Best Stock Brokers 2026

Your capital is at risk. Trade only with funds you can afford to lose.

Tested with a live trading account Accept traders from United States

Our Top Pick in USA 1 Interactive Brokers 4.3/5 Visit

2 eToro USA 3.4/5 Visit

3 NinjaTrader 4.5/5 Visit

4 Crypto.com 3.5/5 Visit

Compare Interactive Brokers and eToro USA Details

Brokers With: Stocks ×

Showing 5 of 6 matching brokers

Filters Order By ... Overall Rating Latest Trust & Regulation Banking & Accounts Assets & Markets Fees & Costs Platforms & Tools Research Education Customer Support iOS App Android App Most Clients Trustpilot Score

1. 1

   Interactive Brokers

   4.3/5 our rating
   Available in United States Not available in United States
   Rating breakdown

   Regulation & Trust 4.5

   Assets & Markets 4.7

   Fees & Costs 4.3

   Platforms & Tools 3.3

   Customer Support 3.0

   Education 4.3

   Research 4.4

   Accounts & Banking 3.5
   Visit Interactive Brokers Read Review

   IBKR offers equity products from 24 countries. Invest directly in stocks for growth, dividends, or voting rights. Trade price movements through CFDs, futures, and over 13,000 ETFs. In 2024, IBKR added CBOE Europe Derivatives (CEDX) to its European equity derivatives offering.

   Stock Exchanges

   Interactive Brokers offers trading on 19 stock exchanges:

   • Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange
   • Borsa Italiana
   • CAC 40 Index France
   • Chicago Mercantile Exchange
   • Euronext
   • IBEX 35
   • Japan Exchange Group
   • Korea Exchange
   • London Metal Exchange
   • London Stock Exchange
   • Nairobi Securities Exchange
   • Nasdaq
   • Nasdaq Nordic & Baltics
   • New York Stock Exchange
   • Russell 2000
   • S&P 500
   • Shenzhen Stock Exchange
   • Tadawul
   • Toronto Stock Exchange
   • +7 more

   Fractional Shares

   ✓

   Stock Baskets

   ✗

   Automation

   ✓

   Demo Account

   ✓

   Minimum Deposit

   $0

   Minimum Trade

   $1

   Leverage

   1:50 (major forex pairs), 1:2-1:4 (equities)

   Copy Trading

   ✗

   Regulator

   SEC, FINRA, CFTC, NFA, CIRO, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS

   Instruments

   Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies, CFDs Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies

   Platforms

   Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Desktop, GlobalTrader, Mobile, Client Portal, AlgoTrader, OmniTrader, TradingView, eSignal, TradingCentral, ProRealTime, Quantower

   Account Currencies

   USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, INR, JPY, SEK, NOK, DKK, CHF, AED, HUF

2. 2

   eToro USA

   3.4/5 our rating
   Available in United States Not available in United States
   Rating breakdown

   Regulation & Trust 4.0

   Assets & Markets 2.9

   Fees & Costs 3.4

   Platforms & Tools 3.5

   Customer Support 3.0

   Education 3.0

   Research 3.5

   Accounts & Banking 3.0
   Visit eToro USA Read Review

   Securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (“the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Cryptocurrency offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) (NMLS: 1769299) and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk. This site is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the MSB and/or the BD.

   eToro US allows you to trade over 3000 renowned US stocks and ETFs without any commissions. You also have the option to trade with fractional shares. The broker is especially suitable for novice traders due to its extensive eToro Academy and easy-to-use stock market research tools.

   Stock Exchanges

   eToro USA offers trading on 3 stock exchanges:

   • Dow Jones
   • New York Stock Exchange
   • S&P 500

   Fractional Shares

   ✓

   Stock Baskets

   ✗

   Automation

   ✓

   Demo Account

   ✓

   Minimum Deposit

   $50

   Minimum Trade

   $10

   Leverage

   ✗

   Copy Trading

   ✓

   Regulator

   SEC, FINRA

   Instruments

   Stocks, Options, ETFs, Crypto

   Platforms

   eToro Trading Platform & CopyTrader

   Account Currencies

   USD

3. 3

   NinjaTrader

   4.5/5 our rating
   Available in United States Not available in United States
   Rating breakdown

   Regulation & Trust 4.1

   Assets & Markets 3.5

   Fees & Costs 4.3

   Platforms & Tools 4.5

   Customer Support 4.0

   Education 4.0

   Research 4.0

   Accounts & Banking 3.3
   Visit NinjaTrader Read Review

   You can trade stocks using the NinjaTrader platform with supported brokers. The company also offers various index futures through regular and micro contracts, such as the E-Mini S&P 500 Index Futures and E-Mini Russell 2000 Index Futures.

   Stock Exchanges

   NinjaTrader offers trading on 3 stock exchanges:

   • Chicago Mercantile Exchange
   • New York Stock Exchange
   • S&P 500

   Fractional Shares

   ✗

   Stock Baskets

   ✗

   Automation

   ✓

   Demo Account

   ✓

   Minimum Deposit

   $0 (live trades must meet intraday margin minimums, e.g., $50 to trade micro contracts)

   Minimum Trade

   1 contract

   Leverage

   $50 intraday margins for Micro contracts and $500 for popular E-mini contracts

   Copy Trading

   ✗

   Regulator

   NFA, CFTC, CySEC

   Instruments

   Futures, Forex, Stocks, Options, Commodities, Futures, Crypto (non-futures depend on provider)

   Platforms

   NinjaTrader Desktop, Web & Mobile, eSignal

   Account Currencies

   USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD

4. 4

   Crypto.com

   3.5/5 our rating
   Available in United States Not available in United States
   Rating breakdown

   Regulation & Trust 3.9

   Assets & Markets 4.0

   Fees & Costs 3.3

   Platforms & Tools 4.0

   Customer Support 2.5

   Education 3.8

   Research 3.8

   Accounts & Banking 3.8
   Visit Crypto.com Read Review

   Crypto.com is a leading cryptocurrency exchange focused on advancing DeFi technologies. It provides token lending, prepaid cards, NFTs, and more. Founded in Hong Kong in 2016, it serves 150 million users.

   Stock Exchanges

   Crypto.com offers trading on 0 stock exchanges:

   Fractional Shares

   ✓

   Stock Baskets

   ✗

   Automation

   ✓

   Demo Account

   ✗

   Minimum Deposit

   Varies by payment method

   Minimum Trade

   $1

   Leverage

   ✗

   Copy Trading

   ✗

   Regulator

   MAS, AMF, CySEC, CBI, ASIC, FINTRAC, CIMA, VARA, OAM, HCMC, CFTC, OSC, KoFIU, FCA (registered for MLR only), SEC (securities only)

   Instruments

   Crypto, Stocks, ETFs, OTC Options, Tokenized Stocks, Prediction Markets and Strike Options (US only)

   Platforms

   Own, TradingView

   Account Currencies

   USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, ZAR, TRY, SEK, NOK, DKK, CHF, HKD, PLN, CZK, AED, SAR, HUF, BRL, KES

5. 5

   Moomoo

   3.2/5 our rating
   Available in United States Not available in United States
   Rating breakdown

   Regulation & Trust 4.2

   Assets & Markets 3.3

   Fees & Costs 3.0

   Platforms & Tools 3.0

   Customer Support 3.3

   Education 4.0

   Research 3.5

   Accounts & Banking 3.0
   Visit Moomoo Read Review

   Moomoo offers a broad range of stocks from the U.S., Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and China-A shares. These shares are available for trading across different mediums such as options, futures, ETFs, ADRs, OTC, and IPOs on its in-house trading platform. The platform does not charge any commissions, requires no minimum account balance, and provides free level 2 data.

   Stock Exchanges

   Moomoo offers trading on 6 stock exchanges:

   • Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)
   • Chicago Mercantile Exchange
   • Hong Kong Stock Exchange
   • Nasdaq
   • New York Stock Exchange
   • S&P 500

   Fractional Shares

   ✓

   Stock Baskets

   ✗

   Automation

   ✓

   Demo Account

   ✓

   Minimum Deposit

   $0

   Minimum Trade

   $0

   Leverage

   1:2

   Copy Trading

   ✗

   Regulator

   SEC, FINRA, MAS, SFC, ASIC, CIRO, JFSA, SC

   Instruments

   Stocks, Options, ETFs, ADRs, OTCs ,Futures

   Platforms

   Desktop Platform, Mobile App

   Account Currencies

   USD, CAD, AUD, JPY, MYR, HKD, SGD, CNY

Top Stock Trading Brokers Comparison

Broker		USD Account	Fractional Shares	Share Baskets	Extended Hours
		✓	✓	✓	✓
		✓	✓	✗	✓
		✓	✗	✗	✗
		✓	✓	✗	✓
		✓	✓	✗	✓
Broker		USD Account	Fractional Shares	Share Baskets	Extended Hours

Broker Details Comparison

Broker	Demo Account	Minimum Deposit	Minimum Trade	Leverage	Assets	Platforms
	✓	$0	$1	1:50 (major forex pairs), 1:2-1:4 (equities)	Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies, CFDs Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies	Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Desktop, GlobalTrader, Mobile, Client Portal, AlgoTrader, OmniTrader, TradingView, eSignal, TradingCentral, ProRealTime, Quantower
	✓	$50	$10	✗	Stocks, Options, ETFs, Crypto	eToro Trading Platform & CopyTrader
	✓	$0 (live trades must meet intraday margin minimums, e.g., $50 to trade micro contracts)	1 contract	$50 intraday margins for Micro contracts and $500 for popular E-mini contracts	Futures, Forex, Stocks, Options, Commodities, Futures, Crypto (non-futures depend on provider)	NinjaTrader Desktop, Web & Mobile, eSignal
	✗	Varies by payment method	$1	✗	Crypto, Stocks, ETFs, OTC Options, Tokenized Stocks, Prediction Markets and Strike Options (US only)	Own, TradingView
	✓	$0	$0	1:2	Stocks, Options, ETFs, ADRs, OTCs ,Futures	Desktop Platform, Mobile App
Broker	Demo Account	Minimum Deposit	Minimum Trade	Leverage	Assets	Platforms

Safety Comparison

Compare how safe the Best Stock Brokers 2026 are.

Broker	Trust Rating	Guaranteed Stop Loss	Negative Balance Protection	Segregated Accounts
	4.5	✗	✗	✓
	4.0	✗	✗	✓
	4.1	✗	✗	✓
	3.9	✗	✗	✓
	4.2	✗	✗	✓
Broker	Trust Rating	Guaranteed Stop Loss	Negative Balance Protection	Segregated Accounts

Mobile Trading Comparison

Compare the mobile trading features of the Best Stock Brokers 2026.

Broker	Mobile Apps	iOS Rating	Android Rating	Smart Watch App
	iOS & Android	4.3	4.5	✓
	iOS & Android	4.3	4.0	✗
	iOS & Android	3.0	3.2	✗
	iOS & Android	4.7	4.5	✗
	Yes (iOS & Android)	4.6	3.8	✗
Broker	Mobile Apps	iOS Rating	Android Rating	Smart Watch App

Comparison for Beginners

Compare how suitable the Best Stock Brokers 2026 are for beginners.

Broker	Demo Account	Minimum Deposit	Minimum Trade	Education Rating	Support Rating	Fractional Shares	Demo Competitions
	✓	$0	$1	4.3	3.0	✓	✗
	✓	$50	$10	3.0	3.0	✓	✗
	✓	$0 (live trades must meet intraday margin minimums, e.g., $50 to trade micro contracts)	1 contract	4.0	4.0	✗	✗
	✗	Varies by payment method	$1	3.8	2.5	✓	✗
	✓	$0	$0	4.0	3.3	✓	✗
Broker	Demo Account	Minimum Deposit	Minimum Trade	Education Rating	Support Rating	Fractional Shares	Demo Competitions

Comparison for Advanced Traders

Compare how suitable the Best Stock Brokers 2026 are for advanced or professional traders.

Broker	Automated Trading	VPS	API	AI	Pro Account	Leverage	Low Latency	Extended Hours
	TWS API	✗	✓	✓	✗	1:50 (major forex pairs), 1:2-1:4 (equities)	✓	✓
	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
	NinjaScript or via Automated Trading Interface	✗	✗	✗	✗	$50 intraday margins for Micro contracts and $500 for popular E-mini contracts	✓	✗
	DCA Auto-Staking	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓
	Moomoo OpenAPI	✗	✓	✓	✗	1:2	✓	✓
Broker	Automated Trading	VPS	API	AI	Pro Account	Leverage	Low Latency	Extended Hours

Accounts Comparison

Compare the trading accounts offered by Best Stock Brokers 2026.

Broker	Demo Account	Interest on Cash	Islamic Account	Joint Account	Managed Account	PAMM	MAM	LAMM	Pro Account
	✓	USD: 3.14%, GBP: 3.24%	✗	✓	✓	✗	✓	✗	✗
	✓	USD: 4.05%	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗
	✓	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
	✗	USD: 5%	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
	✓	USD: 3.35%	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
Broker	Demo Account	Interest on Cash	Islamic Account	Joint Account	Managed Account	PAMM	MAM	LAMM	Pro Account

Detailed Rating Comparison

Compare how we rated the Best Stock Brokers 2026 in key areas.

Broker	Trust	Platforms	Assets	Mobile	Fees	Accounts	Research	Education	Support
	4.5	3.3	4.7	4.4	4.3	3.5	4.4	4.3	3.0
	4.0	3.5	2.9	4.2	3.4	3.0	3.5	3.0	3.0
	4.1	4.5	3.5	3.1	4.3	3.3	4.0	4.0	4.0
	3.9	4.0	4.0	4.6	3.3	3.8	3.8	3.8	2.5
	4.2	3.0	3.3	4.2	3.0	3.0	3.5	4.0	3.3
Broker	Trust	Platforms	Assets	Mobile	Fees	Accounts	Research	Education	Support

Fee and Cost Comparison

Compare the cost of trading with the Best Stock Brokers 2026.

Broker	Cost Rating	Fixed Spreads	Inactivity Fee	EUR/USD Spread	Crypto Spread
	4.3	✗	$0	0.08-0.20 bps x trade value	0.12%-0.18%
	3.4	✓	$10	✗	BTC 0.75%
	4.3	✗	$35	1.3	Floating
	3.3	✗	$5	✗	0.075% (spot), 0.034% (derivatives)
	3.0	✗	$0	✗	0.49% per spot Bitcoin trade (US), 0.3% to 0.39% (Singapore)
Broker	Cost Rating	Fixed Spreads	Inactivity Fee	EUR/USD Spread	Crypto Spread

Customer Ratings

Compare how customers of these brokers feel about them, with real user ratings from Trustpilot, the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Broker	Customers	Trustpilot Score	Trustpilot Reviews	Android App Rating	iOS App Rating
	4,300,000	3.0	5,528	4.5	4.3
	3,200,000	4.0	32,286	4.0	4.3
	1,800,000	3.8	1,253	3.2	3.0
	150,000,000	2.0	9,439	4.5	4.7
	24,000,000	4.0	734	3.8	4.6
Broker	Customers	Trustpilot Score	Trustpilot Reviews	Android App Rating	iOS App Rating

Broker Popularity

See how popular the Best Stock Brokers 2026 are in terms of number of clients.

Broker	Popularity
Crypto.com	150,000,000
Moomoo	24,000,000
Interactive Brokers	4,300,000
eToro USA	3,200,000
NinjaTrader	1,800,000

Why Trade With Interactive Brokers?

4.3/5

Interactive Brokers is ideal for seasoned traders due to its robust charting platforms, updated data, and adaptability, especially with the IBKR Desktop application. Its exceptional pricing and advanced order features appeal to traders, and its variety of stocks remains unmatched in the market.

Pros

• IBKR, primarily designed for skilled traders, has expanded its appeal recently by eliminating its initial $10,000 deposit requirement.
• The TWS platform is designed for intermediate to advanced traders. It includes over 100 order types and a dependable real-time market data feed that rarely experiences downtime.
• Interactive Brokers was awarded 'Best US Broker' for 2025 by DayTrading.com for its dedication to US traders, ultra-low margin rates, and affordable global market access.

Cons

• Only one active session per account is allowed, which means you can't run the desktop version and mobile app at the same time. This can sometimes lead to a frustrating trading experience.
• IBKR offers many research tools. However, the tools are not uniformly distributed across trading platforms and the web-based 'Account Management' page, causing confusion for the users.
• In 2025, IBKR was fined $11.8 million by the US OFAC for offering services in restricted areas. It also faced a $125,000 fine from FINRA in 2025 for failing to disclose municipal bond information.

Visit Interactive Brokers Read Review

Why Trade With eToro USA?

3.4/5

eToro is a strong choice for traders seeking social investing and copy trading. Its low deposit, zero commissions, and easy-to-use platform suit new traders.

Pros

• eToro USA Securities is a reliable broker that's regulated by the SEC, part of FINRA, and a member of SIPC.
• The low minimum deposit and simple account setup allow beginners to start trading quickly.
• The eToro App Store launched in 2026, offering algorithmic trading tools and social analytics. In July, it introduced an AI-powered app for autonomous trading.

Cons

• Traders used to third-party charting tools won't find MetaTrader 4 platform integration.
• The range of trading instruments is limited compared to some competitors, offering mainly stocks, ETFs, a large selection of options, and cryptocurrencies.
• eToro USA was fined $1.5 million by the SEC in 2024 for unregistered crypto offerings.

Visit eToro USA Read Review

Securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (“the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Cryptocurrency offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) (NMLS: 1769299) and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk. This site is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the MSB and/or the BD.

Why Trade With NinjaTrader?

4.5/5

NinjaTrader consistently satisfies active futures traders with its low-cost service and high-quality analysis tools. It offers superior charting features, including hundreds of indicators and over 10 chart types.

Pros

• 's ecosystem offers traders access to thousands of add-ons and applications from developers in over 150 countries. These include indicators, strategies, and custom tools that extend the platform's native features.
• In July 2026, NinjaTrader introduced CME Group Single Stock futures. This allows traders to take directional positions in major U.S. companies such as Nvidia and Amazon without using options.
• Nano contracts—one-hundredth the size of standard NinjaTrader contracts—help traders size positions precisely and manage risk at a smaller scale when building positions gradually.

Cons

• Intraday margin requirements can rise up to four times in the 15 minutes before major economic news and remain high for several minutes after volatility decreases.
• NinjaTrader was bought by Kraken in May 2025. Although it still operates independently, traders concerned about long-term stability may worry about changes in the platform's direction and pricing under new ownership.
• NinjaTrader was fined $250,000 in 2025 for not implementing a sufficient anti-money laundering program and for supervisory failures.

Visit NinjaTrader Read Review

Why Trade With Crypto.com?

3.5/5

Crypto.com is ideal for new crypto traders looking to buy, sell, and trade over 400 digital tokens. Its strike options and prediction markets cover financial, economic, election, sport, and cultural events. As a CFTC-regulated platform, it provides a secure choice for US traders interested in binary-style contracts using an easy-to-use app.

Pros

• The Crypto.com Exchange platform provides advanced bots like Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA), Time-Weighted Average Price (TWAP), and Grid Trading bots. Traders can automate strategies, including leveraged perpetual trades, reducing manual work and slippage.
• The platform tracks cryptocurrencies, stocks, ETFs, prediction markets, and tokenized Wall Street stocks in one interface, making multi-asset management and insights easier.
• Crypto.com has integrated TradingView charts, offering the precise charting and technical analysis tools traders need to assess short-term price changes.

Cons

• Customer support mainly uses chatbots and email, with limited reliable phone support from our testing. This may cause delays in solving urgent issues like account access or transaction problems, which can be frustrating for crypto traders needing quick help.
• The app has high bid-ask spreads on many coins, which can be expensive for traders using market orders. Wide spreads mean the buying price is significantly higher than the selling price, reducing profits, especially in low-volume trades.
• Fees apply to crypto and fiat withdrawals, which can be significant for active traders making smaller transfers. The minimum withdrawal limits are also high, limiting flexibility in managing smaller portfolios or immediate liquidity needs.

Visit Crypto.com Read Review

Why Trade With Moomoo?

3.2/5

Moomoo is a great option for beginner and intermediate traders aiming to diversify their investment portfolio. The brokerage's app is easily navigable and the trading fees are significantly low.

Pros

• The broker provides early access to trading hours before the market opens.
• API Skills offers agentic investing for retail traders. Users can connect their AI agents, such as Claude or OpenAI, to Moomoo's platform to execute algorithmic strategies using natural language.
• Moomoo offers detailed analytics and insights compared to other brands.

Cons

• No negative balance protection, a standard safety feature at top-tier regulated brokers.
• Moomoo has received several regulatory penalties lately, including fines and orders in 2026 that temporarily halted the acceptance of some Japanese and Chinese clients.
• The account options are limited compared to similar brokerages, with no managed portfolios or robo-advisor solutions.

Visit Moomoo Read Review

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How We Chose the Best Stock Brokers

We conducted an in-depth evaluation of each stock broker, assigning overall ratings and sorting providers by this. Here’s what our analysis included:

• Quantitative Metrics: We examined over 200 data points across eight key areas. This included assessing the range of stock exchanges and equity indices each broker provides, the spreads on popular stocks like Apple, and whether commission-free trading, which is increasingly popular, is available.
• Qualitative Insights: Our hands-on testing provided valuable insights into the overall stock trading experience. We also evaluated whether brokers went above and beyond by offering features like share baskets, sustainable stocks, and extended trading hours, that impact traders’ access to markets and cost efficiency.

What to Consider When Searching For a Stock Broker

After years of evaluating stock brokers and personally using the services of various providers to buy, sell and trade individual stocks, we know the quality among firms can vary dramatically.

However, we’ve whittled it down to these five critical considerations:

1. Regulatory Status

This should be at the top of the list for any trader and investor. Increasing levels of online fraud, often targeted through social media, mean it’s important to check the regulatory status of a brokerage before depositing any cash or handing over personal details.

The protection that investors enjoy can range greatly across regions. So it’s a good idea to use a company that’s licenced by a reputable financial authority in a well-developed financial location.

Examples include the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US.

Pro tip: You should be able to find the regulatory status of a brokerage on most regulators’ websites. Alternatively, check BrokerListings.com’s pick of the top regulated brokers.

Some highly trusted stock brokers, such as Plus500, are themselves listed on stock exchanges (PLUS), ensuring a high degree of financial transparency.

2. Trading Platform

There can be vast differences in the platforms, trading apps, and research tools that different brokerages offer. Ask yourself:

• How easy is it to navigate the platform and execute stock trades quickly, especially during market volatility?
• Does the platform offer real-time news feeds, economic calendars, and other relevant resources to help you make informed trading decisions?
• How fast does the broker execute stock orders, and does the platform offer reliable execution during high-volume periods?
• What risk management tools are available, such as guaranteed stop-loss orders or margin alerts, to help protect your positions and maximize potential gains?
• Does the broker integrate with third-party trading tools, such as MT4, MT5, TradingView, or cTrader, for advanced charting and analysis?
• What security measures are in place to protect your account and personal data, such as two-factor authentication (2FA)?
• If you want a stock broker for dividend investing, do they offer useful calendars and automatic reinvestment features?

Some platforms also allow individuals to ‘trade’ using virtual cash, known as demo trading accounts. This is a facility you can use to refine your trading strategy and get up to speed with the stock markets when starting out.

eToro‘s brilliant web platform and smartphone app makes it a popular broker with stock traders. Both new and experienced traders, myself included, like its community chat function which can provide fresh ideas spanning everything from penny stocks to blue chips.

3. Stock Market Access

Look at the breadth of exchanges, indices and sectors you can access. Most firms we’ve evaluated offer US stocks, while the good ones also provide opportunities in European, UK, Asian, Australian and other global markets.

IG‘s trading platform offers a wealth of trading opportunities. You can buy and sell a whopping 3,000+ global equities on established exchanges (like the London Stock Exchange and NASDAQ) as well as exotic ones in emerging markets.

Pro tip: Some brokers allow experienced individuals to trade stocks with derivative products like contracts for difference (CFDs). These instruments facilitate financial market speculation without the need for an individual to hold any underlying shares. Though note CFDs aren’t allowed in some countries, such as the US.

Some platforms have also introduced tokenized stocks with 24/7 opportunities to speculate on share prices, leveraging blockchain technology. See the best platforms for buying tokenized stocks.

4. Fees and Charges

Choosing a stock broker is about more than just the platform – it’s about minimizing costs, especially if you’re a frequent trader where transaction costs can mount.

Pay close attention to trade commissions, management fees, and bid-offer spreads on the equities you plan to trade such as Tesla, Microsoft and Nvidia, as high costs can quickly eat into your profits.

Also, consider whether you’re getting bang for your buck. Features like commission-free trading, share baskets, and extended hours on US equities offer added flexibility and access to a broader range of opportunities.

Equally, analysis of the stock markets by a brokerage’s experts and customizable stock screeners can elevate the experience, and might be worth paying more for.

IC (formerly IC Markets) provides a superb balance of low costs and premium tools, with spreads on stocks as tight as 0.02, and access to Trading Central and Autocharist for market insights.

5. Leverage

Many brokers allow customers to place trades with borrowed money. This is known as trading on margin, and is a popular – but high-risk – way in which individuals try to maximize profits by controlling larger positions.

The amount of leverage available will differ across brokerages, as will the level of collateral a trader will put down. Plus500, for instance, offers leverage of 1:5 for trading share CFDs. This means I can control a position of $50 for every $10 I invest.

Pro tip: Risk management is vital if you intend to trade stocks with leverage. While the level of leverage provided is generally lower than markets like forex and crypto, it remains a high-risk way to trade.

Find Top Brokers With Access To Major Stock Exchanges And Indices

Not all stockbrokers provide access to every exchange. While many might allow you to buy and sell shares across dozens of international trading hubs, others may restrict customers to trading domestic stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other securities.

BrokerListings.com has opened and tested dozens of broker accounts to identify those offering access to the world’s leading stock exchanges. Explore our expert-reviewed guides below to find the best brokers for trading your chosen market or index:

• Nasdaq
• London Stock Exchange (LSE)
• Euronext
• Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)
• Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)
• Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
• Borsa Italiana
• CAC 40 Index (France)
• Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)
• DAX 40 Index (Germany)
• Deutsche Boerse
• Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)
• Dubai Financial Market (DFM)
• FTSE UK Index
• Hang Seng
• Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX)
• IBEX 35 (Spain)
• Japan Exchange Group
• Korea Exchange (KRX)
• Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE)
• Nasdaq Dubai
• Nasdaq Nordic & Baltics
• National Stock Exchange Of India
• New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
• Russell 2000
• S&P 500
• Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE)
• Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE)
• SIX Swiss Exchange
• Tadawul (Saudi Arabia)
• Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE)
• Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)

FAQ

What Is a Stock Broker?

Stock brokers facilitate the dealing of shares and other financial securities on behalf of buyers and sellers.

Once these intermediaries have received a trading instruction from a customer, they will get in touch with a market maker – institutions which hold a variety of assets on account – to complete the deal.

The range of services offered by stock brokers can vary significantly. Broadly speaking, these fall into two categories:

• Full-service stock brokers, which provide additional services (such as investment advice and portfolio management) alongside trade execution.
• Execution-only stock brokers, which facilitate a basic trading-only function in exchange for a lower cost.

Some financial services providers act as both brokerage and market maker. This can have advantages for traders like us, such as faster trade execution and tighter bid and ask spreads.

However, reduced transparency and potential conflict of interest are key considerations for investors using such companies.

How Do Stock Brokers Make Money?

Stock brokers often earn by charging a commission, which is often a fixed fee per trade.

However, some brokers like Moomoo are increasingly providing commission-free trades and make money off the spread – the difference between the buy and sell price of a stock.

Some brokers also act as market makers, earning even if you lose on a trade.

Article Sources

Plus500 – London Stock Exchange Listing