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Best Day Trading Platforms for June 2024

Review Updated
Matt Frankel, CFP®
Cole Tretheway
By: Matt Frankel, CFP® and Cole Tretheway

Our Brokerages Experts

Eric McWhinnie
Check IconFact Checked Eric McWhinnie
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

Day trading is the term for frequently buying and selling stock positions after holding them for short periods. You can day trade on pretty much any broker's platform. But what is the best day trading platform for you? Here, we'll explore how to choose the best day trading platform, and what you should know before deciding to give day trading a try.

Day trading: A note of caution

Day trading carries risk of permanent financial loss. We strongly recommend first reviewing The Motley Fool's investing philosophy before considering day trading. The Motley Fool (The Ascent's parent brand) was founded with a long-term mindset of buy-and-hold investing; that means we believe long-term investing is critical to growing your wealth.

We created this page knowing that everyone's investing journey will look a little different, but wanted to note the risks of day trading for anyone who might be unaware. If you choose to engage in day trading, please do so with caution and an understanding of the financial dangers involved.

There are a lot of options to compare, even on this page. It can be overwhelming! If you're looking for a place to start, here are some day trading platforms our experts recommend and why they like them:

  • Robinhood: Great low-cost day trading platform
  • E*TRADE: Standout option for stocks and options traders
  • Tastytrade: Fantastic broker for futures investors

Our 5 Best Day Trading Platforms

Broker/Advisor Best For Commissions Next Steps
Robinhood Offer Image
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best For:

Low fees

Commission:

$0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; $5 monthly for Robinhood Gold

E*TRADE Offer Image
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best For:

Stocks and options traders

Commission:

Commission-free; other fees apply

Award Icon 2024 Award Winner
Tastytrade Offer Image
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4.0/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best For:

Options and futures investors

Commission:

$0 for stocks, $1 per option contract (opening trades only), 1% per crypto purchase and sale

Webull Offer Image
Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best For:

Mobile investing

Commission:

$0 per trade

Award Icon 2024 Award Winner
Interactive Brokers Offer Image
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best For:

Active brokers

Commission:

As low as $0 stock trades

A note from our Head of Product Ratings, Brian Frey

When we researched online brokers to create this list of brokerages, some of the things we looked for were low costs, a variety of account types, and great customer service ratings. Everyone's investing journey is different, but I've found these three factors are important for anyone to have a great investing experience.

How do I choose a day trading platform?

Choose a day-trading platform with the features you need at competitive prices:

Robinhood
Open Account for Robinhood

On Robinhood's Secure Website.

Ratings Methodology

Our Rating:

Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Bottom Line

As one of the few places to trade options commission free, Robinhood deserves a spot on the list. It also offers fractional share investing, cryptocurrencies, and an easy-to-use trading app. Customers who subscribe to Robinhood Gold also get access to extremely low-rate margin trading.

Fees:

$0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; $5 monthly for Robinhood Gold

Account Minimum:

$0

Special Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn a 1% bonus with no cap when you transfer your brokerage account to Robinhood, now through June 28, 2024. Terms apply.

Earn an uncapped bonus

Open Account for Robinhood

On Robinhood's Secure Website.

Our Rating:

Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Bottom Line

The Power E*TRADE platform is one of the highest rated, and both the standard E*TRADE and Power E*TRADE platforms are available in mobile app form as well. High-volume traders get a discount on options commissions.

Fees:

Commission-free; other fees apply

Account Minimum:

$0

Special Offer Circle with letter I in it. Open a new eligible E*TRADE brokerage account, fund your account within 60 days of opening, and earn a cash bonus of up to $1,000, depending on the size of your deposit. Offer good for one use per customer, on a single account.

Open and fund and get up to $1,000

Open Account for E*TRADE

On E*TRADE's Secure Website.

Award Icon 2024 Award Winner

Our Rating:

Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Bottom Line

Tastyworks allows for stock trading, but it is the most options-focused trading platform, with technology that focuses on it. Plus, Tastyworks has a unique commission structure that makes trading options more cost-effective than most rivals, especially for high-volume traders.

Fees:

$0 for stocks, $1 per option contract (opening trades only), 1% per crypto purchase and sale

Account Minimum:

$0

Open Account for Tastytrade

On Tastytrade's Secure Website.

Our Rating:

Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Bottom Line

No commissions on options, and a more feature-packed trading platform than Robinhood has. Webull also offers very competitive margin rates and doesn't require a subscription to access this feature.

Fees:

$0 per trade

Account Minimum:

$0

Open Account for Webull

On Webull's Secure Website.

Award Icon 2024 Award Winner

Our Rating:

Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Bottom Line

The Trader WorkStation platform is a powerful one for frequent traders. Day traders generally use lots of leverage (margin), and Interactive Brokers has some of the lowest margin rates in the business. It also offers international trading capabilities, which is somewhat rare.

Fees:

As low as $0 stock trades

Account Minimum:

$0

Open Account for Interactive Brokers

On Interactive Brokers' Secure Website.

Editor's Note: TD Ameritrade is transitioning to Charles Schwab

TD Ameritrade has been acquired by Charles Schwab, and the company expects all accounts to be transitioned by the end of 2024. We've removed TD Ameritrade from our best-of lists to align with this development. Here at The Ascent, you can trust that we're constantly evaluating our top broker picks to bring you current recommendations.

Reviews of the best day trading platforms

Robinhood

Best day trading platform for investors who want low fees: Robinhood is ideal for investors who prioritize low trading fees.

Robinhood is famous for its low commission fees. It charges $0 to buy or sell stocks, including fractional shares, and it's one of the rare brokers that charges $0 options fees. Robinhood charges $0 crypto commissions, and Robinhood Gold subscribers get low margin rates.

Some traders are skeptical because Robinhood has had PR issues in the past, such as the GameStop incident. Others might dislike that Robinhood lacks some advanced trading features.

Why day traders might love Robinhood

  • $0 stock and crypto trades: Robinhood charges you $0 commissions to trade stocks or cryptocurrencies.
  • $0 options fees: Robinhood charges you $0 commissions to trade options.
  • Easy to use: Robinhood offers a no-frills interface on mobile and desktop platforms.
  • Gold perks: Robinhood Gold subscribers get low margin rates and Level II market data for $5 monthly.

Why day traders might not choose Robinhood

  • GameStop fiasco: Robinhood paused trades during the GameStop meme stock craze, upsetting many traders.
  • Low frills: Alternative day trading platforms offer more features than Robinhood.

Read our full review of Robinhood.

E*TRADE

Best day trading platform for investors who: E*TRADE is ideal for investors who prioritize stocks and options.

E*TRADE combines commission-free stock and ETF trading with a highly rated trading platform. It even offers physical branches you can visit for in-person assistance. E*TRADE does charge fees for options trading, and its margin fees could be more competitive.

Why day traders might love E*TRADE

  • $0 stock and ETF trades: E*TRADE charges you $0 commissions to trade stocks or ETFs.
  • High-volume discounts: High-volume options traders get discounts.
  • Strong trading platform: Options traders love the free Power E*TRADE platform.

Why day traders might not choose E*TRADE

  • High margin rates: Alternative day trading platforms offer better margin rates.

Read our full review of E*TRADE.

Tastytrade

Best day trading platform for investors who: Tastytrade is ideal for investors who prioritize options and futures.

Tastytrade is the only broker here that prioritizes their options trading platform. Its unique commissions structure is more affordable than alternatives, especially for high-volume traders. Its feature-packed platform makes it not-so-beginner-friendly, and margin rates are so-so.

Why day traders might love Tastytrade

  • Low fees: Tastytrade only charges $0 for stocks, $1 per option contract (opening trades only), and 1% per crypto purchase and sale.
  • Capped fees: Tastytrade caps its commissions at $10 per leg, so if you buy 100 contracts of a certain call option, your commission will only be $10.
  • Futures trading: Tastytrade offers futures trading at competitive prices.
  • Advanced tools: The platform offers complex trading tools in a friendly manner.

Why day traders might not choose Tastytrade

  • High margin rates: Alternative day trading platforms offer better margin rates.
  • Not beginner-friendly: Tastytrade may offer a user-friendly interface, but beginner traders may still find it overwhelming.

Read our full review of Tastytrade.

Webull

Best day trading platform for investors who: Webull is ideal for investors who prioritize mobile investing.

Webull offers one of the best mobile apps out there, and it's packed with features. It charges $0 to trade stocks (including fractional shares), ETFs, and options. The platform offers competitive margin rates. The Webull app doesn't offer crypto trading, and it's a bit more complicated to use than other mobile trading platforms.

Why day traders might love Webull

  • $0 stock and ETF trades: Webull charges you $0 commissions to trade stocks or ETFs.
  • $0 options fees: Webull charges you $0 commissions to trade options.
  • Feature-rich: Webull offers more advanced charting and complex trades than mobile competitors.
  • Low margin rates: Margin rates are some of the most competitive out there, and you don't need a subscription to get the best rates.

Why day traders might not choose Webull

  • Busy interface: Webull's advanced charting may make it slightly more intimidating to new day traders than alternative platforms.
  • No crypto: Webull users can't trade cryptocurrencies in the app.

Read our full review of Webull.

Interactive Brokers

Best day trading platform for investors who: Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is ideal for investors who prioritize margin rates and trade frequently.

Interactive Brokers is known for its powerful Trader Workstation platform and low margin rates. It even lets you trade internationally, a rare feature. Traders may dislike its complicated fee structure, and the platform is not beginner-friendly.

Why day traders might love Interactive Brokers

  • Low margin rates: According to its website, IBKR's margin rates are up to 49% lower than the industry.
  • Strong trading platform: Trader Workstation is a powerful free desktop trading platform equipped with advanced trading tools, research, and extreme customizability.
  • International trading: The GlobalTrader app lets you access more than 90 worldwide stock exchanges and trade options in more than 30 market centers.
  • Paper trading: The platform lets you practice with fake money.

Why day traders might not choose Interactive Brokers

  • Complicated fees: There are two fee structures, one of which offers you the choice between fixed and tiered commission plans.
  • Not beginner-friendly: Interactive Brokers' new desktop platform may be easier to use than Trader Workstation, but beginner traders may still find it overwhelming.

Read our full review of Interactive Brokers.

TIP

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How to open a day trading account?

Opening a day-trading account is simple:

  1. Begin opening an account. You typically start the process by navigating to the website of your chosen day trading platform and clicking "Open Account."
  2. Enter your necessary personal information. This may include your address, contact info, and Social Security number.
  3. Fund your brokerage account. If you are flagged as a pattern day trader, you will need to maintain at least $25,000 worth of equity in your account.

How to open a day trading account is the same process as opening a standard brokerage account. You typically don't open special "day trading accounts."

How to day trade

Day traders try to identify patterns or trends to profit from short-term movements in a stock. For example, you might identify a pattern in Apple's stock chart and predict the share price will rise. You'll buy shares of Apple and aim to sell it a short time later at a higher price. Active day traders attempt to earn profits on trades like this several times in a day.

LEARN MORE: How does day trading differ from investing?

What investments can day traders make money from?

Day traders can make money from buying stocks and options and selling them for a profit. However, this is a risky investment strategy. How much money you can make (or lose) depends upon volatility, how familiar you are with what you're trading, and other factors.

The more actively you trade, the more trading fees matter. $0.65 per options contract sounds small, but 100 contracts costs you $65. Small fees add up quickly.

Likewise, the more margin you use, the more interest rates matter. If you borrow $10,000 for one year at an 8% rate, you'd owe $800 in interest fees, regardless of your earnings -- or lack thereof. Fees and rates strongly affect how much money you can make day trading.

How much money do I need to start day trading?

The short answer is that it depends how active you want to be in the stock market, and how long you plan to hold stocks. If you simply want to buy and sell stocks every so often, there's no set-in-stone minimum.

It's important to know about the "pattern day trader" rule and how it could affect you. By FINRA's definition, a day trade occurs when you buy and sell the same stock in a margin account on the same day. (If your account doesn't have margin privileges, day trading is typically not possible.)

According to FINRA's rules, you'll be flagged as a pattern day trader if you complete four or more day trades in a rolling five-business-day period. Once you do this, you'll typically be considered a pattern day trader, even if you don't continue to meet the definition over time -- part of the rule says a broker can identify you as a pattern day trader if there's a reasonable belief you'll engage in day trading.

If you are identified as a pattern day trader, you will need to maintain at least $25,000 of equity in your account. You don't necessarily need to use it all to day trade. For example, if you hold long-term investments, it counts toward the total. But it must be in your account if you plan to day trade. There are other limitations that apply to pattern day traders, but this is how it applies to the capital requirements.

What are the risks of day trading?

Day trading can be extremely risky. As regulatory agency FINRA says, "Day trading generally is not appropriate for someone of limited resources, limited investment or trading experience and low risk tolerance. A day trader should be prepared to lose all of the funds used for day trading."

Simply put, stocks can be extremely volatile over short periods of time, and it can be painfully difficult, if not impossible, to predict their movements. There's no such thing as a 100% reliable day trading strategy, or anything close to it.

The majority of day traders lose money. The odds of making money day trading is low, thanks to the bid-ask spreads of stocks. The price you can readily sell a stock for is typically lower than the price you can buy it for at any given time. Usually, the difference between the two is just pennies, but when you're trading in and out of positions all day, it can cost you quite a bit.

Day trading can be especially risky if you're using margin or options to trade, or if you trade by placing short sale transactions, since these can make your account especially volatile. In some cases where trades go wrong, it's possible to lose more money than you invest.

LEARN MORE: What is stock market volatility?

What is day trading?

The term day trading is often used to refer to any investor who frequently buys and sells stocks, but the true definition is someone who regularly buys and sells the same stocks during the same trading day.

Regulatory agency FINRA formally defines a day trader as someone who buys and sells the same stock during the same trading day at least four times within a five-business-day period. This is known as a pattern day trader.

Our brokerage rating methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, brokerages are rated on a scale of one to five stars. We primarily focus on fees, available assets, and user experience; however, we also take into account features like research, education, tax-loss harvesting, and customer service. Our highest-rated brokerages generally include low fees, a diverse range of assets and account types, and useful platform features.

See our full methodology here: Ratings Methodology

FAQs

  • Yes, day trading is legal. But if you day trade frequently, defined as four or more round-trip day trades in a five-business-day period, you'll need to comply with a $25,000 minimum capital requirement and adhere to certain margin rules.

  • In simple terms, stocks and options can be volatile and unpredictable. There is no such thing as a day trading system that accurately predicts stock movements 100% of the time. It's possible to lose money very quickly if trades don't go your way, especially if you're using margin, trading options, or are selling stocks short.

  • There are a ton of studies and reports about day trading results, and the conclusions vary dramatically. But most of them agree on two things. First, most day traders lose money. Second, some make money, and a select few make a lot of it. So, the short answer is yes, you can make money day trading, but it isn't easy money by any definition of the word.

  • It depends. If you simply want the ability to buy and sell stocks in order to make a profit, there's no set in stone minimum. On the other hand, if you plan to frequently trade in and out of positions, you may get flagged as a pattern day trader, which has a $25,000 minimum capital requirement. And of course, if your goal is for day trading to become your primary source of income, you'll need sufficient capital that could reasonably produce enough trading profits to meet your income needs.

Our Brokerages Experts

Brokerages we evaluated for consideration on this page: Acorns, Ally Invest, Axos Self-Directed Trading, Betterment, Cash App Investing, Charles Schwab, Delphia, Domain Money, Ellevest, Empower, eToro Brokerage, E*TRADE Core Portfolios, E*TRADE, Fidelity, Fidelity Cash Management, Fidelity Go®, Firstrade, FOREX.com, Interactive Brokers, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing, M1 Finance, Magnifi, Marcus Invest, Merrill Edge® Self-Directed, Moomoo, NinjaTrader, Personal Capital, Plynk, Prosperi Academy, Public, Robinhood, Rocket Dollar, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, SoFi Active Investing, SoFi Automated Investing, Stash, Stockpile, Tastytrade, Titan, Tornado App, TradeStation, Tradier, Vanguard, Vanguard Digital Advisor®, Wealthfront, Webull, Zacks Trade.