The broker shortlist
Best Stock Brokers
| # | Broker | Stock trade (USD) | Min. deposit (USD) | Platform | Market access | Fractional shares | Paper trading | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Acorns | $3 a month | None | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 2 |  Ally Invest | $0 a trade | None | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 3 |  CenterPoint Securities | $0.003 a share | Not published |  | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 4 |  Charles Schwab | $0 a trade | None | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 5 |  ChoiceTrade | $0.002 a share | Not published | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 6 |  CMEG | Not published | Not published | Direct access | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 7 |  Cobra Trading | $0.0015 a share | Not published |  | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 8 |  Fidelity | $0 a trade | None | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 9 |  Futu | $0 a trade | None |   | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 10 |  Guardian Trading | $0.0005 a share | Not published | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 11 |  Interactive Brokers | $0.0035 a share | None | | Global | — | Yes | View broker |
| 12 |  Lightspeed | $0.0035 a share | Not published | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 13 |  M1 Finance | $0 a trade | $100 | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 14 |  Ocean One Securities | $0.00085 a share | Not published | Direct access | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 15 |  Public | $0 a trade | $0 | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 16 |  SageTrader | $0.001 a share | Not published |  | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 17 |  SoFi | $0 a trade | None | | US-focused | Yes | — | View broker |
| 18 |  SpeedTrader | $0.0025 a share | Not published | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 19 |  SuccessTrader | $0.0000 a share | Not published | Direct access, Route selection | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 20 |  TD Ameritrade | Retired May 2024 | Not applicable | — | — | — | View broker | |
| 21 | thinkorswim | $0.00 a share | None | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 22 |  Tiger Brokers | About $2 an order | None | | Global | — | — | View broker |
| 23 |  TradeStation | $0.00 a share | $2,000 for margin |  | US-focused | — | Yes | View broker |
| 24 |  TradeZero | $0.005 a share | Not published | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 25 |  Tradier | $10 a month | $0 | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 26 |  Vanguard | $0 a trade | None | | US-focused | Yes | — | View broker |
| 27 |  Venom Trading | $0.004 a share | Not published | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
| 28 |  Zimtra | $0.0015 a share | $2,000 bond | | US-focused | — | — | View broker |
How the ranking works
The same scoring runs on every broker here, so a forex broker and a futures broker are rated on the same five things: cost, regulation and safety, platform and execution, support, and what the account actually gives you. The weights differ by class, because shorting matters to a day trader and swap rates do not.
Why one broker appears on more than one list
A broker sits in every list it genuinely trades in. Fidelity is a stock broker that publishes a per-contract options price, so it appears in both. The review lives at one URL either way: the extra listings point at the same page rather than creating a second one.
The other listings: Futures brokers, Options brokers, Day trading brokers, Forex brokers.
What is not here
Prop firms. They do not hold your money or execute your orders, they sell an evaluation, and they are scored on rules and payouts instead. Those have their own listing.