If you’re new to investing, the best investment apps should offer low fees and access to the types of accounts and investment products you care about most.
The best investment apps for beginners are easy-to-use platforms with simple trading, helpful tools, personalized portfolios, and commission-free trades on assets like stocks or ETFs. Beginner-focused investment apps often take an education-forward approach, providing users with exclusive learning tools like webinars, online classes, and blog posts.
All the apps listed here are insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which guarantees up to $500,000 of securities and up to $250,000 of cash. Remember, though, that any investment may lose value, although a diversified investment portfolio should recover over time.
Here are the best investment apps for beginners as picked by Business Insider personal finance editors in 2025.
Get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account.
$0 ($1 to start investing); $5 fractional shares; $2,000 for margin trading
$0 annual fee and stock trading fee
Get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account.
SoFi Invest is a great platform for US investors who are looking for an intuitive online trading experience, an open active or automated investing account.
Gold members earn 4.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on uninvested cash. Other members earn .01% APY.
$0 ($1 for fractional shares; $2,000 for margin trading)
0% ($5/month for Robinhood Gold)
Fund your first taxable investment account with at least $500 in the first 30 days of account opening and earn a $50 bonus.
$1 ($500 for automated investing)
$0 for stock trades. 0.25% for automated investing (0.06% to 0.13% for fund fees)
Wealthfront is one of the best robo-advisor options if you’re in search of low-cost automated portfolio management, and one of the best socially responsible investing apps for features like tax-loss harvesting, US direct indexing, and crypto trusts.
Sofi® is a top investment app for beginners thanks to an easy-to-use interface paired with rock-bottom pricing. You can get started at SoFi Invest with just $1, and there are zero commissions for trades and no recurring account fees.
Even the managed portfolio product, SoFi automated investing, where your ETFs are all picked and managed for you, is free to use.
You can easily browse potential investment opportunities by sorting through categorized stocks and ETFs. Financial planning is available for all SoFi members outside of the app, alongside additional benefits. You can also work with certified financial planners (CFPs) who can help you reach your goals.
If you are a SoFi Plus member ($10 a month), you can unlock additional benefits like unlimited one-on-one financial planning and an unlimited 1% match on recurring deposits.
If you are a beginner and want help developing an investment strategy, SoFi investing is an ideal place to start.
SoFi has a rating of 4.8/5 on the Apple Store and 4.1/5 on Google Play.
Pros of SoFi:
Cons of SoFi:
Open an account with SoFi Active Invest®.
Vanguard is an undeniable leader in investing and one of the top online brokerages. Its holistic approach to retirement planning considers your entire financial situation when mapping out a long-term plan for growing your wealth.
Vanguard offers SEP IRAs, 401(k) rollovers, individual 401(k)s, and SIMPLE IRAs. With a retirement account, you’ll get access to numerous ETFs, such as Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF and Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF. You can also access Vanguard’s All-in-One retirement funds.
In addition to multiple retirement account options, Vanguard provides investors with a handful of retirement tools and exclusive financial planning resources, including tax loss harvesting features and ESG investing options.
Vanguard has a rating of 4.7/5 on the Apple Store and 3.4/5 on Google Play.
Pros of Vanguard:
Cons of Vanguard:
Open an account with Vanguard.
Beginners often do well with straightforward investment platforms. Ally Invest offers just that through its mobile app. You get access to expert-built stock and bond ETFs with the ability to focus on tax-optimized investment opportunities, generating income, or gaining exposure to the ESG market.
If you prefer the robo-advisor route, Ally Invest Robo Portfolios creates a personalized portfolio of ETFs for you. The app offers two robo-portfolio options: the cash-enhanced portfolio or the market-focused portfolio.
The app is easy to navigate with a handful of accessible investment features like market screeners, performance charts, stock analytics, and a Smart Score ranking.
For no advisory fee, cash-enhanced portfolios set aside 30% of your asset allocations as an interest-earning cash buffer. Market-focused portfolios only use about 2% of your portfolio as a cash buffer with a 0.30% advisory fee.
If you prefer a more hands-on approach to investing, beginners can open a self-directed trading account for no account minimum and 24/7 market access. Customize your portfolio with hand-picked stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, mutual funds, and low-priced securities.
Ally Invest has a rating of 4.7/5 on the Apple Store and 4.5/5 on Google Play.
Pros of Ally Invest:
Cons of Ally Invest:
Open an account with Ally Invest.
Betterment Investing is one of the strongest robo-advisors for low-cost trading, account flexibility, access to CFPs, and goal-based investing. Investors receive a diversified portfolio of stock and bond ETFs based on their goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.
Betterment Investing offers cryptocurrency portfolios, socially responsible portfolios, tax-loss harvesting, personalized retirement plans, and options for charitable giving.
You can use the app’s goal-building strategies, such as retirement savings and income, creating a financial safety net, meeting cash goals, and building toward a major purchase.
Betterment has a rating of 4.8/5 on the Apple Store and 4.7/5 on Google Play.
Pros of Betterment:
Cons of Betterment:
Open an account with Betterment Investing.
Acorns is an investment app for people who know they should be investing but don’t have or want to spend the time to manage it themselves.
For $3 per month, Acorns will take care of everything. That includes automatic spare change investing through transaction round-ups, automated transfers, retirement account savings, banking perks, and a fully automated investment plan.
Invest in a diversified portfolio of low-cost ETFs based on your risk tolerance, goals, and time horizon. You can choose to invest in Acorn’s Core portfolios or ESG portfolios.
The big upside of Acorns is that it’s so easy to use. The big downside is that there’s a fee no matter what. This is arguably better than asset-based fee deductions, which fluctuate as your balance grows. With the monthly fee, you’ll pay the same amount every year.
For additional accounts and features, including investment accounts for children, you’ll have to pay $5 to $10 per month.
If you have an Acorns Gold membership, you earn up to a 3% match on IRA contributions and a 1% match on contributions to an Early account.
Acorns has a rating of 4.7/5 on the Apple Store and a 4.7/5 on Google Play.
Pros of Acorns:
Cons of Acorns:
Open an account with Acorns.
When you’re a beginner in the stock market, researching and choosing stocks and other investments can feel intimidating. Public combines features from social networks like Facebook and Twitter with traditional brokerage features, making an investment app ideal for beginners learning their way around the markets.
You can learn from the portfolios of other experts by following their posts in the Public feed, creating group chats with other users, and participating in live investing events and conversations. You can also invest in over two dozen cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, dogecoin, and ether.
With fractional shares starting, you can buy into many supported companies without putting up enough cash for a full share. Alternative assets include art, NFTs, collectibles, and more for 2.5% per transaction.
Public has a rating of 4.7/5 on the Apple Store and 4.1/5 on Google Play.
Pros of Public:
Cons of Public:
Open an account with Public Investing.
Stockpile Stockpile offers commission-free stock and ETF trades, providing unique features that complement its $o commission fee structure. It also offers crypto investing. Stockpile allows fractional share investing and supports the gift of stock through gift cards, which makes it perfect for the youngest investors.
If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or relative who wants to help a child learn how the stock market works, Stockpile is perfect for your needs. It makes it easy to gift stock and keep tabs on the account of a minor. It also makes it fun to navigate through supported stocks while educating users through “mini-lessons” that teach how to invest.
A Stockpile membership gets you access to one adult account, five kids accounts, 3000+ stocks and ETFs, and more for $3.95 per month. You can opt-in for the 30-day free trial to see if Stockpile fits your family.
Stockpile has a rating of 4.7/5 on the Apple Store and 2.9/5 for Google Play.
Pros of Stockpile:
Cons of Stockpile:
Open an account with Stockpile.
Beginner-friendly investment apps make participating in the stock market more accessible and less intimidating than traditional trading platforms. Investment apps typically have user-friendly interfaces, low trading fees, and a library of educational content so consumers can learn while investing their money.
Investment apps appeal to new investors because they are simple and affordable. Beginner-friendly investment apps often offer features like easy portfolio diversification, commission-free trading, and straightforward investment strategies.
Many investment apps for new investors provide mobile and web platforms to enhance accessibility. This allows users to trade from anywhere and track their investments.
Certain beginner-friendly investment apps may also have a separate advanced platform consisting of personalized dashboards, riskier investment options, and other charting tools suitable for sophisticated investors. This is especially hand for investors looking to grow their trading skills with their investment platform.
When comparing different investment apps as a newbie, there are certain features you should consider to find the best app for you. The best beginner investment app for you depends on your preferred investment style, investment options, and risk tolerance.
That said, educational resources, tools, and user accessibility are typically the most sought-after investment app features for beginners.
As a new investor, access to a library of educational content, such as guides and explainers, is key to growing your trading skills. Many investment apps offer information blog posts on an array of subjects. But the best investment platform for beginners provides users with expertly-crafted content and tutorials specially designed for people using their platform.
In tandem with helpful trading tools, these educational resources are crucial for helping beginners understand the basics of investing and develop long-term money-building strategies.
A user-friendly trading platform is crucial for beginner investors. The investment platform should be intuitive and easy to navigate to avoid confusing investors still learning the trade. A clean and cohesive platform is not only accessible, but it also allows new investors to make informed investment decisions without feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of the market.
Get started with your first investment app by considering the type of account, investment options, and features you’re looking for. Once you know what you want, compare different platforms that fit the bill and find the one that best fits your needs. You can then begin the application process to open an online brokerage account, fund your new account, and invest.
The stock market’s short-term volatility can be unsettling, but reacting emotionally to market fluctuations is usually counterproductive. Panic-selling assets during downturns may hinder your portfolio’s long-term growth potential. Additionally, overtrading based on market speculation is time-consuming and risky. You may also incur additional transaction fees, diminishing your returns.
Instead of chasing fleeting short-term gains, focus on research and analysis to find investment opportunities with promising long-term returns. A buy-and-hold strategy, where you purchase and hold assets for several years, is a time-proven method for capitalizing on steady market growth.
This minimizes the impact of short-term volatility and allows your investments to compound over time, leading to greater gains.
SoFi Invest is our top pick for the best investment app for beginners. SoFi is a low-cost platform with easy-to-use trading features, portfolio management, and a complimentary financial planning session.
Beginners can start investing through an investment app for beginners or a beginner-friendly brokerage account. Investment apps for novices are generally low-cost, such as robo-advisors, which mainly trade low-cost ETFs.
Investments best for beginners include exchange-traded funds (ETFs), low-cost index funds, and a blend of corporate bonds and other fixed-income securities. The best investments for you can differ depending on your age, proximity to retirement, and risk tolerance.
Beginner-friendly investment apps combine low costs with the features most sought out by inexperienced traders. Whether you’re looking to build a passive portfolio of funds, an active portfolio of stocks, or any other investment strategy, a brokerage and investment app is designed to meet your needs. Beginner investment platforms are given a rating between 1 and 5.
To make our selections, we used Business Insider’s methodology for rating investing platforms to focus on costs and fees, app features, types of accounts available, investment products available, and beginner-friendly features to manage your investment account on the go.
Sofi Active Invest: Investments are not FDIC-insured – Are not bank-guaranteed – May lose value – Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA(www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org).
Must be a SoFi Plus member at the time a recurring deposit is received into your SoFi Active or Automated investing account to qualify. Bonus calculated on net monthly recurring deposits made via ACH and paid out as Rewards Points. See Rewards Terms of Service. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time without notice. See terms and limitations. https://www.sofi.com/sofiplus/invest/#disclaimers.
SoFi Plus members can schedule an unlimited number of appointments with a financial planner during periods in which the SoFi Plus member meets the eligibility criteria set forth in section 10(a) of the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions. SoFi members who are not members of SoFi Plus can schedule one (1) appointment with a financial planner. The ability to schedule appointments is subject to financial planner availability. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this benefit at any time with or without notice. Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $50 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. See full terms and conditions. https://www.sofi.com/invest/clawpromotion/rules.
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