Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) ಌare a collection of securities generally comprised of stock and bonds, which trade like a single stock. ETFs provide investors with an easy way to diversify their portfolios at a low cost. While diversification tends to make them less risky than individual stocks and options, each fund comes with its own risks and potential rewards. It’s imperative for investors to understand them fully and only pick the ETFs that align with their risk profiles and financial goals. One excellent way to find the best ETFs is through a broker equipped with the tools and services investors can use to research, buy, hold, and sell ETFs.
Investopedia independently researched and analyzed data fro🦩m dozens o๊f brokers and found that Fidelity is the best overall brokerage platform for ETFs. Fidelity has a large selection of ETFs and great research capabilities, which can help investors find ETFs aligned with their financial goals. If Fidelity does not fully fit your particular style of investing, Investopedia researched 27 other online brokers to see which one works best for different ETF investors. Below is our list to help you decide.
Best Brokers for ETFs for June 2025
- Best Overall: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: Fidelity
- Best for ETF Research: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: Interactive Brokers
- Best for ETF Screeners: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: Charles Schwab
- Best for Experienced Buy and Hold Investors: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: Vanguard
- Best for Pre-Built ETF Portfolios: E*TRADE
Best Overall : Fidelity
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- Account Minimum: $0
- Fees: $0 for stock/ETF trades, $0 plus $0.65/contract for options trades
Fidelity is a name-brand goliath in the investing industry, well-known and respected for offering a wide range of financial products, tools, and research services, all at low costs—or no cost at all. Its approach to ETFs is no different, as Fidelity offers 2,500+ ETFs, fee-free, and with competitive expense ratios, making it our pick as the best overall broker for ETFs.
More than 90 screening criteria for ETFs
No commissions and competitive expense ratios
Robust offering of ETFs to consider
The screeneღr can be difficult to utilize for beginning investors
Customer rep-assisted trades are relatively costly at $32.95 per trad🔯ꩵe
Branches are scarce in s𝓀ome areas, with only 215 branches in the United 🌼States
Fidelity was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. At the end of 2024, it had 39.2 million retail accounts and $15.1 trillion in 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:assets under administration (AUA). ETF trading at Fidelity is commission-free, and investors can screen over 2,500 ETFs, filter on 90+ criteria, and choose between numerous ETFs that align with their risk threshold and goals. For instance, Fidelity offers the new Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs designed specifically for investors who want cryptocurrency exposure.
Whatever your investing style, asset class preference, and risk tolerance, Fidelity will have a cost-effective solution, as most of its ETFs come with competitive 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:expense ratios. While ETFs are generally 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:passively managed, Fidelity does offer some that are managed actively in hopes of beating their benchmarks.
Investors will appreciate Fidelity’s high-quality educational offerings and future planning services. However, rep-assisted trades are quite expensive, and brick-and-mortar locations are relatively scarce in some areas. Luckily, everything can be conveniently done online, and if more help is needed, customer service 🐲is just a phꦦone call away.
Best for ETF Research : Interactive Brokers
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Interactive Brokers
- Account Minimum: $0.00
- Fees: $0.00 commissions for equities/ETFs via IBKR Lite, low costs scaled by volume for IBKR Pro
Investopedia chose Interactive Brokers (IBKR) as the best ETF research platform because of its rich and robust investigatory tools available to 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:fundamental traders♓ seeking out the perfect ETFs for thꦕeir portfolio.
Over 15,000 ETFs from 90 global market centers
No account minimum🔯s an💖d $0 commissions for IBKR Lite
Over 60 news and research sources, as well as 100+ order types
IIBKRꦏ’s platform can ꦯbe intimidating to beginner traders
IBKR Pro users pay commissions for ETF trades
You need special permission to trade spot 💧Bitcoin and Ethereum ET🦩Fs
Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut. IBKR wins for the best ETF research capabilities, offering more than 15,000 ETFs from over 90 global market centers. In support of this massive offering, IBKR provides a powerful ETF screener and a menu of 60 dif🍨ferent research sources.
While IBKR can be intimidating to navigate, especially for a beginning investor, its screeners are powerful, and its research offerings include free access to well-respected analytics, including Morningstar, Dow Jones, Zacks, and Benzinga. IBKRCampus, its educational section, is also an invaluable tool for learning about the platforms, ETFs, or trading in general. IBKR also continuously works on new platform features to help traders stay ahead of the curve, like the recently launched AI-powered news summaries.
Trading ETFs with IBKR has immediate benefits that many traders will appreciate, but you have to be mindful of which IBKR package you choose. IBKR Lite traders enjoy $0 commission, while IBKR Pro users pay $0.0005-$0.0035 per share if volume-tiered or a $0.005 per share fixed rate. Another thing to bear in mind is that investors need IBKR’s permission to trade certain products, such as spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.
Read our full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Interactive Brokers Review.
Best for ETF Screeners : Charles Schwab
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Charles Schwab Logo
- Account Minimum: $0
- Fees: $0 for stock/ETF trades, $0.65 per contract for options
Investopedia chose Charles Schwab as the best ETF screener in the brokerage industry. With well over 100 criteria and 17 predefined screens of the most popular ETFs, it provides investors with the ultimate tools to find the ETFs that best fit their risk threshold for their portfolios while remaining remarkably intuitive and easy to use.
Numerous screening crite🃏ria, with p🐬opular predefined screens
Intuitive and easy to use, yet powerful screener
Commission-free ETFs, the average asset-weighted operating expense ratio (OER) for Schwab ETFs is 0.⛄05%
Pays low interest on uninvested cash
Does not offer fractional-share ETFs
Does not offer many external resources
Charles Schwab was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Westlake, Texas. It is one of the biggest brokers in the U.S. and a true trailblazer in the industry, serving 36.9 million customers with more than $10.28 trillion in client assets.
Charles Schwab’s ETF screener is easy to use and understand, but it also accurately scans Schwab’s immense offering of over 3,000 ETFs. When investors find the ETF they are looking for, they can trade with no fees. While the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:operating expense ratio (OER) can vary for each ETF, the average OER for Schwab ETFs is 0.05%.
Charles Schwab’s excellent reputation is well-deserved as the company does most things very well. On top of being an all-around great broker, it provides industry-leading education and even offers some innovative perks like 24-hour trading via its award-winning thinkorswim platform.
Nonetheless, there are a few things prospective ETF traders need to be aware of, like the fact that you won’t be able to trade fractional shares of ETFs. The broker also pays an abysmal 0.05% interest on uninvested cash. Lastly, while Schwab provides access to external research like Morningstar and Argus, its breadth pales in comparison to some competitors.
Read our full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Charles Schwab Review.
Best for Experienced Buy and Hold Investors : Vanguard
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- Account Minimum: $0
- Fees: $0/stock and ETF trade, $0 plus $1 per contract for options
Investopedia chose Vanguard as the best brokerage for 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:buy-and-hold investors because Vanguard's entire design, business structure, and philosophy cater to ꧅investors who hold long-term financial products such as ETFs.
Informative and easy-to-navigate website
Offers fractional shares of ETFs, buy into ETFs with as 🗹little as $1
No account mini🐠mums🌠 or commissions, competitively priced expense ratios
Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs are not available
Only 90 ETFs are available to investors
Annual account service fee of $25 (potenti🀅ally ༺easily waivable)
Vanguard was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. With over $10 trillion in assets under management, Vanguard is built for buy-and-hold investors seeking to diversify their portfolios with 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:long-term ETF investments. A sleek design, f𝓰ractional ETFs allowing to get started with just $1, competitive expense ratios, and no minimums or fees for ETFs make Vanguard a serious consideration for any investor.
However, there are drawbacks. For example, if you are seeking exposure to cryptocurrency, unfortunately, you won’t find that Vanguard offers such exposure and does not plan to in the foreseeable future. Also, Vanguard charges a $25 annual fee, although it can be easily waived if investors sign up for the e-delivery of statements and other important reports and notices.
Lastly, while Vanguard is one of the oldest and most reputable firms in the business, in January 2025, it did have to settle with the U.S. SEC for over $100 million “for misleading statements related to capital gains distributions and tax consequences for retail investors.
Still, given its low costs, fractional shares on ETFs, and simple design, Vanguard is a solid choice for buy-and-hold ETF investors. The 90 ETFs offered on its platform provide an adequate variety across different asset classes, including stocks, bonds, large-cap equities, and international selections.
In February 2025, Vanguard announced its largest expense ratio reduction, which the company projected would save Vanguard’s investors over $350 million in 2025 alone.
Best for Pre-Built ETF Portfolios : E*TRADE
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- Account Minimum: $0
- Fees: No commission for stock, ETF, and mutual fund trades. Options are $0.50-$0.65 per contract, depending on trading volume
Investopedia chose E*TRADE as the best for pre-built ETF portfolios because of the wide variety of such portfolios it offers. Each portfolio is built around a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:di🍸fferent combination of risk levels, time frames, and investment allocations, and each is intended to help investors find the best risk/rewa♑rd for their financial goals.
The ETF portfolio tool is easy to navigate a🍨nd use
Has aggressive, mode🐻rate, and conservative risk thresholds
Over 3,700 ETFs are available to tr൩aders. So♌me trade 24 hours a day, five days a week.
$2,500 mꦛi💞nimum investment for pre-built ETF portfolios
Pays low interest on unin♌vested cash of 0.01% - 0.15%
Fractional sharesꦺ are only availa🎃ble through automatic investing
E*TRADE, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, was acquired by Morgan Stanley in 2020. It continues to operate as a standalone brand, offering over 3,700 ETFs to investors. What makes E*TRADE special is its tool that helps match investors to pre-built ETF portfolios based on their risk tolerance: aggressive, moderate, or conservative appetite. From this varied menu of prebuilt portfolios, an investor can find a portfolio that's best aligned with their financial goals and appetite for risk.
While it is a useful tool, investors do need at least $2,500 to add a prebuilt ETF portfolio to their account. Also, fractional shares are only available through E*TRADE’s 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:robo-advisor service, which can create issues for investors with low account balances. Lastly, any idle cash will receive an APY of just 0.01% to 0.15%. Regardless of t🧔hese shortcomings, E*Trade has a unique approach and is a viable option for ETF traders.
Read our full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:E*TRADE Review.
Survey Insights
According to 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Investopedia's latest Reader Survey, our reader𒉰s revealed that they still own their favorite stocꦺks, despite tariff and recession-related worries being among their top concerns.
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Why You Should Trust Us
Investopedia is committed to independently re♏searching and analyzing the best brokers for ETFs to give re🐠aders a factual, unbiased review of the best platforms in the industry. To write our review, Investopedia analyzed 27 online brokerage platforms and collected data based on the service it provides. We used this information to carefully evaluate each company based on ETF selection, tools, research capabilities, and many other features investors find important to ensure that inventors are fairly informed to make the right decision for their financial needs. Investopedia started in 1999 and has been assisting readers in finding the best ETF brokers since 2019.
How Does an ETF Work?
An exchange-traded fund (ETF) contains multiple 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:securities and can be traded on an exchange like an individual stock. Like a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:mutual fund, an ETF's diversified holdings limit volatility,🐈 but unlike a mutual fund, ETF prices fluctuate through theও trading day, just like a stock.
ETFs can be tied to a specific benchmark or index, or they can be actively managed. ETFs can be part of an investment portfolio with brokers like those in our rankings. They also are available as part of retirement plans like 401(k)s and IRAs. ETFs can be appealing because fees are low or nonexistent for some trades, but there usually is a cost for 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:options contracts.
Before purchasing an ETF with any of the brokers on our list, you'll find resources on their websites to research the fund's underlying assets and historical performance.
Common ETF Terms to Understand
If you are investing in ETFs or just conside✱ring investing in them, you should familiarize yourself with the following terms:
- Passive ETFs: An example of 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:passive investing is an ETF with underlying assets that mimic those of an index it is trying to match. For example, an ETF might be designed to match the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:S&P 500 with holdings that match those in that particular index. Passive ETFs typically have lower fees.
- Actively managed ETFs: As the name implies, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:active management of an ETF involves regular buying and selling of holdings in order to try and outpace the market. These types of ETFs typically have higher fees.
- Benchmark: A 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:benchmark is a price an ETF might be trying to match. It might be a specific index, bond, or commodity, such as gold.
- Index: Common indexes include the S&P 500, the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Russell 2000, and others.
- Volatility: Investment products that suffer large price swings over short periods of time are said to be volatile. One of the benefits of ETFs is that their diversified holdings help to limit the risk of volatility.
Pros & Cons of ETFs
Diversification
Low fees
Many choices
Actively managed ETFs cost more
Broker sites can be difficult to navigate
Pros Explained
- Diversification: With a single ETF, it is possible to be invested in a broad range of securities. While not without risk, this is a safer way to invest than buying individual securities.
- Low fees: Depending on the types of ETFs you are purchasing, many brokers, including those in our rankings, charge little to no fees.
- Many choices: While each ETF includes a diverse collection of underlying securities, there also are many types of ETFs that might focus on sectors like real estate, technology, and more. So, if you want to invest in a specific area, there likely is an ETF for you.
Cons Explained
- Actively managed ETFs cost more: While ETFs generally are inexpensive, you'll pay more if you want one that is actively managed.
- Broker sites can be difficult to navigate: Especially for beginners, it can be difficult to find and understand what you are looking for on some broker sites.
Survey Insights
According to 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Investopedia’s latest Reader Survey, readers still choose individual stocks as their top choice for where they would invest if they had an extra $10,000 on hand, even though their appetite for riskꦅ has faded since February. This is followed by ETFs, money market funds, and CDs.
How We Choose the Best Broker for ETFs
To pick the best broker for ETFs, Investopedia’s team of researchers, data collectors, and editors, who are experts in the sector, collected data between Dec. 20, 2024, and Feb. 19, 2025. Investopedia gathered data to evaluate 27 brokerage platforms. Investopedia organized information about 120 criteria into 11 different categories. Additionally, we sent a digital questionnaire to each of the 27 brokerages to cross-check information and to make sure that our information about each ofᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ them was accurate and up-to-date. Further, most companies gave Investopedia editors a live demo of their platform. We were then able to determine which brokerage is the best for ETF investors in each of Investopedia’s categories.
Below are the 11 categories and how much we transparently weighted each for our ran♔kings:💙
- Research Amenities: 13%
- Range of Offerings: 11%
- Trading Technology: 11%
- Platform Experience: 10%
- Costs: 10%
- Mobile App Usability: 9%
- Portfolio Analysis and Reports: 9%
- Educational Material: 9%
- Customer Service: 7%
- Account Amenities: 6%
- Security: 5%
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Investopedia / Tara Anand
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