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Best Investment Apps of May 2023
Best Overall Investment App
Fidelity Spire
Account minimum
Available on Apple iOS and Android
Account minimum
Available on Apple iOS and Android
Why We Picked It
No app we reviewed scored as highly across the board as Fidelity’s relatively new product, Spire. Designed for inexperienced traders, Spire combines savings graphics and nudges with the ability to buy and sell stocks.
Spire has no account or investment minimums, and it features fractional share investing, allowing you to buy less than one share of a particular security. There are no account fees, and your orders aren’t sold to high-frequency trading shops. This practice, called selling order flow, is thought by some to result in customers getting worse prices when they buy or sell investments.
Plus, you needn’t commit yourself to short-term buying and selling; Spire offers a range of account types outside of normal taxable investment accounts, like you find at Robinhood. Its retirement and 529 accounts allow you to invest for your and your children’s futures.
From a usability standpoint, Spire is first-rate. Not only is it easy to navigate, but it’s also chock-full of useful investing definitions and educational material that will help fledgling Warren Buffets find their way. Another perk is the ability to coordinate with Fidelity Go, the Boston-based investment firm’s robo-advisor service, which tied for third in our ranking of best robo-advisors. As with most leading robos, you’ll be presented with a suite of pre-made portfolios that match your risk tolerance and are stuffed with low-cost funds.
While Spire provides indirect access to the full capabilities of investing behemoth Fidelity, Forbes Advisor’s top choice for best brokerage overall, traders desiring more esoteric options, such as commodities or cryptocurrency, will be disappointed.
Pros & Cons
Low costs
Strong educational material
Access to wide range of account types and investments
No cryptocurrency trading
No market news function
Best Robo-Advisor Investment App
Betterment
Account minimum
$0 minimum ($src0 to start investing)
Available on Apple iOS and Android
Account minimum
$0 minimum ($src0 to start investing)
Available on Apple iOS and Android
Why We Picked It
Many of the top online brokerages offer robo-advisor services. These automated portfolio management platforms have evolved a lot over the past decade, but if you’re looking for a dedicated robo-advisor investment app that will manage a low-cost diversified portfolio of ETFs, you may be best served by Betterment. It’s one of the original robos, and is the number-one pick in Forbes Advisor’s ranking of the best robo-advisors available.
Betterment has no account minimum ($src0 minium to start investing), making it easy to get started, and it offers a strong platform that will help you automate your investments in a way that best suits your long-term goals and risk tolerance. The pricing structure, however, may be unfamiliar t0 those new to the world of investing.
For its basic service, it charges 0.25% of all of the money you invest with it each year. That works out to be $25 per $src0,000 you invest.
This is important because other leading robos, like Acorns and Ellevest, charge subscription fees of at least $src a month (or $src2 a year). These flat rates effectively penalize small balances: You’d have to have almost $5,000 invested before fees at Betterment exceeded those of the most bare bones plans of those other services. That minimum cutoff rises dramatically when you include retirement accounts into the equation.
Instead of starting with one of these platforms just because they seem easier or cheaper, then, you’d probably be better off starting with Betterment’s app to take advantage of its leading platform and low-fee access to all investment account and goal types.
Pros & Cons
Relatively low annual advisory fee
Ability to construct multiple goal-based portfolios
Tax-loss harvesting available
High costs to chat with a financial advisor ad hoc for Betterment Digital
Emergency fund portfolio may contain too many equities for conservative investors
Best Investment App for Cryptocurrency
Binance.US
Account minimum
Available on Apple iOS and Android
Account minimum
Available on Apple iOS and Android
Why We Picked It
Crypto enthusiasts will notice that none of our prior picks allow for trading digital currencies. Those who want exposure to what some have called “digital gold,” then should instead consider the app of Forbes Advisor’s top choice for best cryptocurrency exchange, Binance.US.
Certain beginner-friendly investment apps, like Robinhood or Webull, allow you to easily buy crypto along with other more mainstream investments, like stocks and ETFs. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Platforms like Robinhood and Webull offer a relatively limited range of cryptos and, perhaps more importantly, don’t let you move your cryptos off of their apps. Some crypto investors like to transfer their coins from the apps where they buy them into so-called “cold” crypto wallets disconnected from the internet to protect their investments from hackers. What’s more, these platforms’ “free” trades aren’t really free and instead have fees baked into the prices you buy and sell your cryptocurrencies at.
That’s why we recommend a pure crypto app, like Binance.US, even for those new to crypto. Binance.US provides access to countless more cryptocurrencies, from mainstays like Bitcoin and Ethereum to dozens of lesser-known altcoins. Beginners and advanced traders alike benefit from Binance.US’ industry-low fees and instant buy or more advanced trading platforms.
Pros & Cons
Industry-low trading costs
More than 50 cryptocurrencies available
Strong user reviews and cybersecurity rating
Binance, its international parent company not available in the U.S., has more currency options
Residents of some states, including Texas and New York, cannot use Binance.US
Not enough educational material for new investors
Best Investment App for Beginners
E*TRADE
Account minimum
Available on Apple iOS and Android
Account minimum
Available on Apple iOS and Android
Why We Picked It
While Fidelity Spire stands out as a solid choice for those of all experience levels and investing interests, beginners particularly interested in trading should look to E*TRADE. The original online-first brokerage boasts an average Apple App Store rating of 4.6 (with src39,000 reviews) and nabbed the top spot in the usability category of our ranking of Best Online Brokerages for Beginners, in no small part because of its investment app.
E*Trade has no trading minimums or fees. There’s also a surfeit of investing information available for users, from basic definitions of common terms like diversification to the ability to live stream Bloomberg TV. You’ll also be able to sign up for a wide range of account types, including IRAs and custodial accounts for children, in addition to more typical taxable accounts.
Unlike Fidelity Spire, though, you can’t open a 529 to save for children’s college educations. Moreover, the lack of fractional trading may make it harder for those with less available cash to buy the security they want, especially when certain individual stocks like Tesla (TSLA) or Apple (AAPL) have shares that cost at least $src00.
You can also access a robo-like service through E*Trade’s Prebuilt Portfolios, though you’ll need $500 to get started with mutual funds and $2,500 to open an account with exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Like with Fidelity Spire, you can’t trade commodities or cryptocurrency, though newbies might benefit from that restriction given the volatility of those assets.
Pros & Cons
Low costs and fees
Excellent news and educational resources
No cryptocurrency trading
No 529 accounts
Best Investment App for Experienced Investors
TD Ameritrade’s thinkorswim
Account minimum
Available on Apple iOS and Android
Account minimum
Available on Apple iOS and Android
Why We Picked It
More advanced traders may want to consider TD Ameritrade’s app. Through the normal TD Ameritrade app, you’ll have access to the basics (e.g., stock, options and futures trading) as well as advanced charting functions, margin trading and the ability to buy and sell securities on the over-the-counter (OTC) market. Traders can monitor market-breaking news easily in-app and benefit from a wealth of educational resources.
In addition, as a TD Ameritrade client, you gain access to thinkorswim, our top choice for Best Online Broker Mobile App. Through the thinkorswim mobile app, you can engage in pretty much all of the trading capabilities of the normal TD Ameritrade app plus more sophisticated investments like forex.
What’s more, you can access the settings you enable on thinkorswim’s powerful desktop platform in-app, meaning your chart drawings and market scans are always with you. thinkorswim also offers chatrooms and paper trading for you to discuss and try out your trading ideas.
Those in search of a cryptocurrency option, though, will be disappointed, and you don’t have the ability to buy fractional shares, though this is likely less important for advanced traders with larger capital reserves at their disposal.
Pros & Cons
Ability to trade OTC, options, futures and forex
Margin trading available
No access to cryptocurrencies
Methodology
To determine the best investment apps, Forbes Advisor tracked more than 20 leading platforms, assessing hundreds of data points spanning five main categories: usability, fees, investment profile, trading ability and educational materials. Forbes Advisor weighted each of these categories in accordance with their importance to various types of investors to compute the best app for each specific type of investor.
To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates investing products.
What Is an Investment App?
An investment app is a service for mobile devices that allows users to invest and manage their money in various financial markets, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds and cryptocurrencies. These apps offer users an easy and convenient way to manage their investments, track their portfolio performance and make informed investment decisions.
Investment apps typically offer a range of features, including real-time stock quotes, news and analysis, investment research tools, customizable portfolios, and trading capabilities. Some apps also offer automated investing features, such as robo-advisor services, that use algorithms to create and manage investment portfolios based on the user’s risk tolerance and investment goals.
Investment apps can be a useful tool for both experienced and novice investors, offering easy access to the financial markets and a range of investment options. However, users should be aware of the potential risks and fees associated with investing through these apps and should carefully evaluate the app’s features, fees, and security measures before investing.
What Should You Look for When Choosing an Investment App?
If you’re looking for the best investment app, you may be new to the world of investing. That means you’ll want an easy-to-use platform with generous educational resources.
But because investing is all about the long game—you could be investing for 40 years or more if you’re saving for retirement—you also want an app that you can grow with. That’s why even as a beginner, you ideally should seek out a platform that offers robust research tools, a wide range of account types and low fees so you don’t feel like you have to switch providers when you’ve become a more advanced user.
And, while ultimately, you want a good app experience, you also inevitably sign up for so much more when you open an account with an investment app. That’s why it’s important to consider the broader company powering the investment app you download.
You’ll notice our top choices in this listing also rank highly in other brokerage, robo-advisor and crypto exchange listings we’ve conducted. You’ll want to make sure whichever investment app you choose offers a quality web-based experience and customer service so that should you decide to expand past your investment app’s main platform you’ll be well served.
How To Use an Investing App
Using an investment app can be a great way to manage your investments and keep track of your portfolio. Here are some general steps on how to use an investment app:
Choose an investment app: There are many investment apps available in the market, so choose the one that suits your investment style and needs.
Sign up: Once you have selected an investment app, download it from the app store and sign up. You may need to provide personal information such as your name, address, social security number, and bank information.
Set up your account: After signing up, you’ll need to set up your account, including funding it with money. You can link your bank account, debit card, or credit card to the investment app and transfer money to your investment account.
Explore investment options: Once your account is set up and funded, you can start exploring the investment options available on the app. This may include stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, and more.
Build your portfolio: Use the investment app to build your portfolio by selecting investments that align with your investment goals, risk tolerance, and investment horizon.
Monitor your portfolio: It’s important to keep an eye on your portfolio and make adjustments as needed. Use the app’s tools to monitor your investments and track their performance.
Make trades: You can use the investment app to buy and sell investments as needed. Be aware of any fees associated with trades and make sure you understand the tax implications of selling investments.
Stay up-to-date: Stay informed about market news and changes in the investment landscape through the app’s news feed or other resources.
Remember, investing always involves some degree of risk, so it’s essential to understand the risks associated with different investments and to consult with a financial advisor if you have any questions or concerns.
Investment App FAQs
What is an investment app?
An investment app is an application designed to let you trade or invest using just your phone or tablet.
How much money do I need to open an investment app?
Nearly all investment apps have no minimum balance requirements, letting you get started with just a few dollars. Keep an eye out for any requirements specific to apps you’re interested in, though, because some may require higher opening balances or require you to buy whole shares of stocks or funds.
How do I open an account with an investment app?
You can generally open an investment account with an investment app simply by downloading the program from your app store of choice. Each platform has its own requirements, but be prepared to provide the following:
• Name
• Date of birth
• Mailing address
• Social Security number
• Annual income and net worth
• Years of investing experience
• Investment goals
• Risk tolerance
Investment app providers need this information so they can adhere to federal regulations and make sure you’re investing as safely as possible.
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Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.