will appeal to traders looking for a low-cost options broker and access to many types of assets.
$0
per trade
$0
1 Free Stock
after linking your bank account (stock value range $5.00-$200)
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Streamlined interface.
Cryptocurrency trading.
IRA with 1% match (3% for Gold members).
High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
No mutual funds.
Little third-party research.
Why We Like It
Robinhood provides free stock, options, ETF and cryptocurrency trades (but no bonds or mutual funds), and its account minimum is $0, too. Robinhood Gold offers a high interest rate on uninvested cash and low margin rates.
$0
per trade
$0
Get up to $1,000
in stock when you fund a new account.
Pros
No commissions on stock, options and ETF trades
Complimentary access to financial planners.
IPO access.
IRA match.
Cons
Low interest rate on uninvested cash.
Why We Like It
SoFi Active Investing's $0 trading commission, complimentary access to financial advisors, fractional shares and $0 account minimum are attractive to new investors. More advanced investors will appreciate the company's wide mutual fund selection and IPO access.
$0
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Commission-free stock, ETF and options trades.
No contract fee on equity options.
Popular, easy-to-use app.
High yield on uninvested cash.
Low margin rates.
Cons
No mutual funds or bonds.
Lower than average execution quality.
Why We Like It
Moomoo offers free stock and option trades in an easy-to-use trading platform that charges low margin rates. It's not built for passive retirement investors — IRAs aren't supported, nor are mutual funds — but there's a lot to like about Moomoo for more active traders.
$0
per online equity trade
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Five trading platforms with no minimums or fees.
Access to thinkorswim platforms.
Extensive research offerings.
Large fund selection.
Cons
Low interest rate on uninvested cash.
Why We Like It
Charles Schwab has earned its strong reputation: The broker offers high-quality customer service, four free trading platforms, a wide selection of no-transaction-fee mutual funds and $0 commissions for stocks, ETFs and options.
$0
per trade
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Large investment selection.
Strong research and tools.
Huge selection of no-transaction-fee mutual funds.
High order execution quality.
Cons
High minimum to earn interest on uninvested cash.
Website can be difficult to navigate.
Why We Like It
Don't let the name fool you: IBKR Lite offers commission-free stock trading (including international trade capabilities), more than 19,000 mutual funds, and a well-featured platform.
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Large selection of research providers.
Strong customer service.
Expense-ratio-free index funds.
Highly rated mobile app.
High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Why We Like It
Fidelity is one of the largest and most well-established brokerages, and it shows. Fidelity charges no trading commissions, offers an extensive set of no-fee, no-minimum index funds. It also stands out for its top-notch research tools, a renowned trading platform and very strong customer service.
$0
$0
N/A
Pros
Powerful trading platform.
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Low options contract fees.
Strong mobile trading app.
Cons
Limited external research providers.
Low interest rate on uninvested cash.
Advanced platform not suitable for beginners.
Want to compare more options? Here are our other top picks:
Last updated on December 3, 2024
Methodology
How do we review brokers?
NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks the largest U.S. brokers by assets under management, along with emerging industry players. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgements on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 20 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).
For more details about the categories considered when rating brokers and our process, read our full methodology.
To recap our selections...
NerdWallet's Best Online Brokers for Free Trading of December 2024
- Webull: Best for no options contract fee
- Charles Schwab
- Interactive Brokers IBKR Lite
- E*TRADE
- Public: Best for no options contract fee
- Robinhood: Best for no options contract fee
- Fidelity
- SoFi Active Investing: Best for no options contract fee
- Firstrade: Best for no options contract fee
- Moomoo: Best for no options contract fee
- tastytrade
