The best brokerages, robo-advisors, and retirement accounts of 2026, ranked on fees, platform, research, and account options.
How we rank investing apps
Our brokerage and robo-advisor rubric weights costs and fees (25%), platform and tools (20%), asset selection (15%), account types (10%), education and research (10%), customer support (10%), and trust and safety (10%). We open real accounts and place real trades to evaluate each platform firsthand.
What to compare
Commission-free stock and ETF trading, options contract fees, and mutual fund access.
Retirement account support (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, Solo 401(k)).
Research quality, charting depth, and screener flexibility for active investors.
Fractional shares, dividend reinvestment, and automated portfolio tools.