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Getting started with investing can be intimidating, but with the right app startup ideas, anyone can take their first steps into the world of finance. In this article, we'll explore the top 5 best investing apps for beginners in 2026 that offer commission-free trading, fractional shares, and low or no minimums.
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For years, investing apps were a novelty. Now, they're synonymous with brokerage accounts. And considering how easy they are to use, it makes sense that new investors are turning to mobile platforms to get into the stock market.
Below, we've listed online brokerages whose mobile apps feature everything a new investor might need. All of these platforms offer:
- Commission-free trading
- Fractional shares
- Low or no minimums
As long as the investing app you choose offers the above, you're likely in good hands. But here are our top 5 favorite apps, including the best offerings they bring to the table.
Our Top 5 Best Investing Apps for Beginners
- Best Overall: Fidelity
Fidelity is a legacy broker that has been operating since 1946 and manages investments that total around $6 trillion. The number of customers they serve is somewhere around 50 million, yet they still manage to offer 24/7 phone support. What makes Fidelity such a strong choice is trust, peace of mind, and support.
- Best for Building Diversification: Public
Public is an app that has shown an exceptional ability to keep adding features today's investors arguably need most, rather than showy bells and whistles that don't bring a ton of value. Its Generated Assets feature helps you build your own custom index based on the criteria you input.
- Best Paper Trading Tool: Webull
Webull is another app that offers commission-free trading, fractional shares, and low or no minimums. It's an excellent choice for beginners who want to practice their investing skills without risking any real money.
- Best for IRA Match: Robinhood
Robinhood is a popular app that allows users to invest in stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrencies with commission-free trading. It's an excellent choice for beginners who want to start building their retirement portfolio.
- Best for Customizable Portfolios: M1 Finance
These are the best of the best in 2026. To see the full list, any current promotions, and each broker's overall star rating (and compare these apps side-by-side), checkout our investment app comparison page here.
Fidelity: The Best App Overall
Every year when Fidelity receives a perfect score in our rubric, we wonder: What did we miss? Where are the flaws in this legacy broker? And invariably we arrive at the same conclusion that, once again, Fidelity really does have everything most investors want and very little they don't.
What makes Fidelity such a strong choice is trust, peace of mind, and support. When I'm using the app, I don't feel like I'm being nudged toward products I don't need or instruments and strategies that are too advanced for me. It just does what I want it to do, and that's extremely refreshing in a world where attention is highly valuable currency.
Easy to use, easy to learn. If you're new to investing, Fidelity actually has more than you need. But the beauty of the app is that those extra offerings won't get in your way if you're looking for very basic buy-and-hold stock investing. Then when you're ready to expand your portfolio, learn more about investing concepts and strategies or open other types of accounts (like a retirement account), that's all very easily done in-app.
Public: The Best for Building a Diversified Portfolio
I'm excited to talk about Public because it's an app that just two years ago I would not have included on this list. But for a very new app (it's only been around since 2019), it's shown an exceptional ability to keep adding features today's investors arguably need most, rather than showy bells and whistles that don't bring a ton of value.
What you'll get from Public:
- A really good index-building AI tool
- Easy income-focused investing
Now that you've seen our top 5 best investing apps for beginners in 2026, which one will you choose to start your app startup ideas? Remember to always do your research and consider your financial goals before investing.