Investment Risk Disclosure: Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. WiseIQ is not a licensed investment advisor. Nothing on this page constitutes investment advice. Consult a licensed financial professional before investing.
Editor's Pick
Robo-Advisor
Betterment
Betterment LLC
Best Robo-Advisor
Automated Investing — Set It and Forget It
Betterment builds and manages a diversified portfolio for you based on your goals and risk tolerance. Tax-loss harvesting and automatic rebalancing included.
Automated portfolio management
Tax-loss harvesting (saves on taxes)
Automatic rebalancing
IRA & Roth IRA accounts available
Start with just $10
Socially responsible portfolios
WiseIQ may earn a referral fee if you open an account.
Robo-Advisor
Wealthfront
Wealthfront Corporation
Best Tax Strategy
Smart Investing with Advanced Tax Tools
Wealthfront's daily tax-loss harvesting and direct indexing can save high earners thousands in taxes annually. Also includes a high-yield cash account at 5.00% APY.
Daily tax-loss harvesting
Direct indexing (accounts $100K+)
5.00% APY cash account
Financial planning tools
529 college savings plans
WiseIQ may earn a referral fee if you open an account.
Brokerage
Robinhood
Robinhood Markets, Inc.
Top Pick for Beginners — Based on WiseIQ\'s Methodology
$0 Commission Trades — Start with $1
Robinhood pioneered commission-free trading and remains the most popular app for new investors. Fractional shares let you invest in any stock with as little as $1.
$0 commission on stocks & ETFs
Fractional shares from $1
Crypto trading available
3% IRA match on contributions
5% APY on uninvested cash (Gold)
WiseIQ may earn a referral fee if you open an account.
Micro-Investing
Acorns
Acorns Grow, Inc.
Best Passive Investing
Invest Your Spare Change Automatically
Acorns rounds up every purchase to the nearest dollar and invests the difference. Completely passive — you barely notice it, but it adds up fast.
Round-Up investing on every purchase
Recurring investments from $5
Checking account with debit card
IRA account available
Earn bonus investments at 15,000+ brands
WiseIQ may earn a referral fee if you open an account.
Self-Directed Investing
Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
Highest-Rated Overall — Based on WiseIQ's Methodology Broker
The Gold Standard in Self-Directed Investing
Fidelity is the most trusted name in retail investing — $0 commissions, fractional shares, and the industry’s best research tools. No account minimums and zero-expense-ratio index funds.
$0 commissions on stocks and ETFs
Fractional shares from $1
Industry-leading research tools
IRA, Roth IRA, 401k rollover
No account minimums
Zero-expense-ratio index funds
WiseIQ may earn a referral fee if you open an account.
Full-Service Broker
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Best Full-Service
Full-Service Investing with No Account Minimum
Charles Schwab combines $0 commissions with access to human financial advisors and a built-in robo-advisor — all in one platform with 24/7 customer support.
$0 commissions on stocks and ETFs
Access to human financial advisors
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios (robo-advisor)
IRA, Roth IRA, 401k rollover
No account minimums
24/7 customer support
WiseIQ may earn a referral fee if you open an account.
⚙️ Automated + Self-Directed
M1 Finance
M1 Holdings Inc.
Best Hybrid Platform
Build Your Own Portfolio, Then Automate It
M1 Finance lets you build a custom portfolio of stocks and ETFs, then automates contributions and rebalancing. The only platform that combines DIY control with robo-advisor automation at $0 fees.
$0 commissions, $0 management fees
Custom portfolio “Pies” with auto-rebalancing
Fractional shares from $1
IRA and Roth IRA available
Borrow against portfolio at low rates
Checking account with debit card
WiseIQ may earn a referral fee if you open an account.
Compare All Investment Platforms
| Platform | Type | Annual Fee | Minimum | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Betterment |
Robo-Advisor | 0.25% | $10 | Hands-off investing | |
Wealthfront |
Robo-Advisor | 0.25% | $500 | Tax optimization | |
Robinhood |
Brokerage | $0 | $1 | Self-directed trading | |
Acorns |
Micro-Investing | $3/mo | $0 | Passive spare change | |
M1 Finance |
Brokerage | $0 | $100 | Custom portfolios | |
SoFi Invest |
Brokerage + Robo | $0 | $1 | SoFi members |