Compare the 11 best investment platforms in 2023

By:

Prash Raval

Prash is a financial writer for Invezz covering FX, the stock market and investing. For over a decade he has traded spot FX full time while... read more.

 & 

James Knight

James is a lead editor for Invezz, where he covers topics from across the financial world, from the stock market, to cryptocurrency, to macroeconomic markets. His ... read more.

Reviewed by:

Richard Stutely

Richard is a Fact Checker for Invezz who ensures all our reviews and guides are accurate and unbiased. He is a best-selling international business author whose... read more.

Updated: Aug 8, 2023

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An investment platform is any website where you can set up an investment portfolio. It might offer managed accounts or just be an investment broker where you can buy and sell shares.

Our experts rate and review the best investing platforms to find the right service for every type of investor.

Best investment platforms for 2023

What are the best investment platforms?

The best investment platforms are ranked in the table below and you can sign up now by clicking the links next to each name. To learn more about each investment platform and why we have ranked it so high, scroll down for the details.

Most Popular

1

• Save

Min. Deposit

$ 10

Best offer

User Score

10

Up to $240 bonus!

Deposit with ACA, Wire, Pay with my bank

Invest for dividends and get payout on stocks on Ex-Dividend day

Start Trading more info

Payment Methods:

Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Wire Transfer

Full Regulations:

CySEC, FCA

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

2

• Save

Min. Deposit

$ 0

Best offer

User Score

9.9

Get insights from millions of investors, creators, and analysts

Build your portfolio of stocks, ETFs, and crypto–all in one place

No minimum deposit

Start Trading more info

Payment Methods:

Bank Wire, Check, Debit Card, Wire Transfer

Full Regulations:

Cryptocurrency execution and custody services are provided by Apex Crypto LLC (NMLS ID 1828849) through a software licensing agreement between Apex Crypto LLC and Public Crypto LLC. Crypto trading on Public platforms is served by Public Crypto LLC and offered through APEX Crypto. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved before trading.

3

Min. Deposit

-

Best offer

User Score

9.4

Scope Markets is a regulated entity, following strictly the segregated accounts principal by offering a wide range of products together with Multi-Platform trading facilities.

Scope Markets offers one of the most comprehensive multimedia trading education libraries for traders all levels.

We commit to full transparency, excellence and continuous innovation.

Start Trading more info

Payment Methods:

Full Regulations:

Top 11 online investment platforms, reviewed

1. eToro. Best for beginners, copy-trading & demo-account

• Save

Visit site

2900

No. assets

$10

Minimum deposit

Stocks

Platform type

Pros & Cons

Great for beginners, simple to set up and get started Zero commission stock trading Popular ‘CopyTrader’ function lets you follow top traders Excellent customer service, with live chat support provided Over 2,000 CFDs available to trade

Comparatively high fees for withdrawals and account inactivity Does not integrate with the MetaTrader platform High spreads on some assets

Overview

We love eToro because it’s a great trading platform for beginners, with an interface that’s easy to use via app or desktop. A safe and trustworthy broker used by millions of traders worldwide, eToro boasts a zero-to-low fee structure that won’t gobble up your money in charges.

There are more than 5,000 crypto, stock, etf, forex, and commodity assets available to trade on eToro. You can dive straight in to trade or dip your toe in gently with one of the best demo accounts in the business. We like to switch to virtual mode and use its unique CopyTrader feature to get trade ideas, test out strategies, and learn from the pros.

The fees: All stock and ETF trading is commission fee. All crypto trades are charged a 1% fee. Currency spreads are 1 pip, for commodities it’s 2 pips. Stock CFDs have a 0.15% spread. All deposits are free, withdrawals cost $5. There’s an inactivity fee of $10 per month that kicks in if you don’t log in to your account for 12 months.

Visit eToro eToro Review

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

2. Public. Best for sharing beginner trading ideas

• Save

Visit site

...

No. assets

...

Minimum deposit

Stocks

Platform type

Pros & Cons

Commission free stock and ETF investing Share and compare your portfolio on a social trading platform Trade crypto, fractional shares, and alternative investments

You can't trade on margin or use leverage No forex, options, funds, metals, or bonds

Overview

We love Public because it’s a social platform where you can share trading tips and get ideas from other people. Public offers 9,000+ financial instruments, including cryptocurrencies and stocks from around the world.

Alongside a community of other investors all sharing their ideas, Public offers real time news and information so that you can see the full picture before you invest. And the assets don’t just include your run-of-the-mill assets; you can make alternative investments in things like handbags and comic books as well.

The fees: There are no fees for investing in stocks during regular trading hours in the US – 9.30am-4pm EST. There is a $2.99 fee for trades outside of regular hours. Alternative investments, including cryptocurrency, are charged a 2.5% fee per transaction.

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The best investment platforms for your needs

What is the best investment platform for beginners?

eToro is the best online investing platform for beginners. It provides low cost investing in an approachable way. Get investing tips from other users and create your own virtual investment portfolio to practise. Here are more of the best investing platforms for beginners.

What is the best stock investment platform?

Degiro is the best place to invest in stocks and shares. With stocks from 50+ exchanges around the world, there is a vast number of companies to choose from when you use Degiro. Here are more of the best stock investing platforms:

What is the best micro-investing platform?

Moneybox is the best micro-investing service for investors in the UK. Acorns is another top option for US users. In both cases you can start small and round up your spare change to start building an investment portfolio. Here are the best micro-investing platforms:

What is the best online investment platform for ESG investing?

Interactive Brokers offers the best ESG investment platform for ethical investments, through its IMPACT subsidiary. Low trading fees and a selection of popular ESG investment vehicles, along with ready-made, socially responsible portfolios make it the top choice. Here are more ESG investing platforms:

What is the best investment platform with a savings account?

SoFi is the investment platform with the best savings account. It offers a competitive interest rate alongside no minimum balance, so you can start earning interest even if you don’t have a big pot to start with. Here are more of the top savings accounts:

What is the best platform for long term investing?

Interactive Investor rates as our best long term investment platform. It has a range of pricing packages so you can choose the one that works best for your investing style, while you can invest in stocks from all over the world and have dividends paid directly into your account.

Here are some more of the best platforms for long term investing:

What is the best mutual fund investment platform?

Interactive Brokers has the best platform for mutual funds. It offers low fees when you invest and has a large range of investment funds to choose from. Here are some more of the best mutual fund investment platforms:

What is the best investment platform for a stocks and shares ISA?

Moneybox is the best investment account for a stocks and shares ISA. You can start with a minimum investment of just $1 and use it to invest in stocks from the UK or US. Any money you hold in the account earns interest even if you don’t invest it. Here are more top stocks and shares ISA accounts:

What is the best investment platform for students?

Moneybox is the best investing account for students. All of its investment accounts have a low minimum investment and you can set it up to invest your spare change, which is the perfect way to build up an investment account with little money. Here are more investment accounts for students:

What is the best investing account for kids?

Acorns has the best junior investment account. Known as Acorns Early, it offers a flexible savings account for kids. Set up regular automatic investments to easily build up your kids’ wealth. Here are more of the best investment platforms for kids:

What is the best investing platform for a pension?

Nutmeg is the best investment platform to save for retirement. It offers a managed pension account where you set the risk tolerance and let Nutmeg’s fund managers do the rest. It’s simple to see how your personal pension is doing and adjust the risk parameters as you see fit. Here are more top personal pension investment platforms:

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.

What is the best automated investing account?

Wealthify is the best for automated investing. It uses smart algorithms to pick investments for you based on the level of risk you’re happy with. Professional managers oversee the process, but the technology helps pick your investments. Here are more top automated investing platforms:

What is the best investment platform for women?

Ellevest has the best range of investing accounts for women. With a risk profile designed specifically for the needs of women, it offers a great account for any new investor. Here are some more top investment platforms for women:

What’s the best investment account for over 60s?

Moneybox is the best instant access investing account for over 60s. The best accounts for older investors are generally cash savings accounts. Moneybox offers a healthy rate of interest on any money held in the account and instant access to your money whenever you need it. Here are more of the best investment platforms for over 60s:

What is an investment platform?

Investment platforms offer a single place to buy, sell, and hold a range of investments. They are online services which can either be web or desktop based. The best platforms also offer mobile apps. Investment platforms are sometimes referred to as fund supermarkets and simplify the process of buying and selling financial products. 

How do investment platforms work?

They work in a similar way to bank accounts. Users can create an account with an investment platform and gain access to all the services it offers. Once registered, investors can buy and sell thousands of financial products across various markets. Stocks, forex, commodities, crypto, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and investment funds are most commonly found on investment platforms. 

As large sums of money pass through investment platforms every day, security and regulation are at the forefront of most of them. The best platforms are regulated in premier jurisdictions and by Tier 1 regulators, such as the United Kingdom’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US.

How should I choose an investment platform?

It depends on your goals. Do you want to invest regularly with your spare change, or do you want to put aside money to invest lump sums into big investment funds?

Use these questions to help you decide what type of investment platform is best for you.

How much do you want to invest?

If you’re just starting out and only have a small amount to invest, then an investing platform that lets you invest your spare change is the best option. 

You can set it to automatically round up your daily purchases and put the spare money into an investment fund.

On the other hand, if you have a lump sum to start with, then consider a platform that lets you choose your own investments and charges low trading fees. That way you don’t lose too much of your capital by paying fees.

What do you want to invest in?

Choose an investment platform that allows you to invest in everything you want to. Stocks and shares are the most common asset to invest in, but they aren’t the only option. You can choose from a range of investment options, like cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, and commodities, like gold. 

The best investment portfolios often have a combination of lots of different assets. Balanced portfolios are well-positioned to cope with economic cycles. If you want to create your own balanced investment portfolio, then it’s important to choose an investment platform that allows you to do so.

Do you want to choose your own investments?

There are a few different types of online trading platform; ones where you choose what to invest in, ones where your money is managed by finance professionals, and ones that use algorithms to decide what to invest in for you.

Most new investors are better off either trusting their money to a fund manager, or using an automated investing platform to buy stocks for them. Or you can use a copy trading platform to follow the advice of more experienced traders. Either way, using a stocks and shares ISA is the most tax efficient option.

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?

Beginner investors looking to buy stocks in individual companies should look for a platform with low fees and a large range of stocks from around the world. The more regularly you plan to invest, the more important it is to find a platform with low fees.

Those beginner investors looking to put a lump sum into a big, diversified fund should focus on low annual management fees. Each fund charges a flat fee, either in the form of a maintenance fee or an annual management fee. A small percentage change in fees can make a big difference to the charge if you have a lot of money in the account.

More advanced traders might prefer to pick their own stocks and buy and sell them more regularly as part of their investment strategy. Fees are still important, and it may be better to pick an investment platform that charges fees through the spread, rather than a flat fee.

More things to look out for

There are some features that you should look for from every service. You want a cost-effective, secure investment platform that you can trust to keep your money safe for a long time. Here are some more features to look out for:

• A low cost investment platform. Every investment platform charges fees and they are an unavoidable cost for investors. Platform fees either come from commissions or spreads so it’s a good idea to make sure to check your platform’s fee schedule prior to registering. But note that the cheapest investment platform isn’t necessarily the best, you should look for the best balance between low cost or commission free trading and useful features. 
• Top tier security. If you’re going to be investing your money through an investment platform, you’ll want to be sure it’s a secure service. The best platforms offer extra layers of security such as 2-Factor Authentication (TFA) when logging in. 
• A reliable investment platform. Investment platforms will experience downtime from time to time, but you want to avoid the ones that crash regularly. You can check out online customer reviews to compare investment platforms before registering with a new platform so you can get an idea of how reliable it is. 
• A well-regulated service. When it comes to choosing an investment platform you want to make sure that your service you’re using is well regulated. The best investment platforms are regulated in tier one jurisdictions like the U.K. or Europe. Using a regulated investment platform means you are protected under the financial services compensation scheme.

Should I use an investment platform?

If you plan on making lots of investments then it may be a good idea to start investing with one of these platforms. They give you access to a range of markets and assets all in one place so you won’t need lots of different accounts when investing. Using an investment platform will make it easy for you to keep track of your investment portfolio and you can even download a mobile app to monitor your investments at all times. 

Pros and cons of investment platforms

If you’re still not sure if you should start investing with an investment platform you can find a summary of the pros and cons below to help you make up your mind.

What are the fees for an investment platform?

Each platform has its own set of fees so you should compare investment platforms through their website before registering an account. However you should expect to pay some fees, such as a commission on every trade. Some platforms will charge zero commissions, but make their money in other ways, such as through higher spreads (the difference between the buy and sell price). Other platform fees may include a charge for deposits and withdrawals. 

Methodology – how we choose the best online investment platforms

Helping people make better financial decisions is at the heart of our mission at Invezz. 

We periodically test more than 69 investment platforms to provide our users with clear, accessible guidance on the investing options available. All testing is carried out by our panel of wealth-building experts, analysts, and active traders who sign up to each platform, conduct research, and score each investing service.

Our tests are designed to find investment services that offer a beginner-friendly, secure investing experience at a fair price. To supplement our practical testing and experience, we research each service to gather any further relevant information. We read online customer reviews, app reviews on the Play Store and App Store, and conduct user surveys to get feedback from real people about what works, and what doesn’t.

Each investment platform is awarded a final score based on 130+ data points across 8 ranking categories: cost, reliability, user experience, deposit & withdrawals, investing options, range of products/markets, research & analysis tools, and the availability of educational & learning resources.

We work closely with personal investing brands to ensure all factual information displayed here is accurate. All data is then fact-checked by an independent reviewer. You can learn more about our expert panel and how we test, rate, and review platforms in our review process. 

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