Discover the Best Investment Apps for Beginners in 2025

Editor: Diksha Yadav on Feb 06,2025

 

Digital investment platforms have made investing more straightforward and more accessible. From beginners to those seeking the best investment app for beginners, the right app can help you build wealth with minimal effort. In 2025, there will be several investment apps for beginners with little experience offering commission-free trading, automated portfolios, and educational resources.

But which investment app is best for you? With so many to select from, choosing one that is right for you is a dilemma. Some specialize in stocks, some in ETFs, some in crypto, or even robo-advisors. The good news is that most of them have minimal to no minimum investment, so beginners can quickly dip their toes in the waters of the financial markets.

This guide will compare features, fees, and ease of use for the best investment apps for beginners in 2025. Whether you prefer hands-on investing or automated strategies, an app is designed to meet your needs. By the end of the year, you will know the best investment app for your financial goals. Let's get started!

Why Use Investment Apps for Beginners?

With investment apps, the doors open smoothly to begin an investing experience. Investment apps now have additional features, including the provision for trading fractional shares and setting up automatically designed portfolios, along with some helpful learning material to aid and make a friction-free, zero-fee platform that has taken off all complexity typically attached to investments and now provides an even smoother experience with this feature for investing beginners who begin with their applications. Be it a diversified portfolio, trading of stocks, or passive investment via a robo-advisor, there is an app for you.

Key Features to Look for in Investing Apps for Beginners

Some certain features or requirements must be considered or looked at first when it comes to the best investing apps for beginners:

  • Low or No Fees: Look for those with no commission trades and very few fees to maximize what you earn on your investment.
  • Easy-To-Navigate Interface: The app should be user-friendly and accessible even for those with beginner-related experience.
  • Educational Tools: Tutorials, webinars, and market insights will guide the rookie investor.
  • Fractional Shares: Allow investors to invest smaller amounts of money to buy portions of expensive stocks.
  • Automatic Investing: Some apps have a robo-advisor capability that automatically builds and manages the portfolio.
  • Security and Regulation: Ensure the app is safe and regulated for peace of mind and reliability. 

Must Read: Diversify Your Investment Portfolio for Maximum Returns!

 

Top Investment Apps for Beginners in 2025

1. Robinhood—Best for Commission -Free Trading

Robinhood remains a favorite investment app for beginners due to its simple interface and zero-commission trades.

Pros:

  • No commission fees on stocks, ETFs, and crypto.
  • User-friendly mobile app.
  • Fractional shares available.

Cons:

  • Limited research tools.
  • No automated investing.

2. Acorns: Best for Hands-Off Investing

Acorns are ideal for those who want to invest in spare change automatically.

Pros:

  • Automatic round-up investments.
  • Robo-advisor portfolios.
  • No minimum balance requirement.

Cons:

  • Monthly fees may be costly for small investors.
  • Limited investment options.

3. Webull: Best for Advanced Beginners

Webull offers excellent tools for new investors looking to expand their knowledge.

Pros:

  • Commission-free trades.
  • Advanced charts and analysis tools.
  • Extended trading hours.

Cons:

  • Limited educational content.
  • No fractional shares.

4. M1 Finance: Best for Custom Portfolios

M1 Finance combines automation with customization, making it one of the best investment apps for beginners.

Pros:

  • Automated investing with personalized portfolios.
  • No trading fees.
  • Fractional shares are supported.

Cons:

  • No real-time trading.
  • No tax-loss harvesting.

5. Fidelity Investments—Best for Research & Education

Fidelity is a well-rounded investing app for beginners, offering educational tools and a full range of investment options.

Pros:

  • No commission fees.
  • Extensive research and educational content.
  • Great customer support.

Cons:

  • Can be overwhelming for complete beginners.
  • Some advanced tools may not be beginner-friendly.

6. Stash: Best for Beginner-Friendly Themed Investing

Stash makes investing easy by offering themed portfolios tailored to personal interests and goals.

Pros:

  • Educational resources for beginners.
  • Themed investing.
  • Fractional shares.

Cons:

  • Monthly subscription fees.
  • Higher ETF fees compared to competitors.

7. Public: Best for Social Investing

The Public is a unique investment app incorporating social investing, allowing users to follow experts.

Pros:

  • Social investing community.
  • No commission fees.
  • Fractional shares available.

Cons:

  • Limited advanced research tools.
  • No tax-advantaged retirement accounts.

How to Choose the Best Investment App for Beginners

When choosing which is the best investment app for you, think about the following:

  • Your Goals: Does it offer hands-off investing or active trading?
  • Fees: Are there monthly subscription fees or only commission charges?
  • Investment Options: Does the app offer stocks, ETFs, crypto, bonds, or mutual funds?
  • Support and Education: Do you need beginner-friendly content to help you learn the basics of investing?

Every investment app has different features that are well-suited to other investors. A passive investor may want Acorns or M1 Finance. An active trader may like Robinhood or Webull. Those seeking more education would do very well to find Fidelity or Stash, as they provide an excellent resource for investing in education.

Long-Term vs. Short-Term Investing

An investor will also initially decide between a long-term or a short-term strategy. A long-term strategy focuses on amassing wealth for years or even decades and utilizes diversified portfolios of stocks, ETFs, and bonds. Compounding and steady growth diminish the risks, making this suitable for retirement or big financial goals. Some known long-term investing apps include Acorns, M1 Finance, and Fidelity.

Conversely, short-term investing is performed to take advantage of market activity, which usually lasts weeks or months to days. The strategy that traders and short-term investors use is referred to as active and swing trading. Robinhood and Webull apps are designed for short-term trading because they can trade in real-time, offer analysis tools, and provide live analytics. Such investments are, however, fast to return but highly risky. A new investor should consider their risk tolerance and investment goals before deciding on a strategy.

Diversification and Risk Management

Diversification is one of the core principles of intelligent investing. It disperses investments in various asset classes, including, but not limited to, different industries and geographies, to lower the risk of incurring heavy financial losses. Newer investors can look for diversified protection within combinations of stocks, bonds, ETFs, and alternative investments. Some of these apps include Fidelity and M1 Finance, which offer portfolio-building tools to help users achieve moderate diversification.

In addition to diversity and risk control, the investor must be familiar with their risk limitations and tolerability. Based on that, the investor would adjust the portfolio. Conservative investors tend to prefer bonds and stable assets. Aggressive investors would be interested in growth stocks and crypto. Risk enhancer tools are stop-loss orders, automated rebalancing, and dollar-cost averaging. Sound investment strategies minimize market exposure and volatility by keeping in line with risk and reward, hence the financial goal. 

 

Suggested Read: The Future of Investment Strategies: Trends to Watch

 

Conclusion

Good investment apps for beginners depend on your investment type and strategy, whether gratis or with brokerage fees. Do you want to trade with Robinhood actively? Automate your investments with Acorns. Or learn from a community with the public? There is an app for that.

Modern investment apps have made investing a more reachable and affordable option. With a nice app, anyone today can start investing for tomorrow while working towards financial freedom. Start checking out these apps, decide which fits your goals the best, and make the first step toward your financial future. 


This content was created by AI