The broker shortlist
Best Stock Brokers
Interactive Brokers is our best stock broker for 2026 thanks to its low costs, global market access and professional trading tools. Fidelity and Charles Schwab are stronger choices for many long-term investors, while E*TRADE and TradeStation offer compelling platforms for more active traders.
- 1. Interactive BrokersBest overallLow-cost trading, broad international market access and advanced tools for active investors.
- 2. FidelityBest for long-term investors$0 US stock and ETF trades, strong research and excellent retirement and cash-management features.
- 3. Charles SchwabBest for research and thinkorswimCommission-free US stock trading backed by extensive research and the thinkorswim platform.
- 4. E*TRADEBest all-round alternativeStrong web and mobile platforms with useful research, options and futures access.
- 5. TradeStationBest for active stock tradersAdvanced trading software, automation tools and pricing designed for more active users.
StocksCompare
| # | Broker | Best for | Platform | Market access | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Interactive Brokers | Global market access | $3.50 | $0 | | Global | See Review |
| 2 |  Fidelity | Long-term investing | $0 | $0 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 3 |  Charles Schwab | thinkorswim trading | $0 | $0 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 4 |  E*TRADE | All-round investing | $0 | $0 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 5 |  TradeStation | Strategy automation | $0 | $2,000 |  | US-focused | See Review |
| 6 |  CenterPoint Securities | Hard-to-borrow stocks | $3.00 | $30,000 |  | US-focused | See Review |
| 7 |  ChoiceTrade | Low-cost active trading | $3.00 | $100 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 8 |  CMEG | Offshore day trading | $0.50 | $100 |  | US-focused | See Review |
| 9 |  Cobra Trading | DAS direct access | $3.00 | $10,000 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 10 |  Guardian Trading | High-volume equity trading | $0.50 | $30,000 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 11 |  Lightspeed | In-house trading platform | $3.50 | $10,000 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 12 |  Moomoo | Advanced mobile trading | $0 | $0 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 13 |  Ocean One Securities | International active traders | $0.85 | $1,000 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 14 |  Public | Bonds and alternatives | $0 | $0 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 15 |  Robinhood | Simple commission-free trading | $0 | $0 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 16 |  SageTrader | Low-cost DAS trading | $1.00 | $3,000 |  | US-focused | See Review |
| 17 |  SpeedTrader | Low-cost direct access | $2.50 | $2,500 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 18 |  SuccessTrader | High-volume equities | $0 | $50,000 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 19 | tastytrade | Options-focused investors | $0 | $0 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 20 |  Tiger Brokers | Asian market access | $2.00 | $0 | | Global | See Review |
| 21 |  TradeZero | Active short sellers | $5.00 | $500 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 22 |  Tradier | API trading | $0 | $0 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 23 |  Webull | Low-cost active trading | $0 | $0 | | US-focused | See Review |
| 24 |  Zimtra | Platform flexibility | $1.50 | $2,000 | | US-focused | See Review |