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Best Investment Apps for Beginners in 2026 hero
Investing · Rankings

Best Investment Apps for Beginners in 2026

By Juan Hurtado, Editor-in-chief
Updated Apr 10, 2026
10 min read

Choosing the right broker matters for your long-term financial health. DollarScout evaluated the top brokers on fees, ease of use, feature set, and customer support to help you find the best fit for your needs in 2026.

Quick summary

Our top 5 picks

1
Easiest to start
Robinhood
4.5 / 5.0
2
Best for learning
Public
4.2 / 5.0
3
Best for hands-off investing
M1 Finance
4.1 / 5.0

The rankings

5 products compared
1
Robinhood
· Easiest to start
4.5/5
2
Public
· Best for learning
4.2/5
3
M1 Finance
· Best for hands-off investing
4.1/5
4
Webull
· Best free education
4.3/5
5
E*TRADE
· Best guided experience
4.4/5

Side-by-side comparison

Every product across every metric we scored.

Feature
#1
Robinhood
#2
Public
#3
M1 Finance
#4
Webull
#5
E*TRADE
DollarScout rating 4.5 / 5.0 4.2 / 5.0 4.1 / 5.0 4.3 / 5.0 4.4 / 5.0
Best for Easiest to start Best for learning Best for hands-off investing Best free education Best guided experience
Account minimum $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Commissions $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs
Mobile app iOS + Android iOS + Android iOS + Android iOS + Android iOS + Android
Fractional shares — — — — —
Standout feature Competitive pricing Competitive pricing Competitive pricing Competitive pricing Competitive pricing

Detailed reviews

In-depth look at every product on our list.

Best Overall · Editor's Choice
1
Ranked #1

Robinhood

4.5/5 4.5
DollarScout rating
Robinhood logo
Robinhood
Easiest to start

Robinhood stands out in the brokerage space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating brokers.

Visit Site
Read full review on Robinhood's website
Rating
4.5 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Robinhood stands out in the brokerage space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating brokers.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full Robinhood review
Our pick for best for learning
2
Ranked #2

Public

4.2/5 4.2
DollarScout rating
Public logo
Public
Best for learning

Public stands out in the brokerage space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating brokers.

Visit Site
Read full review on Public's website
Rating
4.2 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Public stands out in the brokerage space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating brokers.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full Public review
Our pick for best for hands-off investing
3
Ranked #3

M1 Finance

4.1/5 4.1
DollarScout rating
M1 Finance logo
M1 Finance
Best for hands-off investing

M1 Finance stands out in the brokerage space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating brokers.

Visit Site
Read full review on M1 Finance's website
Rating
4.1 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

M1 Finance stands out in the brokerage space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating brokers.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full M1 Finance review
Our pick for best free education
4
Ranked #4

Webull

4.3/5 4.3
DollarScout rating
Webull logo
Webull
Best free education

Webull stands out in the brokerage space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating brokers.

Visit Site
Read full review on Webull's website
Rating
4.3 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Webull stands out in the brokerage space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating brokers.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full Webull review
Our pick for best guided experience
5
Ranked #5

E*TRADE

4.4/5 4.4
DollarScout rating
E*TRADE logo
E*TRADE
Best guided experience

Etrade stands out in the brokerage space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating brokers.

Visit Site
Read full review on E*TRADE's website
Rating
4.4 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Etrade stands out in the brokerage space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating brokers.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full E*TRADE review
Our methodology

How we scored every product on this list

Our rankings combine hands-on testing, public filings where applicable, and verified user feedback. All brokers are regulated by the SEC and FINRA.

Every ranking combines hands-on testing, public filings where available, and verified user feedback. Read our full methodology for the complete scoring rubric.

JH
Written by
Juan Hurtado
Editor-in-chief, 10+ years in finance
Updated Apr 10, 2026