If you’re a beginner, choosing a stock trading platform can be a daunting task. There are literally hundreds of options you could choose from – to make things even more complicated, some of them offer free trading too.
In this list, I’ll share my picks for the best stock trading platforms out there, whether you want to trade stocks or need a completely free trading app to practice on.
IG Group
Overview
IG is a globally operative Forex broker that provides traders with access to more than 80 currency pairs, complemented by a trading environment that is tailored to beginner and advanced traders alike.
Beginner traders will find user-friendly and accessible trading platforms that also offer advanced and comprehensive analytical capabilities for advanced traders.
IG offers a range of educational resources, which include native news feed, live webinars, and the IG Academy. Traders have access to several asset classes with excellent customer support.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Low index CFD trading fees | High stock CFD fees |
| No withdrawal fees | Inactivity fee charges |
Features
| Feature | Information |
| Regulation | FCA, FSCA |
| Minimum deposit from | No minimum deposit |
| Average spread from | Variable |
| Commissions from | £3.00 – £8.00 per trade for all types of assets |
| Deposit/Withdrawal Fees | None |
| Maximum Leverage | 1:200 |
| Bonuses | None offered |
| Customer Support | 24/6 |
DEGIRO
DEGIRO is a German-Dutch online discount broker. It was established in 2008 by former employees of another brokerage company in the Netherlands. DEGIRO merged with flatexDEGIRO Bank AG in early 2021, creating the biggest online execution-only broker in Europe with its own banking license.
DEGIRO is regulated by top-tier financial authorities such as the BaFin in Germany.
Disclaimer: Investing involves risk of loss.
Disclaimer for UK clients: Deemed authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The nature and extent of consumer protections may differ from those for firms based in the UK. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.
Our overall DEGIRO rating
Compare this broker to the best DEGIRO alternative here.
Recommended for traders and investors looking for execution only
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • One of the lowest fees on the market | • Forex not available |
| • Regulated by multiple top-tier authorities | • Limited research tools |
| • Easy-to-use web and mobile platform | • No credit/debit card deposit |
Stock trading fees
DEGIRO stock trading fees are low.
It is not so easy to compare trading fees for stock trading. What did we do at BrokerChooser? Instead of publishing long fee tables, we compare brokers by calculating all the fees of a typical trade in two popular markets, the US and the UK.
A typical trade means that you buy shares for $2,000 and then sell them.
This catch-all benchmark fee includes spreads, financing costs (if they apply), and commissions for all brokers.
MS Algo
The Market Scalper Algo (MS Algo) is a tool that currently works only within TradingView to overlay your financial charts with signals to buy and sell. It also provides independent exit signals for each.
The tools can be used on equities, futures, forex and cryptocurrency. It uses proprietary technology and strategies to provide the most accurate signatures. You can setup automated alerts for your phone, email and Webhooks.
It’s easy to setup and affordable. Plans start at $49 per month.
11. MacroRisk Analytics
MacroRisk Analytics provides you a way to measure the economy’s influence on investment prices. Investment Advisers offers tools to measure downside volatility and insulate against world events. You can also accomplish this without needing to choose economic or political scenarios or guessing the direction of the economy — almost impossible.
Defend against economic risk, navigate through economic turmoil and harness the economy’s power. MacroRisk Analytics’ patented system reliably accounts for 95% of price variation in most stocks, mutual funds and ETFs.
Tap into MacroRisk Analytics today.
Best For
Intermediate TradersGET STARTED
Public.com: Best Investing App for Beginners
- Available via desktop, Apple iOS and Android App on Google Play.
- Sign up here
Public.com is a commission-free investment app for beginners that allows stock and ETF trades. The stock market app targets Millennials and Gen-Zers who have attuned their senses to social media and have interest investing in the stock market.
While the company previously followed the lead of apps like Robinhood with monetizing Payment for Order Flow (PFOF), or receiving kickbacks from clearinghouses for routing trades to them, they’ve recently abandoned this practice.
Instead, they now rely on other revenue streams as well as a “tipping” system.
This places this beginner investing app firmly on the side of retail investors and not pledging allegiance to Wall Street clearinghouses.
Why is Public.com the Best Investing App for Beginners?
What Public.com is really about is making investing like an investing social network, where members can own fractional shares of stocks and ETFs, follow popular creators, and share ideas within a community of investors.
What Public.com aims to do above all else is make the stock market an inclusive and educational place, with social features that make it easy to collaborate as you build your confidence as an investor—for free.
For younger investors who want to align their investing with their social preferences, as well as keep good company to socialize and learn from others, Public.com might be the app for you.
For those interested in starting to trade on Public.com, the online brokerage platform for beginners offers a free $10 signup bonus if you make an initial deposit. Further, you can share your special link with others and gift them free stocks (fractional shares) as well.
If this sounds like an interesting investing app, open an account and make an initial deposit (no account minimum needed to meet, so any amount will do) to see if the app meets your social and investing needs.
Read more in our Public.com investing app review.
TraderSync
TraderSync features user-friendly design and a sleek interface to provide you with the tracking and reporting data to take your trading to the next level. It’s loaded with options to improve your journaling and analytics.
You can import your trades with just a few mouse clicks. The TraderSync import feature offers support for a large number of brokerages and to get started, you simply click the “Add Trade” button in the top right-hand corner of the dashboard. Next, select your broker from the dropdown menu, choose the portfolio that you’d like to import the trades to, and then click the “Import Trades” button to complete the process.
The journal is straightforward. You’ll see the notes field at the bottom of the trade detail page. You can also select “Trades > Journal” from the sidebar menu to view and add journal entries for all of your imported trades from the same page.
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor
- Who it’s for: New to intermediate traders
- Price: $99 per year
Many investors don’t have the time to run their own stock research tools and instead focus on expert selections. Motley Fool’s Stock Advisor newsletter is an easy-to-read monthly subscription that provides 2 new monthly stock picks from David and Tom Gardner, the founders of The Motley Fool.
You’ll also get the 10 best buys now stock list monthly as well as 10 starter stocks for your new portfolio. If that doesn’t sound like much, know that Fool’s marketing team claims that their recommendations regularly beat the S&P 500. This can offer busy investors a chance to get a closer seat in on the action.
Stock Advisor doesn’t just tell you which stocks you should buy, it also tells you why they chose them, information on each selection’s risk profile and 24/7 monitoring to make sure the investment is still viable.
A great learning tool for both new and experienced investors alike, the Stock Advisor newsletter delivers all of this for less than the price of a monthly gym membership.
Sign up and get 50% off a new Stock Advisor subscription
NordFX
NordFX is a well-regarded Cyprus-based Forex broker that is regulated by the Cypress Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). This regulation ensures traders of a safe trading environment and extensive client protection measures.
NordFX is popular for its varied selection of account types, low minimum deposits, a demo account and MT4 integration, while many traders enjoy using the automated trading signals offered on the broker’s platform.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Feature-rich trading platforms | Few analytical tools |
| High leverage offered | |
| Low minimum deposit |
Features
| Feature | Information |
| Regulation | VFSC, CySEC |
| Minimum deposit from | $10 |
| Average spread from | 0.0 pips |
| Commissions from | 0.0035% |
| Deposit/Withdrawal Fees | None |
| Maximum Leverage | 1:1000 |
| Bonuses | $8 No Deposit Bonus |
| Customer Support | 24/5 |
XM
Overview
XM offers both currency and commodity traders an excellent environment and selection of assets, while beginner and experienced traders will find a suitable trading environment.
The broker has become popular for several differentiating features, which include auto trading, no hidden fees or commissions and ultra-fast order executions, with 99.35% taking place in under 1 second.
This means that traders will not have to contend with slippage and can enjoy responsive trading software that allows them to make the most out of the markets.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Great educational tools | Average forex fees |
| Low CFD and withdrawal fees | Inactivity fees |
Features
| Feature | Information |
| Regulation | IFSC, ASIC, CySEC, FCA and DFSA |
| Minimum deposit from | $5 |
| Average spread from | 0.1 pips |
| Commissions from | $3.5 commission per $100 000 traded |
| Deposit/Withdrawal Fees | None |
| Maximum Leverage | 1:30 |
| Bonuses | $30 Trading Bonus |
| Customer Support | 24/5 |
SoFi Invest: Best Investment App for Beginners
- Available via desktop, Apple iOS and Android App on Google Play.
- Sign up here: (iOS), Android, Desktop
SoFi Invest is a stock market app that allows you to place stock and ETF trades alongside investing in cryptocurrency.
The well-known brand in the personal finance space recently entered into the investing world by offering free trades on stocks, ETFs, cryptos and more. SoFi doesn’t offer options trading nor mutual funds.
The service provides you the ability to trade actively or stand back and let its automated investing tools takeover as a robo-advisor. Therefore, this stock market app might make a good place to hold your investment accounts because you’ll have options of how to invest money.
The company wants to serve all customers who have an interest in improving their financial situation alongside participating in their other personal finance products like refinanced student loans, money management, credit cards and more.SoFi Invest | Free Investing
- No trading fees or commissions
- No account minimums
- Invest in Stock Bits (fractional shares)
- Trade select cryptos
- Automated investing options for a hands-off approach
Conclusion
If yoThere are many stock trading platforms in the market today but before you sign up to any of these services, it’s very important that you do your research. The best tools in the world won’t make a difference if you don’t know how to use them properly.