Best Trading Platforms in the U.S. December 2025

What Is The Best Online Trading Platform In The U.S.?

There are various criteria that you can use to evaluate the best trading platform, such as fees, trading tools, research and education, customer service, and mobile app. Based on these factors, we have selected three trading platforms that stand out in the U.S. market:

• Charles Schwab:  

Highlight: Customizable Watchlists & Advanced Trading Tools

Charles Schwab is a full-service broker that offers a wide range of investment products and services, including a highly rated trading platform. The platform features advanced trading tools, extensive research and education resources, and low fees. Schwab’s trading platform is suitable for all types of investors, from beginners to experienced traders.

• E*TRADE:

Highlight: Competitive Fees

E*TRADE is another well-established online broker that offers a robust trading platform for both beginner and advanced traders. The platform offers a wide range of trading tools, including real-time quotes, charts, and advanced order types. E*TRADE also provides extensive research and education resources, as well as competitive fees.

• TD Ameritrade:

Highlight: Extensive Research and Education Resources

TD Ameritrade is a popular online broker that offers a comprehensive trading platform with advanced tools and features. The platform is suitable for active traders and offers a wide range of trading instruments, including stocks, options, futures, and forex. TD Ameritrade also provides extensive research and education resources and has a reputation for excellent customer service.

Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, and TD Ameritrade are among the best trading platforms in the U.S. They offer advanced tools, extensive research and education resources, and competitive fees. The choice ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences.

What Is The Best Trading Platform For Beginners?

As a beginner trader in the U.S., it is important to choose a trading platform that offers a range of educational resources, a low minimum deposit requirement, a demo account for practicing trading strategies, a high-tech and user-friendly platform, and responsive customer support. Based on these criteria, the following three trading platforms stand out as the best options for beginners:

• Ally Invest: 

Ally Invest is an online broker that offers a user-friendly browser-based trading platform with a range of educational resources, including video tutorials and webinars. The platform is suitable for beginners who want to learn about investing and trading. Ally Invest also offers competitive fees and a wide range of investment products.

• Robinhood: 

Robinhood is a popular trading app that is known for its simplicity and zero commission fees. The platform is suitable for beginners who are looking to start trading with a small amount of capital. However, Robinhood’s basic trading platform may not be suitable for advanced traders who need more sophisticated tools and features.

• Firstrade: 

Firstrade is another online broker that offers a user-friendly trading platform and a range of educational resources for beginners. The platform is suitable for those who are new to investing and want to learn about the financial markets. Firstrade also offers competitive fees and a wide range of investment products.

Beginners will benefit from these three brokers, as they have new traders’ interests in mind. Ally Invest, Robinhood, and Firstrade are the best trading platforms for beginners in the U.S. They offer user-friendly platforms, educational resources, and competitive fees. The choice ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences.

What Is The Best Free Trading Platform? 

There are several trading platforms in the U.S. that do not charge fees for buying and selling stocks, ETFs, and options. They are famous for their low costs of trading, and you can maneuver through the markets without incurring many discretionary fees. Here are three of the best free trading platforms available in the U.S.:

• Robinhood: 

Robinhood is a widely used trading application that is admired for its ease of use and the absence of commission charges. The platform offers free trading on a wide range of investment products, including stocks, ETFs, and options. Robinhood also has a user-friendly interface and provides real-time quotes and market news.

• M1 Finance: 

M1 Finance is an online broker that offers free trading on a wide range of investment products, including stocks, ETFs, and options. The platform also allows users to set up automated investment plans and provides educational resources to help users learn about investing. (Only available for U.S. citizens). 

• Webull: 

Webull is another online broker that offers free trading on a wide range of investment products, including stocks, ETFs, and options. The platform has a user-friendly interface and provides real-time quotes, market news, and educational resources to help users learn about investing.

Trading with a low-cost platform ensures that, should you make a profit, you will be able to keep as much of your money as possible. It is easy to see why free trading platforms are some of the most popular in the United States.  

What Is The Best Platform For Day Trading? 

As a day trader in the U.S., it is important to choose a trading platform that offers fast execution, a wide range of trading tools, and low fees. Based on these criteria, the following three trading platforms stand out as the best options for day traders:

• Interactive Brokers: 

Interactive Brokers is a leading online broker that offers a comprehensive trading platform with advanced tools and features suitable for day traders. The platform supports a wide range of trading instruments, including stocks, options, futures, and forex, and offers fast execution and low fees.

• TD Ameritrade: 

TD Ameritrade is another top choice for day traders in the U.S. The platform offers a range of advanced trading tools, including real-time quotes, charts, and advanced order types, and supports a wide range of trading instruments. TD Ameritrade also has low fees and excellent customer service.

• E*TRADE: 

E*TRADE is a popular online broker that is suitable for day traders in the U.S. The platform offers a range of advanced trading tools, including real-time quotes, charts, and advanced order types, and supports a wide range of trading instruments. E*TRADE also has competitive fees and a robust mobile app for on-the-go trading.  

Interactive Brokers, TD Ameritrade, and E*TRADE are the best trading platforms for day traders in the U.S. They offer advanced trading tools, a wide range of trading instruments, fast execution, low fees, and excellent customer service. The choice ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences.

What Is The Best Automated Trading Platform? 

There are several automated trading platforms available in the U.S. that offer advanced trading tools, a wide range of trading instruments, and the ability to create and backtest automated trading strategies. Here are three of the best-automated trading platforms available in the U.S.:

• TradeStation: 

TradeStation is an advanced trading platform that offers a range of tools and features for automated trading. The platform supports a wide range of trading instruments, including stocks, options, futures, and forex, and allows traders to create and backtest their own automated trading strategies using the built-in programming language, EasyLanguage. TradeStation also has a user-friendly interface and provides excellent customer support.

• Thinkorswim: 

Thinkorswim is a comprehensive trading platform that is suitable for automated trading. The platform offers a range of advanced trading tools, including real-time quotes, charts, and advanced order types, and supports a wide range of trading instruments. Thinkorswim also allows traders to create and backtest their own automated trading strategies using the built-in programming language, ThinkScript.

• NinjaTrader: 

NinjaTrader is another popular automated trading platform that is suitable for traders in the U.S. The platform offers a range of advanced trading tools, including real-time quotes, charts, and advanced order types, and supports a wide range of trading instruments. NinjaTrader also allows traders to create and backtest their own automated trading strategies using the built-in programming language, NinjaScript.

TradeStation, Thinkorswim, and NinjaTrader are three of the best-automated trading platforms available in the U.S. They offer advanced trading tools, a wide range of trading instruments, and the ability to create and backtest automated trading strategies. The choice ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences.

Overall Say

Choosing the right trading platform is an important decision for any trader, whether you are a beginner or an experienced trader. The best trading platform for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Some of the top trading platforms in the U.S. include Ally Invest, Robinhood, and Firstrade for beginners, Interactive Brokers, TD Ameritrade, and E*TRADE for day traders, and TradeStation, Thinkorswim, and NinjaTrader for automated trading. 

It is important to thoroughly research and compare different trading platforms before making a decision to ensure that you find the best one for your needs.