The 3 Best Investing Apps for Beginners

Are you looking for the best investment apps but it’s your first time investing? Lots of articles cover the best overall investing apps but many beginners are new to trading stocks in general and don’t know where to start.

When you began investing for the first time, it’s important to choose simple apps that work well and take away all of the advanced technical analysis, analyst reports & complex financial metrics. You will learn these things over time but right now the most important thing is to get started.

I’ve personally tested dozens of apps over the years and came up with a simple list of the best investing apps for beginners & first time investors.

Best Investing Apps for Beginners

AppRecommended for…
RobinhoodComplete Beginners
StashFirst time investors who have trouble saving money
AcornsFirst time ETF investors

1. Robinhood – Best Overall App for Beginners

Summary

  • Investment Types: NASDAQ & NYSE stocks/ETFs and cryptocurrencies
  • Account Minimum: $0
  • Availability: iOs and Android
  • Cash balance APY: No interest
  • Countries: USA and UK investors
  • Cost: Free ($5 for Robinhood Gold)
  • Minimum Transfer: $0
  • Best for: Millenials who want to buy and sell stocks

Robinhood is the best overall investing app for compete beginners. The company revolutionized the financial industry by offering free stock trading commissions along with zero account minimums and no hidden fees.

How It Works

The app is easy to download and makes buying and sell stocks very easy. Robinhood also supports cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ripple.

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Pricing & Fees

Free trading with no minimums. Extra features are available to Robinhood Gold members for $5 a month.

Pros

  • Free stock, options & cryptocurrency trades
  • No account miminums
  • Fast instant deposits up to $1,000 (Higher for Robinhood gold)
  • Ease to use app interface
  • Good watchlist feature
  • Supports fractional shares

Cons

  • No account beneficiary option upon death
  • No dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP)
  • No live 24/7 phone customer service
  • No retirement accounts
  • No OTC stocks
  • No interest bearing cash account

Bottom Line

Robinhood is the best app for complete beginners. Highly recommended.

Open a Robinhood account now and get a free share of stock or Read the full Robinhood Review

2. Stash Invest – Best App for People Who Have Trouble Saving Money

Summary

  • Investment Types: Popular NYSE & NASDAQ stocks, ETFs
  • Account Minimum: $0
  • Availability: iOs and Android
  • Cash balance APY: Yes
  • Countries: USA
  • Fees: $1 for accounts under $5k or 0.25% for accounts over $5k
  • Minimum Transfer: $5

Stash isn’t like a traSditional brokerage like Robinhood. This app specifically targets first time investors who want a powerful investing + banking solution all in one.

Stash is my favorite fractional share app for buying small portions of expensive stocks like Amazon and Alphabet (GOOG). The mobile app is fast and easy to use with a good interface.

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The whole concept is to automatically transfer money from your checking to your stash every week or month and invest the money into stocks or ETFs. You can buy fractional shares of most major companies (Apple, Amazon, Netflix) for free.

Pros

  • Invest with just $5
  • Easy to use mobile app with historical stock performance info
  • Earn stock back from purchases using your Stash Visa debit card
  • Autostash feature builds up your savings on autopilot

Cons

  • Monthly fees based on account size
  • Only can choose from a limited number of stocks
  • No index funds

Stash is a modern day alternative to traditional banks and investment brokers. For a more in-depth review, check this out: Read the Full Stash Invest Review.

Click Here to Start Investing with Stash Today and get a free $25 signup bonus!

3. Acorns – Best for Beginner ETF Investors

Summary

  • Investment Types: 5 ETF blends from conservative to aggressive
  • Account Minimum: $0
  • Availability: iOs and Android
  • Cash balance APY: No interest
  • Countries: USA
  • Fees: $1for basic account/$2 for retirement/ $3 for retirement + ATM card
  • Minimum Transfer: $5
  • Best for: Beginner investors who want to invest in low cost ETF funds

Acorns is a cool investing apps that’s a bit different from the rest. NBA star Kevin Durant along with other celebes use this investing app and it’s good for passive investors.

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It works as a robo adviser by automatically investing your money in weighted investment fund. You can automatically transfer money to your account reguarly or invest “round ups” (the difference of your credit card purchases rounded up to $1). For example, if you purchase a coffee for $4.50, Acorns will take the remaining 50 cents and invest it for you.

Acorns tracks your purchasing habits and offers bonus money if you buy a particular service. You don’t have as much control and cannot buy individual stocks or ETFs.

Pros

  • Low fees for getting started
  • Earn found money by receiving cashback from merchants like Nike and AirBNB
  • Invest in 5 different ETF allocations (from conserative to aggressive growth)
  • Setup auto recurring investments to put your investing on autopilot

Cons

  • No stocks

Click Here to Start Investing with Acorns Today!

Wrapping Things Up

I just listed the best overall investing apps for complete beginners who want to start investing in the stock market. If you want a more advanced app then check out my best investment apps article for more information.

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