Investing apps for beginners in the US (2026): what they charge
Six brokerages and automated investing apps compared on what they charge a year on a $10,000 balance, from $0 commissions to flat subscriptions.
Quick answer
On a $10,000 balance with four trades a year, Fidelity, Vanguard (with e-delivery) and Webull charge nothing in account or trading fees. Among automated services, Wealthfront's 0.25% advisory fee comes to $25 a year, Acorns' $4 Bronze subscription to $48, and Betterment's $5 monthly fee below $24,000 to $60. Fund expense ratios come on top everywhere.
Key points
- Fidelity, Vanguard and Webull charge $0 commission on online US stock and ETF trades.
- Vanguard's $25 yearly account fee is waived if you choose e-delivery.
- Wealthfront's automated portfolio costs 0.25% a year: $25 on $10,000.
- Acorns charges a flat $4, $8 or $12 a month, which weighs heavily on small balances.
- Betterment charges $5 a month under $24,000, or 0.25% with $24,000 or $200+ monthly deposits.
- Robinhood, Schwab and Public could not be fully read and are not ranked.
What you would pay
Set your own numbers. The list below is ranked with this same calculator at our reference profile: $10,000 invested and four trades a year.
- Fidelity Brokerage$0.00
- Vanguard Brokerage (e-delivery)$0.00
- Webull Brokerage$0.00
- Wealthfront Automated portfolio$25.00
- Acorns Bronze$48.00
- Betterment Digital$60.000.25% also applies with $200+ monthly deposits
Regular published prices only. Introductory offers and tax are left out. Figures are arithmetic on the provider’s own numbers, not a recommendation.
The list, in order
Order follows the published method on How we rank. Providers cannot pay for a position.
Fidelity
$0 commission on online US stock, ETF and options trades (options add $0.65 a contract), no minimum to open and no IRA annual fees in its fee table.
Suits: self-directed investors who want IRAs and a full brokerage. Watch for: options carry a per-contract fee, and fund expense ratios still apply.
- Stock/ETF trades
- $0 online
- Options
- $0.65/contract
- Minimum
- None
- IRA fees
- $0
Vanguard
$0 online commissions on stocks and ETFs. A $25 annual account service fee applies unless you choose e-delivery or meet other conditions.
Suits: long-term investors buying index funds and ETFs. Watch for: $100 to close an account or transfer everything out, and $25 a trade by phone.
- Stock/ETF trades
- $0 online
- Account fee
- $25/yr, waived with e-delivery
- Transfer out
- $100
- Fee schedule
- Effective 10 Jul 2026
Webull
No commission on US-listed stocks, ETFs and options, with no deposit minimum. Regulatory fees on sales are passed through.
Suits: active traders who want $0 commissions and extended tools. Watch for: $75 for each outgoing stock transfer.
- Stock/ETF trades
- $0
- Index options
- $0.50/contract
- Transfer out
- $75
- Minimum
- None
Wealthfront
An automated portfolio for a 0.25% yearly advisory fee, plus a self-directed brokerage with no fees and a $1 minimum.
Suits: hands-off investors who want automated portfolios. Watch for: the advisory fee is charged on the whole balance, every year.
- Automated
- 0.25% a year
- Brokerage
- No fees, $1 to start
Acorns
A monthly subscription in place of a percentage fee, starting at $4 for an investment account with round-ups and a retirement account.
Suits: small balances, where a flat fee can be easier to follow. Watch for: a flat $48 a year is a large share of a small balance; the Gold tier is $12 a month.
- Bronze
- $4/mo
- Silver
- $8/mo
- Gold
- $12/mo
- Trading fees
- None
Betterment
Automated investing for $5 a month under $24,000, or 0.25% a year once you hold $24,000 or deposit $200 or more a month. Premium with advisers costs 0.65%.
Suits: savers who deposit regularly and want automated portfolios. Watch for: $75 for each account transferred out to another company.
- Under $24K
- $5/mo
- From $24K
- 0.25% a year
- Premium
- 0.65%, $100K min
- Transfer out
- $75
Robinhood
A trading app with an optional Gold subscription at $5 a month that adds a 3% IRA match and other features.
Suits: app-first traders who want an IRA match through Gold. Watch for: we could not read the base commission from Robinhood's own fee schedule, so it is not ranked.
- Gold
- $5/mo, 30 days free
- IRA match
- 3% with Gold
- Instant withdrawal
- 1.5% fee
Figures read from each provider’s own page on 29 October 2026. Account and advisory fees only; fund expense ratios and regulatory transaction fees are extra. Reference profile: $10,000 invested and four trades a year. Unranked entries publish no price that fits it.
- Charles Schwab and Public — their fee pages could not be read on 29 Oct 2026. To be confirmed by hand.
Most US investing apps no longer charge commission to buy stocks and ETFs. The costs that remain are account fees, advisory fees on automated portfolios, flat subscriptions, and the running costs of the funds themselves.
We ranked providers by yearly account, advisory and trading fees on a $10,000 balance with four trades a year, using figures read from each provider's own page on 29 October 2026. Fund expense ratios are left out because they depend on what you buy. We do not forecast returns. See how we rank.
| Provider | How it charges | A year at our profile |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity | $0 online trades | $0 |
| Vanguard | $0 online trades; $25 fee waived with e-delivery | $0 |
| Webull | $0 commission | $0 |
| Wealthfront | 0.25% advisory fee | $25 |
| Acorns | $4 a month (Bronze) | $48 |
| Betterment | $5 a month under $24,000 | $60 |
Fidelity's commissions page lists "$0 commissions for online US stock, ETF, and option trades", with $0.65 per options contract and no minimum to open. Vanguard's fee schedule, effective 10 July 2026, lists $0 online trades, a $25 annual account fee waived with e-delivery, and $100 to close an account or transfer it out. Webull lists no commission on US-listed stocks, ETFs and options, and $75 per outgoing stock transfer.
Betterment charges $5 a month below $24,000, or 0.25% a year once you hold $24,000 or deposit $200 or more a month. Wealthfront's automated portfolio is 0.25% a year. Acorns replaces a percentage fee with a flat subscription of $4, $8 or $12 a month.
At small balances, a flat fee is a large share. Our guide to investing app fees shows how fees compound over time, and the investing fee calculator lets you test your own balance.
Robinhood's Gold page lists a $5 monthly subscription, but we could not read its base commissions from its fee schedule, so it is listed without a rank. Charles Schwab and Public could not be read on 29 October 2026. The UK comparison covers ISA platforms in pounds.
Keep reading
Stocks and shares ISA platforms for beginners in the UK (2026): what they charge
Four ISA platforms compared on what they charge a year on £10,000 with four trades, from no platform fee to a percentage charge plus dealing fees.
Guide · US & UKInvesting app fees explained: platform fees, subscriptions, fund costs and spreads
The fees an investing app can charge, how percentage and flat fees differ, and how small charges add up over years.
Calculator · US editionInvesting fee calculator
The same calculator on its own page, in dollars.
Questions
Which US investing app has the lowest fees?
For buying stocks and ETFs yourself, Fidelity, Vanguard and Webull list $0 online commissions and, at Vanguard, a $25 account fee waived with e-delivery. Fund expense ratios and regulatory transaction fees on sales still apply. For automated portfolios, Wealthfront’s 0.25% was the lowest published advisory fee at $10,000.
Is a flat monthly fee or a percentage fee cheaper?
It depends on your balance. Acorns’ $4 a month is $48 a year, which is 4.8% of a $1,000 balance but 0.48% of $10,000. A 0.25% fee is $2.50 on $1,000 and $25 on $10,000. The calculator shows where they cross for your balance.
Do these apps forecast returns?
This site does not, and the comparison ignores returns entirely. Fees are known in advance and reduce whatever the investments earn or lose. Investments can fall as well as rise, and past performance is not a guide to future results. The value of an account can go below what you paid in.
Can I open an IRA with these apps?
Fidelity’s fee table lists $0 IRA fees. Betterment offers traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs. Acorns includes a retirement account called Acorns Later, with a 1% IRA match on Silver and 3% on Gold. Robinhood Gold, at $5 a month, adds a 3% IRA match. Terms apply to each.
Is my investment account protected if the broker fails?
Brokerage accounts at SIPC members, such as Fidelity, Vanguard Brokerage Services, Webull and Robinhood, are covered by SIPC if the firm fails and customer assets are missing. SIPC does not protect against investment losses. Each provider’s regulatory line is shown on its entry.