Within the past decade, the advent of commission-free trading has completely revolutionized the stock market. Today, many investors can’t even imagine what it must have been like in the 1970s when the brokerage fees on a single trade alone could cost hundreds of dollars.
Love it or hate it, Robinhood completely transformed the market in 2013 by offering investors the chance to trade for free for the first time. Other brokerages were soon forced to follow suit, creating a wealth of free trading software just waiting to be utilized.
What Is Stock Trading Software?
First, let’s define what we mean by the best free stock market trading software. Free trading software can cover everything from brokerage platforms that allow you to make your own trades without paying commission fees to analysis and charting software that can help you plot ideal entry and exit points.
Ideally, both of these features are combined to allow investors to do their own research right from right inside their trading platforms. More the hands-off type? No worries! Now brokerages like SoFi offer free automated trading software that will automatically create and manage your portfolio based on your risk preferences.
So, what is the best free stock trading software? This is ultimately going to depend on your unique trading style. However, the cool thing is that there are now plenty of options for every type of trader.
As mentioned, many online brokerages now integrate powerful tools and analysis right into their programs. In fact, one of the most common questions among beginning investors is how to know which free brokerage to choose. While you should always do your own research, here are our recommendations for where to start.
Top Free Stock Trading Softwares for Beginners
If you’re brand new to the world of trading, things like charting and technical analysis may not make a whole lot of sense to you yet. One great way to make sense of everything is to check out the free courses offered by Tradimo. While the website offers an optional upgrade, you can get an impressively thorough education just by completing their free courses alone.
As far as trading platforms, Robinhood and Webull tend to be particularly popular choices for beginners. While Robinhood is pretty barebones, this is actually a plus for some beginners who simply want to invest in certain stocks without getting overwhelmed by loads of features.
If you’re ready to graduate to a more advanced platform or simply want to start with one you can grow into, then Webull is a great choice. You can download the app on your smartphone or use Webull Desktop, which comes with plenty of customizable tools. As far as free stock trading software goes, Webull is a great resource for both long-term investors and day traders alike.
Not only are their charts top tier, but they also offer constantly updated lists that allow you to easily check out which stocks are the most active each day and how various sectors are performing. Webull also comes with a built-in screener, social media style commentary, and free paper trading software that allows you to test drive trading strategies without risking real money.
Best Free Stock Trading Softwares- Intermediate to Advanced
Don’t get us wrong, the free stock trading software we’re about to mention can be great for beginners as well. But they also tend to be favorites of more advanced traders and come with resources that may not mean a lot to beginners at first. Charles Schwab has been around since the early 1970s and is currently one of the largest brokerages in the United States.
Schwab recently acquired TD Ameritrade, another popular favorite, but for the moment, the two still operate as two different companies. TD Ameritrade tends to be a favorite due to their popular Think or Swim trading software which you can access via your browser, smartphone, or download free in the form of a desktop app. Think or Swim offers plenty of powerful tools, but can also be a bit overwhelming at first, so you may want to check out their free tutorials.
Schwab is also a great choice because it’s designed to offer options for various types of traders. Self-directed traders will find plenty of resources such as news, trading ideas, charting and analysis, and more. Advanced traders can benefit from StreetSmart Edge, Schwab’s advanced free trading software. Need a little advice? Schwab is also happy to hook you up with a live financial advisor who can help you zero in on the best trading strategies for your needs.
Best Free StockTrading Analysis Tools
Whether you’re a day trader or looking for a great long-term dividend stock, there are plenty of great free resources out there to help you achieve your goals. Check out some of the best trading software to have on your radar.
- Trading View
Trading View offers plenty of tools for every type of trader, even if you only sign up for their free basic membership. No matter which brokerage platform you choose to trade on, Trading View will give you access to plenty of different chart types, drawing tools, customized analysis, market coverage, and more. There’s also a community section where you can check out free articles, podcasts, and videos for trading ideas.
- Finviz
If you’re looking for a next-level stock trading screener, Finviz is about as specific as it gets. You can narrow down your search for the best stocks to trade using fundamental, technical, or descriptive analysis. Their maps section is also great for getting an overall sense of what the market is currently up to.
- Trading Simulators
Trading simulators are great if you’re not quite sure you’re ready to leap into the market yet or want to try out a riskier trading tactic like day trading. Warrior Trading and TradeView both have great paper trading simulators that will fund your account with pretend money and allow you to use it to make simulated trades. This can be a great way to make inevitable beginner mistakes without losing real money. Once you’re confident in your skills, then you can upgrade and start trading with a cash account.
We hope this has helped point you towards some of the best free stock trading software for achieving your goals!
