When my grandpa first bought stocks, the whole process took weeks. He had to contact a broker, negotiate and place an order, then wait on a paper confirmation and physical stock certificates to arrive by mail.
Today we’ve got it easy. You can open a brokerage account, fund it, and place your first trade in under 15 minutes, all from your couch.
About 58% of American adults own stock, according to The Motley Fool. If you’re ready to open a brokerage account, our favorites for easy online investing this month are Charles Schwab, SoFi Active Investing, and E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley.
Schwab won our Best Stock Broker for IRA Investors award for 2026. My wife keeps her Roth IRA and brokerage account there, and manages everything mostly from the mobile app.
Schwab makes it easy for DIY investors with extensive tools, including the thinkorswim platform for charting and deep research. It still stays simple enough for hands-off folks who just want to buy and hold. And when a question pops up at 11 p.m., its 24/7 phone and chat support picks up.
Who it’s best for: DIY investors who want pro-level online tools with a real person one tap away.
2. SoFi Active Investing: the smoothest way to start from your phone
SoFi Active Investing won our Best Stock Broker for Beginners award for 2026, and the mobile setup is about as painless as it gets.
To be honest, if I was starting from scratch I’d probably choose SoFi® for all my accounts. Investing, banking, and loans all live in one app, plus it offers a 1% match on eligible IRA contributions and rollovers. Terms apply.
The research tools are a lot lighter than the old-school brokers, but for buy-and-hold investors that’s not a huge roadblock. SoFi® also earned our Best Stock Broker for Fractional Shares award, which tells you how approachable the buying flow really is.
Who it’s best for: First-timers who want to start investing today, even with just a few bucks.
3. E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley: the online platform built for hands-on investors
E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley is made for people who like to dig in before they buy. It charges $0 for stock and ETF trades, with no minimum to get started.
Its Power E*TRADE platform lets you customize charts with dozens of metrics, and it now offers fractional shares on select stocks. Most long-term investors won’t need all that firepower. But if you like to research and tinker before every trade, it’s hard to beat online.
Who it’s best for: More active investors who want a powerful online platform without going full pro.
How to choose the right online broker for you
Picking the right broker comes down to how you like to invest. Most of the top ones offer the same basics — $0 trades and no minimums — so the real tiebreaker is fit.
A few things worth weighing before you commit:
- Match the account to the goal. Retirement savings belong in an IRA, while everyday investing fits a taxable brokerage account.
- Decide how much guidance you want. Some platforms are built for first-timers, and others pack in deep research tools.
- Think about where you’ll actually invest. If it all happens on your phone, put the mobile app first.
You also don’t need to just choose a single shop. My wife and I have accounts across Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, and a few small fintechs I tested out for fun. Since there’s no real cost to open an account, you can always try one and switch later.
If retirement is your main focus, it’s worth comparing the best IRA accounts before you open anything.
You don’t need a big balance to begin, just an account and a plan. Browse all the best online stock brokers we track in 2026 and start with the one that fits.
