The best investment app is the one built for the job you want it to do. Some run automated or managed investing, some are AI investing apps you ask questions, some are self-directed brokers where you pick and trade, and some let you copy other investors. Decide the job first, then read each maker's own disclosures.
Investing apps sit side by side in the app store as if they all do the same job. Open a few and you'll find automated services, AI apps, trading platforms and copy-trading networks, each with its own menus.
This list covers ten investing apps and brokers, using only what each one's own website says, read on 2 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order. It isn't financial advice, and it doesn't recommend buying anything or opening any account. You won't find returns, rates, fees or bonuses here: product names appear as names only, so read each maker's own disclosures and terms before you sign up.
Investing apps and the job each one does
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Acorns | Investing app with spare-change investing | Brokerage, retirement and kids' accounts on one menu |
| Betterment | Automated investing and financial planning | Automated, self-directed or custom portfolios |
| eToro | Trading and investing platform with CopyTrader | Smart Portfolios, CopyTrader and recurring investments |
| Firstrade | Online broker for stocks, options, funds and fixed income | A beta FirstradeGPT |
| M1 | Investing platform with Pies, cash and borrowing | Pies and automated investing |
| Magnifi | AI investing app | Questions in plain English |
| Public | Stocks, bonds, crypto and options investing app | Direct indexing and a trading API |
| Stash | Investing app it calls an advisor in your pocket | A Money Coach and retirement portfolios |
| tastytrade | Brokerage for options, futures and stocks | Backtesting, an API and webinars |
| Webull | Trading app with paper trading and a screener | Paper trading and a screener |
Ten investing apps and brokers, alphabetically
Acorns
Best for: Exploring brokerage, IRA, checking and savings, and UGMA/UTMA kids' account pages, all listed on one menu.
Betterment
Best for: Comparing traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs and a work-with-an-advisor option, beside the investing choices on its menu.
eToro
Best for: Browsing stocks, crypto and ETFs, with Smart Portfolios and recurring investments on its menu and a risk disclosures page to read first.
Firstrade
Best for: Investing in stocks, options, mutual funds and fixed income, all in one place, with a beta FirstradeGPT on its menu.
M1
Best for: Setting up Pies, with brokerage accounts, retirement accounts and margin loans listed on its menu.
Magnifi
Best for: Connecting your accounts and asking questions in plain English, with deep AI portfolio analysis and tracking named on its page.
Public
Best for: Holding stocks, bonds, crypto and options in one app, with direct indexing, a bond account and a trading API on its menu.
Stash
Best for: Using a Money Coach and retirement portfolios tailored to you, by the maker's own description.
tastytrade
Best for: Trading options, futures and stocks, with backtesting, an API and webinars on its menu.
Webull
Best for: Researching with a screener, with recurring investing and retirement accounts (IRAs) on its menu.
Automated, AI, self-directed or copy trading?
Here's the split the app store doesn't show: an investing app can be an automated service, an AI adviser, a self-directed broker or a copy-trading network, so the job the app does matters more than the brand. Betterment lists 'automated investing & financial planning' beside 'self-directed investing' and 'custom portfolios'. Acorns says it will 'invest your spare change'. M1 shows 'automate your investing'.
On the AI side, Magnifi calls itself 'the AI investing app that works for you', and Stash says it 'puts a financial advisor in your pocket'. For trading tools, Webull offers 'paper trading', and eToro lists 'CopyTrader'.
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- Automated investing: apps that say they'll automate your investing or build a portfolio for you.
- AI investing apps: apps that put an AI adviser or AI analysis at the front.
- Self-directed brokers: platforms where you pick and trade stocks, options, funds and more yourself.
- Copy and social trading: a platform that lists CopyTrader for finding investors to copy.
Accounts and tools on each menu
Once you know the job, the menus tell you the rest. Pages here list brokerage and retirement accounts, kids' accounts, a bond account, direct indexing, backtesting, a screener and trading APIs. Which ones you need depends on how hands-on you want to be, and that's a question for you, not an app's homepage.
Product names are names, not promises. Smart Portfolios, Pies, Money Coach and CopyTrader are what these makers call their products, so read each maker's own pages and disclosures to see what each one is and what it involves.
Questions to ask before you download an investing app
- What job do I want the app to do: automate, answer questions, or let me trade?
- Which accounts does it list: brokerage, retirement, kids' or bond accounts?
- Do I want to pick investments myself, or have the app build a portfolio?
- Which tools does it name, such as a screener, paper trading or backtesting?
- Where are its disclosures and terms, and have I read them?
- Should I speak to a regulated financial adviser before I decide?
Do you make an investing app? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Plain advice before you pick an investing app
Decide the job before the brand. If you want something automated, compare the apps that say they automate or build portfolios. If you want to trade yourself, look at the brokers and their tools. If you're drawn to AI or copy trading, read exactly what the maker says the product is. Whatever you pick, read the maker's disclosures and terms in full, and if you're unsure, talk to a regulated adviser.
Here's why it can help to work with a planner: the benefits of using a financial planner. If you're curious about the AI side, see my lists of AI stock analysis tools and AI trading tools.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between automated investing and a self-directed broker?
One maker here describes automated investing as a portfolio it builds and manages for you, and self-directed investing as selecting and managing your own investments. It lists both on one menu, beside custom portfolios.
Which of these are AI investing apps?
Several put AI up front. One calls itself the AI investing app that works for you, one describes an AI advisor in its app, and one calls itself an AI wealth management platform. Read what each maker says its AI does.
Which of these offer paper trading?
One app on this list names paper trading among its tools, beside a screener and recurring investing.
What is copy trading?
One platform here lists CopyTrader on its menu, with a page for finding investors to copy. Read the maker's own explanation and risk disclosures before you use it.
Which apps have kids' or retirement accounts?
One lists UGMA/UTMA accounts for kids, and several list retirement accounts or IRAs on their menus. Check each maker's own account pages for what's on offer.
Is this list financial advice?
No. It lists what each maker's own website says, as of Nov 2026, and doesn't recommend any app, investment or account. For advice on your own situation, speak to a regulated financial adviser.
