Compare the 11 best investment platforms in 2023
Introduction
The greatest investment platforms for all types of investors are highlighted in this guide. Continue reading to discover the top investment sites with the lowest fees.
Any website where you can create an investing portfolio is referred to as an investment platform. In addition to being an investment broker where you can buy and sell shares, it might also offer managed accounts.
To locate the finest solution for each type of investor, our specialists rate and review the top investing platforms.
Best investment platforms for 2023
1.
Pacific Union: Best for social trading & customer support
2.
Admirals: Best for real time news and price data
Top 11 online investment platforms, reviewed
1. Pacific Union. Best for social trading & customer support
Pros & Cons
- 200+ financial instruments and 70+ FX pairs are available for trading.
- $100 minimum withdrawal amount
- Extremely small deal size minimums
- Fewer resources than many rivals
- Support for 18+ different languages
Overview
We adore Pacific Union because its user-friendly platform is packed with a wealth of educational materials, such as how-to manuals and video tutorials. Around 200 stock CFDs for some of the top firms in the world are available from Pacific Union.
It is a well regarded broker with a special social trading tool that enables new users to easily follow the positions and trading methods of the most experienced users of the platform. Together with its mobile and web-based apps, Pacific Union makes use of the well-known Metatrader 4 platform. Traders have a range of leverage options up to 500:1 at their disposal.
The costs: All account types are subject to a commission starting at 0.1 points on a limited number of stock CFDs. All stocks are subject to a spread that begins at 0.5 points.
2. Admirals. Best for real time news and price data
Pros & Cons
- Modern charting and trading tools
- Unavailable to traders in the US
- Accounts with no commissions and no additional costs
- No fixed margins
-
There are several educational options available,
such as webinars and seminars.
- Access to a wide range of trading assets
Overview
We adore Admirals because you may invest as little as €1 in more than 8,000 different assets. Admirals is an excellent platform for investing because it offers thousands of companies and hundreds of ETFs from around the globe, allowing you to build a diverse portfolio.
You may test out the Admirals platform with a demo account, and a tonne of information is accessible without charge. Together with the most recent price charts, this also provides a wide range of real-time news and research.
All trades are commission-free, but the costs are instead covered by the spreads. On the most popular equities, spreads begin at 0 pip but may be much greater for volatile assets. Investing in stocks entails a 0.1% volume fee.
The best investment platforms for your needs
What is the best investment platform for beginners?
The finest online investment tool for beginners is eToro. It offers low cost investing in a friendly manner. Receive financial advice from other users and build a practise portfolio in a virtual environment. Here are a few more of the top investing websites for novices.
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
eToro
0.15%
Skilling
From $0 |
Degiro
From $0
What is the best stock investment platform?
Degiro is the greatest site to invest in equities and shares. When using Degiro, you have access to a huge selection of firms with stocks from more than 50 different exchanges worldwide. Several of the top stock trading platforms are listed below:
ONLINE INVESTING PLATFORM
PLATFORM FEE
NO. OF STOCKS
Degiro
From $0
7000+
eToro
0.15%
3100+
Skilling
From $0
900+ |
What is the best micro-investing platform?
For investors in the UK, Moneybox is the top microinvesting provider. Another popular choice for American users is Acorns. In both situations, you can begin small and create an investment portfolio with your spare change. The top microinvesting websites are listed below:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
ROUND-UP INVESTING
MINIMUM INVESTMENT
Moneybox
Yes (round up)
$1
Acorns
Yes
$3 per month
Nutmeg
No
$500 |
What is the best online investment platform for ESG investing?
Via its IMPACT subsidiary, Interactive Brokers provides the best ESG investment platform for ethical investments. It is the best option due to its low trading fees, variety of well-liked ESG investment vehicles, ready-made socially responsible portfolios, and range of ESG investment vehicles. Other ESG investment platforms are listed below:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
ESG INVESTING
INVESTING FEES
IMPACT, by Interactive Brokers
yes
From 0%
Ellevest
yes
From $5 per month
FlitInvest
yes
From $5 per month |
What is the best investment platform with a savings account?
The finest savings account on an investment platform may be found at SoFi. You can start collecting interest even if you don’t have a sizable fund to start with because it has a competitive interest rate and no minimum balance requirement. Some of the best savings accounts are listed below:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
AVERAGE INTEREST RATE
MINIMUM SAVINGS
SoFi
From 3.75% APR
$0
Revolut
From 3.75% APR
$1
Moneybox
From 3.5% APR
$1
What is the best platform for long term investing?
Our top recommendation for a long-term investment platform is Interactive Investor. You can invest in stocks from all over the world and have dividends sent straight into your account. It offers a variety of pricing packages, so you can pick the one that best suits your investment style.
ONLINE INVESTING PLATFORM
PLATFORM FEE
Interactive Investor
From $4.99 per month
IG
From 0% commission
Moneybox
From $1 per month |
What is the best mutual fund investment platform?
For mutual funds, Interactive Brokers has the best platform. It has a wide selection of investment funds and charges cheap fees for investments. More of the top mutual fund investment websites are listed below:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
FEES
Interactive Brokers
From 0%
Interactive Investor
From $4.99 per month
IG
From 0% commission |
What is the best investment platform for a stocks and shares ISA?
The finest investment fund for a stocks and shares ISA is Moneybox. To invest in equities from the US or the UK, you only need to put up a minimum of $1. Even if you don’t invest any of the money in the account, it will still earn interest. More top stocks and shares ISA funds are listed below:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
MINIMUM DEPOSIT
PLATFORM FEE
Moneybox
$1
From $1 per month
CMC Invest
$10
From $0 per month
Nutmeg
$500
From 0.73%
What is the best investment platform for students?
The greatest student investment account is Moneybox. Its investing accounts all feature minimal minimum investments, making it easy to start building an investment portfolio with little capital. You can even set it up to invest your spare change. Other student investment accounts are listed below:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
MINIMUM INVESTMENT
FEES
Moneybox
$1
From $1 per month
Acorns
$0
$3 per month
Nutmeg
$500
From 0.73% |
What is the best investing account for kids?
The greatest junior investment account is offered by Acorns. It provides children with a flexible savings account under the name Acorns Early. Set up recurring, automatic investments to help your children accumulate wealth. More of the top kid-friendly investment sites are listed below:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
MINIMUM INVESTMENT
Acorns Early
$5
Nutmeg
$100
Moneybox
$1
What is the best investing platform for a pension?
The finest investing platform for retirement savings is Nutmeg. It provides managed pension accounts where you may choose your risk tolerance and delegate the rest to Nutmeg’s fund managers. It’s easy to monitor the performance of your individual pension and make any necessary adjustments to the risk criteria. These additional top sites for investing in personal pensions are:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
Nutmeg
yes
Wealthfront
yes
Fidelity
yes
What is the best Roth IRA investment platform?
Wealthfront is the best investment platform for your Roth IRA. Use the technology of a robo advisor to save for retirement and invest in any asset class you like, including crypto. Here are more top IRA investment platforms.
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
ROTH IRA PLANS
Wealthfront
yes
Fidelity
yes
Interactive Brokers
yes
What is the best automated investing account?
The finest automated investment tool is Wealthify. It chooses assets for you based on the level of risk you’re comfortable with using clever algorithms. The procedure is overseen by qualified managers, but technology aids in choosing your investments. Here are some further leading automated investment platforms:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
AUTOMATED INVESTING
Wealthify
yes
Nutmeg
yes
Moneybox
yes
What is the best investment platform for women?
The best selection of investing accounts for women is offered by Ellevest. It offers a terrific account for every beginning investor, with a risk profile specifically created for women’s needs. Here are a few more of the best websites for female investors:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
PLATFORM FEES
Ellevest
From $5 per month
Female Invest
From $9.50 per month
Betterment
From $4.50 per month |
What’s the best investment account for over 60s?
The greatest rapid access investing account for those over 60 is Moneybox. Cash savings accounts tend to be the best accounts for elderly investors. Moneybox provides fast access to your funds whenever you need them and a respectable rate of interest on any funds held in the account. Several of the top investment websites for people over 60 are listed below:
BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM
VARIABLE INTEREST RATE
INSTANT ACCESS
Moneybox
3.25% AER
Yes
Ford Money
2.5% AER
Yes
Paragon
2% AER
Yes
What is an investment platform?
A variety of investments can be purchased, sold, and held at one time using investing platforms. These are online services that may be used on a PC or the web. The top platforms provide mobile apps as well. Fund supermarkets are another name for investment platforms, which make purchasing and selling financial products easier.
How do investment platforms work?
They function in a manner akin to bank accounts. Consumers can register for an account with an investment platform to use all of its offerings. Investors can purchase and sell thousands of financial goods on numerous markets after they have registered. On investment platforms, you may typically find stocks, currency, commodities, cryptocurrencies, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and investment funds.
Security and regulation are prioritised by the majority of investment platforms due to the daily flow of enormous amounts of money via them. The finest platforms include additional security safeguards and are governed by prestigious jurisdictions like the United Kingdom. Investing platforms serve as a “middleman,” enabling users to purchase and sell stocks at the most recent prices on the biggest Bitcoin exchanges.
How should I choose an investment platform?
Depending on your objectives. Do you want to save money to make one-time lump sum investments into large investment funds or do you want to invest your spare change on a monthly basis?
You can pick which type of investment platform is ideal for you by using the questions below.
How much do you want to invest?
The greatest option for you is an investment platform that allows you to invest your spare change if you’re just starting out and only have a small amount to invest.
You may programme it to round up all of your daily purchases and deposit the extra cash in a savings account.
However, if you have a lump sum to invest, you should think about a platform that allows you to pick your own products and has reasonable trading fees. By doing this, you can avoid losing too much money to fees.
What do you want to invest in?
Choose a platform for investing that enables you to invest in anything you desire. The most popular asset to invest in is stocks and shares, but there are other options as well. A variety of investing choices are available, including commodities like gold and cryptocurrency like Bitcoin.
The finest investing portfolios frequently include a variety of various assets. Portfolios that are well-balanced are prepared to weather economic ups and downs. It’s crucial to pick an investment platform that enables you to build a balanced investment portfolio if you wish to do so.
Do you want to choose your own investments?
Online trading platforms come in a variety of forms: those where you determine what to invest in, those where your money is managed by financial experts, and those that utilise algorithms to decide what to invest in for you.
The majority of novice investors are better off either using an automated investing platform to acquire stocks for them or entrusting their funds to a fund manager. Alternately, you might use a copy trading programme to heed the suggestions of more seasoned traders. The most tax-effective choice is to use a stocks and shares ISA.
What is your risk tolerance?
If you choose a managed, or automated, investment platform, you get to decide how much risk is built into the investment strategy. Generally, the options are lower, medium, or higher risk. It offers less flexibility than a DIY investment platform, but it takes less time
The right investment approach depends on your circumstances. Younger investors can take a more risky approach than older ones, because you have longer to build your wealth. If you’re planning to use the money for a big life purchase, like a house, then a lower risk option is better.
Do you want to buy individual stocks, or invest in large funds?
Novice investors should seek out a platform with reasonable costs and a broad selection of equities from around the world if they want to purchase individual company stocks. Finding a platform with cheap fees is increasingly crucial the more frequently you intend to spend.
Beginner investors should concentrate on low annual management costs when investing a lump sum into a sizable, diversified fund. Each fund levies a fixed fee, which may be a monthly management fee or an annual management fee. If you have a large balance in the account, a minor percentage adjustment in the fees might have a significant impact on the charge.
As part of their investment plan, more experienced traders could opt to choose their own stocks and purchase and sell them more frequently. Although fees are still significant, it can be preferable to choose an investment platform that levies fees through the spread as opposed to a flat price.
More things to look out for
.
A platform for low-cost investments. Fees are an inevitable expense for investors and are charged by every investment platform. Checking your platform’s cost schedule before registering is a smart idea because platform fees are either derived from commissions or spreads. But keep in mind that the most affordable investment platform may not always be the finest; instead, you should look for the platform that strikes the ideal balance between low cost or commission-free trading and practical features.
.
Excellent security. If you’re going to use an investment platform to make investments, you need be sure it offers a secure service. The most secure platforms allow users to log in using 2-Factor Authentication (2FA), for example.
.
A reputable platform for investing. There will occasionally be issues with investment platforms, but you should steer clear of those that crash frequently. Before signing up with a new platform, you can compare investing platforms using internet user reviews to get a sense of how dependable it is.
.
A service with strict regulation. While selecting an investment platform, it’s important to confirm that the service is properly regulated. Tier one jurisdictions like the UK or Europe regulate the finest investing platforms. When you use a licenced investment platform, the financial services compensation scheme will safeguard you.
Should I use an investment platform?
It can be a smart idea to start investing with one of these platforms if you intend to make a lot of investments. You won’t need numerous separate accounts when investing because they allow you access to a variety of marketplaces and assets in one location. You may easily manage your investment portfolio by using an investment platform, and you can even download a mobile app to keep track of your investments wherever you are.
Investment platform benefits and drawbacks
The benefits and cons are summarized here to assist you decide if you should start investing with an investment platform if you’re still unsure.
Pros
.
Investments are stored in a single location and with a single service.
.
Access to a vast array of resources
.
It’s simple to keep track of your investing portfolio on the go using mobile apps.
.
A current price list and the most recent market data
.
Generally speaking, platforms are less expensive to use than phone services.
Cons
.
With so much conflicting information, it can be overwhelming for novice investors.
.
Some platforms don’t provide educational content.
Methodology – how we choose the best online investment platforms
To give our users clear, approachable advise on the different investing possibilities, we periodically test more than 69 investment platforms. Our panel of wealth-building professionals, analysts, and active traders sign up for each platform, perform research, and evaluate each investing service. They then rank each service.
Our tests are made to identify investment providers that provide a secure investing environment that is affordable and beginner-friendly. We investigate every service to find out whether there is any other pertinent information, in addition to our practical testing and experience. In order to obtain input from actual people about what works and what doesn’t, we check online customer reviews, app reviews on the Play Store and App Store, and conduct user surveys.
Based on 130+ data points in 8 ranking categories—cost, reliability, user experience, deposit and withdrawal options, investing possibilities, range of products/markets, research and analysis tools, and accessibility to educational and learning resources—each investment platform receives a final score.
To make sure that all of the factual information shown here is correct, we closely collaborate with personal investing companies. An impartial reviewer verifies the accuracy of all the data after that. Learn more about our review process, our expert panel, and how we test, score, and evaluate platforms.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as of 2023, there are a variety of investment platforms available to individuals looking to invest their money. Each platform has its own unique set of features, fees, and investment options, making it important for investors to carefully consider their individual needs and preferences when selecting a platform.
Some of the top investment platforms in 2023 include Robinhood, Fidelity, Vanguard, Charles Schwab, E-Trade, TD Ameritrade, Ally Invest, Betterment, Wealthfront, Acorns, and M1 Finance. These platforms offer a range of investment products, from stocks and bonds to ETFs and mutual funds, and many also offer advanced features such as automated portfolio management and tax-loss harvesting.
FAQs
Yes they are. Security is an important factor to consider when choosing one, although most platforms are very safe. That is especially true for those that take extra precautions such as offering 2-Factor Authentication.
It will depend on your own personal circumstances so it’s best to check if you will pay any tax on your investments. However, it is possible to invest using tax free methods. In the United KIngdom for example, investors can use an ISA to invest tax free, or use a spread betting broker which is also tax free.
eToro offers a wide range of cryptocurrencies to invest in and is our best rated platform overall. You can check which markets each platform offers on their own websites, or check out our in-depth reviews.
Yes, overall it’s the best rated investment platform. It has a large number of assets to invest in and also offers a social trading network so that you can copy the investments of professionals.
Many of them are free to access but charge fees to use the service. You may be charged a subscription fee or a fee per transaction, and you may have to pay tax on any profits.
Some platforms offer demo accounts which means you can practice investing for free without risking any money.
Yes, you can have as many as you like. However the best platforms offer a range of markets meaning you’ll only need to use one.
If you want to use short term trading strategies then Pepperstone is the best option. You can scroll up this page to find out more information about the platform. Pepperston lets investors use spread betting as well as CFD trading.
That will depend on your own circumstances. If you want to check up on your portfolio often then you may prefer using an app.
People may discover trustworthy, unbiased information on money, trading, and investing on Forex Ratings, but we do not give financial advice; users should always conduct their own research. Stocks, cryptocurrency, and commodities are just a few of the extremely volatile items our website covers. New investors frequently lose money. Users shouldn’t ever invest more money than they can afford to lose because success in the financial markets is not guaranteed. Before making any investment, you should think about your unique situation and take the time to analyze all of your possibilities.
