Best Investment Apps for Beginners

1️⃣ Robinhood – The No-Frills, No-Fee Investing App
          ✔ Commission-free stock & crypto trading
          ✔ Simple interface, easy for beginners
          ✔ No account minimums
          ✔ Free stock bonus for signing up

Robinhood is so easy to use that you might wonder, “Wait, that’s it?”—and honestly, yes. That’s the point. It’s built for absolute beginners, with a clean, clutter-free interface that lets you buy stocks, ETFs, and even crypto in seconds—no complex dashboards, no confusing fees, just tap and trade.

The reason Robinhood became famous (and, let’s be honest, sometimes controversial) is its commission-free model. While traditional brokers used to charge $5–$10 per trade, Robinhood came in and said, “Nah, we’ll do it for free.” And the rest of the industry followed.

But don’t let its simplicity fool you—Robinhood still gives you access to real stocks, real ETFs, and real money-making opportunities. If you want to start investing without getting overwhelmed, this is the app for you.

Ok, ok, but what about the bonus offer?  How does it actually work?  Its pretty cool actually!  Robinhood gives new users a free stock (worth anywhere from $5 to $200.)  All you need to do is sign up for a Robinhood account (takes 5 minutes) > link your bank account (no deposit required) > claim your free stock!  You’ll get a randomly assigned stock.  It might be a cheap $5 stock, or you could get lucky with something like Apple or Tesla.

Worth Noting:
While Robinhood is great for casual investors, it’s not built for hardcore day traders. It lacks advanced research tools that may be more robust on other apps.

2️⃣ Webull – Like Robinhood, But With More Freebies
          ✔ Zero-commission stock & crypto trading
          ✔ Up to 12 free stocks for signing up
          ✔ More research tools than Robinhood
          ✔ Extended trading hours

If Robinhood is the “starter pack” of investing, Webull is its slightly nerdier older sibling. It still lets you trade stocks for free, but it also packs in more advanced research tools, better charts, and extended trading hours—meaning you can buy and sell stocks before the market opens and after it closes.

The real reason people flock to Webull? The insane free stock bonuses. Right now, they’re offering up to 12 free stocks just for signing up and depositing funds. You could literally open an account, get a bunch of stocks for free, and call it a day. (Not financial advice, but hey, free money.)

Where Webull really shines is for those who want more control over their trades. While Robinhood keeps things minimal, Webull gives you technical indicators, customizable charts, and paper trading (where you can practice trading with fake money first).

Remember, this has a sweet little bonus also.  It’s one of the best out there.  You get up to 12 free stocks just for signing up and depositing money.  Here is how it works:  Sign up for a Webull account (takes 5 minutes) > get 2 free stocks just for opening your account > deposit any amount ($0.01 or more) and get up to 10 more free stocks.  The more you deposit, the more free stocks you get, with each stock valued between $3 and $3,000.

Worth Noting:
Webull is a little more complex than Robinhood—which is great for those who want more data and research tools, but if you’re looking for an ultra-simple, just-tap-and-buy experience, it might be overkill.

3️⃣ M1 Finance – Investing on Autopilot
          ✔ Automated investing for long-term wealth
          ✔ No trading fees
          ✔ Create your own investment portfolios (“pies”)
          ✔ $100 bonus for new accounts

If picking individual stocks feels as overwhelming as choosing what to watch on Netflix, M1 Finance might be your new best friend. Instead of buying stocks one by one, M1 lets you build a custom portfolio (or pick from expert-made portfolios) and then automates the investing process for you.

Think of it like this: You decide you want 50% of your money in tech stocks, 30% in dividend stocks, and 20% in ETFs. Instead of buying each stock individually, M1 Finance splits your investment automatically based on that percentage—without you lifting a finger.

It’s basically investing for people who don’t want to actively trade but still want to grow their wealth. You set it, forget it, and let M1 do the work.

This is the last app out of the 4 that we are reviewing that offers a sign up bonus.  M1 Finance offers a $100 cash bonus when you sign up and deposit money.  Here’s how it works:  Open an M1 Finance account > deposit at least $1,000 into your investment account > get a $100 bonus deposited into your account within 30 days.   Unlike the free stock bonuses, this is actual cash you can invest however you want.

Worth Noting:
Unlike Robinhood and Webull, M1 doesn’t let you trade stocks in real time—it only processes trades once per day. This isn’t a problem for long-term investors, but if you’re looking to buy and sell quickly, this isn’t the app for you.

4️⃣ Acorns – Investing for People Who “Forget to Invest”
          ✔ Automatically invests your spare change
          ✔ “Round-up” feature grows investments effortlessly
          ✔ Great for new investors who want a hands-off approach
          ✔ Subscription fee: $3–$5/month

If you keep telling yourself you’ll start investing “someday” but never actually do it, Acorns is your excuse-proof solution.

Acorns works by rounding up your everyday purchases and investing the spare change for you. So if you buy a coffee for $4.75, Acorns rounds it up to $5 and invests that extra $0.25. Over time, those tiny amounts add up—without you even thinking about it.

This is perfect for people who struggle to save, because it makes investing automatic and painless. Plus, Acorns offers pre-built portfolios based on your risk level—so you don’t have to stress about picking stocks.

Worth Noting:
Unlike the other apps, Acorns charges a monthly fee ($3–$5), which means if you’re only investing small amounts, the fee could eat into your gains. That said, if you wouldn’t invest otherwise, it’s worth it.