Fortunly's Guide
Advertiser Disclosure

Best Investment Apps for June 2026

Written By
G. Dautovic
Updated
June 01,2026
Some or all of the products/services listed on this page are from our affiliate partners from which we receive commissions. This, however, does not influence the evaluations in our reviews. Learn more by reading our Advertiser Disclosure.

Becoming a stock trader has never been easier, even if you don’t want to sit in an office and look at indexes all day.

There are plenty of reliable investing apps that can help streamline the process, and all you have to do is select a few assets to start off your portfolio. Read on to learn more about them.

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Compare Investment Apps

Best for: setting investment goals

M1 Finance

Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.

M1 Finance Logo
OVERVIEW

Compiling a solid portfolio and setting realistic investment goals are key to earning money through trading assets. M1 Finance is a portfolio management app that can help you with these tasks. Its interactive dashboards make investing a breeze. The platform combines commission-free automated investing with customizable “Pies,” fractional shares, and high-yield cash accounts. Read more

  • 80+ pre-built portfolios
  • Supports fractional share investing
  • Customizable automated portfolios
  • High-yield cash accounts available
Account minimum:
$0 to open; minimum trade requirements may apply before a Pie can invest
Investment options:
Stocks, ETFs, fractional shares, Expert Pies, and custom Pies
Stock/ETF trading cost:
$0 commissions
Advisory or subscription fee:
$3 monthly platform fee or $3 monthly IRA fee may apply unless waived with at least $10,000 in total M1 assets or an active M1 Personal Loan
Cash APY:
3.10% APY on M1 High-Yield Cash Accounts
Bonus or promotion:
$75 referral bonus for eligible new accounts
Best for: portfolio diversification

Public.com

Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.

Public.com Logo
OVERVIEW

Public.com is a commission-free* trading platform established in 2019. It allows users to buy and sell stocks, ETFs, crypto, bonds, options, and other available investment products through a mobile and web platform. The company is headquartered in New York City and offers investors a broad product lineup that includes fractional shares, high-yield cash, and portfolio-transfer incentives. Read more

  • Allows fractional shares
  • Stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, crypto, and cash products
  • 1% uncapped transfer match for eligible transferred portfolios
Account minimum:
$0 to open
Investment options:
Stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, crypto, Treasury products, and high-yield cash
Stock/ETF trading cost:
$0 commissions for stock and ETF trades
Advisory or subscription fee:
Optional Premium subscription; product, spread, and service fees may apply
Cash APY:
3.30% APY on Public’s High-Yield Cash Account
Bonus or promotion:
1% match for eligible portfolio transfers
Best for: beginners

Robinhood

Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.

Robinhood Logo
OVERVIEW

If you’re getting started on your investment journey, you should definitely check out Robinhood. It’s especially handy for making investments on the move and is well-known for its commission-free stock, ETF, and options trading. Read more

  • $0 commissions on stocks, ETFs, and options
  • Cryptocurrency options
  • Gold membership available for $5/month
Account minimum:
$0
Investment options:
Stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, futures, retirement accounts, and cash management features
Stock/ETF trading cost:
$0
Advisory or subscription fee:
Robinhood Gold costs $5/month or $50/year
Cash APY:
3.35% APY on eligible cash for Robinhood Gold members
Bonus or promotion:
Stock between $5 to $200
Best for: families

Acorns

Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.

Acorns Logo
OVERVIEW

Acorns is designed for newcomers to the world of investing. It synchronizes with your credit or debit card so that the cost of anything you buy rounds up to the nearest dollar, with the difference being deposited into your investment plan. It’s one of the leading apps for micro investing and is simple to use, as Acorns invests the money for you depending on the level of risk you select. Read more

  • Superb for beginners
  • Range of investment plans
  • Turns spare change into profit
  • Checking and emergency savings features available on eligible plans
Account minimum:
$0 to open
Investment options:
Automated ETF portfolios, round-ups, retirement accounts, checking, emergency savings, and family investing features
Stock/ETF trading cost:
Not a self-directed stock-trading app
Advisory or subscription fee:
$3, $6, or $12/month, depending on plan
Cash APY:
2.18% APY on Mighty Oak Checking and 3.35% APY on Emergency Savings
Bonus or promotion:
$20 Sign-Up Bonus
Best for: retirement investing

Betterment

Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.

Betterment Logo
OVERVIEW

Betterment is another great solution for people looking to achieve their financial goals by putting investments on autopilot. Its beautifully designed and intuitive app requires minimal input but does all the investing on its own. All you have to do is tell it your goals, sit back, and relax. There are no required balances, and it is free to get started - making it an excellent choice for those just starting out in the investment world. Read more

  • Automated investing
  • $0 minimum balance
  • One-on-one advising available
  • Cash Reserve available
Account minimum:
$0 minimum balance for Digital investing
Investment options:
Automated ETF portfolios, retirement accounts, bond portfolios, cash reserve, and advisor access on eligible plans
Stock/ETF trading cost:
Not a self-directed stock-trading app
Advisory or subscription fee:
$5/month for Digital investing, or 0.25% annually with $200+ in recurring monthly deposits/transfers or $24,000+ across eligible Betterment investing accounts
Cash APY:
3.25% APY variable on Cash Reserve
Bonus or promotion:
Up to $1,000 when you open an investing account
Best for: low-cost investing

Webull

Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.

Webull Logo
OVERVIEW

Some people believe that to become an investor you have to have deep pockets. But this isn't necessarily true. If you’re searching for an app with a relatively small sum of money, Webull may be an ideal solution. There are many potential traders with low-income jobs who are risk-averse and thus want to limit their trading budget. They will be happy to know that this app charges the lowest fees possible. Read more

  • Numerous charts and graphs
  • $0 commissions on U.S.-exchange-listed stocks, ETFs, and options
  • 0.50 per contract fee for certain index option trades
Account minimum:
$0
Investment options:
Stocks, ETFs, options, ADRs, crypto, IRAs, and cash management features
Stock/ETF trading cost:
$0 commissions for U.S.-listed stocks, ETFs, and options
Advisory or subscription fee:
No required advisory fee for self-directed trading; optional Premium features may apply
Cash APY:
3.25% APY on uninvested cash, 3.65% for Premium members
Bonus or promotion:
$20 in fractional shares on $500 deposit
Best for: long-term investing

Ally Invest

Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.

Ally Invest Logo
OVERVIEW

Ally is suitable for both beginners and experienced investors. Depending on what types of investments you make, you can do pretty much all of your trading without incurring fees. There’s also a great range of investment options and strategies you can undertake. Read more

  • Suits all levels of investment
  • Excellent strategies
  • Banking and investing under one login
  • Robo Portfolios available
Account minimum:
$0
Investment options:
Stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, bonds, low-priced securities, and managed portfolios
Stock/ETF trading cost:
$0 commissions on stocks and ETFs priced $2 or higher
Advisory or subscription fee:
No subscription fee for self-directed trading; managed portfolios and service fees may apply
Cash APY:
N/A
Bonus or promotion:
None
Best for: flexible investing

SoFi

Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.

SoFi Logo
OVERVIEW

SoFi stands out due to its option for either active or automated investing, giving investors flexibility in how they spend their money. Making general investments in stocks is essentially commission-free, and there’s also an excellent refer-a-friend scheme. SoFi also offers access to robo investing for a 0.25% annual advisory fee and self-directed investing that starts with as little as $5. Read more

  • Invest proactively or automatically
  • Commission-free stock and ETF trading
  • Refer friends for cash
  • Robo investing available for a 0.25% annual advisory fee
Account minimum:
$5 to start self-directed investing
Investment options:
Stocks, ETFs, options, IPOs, fractional shares, robo investing, retirement accounts, and crypto access
Stock/ETF trading cost:
$0 commissions for stock and ETF trades
Advisory or subscription fee:
0.25% annual advisory fee for SoFi robo investing
Cash APY:
N/A
Bonus or promotion:
Earn $5 to $1,000 in stock
Best for: automated investing

Wealthfront

Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.

Wealthfront Logo
OVERVIEW

Not everyone has the time to devote themselves to investing. But instead of giving up on the potential earnings from this type of asset manipulation, we suggest you consider opening a Wealthfront account. Wealthfront is a great choice for investing with minimal effort. Once you answer a few questions, you’ll be able to sit back and have the app do all the work for you. Read more

  • Automated investing
  • Highly customizable
  • Fast account setup
  • High-yield Cash Account available
Account minimum:
$500 for automated investing
Investment options:
Automated portfolios, stock investing, bond ladders, retirement accounts, and cash management
Stock/ETF trading cost:
Not primarily a self-directed trading app
Advisory or subscription fee:
0.25% annual advisory fee for Automated Investing
Cash APY:
3.30% base APY on Wealthfront Cash Account; new clients can earn 3.95% APY for three months
Bonus or promotion:
0.75% APY boost for three months through eligible referrals, on balances up to $150,000
Evaluation Criteria

How We Evaluate Investment Apps

Even experts could use advice on choosing an app if they’ve never used software like this before. After all, if you’re staking your future on it, your app of choice must be efficient and safe to use.

We know this can be tricky to find, especially when every app seems to offer everything you could ever need without any apparent downsides.

To help you choose, we’ll explain our method for picking each candidate. You can apply the same criteria to make your decision, but always remember to put things in the context of your investing resources and goals. Let’s dive in!

Interface

A basic benchmark of app quality is its accessibility. If you can’t easily reach everything you need because the app’s interface is too complicated, you won’t be able to capitalize on its features, no matter how good they are.

This is especially true for beginner investors or those who aren’t particularly tech-savvy, but no one likes complicated interfaces. As a rule, the more visible the features and metrics, the better.

We also compare whether the app offers a full web platform, advanced charting, portfolio dashboards, automated investing tools, account alerts, watchlists, and easy access to tax documents and statements.

Investment Options

Unless your investment focus is laser-sharp, you’ll want to have as many asset classes from as many issuers as possible at your disposal, just in case. Therefore, the app you invest through must support having a wide variety of investment options.

Luckily, reliable apps will have the most important bases covered, although many will focus on domestic trading. If you want to capitalize on the rising markets outside the US, make sure your app of choice has ample and diverse international investment opportunities.

We compare available stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, bonds, mutual funds, automated ETF portfolios, IRAs, fractional shares, cash accounts, and access to human or automated advice.

Fees

Good apps are never free. Even though they won’t be as expensive as full-service personal brokers, many apps still need to collect fees to keep running. Still, even if you want premium service, it shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.

The investing apps we chose tend to be very affordable, but we advise reading every fee schedule thoroughly to ensure there are no hidden costs. After all, you’re investing to make money, so you don’t want to end up overpaying for your apps.

We separate trading commissions from advisory fees, subscription fees, cash-account rates, options contract fees, crypto spreads, transfer fees, regulatory fees, wire fees, and other account-service charges.

Promotions

These apps have been around for a while, but they’re always interested in attracting new customers. Therefore, you can expect some of them to offer incentives for fledgling investors or Wall Street experts who switch to their products.

For example, a platform might offer to match your initial deposit with bonus investment funds to help get you started. Still, sometimes bonuses come with strings attached, so check the terms of every offer carefully.

Because app bonuses and APY boosts change frequently, we treat promotional offers as secondary ranking factors. A strong investment app should still be competitive after the promotion expires.

Customer Service Quality

Even the best-laid plans sometimes go awry. If and when that happens, you’ll need expert support to determine your next steps. In other words, platforms that can connect you to a broker or dedicated support team via multiple avenues of communication have the edge over the competition.

If the company also offers 24/7 customer support, that’s a win in our book.

We also look at whether support is available through phone, live chat, in-app chat, secure messaging, email, help centers, and access to licensed financial professionals.

Cash Management and APY

Many investment apps now include cash accounts, high-yield cash programs, checking accounts, debit cards, or APY boosts.

We list these features separately from investment fees because cash APY is variable and may require a subscription, direct deposit, membership tier, or promotional eligibility.

Quick Breakdown

Top 5 Investment Apps - Our Picks for 2026:

  • M1 Finance - Best for customizable portfolio automation
  • Public.com - Best for portfolio diversification

  • Robinhood - Best for beginners
  • Acorns - Best for families

  • Betterment - Best for retirement investing

An In-Depth Guide to Investment Apps

Investment applications are smartphone and mobile-centric services that have brought the world of investing to our pockets.

These apps allow users to quickly and easily manage their portfolios and invest in stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, and other assets in a multitude of financial markets.

Investment apps also usually come with a wide variety of additional features, like educational content for beginners, real-time notifications on news and market trends, performance trackers, analysis, and research tools.

Types of Investment Apps 

Almost all of the investing apps fall under one of the three main types:

  1. Full-service brokerages: These are the most traditional and most expensive brokers on the market because with a full-service brokerage app, you hire a professional advisor to manage your portfolio and buy and sell assets on your behalf. Naturally, these brokerages come with higher fees and account minimums, but they do also offer a wider selection of services to their clients, handling estate and tax planning, wealth management, and much more. We recommend these types of apps to traders who wish to handle sizable investments, as most can be better off with a discount brokerage.
  2. Discount brokerages: These online brokers have exploded in popularity in recent years, offering investments in stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and other products without charging a standard percentage for every trade, like it is the case with traditional brokerages. In fact, there are some discount brokerages that charge no commission fees at all.
  3. Robo-advisors: The automatic investing market is booming since the advent of robo-advisors, which are automated investment services using advanced software and algorithms to manage portfolios, tax optimization, retirement planning, and much more. This type of app comes with low fees and opening balance requirements, but you also lose that human contact and guidance that you get with a personal advisor.

What You Can Invest In

Investment apps usually do not have the same amount of investment opportunities as online stock brokers, but some apps like Robinhood or Fidelity Investments do provide the ability to trade in multiple securities.

Acorns, on the other hand, only allows trading in ETFs, while some applications offer a fuller range of investments like bonds, options, mutual funds, cryptocurrencies, precious metals, and more. There are now even some specialized apps like Masterworks, which offers investing into fine art.

How Much Money Should You Invest?

The amount of money you should invest depends on your individual needs and your personal financial situation. 

There are some strategies and rules that financial experts recommend, for example investing 15%-25% of your post-tax income, 10% of your total monthly income or following the 50/30/20 rule, but the most important thing we can point out is that any outstanding debts and loans should come as a priority before opting to put some of your funds into investments.

Even if you start with as little as possible, investing a dollar or two each month, the key to success is precisely in regularity and the continued investment in your positions in order to build wealth as your investment compounds and appreciates in value.

What Fees Should You Compare?

The most important investing-app fees are not always obvious. Look beyond the monthly price and compare trading commissions, advisory fees, options contract fees, crypto spreads, subscription fees, account transfer fees, wire fees, inactivity fees, and expense ratios on ETFs or mutual funds.

If you’re choosing a robo-advisor, the advisory fee matters most. If you’re choosing a trading app, options fees, crypto fees, margin rates, and transfer fees may matter more. If you’re choosing a micro-investing app, a small monthly subscription can be expensive compared with your balance.

FAQ

What is the best investment app for beginners?

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Robinhood, Acorns, Betterment, and SoFi are all strong beginner-friendly options.

Are investment apps really free?

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Some investment apps charge $0 commissions for stock and ETF trades, but that does not mean the app is completely free. Subscription fees, robo-advisory fees, crypto spreads, options contract fees, wire fees, transfer fees, regulatory fees, and ETF expense ratios may still apply.

What is the best investment app for automated investing?

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We'd recomment apps like Betterment, Wealthfront, Acorns and SoFi if you're interested in automated investing.