Stock trading apps are the new normal in all aspects of life. As a result, stock trading companies have adapted to create powerful mobile trading apps to attract customers. It is important to see what the different platforms offer and how well it does at filling orders and providing useful tools for trading. Charting can be done on many stock trade apps, and sometimes you need more than one app to get the job done.
Many people live lifestyles where they can’t be glued to their computer, but they still want to manage their financial future. Nowadays we don’t need to be at our home or on the phone with our broker to trade or invest. The types of apps that are out there now will cater to every type of investor or trader. Read below to see the most popular trading apps and what they offer.
Chart by TradingView.
What Are a List of the Best Stock Trading Mobile Apps? (Free Included)
- Stash App
- Acorns
- Stockpile
- Robinhood
- ThinkorSwim
1. Stash - One of the Best Trading Apps on Our List
The Stash App is one of the trading apps specifically designed for investing. We like this app because its easy to use for a newbie or experienced saver/investor who doesn’t want a lot of frills.
Did you know the more you learn stock market trading, the better at investing you’ll be? Stock charts matter, not just fundamental data! Investing uses the same principles as trading, with different goals, strategies and time frames.
For example, day trading is going to happen all in one day whereas investing is the longer-term option. Long term is relative too. One person might feel 1 year is long term while another looks at 15 years.
Our free trading courses are available to teach you different trading strategies, including investing. A great element to the Stash App is that it’s great for beginners.
You don’t need a lot of experience to start investing. Just figure out a game plan based on your age, search for popular stocks and start investing.
The Stash stock investing app allows for hands on training. In fact, this app is designed to help new investors learn as you while knowing where your money is being invested.
2. On Your Own With the Stash Trading App
Traditional investing is put in the hands of an account manager. Using trading apps like Stash App give you complete control over your investments. Take profit or invest more, its up to you. You’re in charge of where your money goes.
With mobile stock trade apps such as the Stash App, you can trade stocks, ETFs and bonds all based on sectors. Another thing you can do with Stash App is bundle stocks, bonds and ETF’s.
Did you know that all you need is $5 to start? You can also own fractional shares of big name stocks like $AMZN and $AAPL.
If you’re new to investing then the Stash stock investing app is for you. Stash App is geared for new investors who want to learn how to invest on their own, set it and forget it. Read our Stash App review to learn more about what you can expect.
3. Acorns - One of the Best Trading Apps on Our List
Acorns is different than most stock trading apps. It’s a way of saving loose change and in turn, investing it. However, it’s all done on your phone, not under your mattress.
It’s taken the old school approach of saving change and cashing it in and modernizing it. Acorns rounds up purchases made on linked debit or credit cards.
No more huge jar of coins in your bedroom that you bring to the bank to count your coins every ten years.
Yes, your purchases lead to change which is added into your Acorn account. In other words, each purchase made is rounded to the nearest dollar.
You’re asked if you’d like to transfer the difference into your Acorns account, or you just let it run automatically. It’s a great way to save and invest for people who have trouble forcing themselves to do it on their own.
In fact, Acorns has added a retirement option known as Acorns Later. As a result, you can fund an IRA account through them to plan for the future.
If you can provide a valid college email, college students can use the stock investing app for free for four years. That can buy a LOT of Ramen noodles!
After that it’s a fee of $1 a month on a taxable investment account, $2 for retirement funds and $3 for their checking account.
If you’re a college student, struggling to save, or don’t want to be active in your investing, mobile stock trade apps such as Acorns are for you. It’s free to open an account and all you need is $5 to start investing.
Sure the fees seem small, however, they can wipe out any gains if you have a small balance. The fees being taken out each month add up,and who doesn’t feel good getting a deal?
Parents, if you have kids…this is a smart way to save your children s future. It’s also a great teaching tool for the young. The younger you teach them about investing the better.
Hence it might not be a good fit for small accounts. Read our Acorns Investing Review to learn more.
4. Stockpile - A Top Trading App
Stockpile is a part of the trading apps family geared for the younger investors. This online broker comes with an usual twist. Stockpile offers gift cards that can be used towards the purchase of stocks and ETFs.
The CEO of Stockpile came up with and implemented this concept. He wanted to give his family gifts that lasted. As a result, he came up with the idea of giving stock gift cards.
The more expensive stocks can be pricey so you can use stockpile gift cards towards the purchase of stocks. If you’re someone who’s looking to influence someone into investing for the long term a gift card goes a long way. Especially for someone who already has their fill of Amazon gift cards already.
You can buy the gift cards on the Stockpile website as well as certain grocery stores and retailers. They have low commission fees. However, they don’t offer options trading or mutual funds.
How Can I Invest Without Fees Using Trading Apps?
It’s important to know that as a broker it’s very bare bones. Its main draw is the gift card service.The result can be getting your kids interested in trading with the gift of a stock gift card and I think that’s great.
Stockpile is a part of the mobile apps geared toward the younger crowd. As a result, it may not appeal as heavily to the more sophisticated investor. However, it’s not complicated which serves its purpose; especially to new or inexperienced traders.
This app doesn’t have real time trades, however. Any trade placed before 3 pm will fill the same day. Any trade placed after 3 pm will fill the following trading day. The selection of stocks available through this app is limited. They do have more than 1,000 stocks available.
However, there are thousands of available stocks if you use brokers such as ThinkorSwim or Interactive Brokers. These brokers are better suited for active traders or investors who are looking for full access and full control and still want great customer service. Read our Stockpile App Review to learn more about what services that they offer.
1. Investing.Com
Investing.com is a stock trading app that is awesome for market research right on your phone. You can read articles, watch the market and even trade stocks. We love it here at the Bullish Bears because it’s simple and easy to use and you get great economic data.
If you’ve been on our site, you know that we encourage all our members to do their own research before buying a stock. Never place a trade on someone’s recommendation without first doing research. That will save your brokerage account.
Looking to learn stock trading? Stock trade apps like investing.com allow you to have all the information you need at your fingertips while on the go. Many times, trading has the perception of being hard. As a result, having a way to do research in an easy manner is a plus.
You have access to news as soon as it hits the wire. As a result, if you know something before others in our stock trading room, you can share it and everyone wins. Investing.com is a great tool to add to your bag. With active global forums you’ll always have your pulse on the market.
In fact, investing.com has multiple global markets and is multilingual. As a result, anyone can take advantage of what they have to offer. There are a lot of ads however. If you don’t want to see any, they do offer a $39.99 a year option. That removes all ads from articles you read.
Read our Investing.com App Review to learn more about them and see why they are so useful.
2. StockTwits Trading App
StockTwits is a trading app available to traders. It could be described as Twitter for stock trading. In fact, StockTwits has been around for years as an online forum for traders. It’s growing all the time. As a result, it can be noisy. Many times, having a good stock trading service to turn to can help to filter the noise.
This stock investing app has added trading rooms to their service. However, you do have to pay for any trading rooms you join. Although, you can avoid hearing too much noise being selective with rooms; especially as a new trader.
It can be overwhelming to see the information coming at you at a fast clip. Hence having a good stock market community can help with clarification. Many times pumping of a stock occurs on mobile apps such as this one. It can be difficult to know who to trust.
However, if you’ve taken the time to learn stock trading, then you won’t be fooled by the pumper. Remember, charts don’t lie. As a result, never place a trade based off seeing someone’s post.
Many times, you’ll see someone promising that stock XYZ is going to fly. With so much noise do your due diligence. Honestly, I find some of the content on Stocktwits to be insightful, and entertaining. Sometimes I just want a good laugh or a meme, and this is one of my favorite places to go for that.
So, like many trading apps that are used for data and social media, Stocktwits has created their own platform for commission free investing and trading.
The Trade App connects meme culture, social media, and trading in one, with the ability to share videos with your followers through “Tradecasting” This feature has a great ability to take off, much like an Instagram story, but for the stock market world.
3. Finger on the Pulse
StockTwits does allow you to keep your finger on the pulse of the market. Trends make for better trading. Stock trade apps such as StockTwits allow you to have the pulse of traders everywhere. Real time interaction drives excitement to stocks. Traders are hunters of volatility.
Volatility drives price movement. As a result, you can profit (or lose) on a trade based off of the interaction of traders from all over the world. Again, remember to follow people you know are trustworthy.