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Alinea Invest might be for you if: You're new to investing and want a simple trading platform to get started. Not only will the app help automate your wealth building, but it also puts a big emphasis on impact investing. If you want to build a portfolio that matches your beliefs, read our Alinea Invest review to find out whether it's the right brokerage for you.
Alinea Invest
Alinea Invest's biggest perk is its ease of use. You can set up an automated plan, pick your own investments, or opt for a mixture of the two. The theme-based automated investing plans include Recession Proof, Alinea All Stars, and Climate Change. Most beginning investors won't have any trouble getting started. But this simplicity comes at a steep price -- $120 a year.
$120 annual membership. $0 commissions for stock and ETF trades
$1
We recommend comparing brokerage options to ensure the account you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of our best trading platforms of 2026.
| Broker | Best For | Commissions | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|
5.00/5
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.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
Full-service investing at every experience level | $0 commission for online U.S. stock and ETFs*. No account fees****. |
Learn More for Fidelity
On Fidelity's Secure Website. |
4.90/5
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.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
Low-cost investing with a full-featured platform | $0 stock, ETF, and Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource® trades. No fees to buy fractional shares. |
Learn More for Charles Schwab
On Charles Schwab's Secure Website. |
4.80/5
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.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
Low fees on stocks, ETFs, crypto, and options | $0 on trades of stocks, ETFs and their options. Other fees may apply. |
Learn More for Robinhood
On Robinhood's Secure Website. |
Alinea Invest aims to help new investors get started. It also makes it easy to invest in companies you know and support. However, the app is currently only available on iPhone -- it does not have a desktop version or an Android app.
It also has a limited range of investment options and won't be ideal if you want to invest in mutual funds or trade on a margin. Finally, it's expensive, even when compared with other beginner-friendly investment platforms.
"Not very. Alinea Invest is a vibe, don't get me wrong. It's sleek, and I liked how it's catered to Generation Z investors (read: my generation). But for all its cool, the app lacks features. I'd rather pay zero dollars on Robinhood than pay an annual membership fee for a similar platform with zero IRA match, among other things."
- Cole Tretheway, Motley Fool Money writer with financial expertise in brokerages
Alinea Invest's choice of investments and accounts is pretty limited. It only offers taxable brokerage accounts and does not offer mutual funds. If you want to open a tax-advantaged retirement account, like an IRA, check out our best brokerages for IRAs.
One super unique feature in Alinea Invest is its playlists. In a nutshell, these playlists are stock portfolios that users can create and share. You can use these playlists as inspiration for your own portfolio, or you can invest in them directly.
Many are value-driven, like climate change and Black empowerment, while others are based on location, like California and New York companies. You can also find more traditional themed portfolios, like green tech or metaverse, as well as some unusual ones, such as "The Magician."
Alinea Invest charges a nonrefundable $120 annual membership fee -- that's on the pricier side for an investing platform. Indeed, many of the best brokers let you open accounts for free. Some even offer perks that are comparable to the impact-investing portfolios of Alinea Invest, such as ways to screen for companies that align with your values.
If you decide to cancel midway through an annual membership, you won't be entitled to a refund for the remaining time on your plan. Be aware that your account will automatically renew if you don't cancel it.
| Reason | Cost |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120 |
| Commission to trade stocks and ETFs | $0 |
It's always smart to read the terms and conditions of a brokerage before you sign up. In this case, it highlights the importance of fully closing your account if you don't want to continue. If you don't, Alinea Invest has the right to take the money from your balance or sell securities to cover the annual fee. That's right -- it can sell your investments and take that money.
Alinea Invest doesn't currently support margin trading. If you're interested in trading on margin, you might want to check out some of the best brokerages for margin trading.
Alinea Invest offers investors articles that have been curated from around the web, as well as educational content in its library. I found the articles written by the Alinea Invest staff to be substantive, even while breaking complicated financial concepts into simple terms.
In keeping with its accessible ethos, users can also view SHARE Series videos. Access fireside chats and Q&A sessions with company leadership, or learn about industry trends that might impact your investing. The Alinea Invest TikTok channel aims for an inspirational and empowering tone about money management.
If you're looking for the types of research notes you might find at a more traditional brokerage, you may be disappointed. Instead, you can expect daily portfolio-based updates, simplified expert opinions, and fun tools such as the "Time Machine" feature. This tells you how much an investment would have grown had you invested money at a previous time. Better yet, this tool even sports a DeLorean from Back to the Future -- one of several fun designs that give the app its own identity.
The Alinea Invest trading platform does not have a desktop platform and is only available through your Apple device. Use the search bar at the top of your app to find stocks or ETFs. Once you find an investment, you just hit the big green button "Invest" at the bottom and enter a dollar amount.
As a platform for beginning investors, Alinea Invest does not have advanced charting capabilities, like the ability to overlay technical indicators to help you analyze market volatility. This isn't surprising (after all, this was built to be simple). But if you want to analyze potential opportunities and invest more actively, the platform will leave you wanting more.
The platform is simple to use. Once you're in the app, you can easily set up an automated plan, trade stocks and ETFs, monitor your portfolio, and read educational material.
Sometimes, the app feels like a social media platform. You can "heart" stocks and ETFs, which become visible to other users, as well as leave comments on them. You can create and share playlists and discover those created by others. You can follow and be followed and choose to display the companies you're investing in. All in all, the app turns what's usually a solitary activity into a community practice.
Right now, Alinea Invest is only available on the Apple App Store, though it has a waitlist for Google Play. Its ratings on the Apple App Store are good, boasting 4.5 stars out of 5, with more than 5,700 reviews (as of July 2024). If you're not an Apple user or want to find out about other options, check out our list of top free stock trading apps.
Alinea Invest does not have enough reviews on TrustPilot or BBB to get an impression of customer experiences. Reddit users have mixed views. Some think $120 is too much to pay for a membership when other brokerages offer similar services for free. Others complained of issues with closing accounts and disappointing returns. On the plus side, some people said it had helped them get started with investing and praised the customer support.
Customers can contact support by email or through the in-app chat function. There are no physical branches or phone line.
Alinea Invest's security is in line with other brokerages, though it would be nice to see more information about the company's security measures. Its partner, Drivewealth, is a member of FINRA and the SIPC. This means your account is protected up to $500,000 in the event of company failure.
It says sensitive information is encrypted via SSL and 256-bit encryption, and that it takes technical, administrative, and physical steps to protect your data. However, it is worth reading the privacy policy because the company says it may share your information with affiliates and third parties. If you're not comfortable with this, email it to opt out.
Alinea Invest was co-founded by Anam Lakhani and Eve Halimi. The pair came up with the idea while studying at Columbia University, after realizing how many classmates shied away from investing. The app is aimed at Gen Z investors and aims to build a community around finance and wealth building.
At Motley Fool Money, 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
I started my retail investing journey about five years ago when I discovered the power of index funds and ETFs. I realized I didn't have to be an expert stock picker to take control of my investments and use compound interest to help me build a nest egg. That hasn't stopped me from learning how to research stocks. With time, I added some individual investments to my portfolio alongside those trusty ETFs. I value transparency, strong educational resources, and low fees in a brokerage.
Currently, Alinea Invest only offers a yearly subscription plan ($120).
Yes, it's legit. The company is a member of SIPC, which means your account is protected up to $500,000 (this includes $250,000 for uninvested cash in your account). It's also a registered investment advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), so it has a fiduciary duty to act in its clients' best interests.
Motley Fool Stock Disclosures
Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Emma Newbery has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, and Intuit. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Fidelity disclosure
Investing involves risk, including risk of loss
* - $0.00 commission applies to online U.S. equity trades and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a Fidelity retail account only for Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC retail clients. Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee (historically from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal). Other exclusions and conditions may apply. A limited number of ETFs are subject to a transaction-based service fee of $100. See full list at Fidelity.com/commissions. Employee equity compensation transactions and accounts managed by advisors or intermediaries through Fidelity Institutional® are subject to different commission schedules.
**Fidelity Crypto® is offered by Fidelity Digital Assets®. Investing involves risk, including risk of total loss. Crypto as an asset class is highly volatile, can become illiquid at any time, and is for investors with a high risk tolerance. Crypto may also be more susceptible to market manipulation than securities. Crypto is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Investors in crypto do not benefit from the same regulatory protections applicable to registered securities. Fidelity Crypto® accounts and custody and trading of crypto in such accounts are provided by Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC, which is chartered as a limited purpose trust company by the New York State Department of Financial Services to engage in virtual currency business (NMLS ID 1773897). Brokerage services in support of securities trading are provided by Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (“FBS”), and related custody services are provided by National Financial Services LLC (“NFS”), each a registered broker-dealer and member NYSE and SIPC. Neither FBS nor NFS offer crypto as a direct investment nor provide trading or custody services for such assets. Fidelity Crypto and Fidelity Digital Assets are registered service marks of FMR LLC.
***Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk. Before trading options, please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. Supporting documentation for any claims, if applicable, will be furnished upon request.
****Zero account minimums and zero account fees apply to retail brokerage accounts only. Expenses charged by investments (e.g., funds, managed accounts, and certain HSAs) and commissions, interest charges, or other expenses for transactions may still apply. See Fidelity.com/commissions for further details.
Robinhood disclosure
Margin borrowing increases your level of market risk, as a result it has the potential to magnify both your gains and losses. Before using margin, customers must determine whether this type of strategy is right for them given their investment objectives and risk tolerance. Regardless of the underlying value of the securities you purchased, you must repay your margin loan. Robinhood Financial can change its maintenance margin requirements at any time without prior notice. If the equity in your account falls below the minimum maintenance requirements (varies according to the security), you’ll have to deposit additional cash or acceptable collateral. If you fail to meet your minimums, Robinhood Financial may be forced to sell some or all of your securities, with or without your prior approval. For more information please see Robinhood Financial’s Margin Disclosure Statement, Margin Agreement and FINRA Investor Information.
Margin trading involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Borrowing on margin increases your level of market risk and can amplify both gains and losses.
Robinhood Financial may change maintenance margin requirements at any time without prior notice. If the equity in your account falls below minimum maintenance requirements, you may need to deposit additional cash or collateral. If those requirements are not met, Robinhood Financial may sell securities in your account without prior approval.
The 3% matching on annual contributions requires a subscription with Robinhood Gold ($5/mo) and customers must stay subscribed to Gold for 1 year from the date of the first eligible deposit to keep the full Gold match. The funds that earned the match must be kept in the account for at least 5 years to avoid a potential Early IRA Match Removal Fee. Match rate subject to change. Non-Gold customers receive a 1% match. Offer only applies to self-directed IRAs. For more information refer to the IRA Match FAQ.
You must have compensation (wage income) in order to contribute to an IRA. Funds being contributed into or distributed from retirement accounts may entail tax consequences. Contributions are limited and withdrawals before age 59 1/2 may be subject to a penalty tax. Robinhood does not provide tax advice; please consult with a tax adviser if you have questions.
The Robinhood IRA is available to any U.S. customer with a Robinhood brokerage account in good standing.
The 3% matching on annual contributions requires a subscription with Robinhood Gold ($5/mo) and customers must stay subscribed to Gold for 1 year from the date of the first eligible deposit to keep the full Gold match. The funds that earned the match must be kept in the account for at least 5 years to avoid a potential Early IRA Match Removal Fee. Match rate subject to change. Non-Gold customers receive a 1% match. Offer only applies to self-directed IRAs. For more information refer to the IRA Match FAQ.
You must have compensation (wage income) in order to contribute to an IRA. Funds being contributed into or distributed from retirement accounts may entail tax consequences. Contributions are limited and withdrawals before age 59 1/2 may be subject to a penalty tax. Robinhood does not provide tax advice; please consult with a tax adviser if you have questions.
The Robinhood IRA is available to any U.S. customer with a Robinhood brokerage account in good standing.
Robinhood Strategies charges an annual management fee of 0.25% on the net portfolio value of each managed account. Eligible Robinhood Gold subscribers pay no management fees on the portion of their managed account net portfolio value that exceeds $100,000, thereby limiting the annual management fee to $250. Other fees apply.
All investments involve risk and loss of principal is possible.
Brokerage services are offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, ("RHF") a registered broker dealer (member SIPC) and clearing services through Robinhood Securities, LLC, ("RHS") a registered broker dealer (member SIPC).
RHF and RHS are not banks. All are separate but affiliated entities. Securities offered by RHF are not FDIC insured and involve risk, including possible loss of principal.
Robinhood Gold is a subscription-based membership program of premium services offered through Robinhood Gold, LLC.
Portfolio management of managed accounts by Robinhood Asset Management, LLC (“Robinhood Strategies”), an SEC-registered investment advisor.
Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before trading options.
Cryptocurrency trading is offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840). Trading and holding digital assets involves significant risk, including the risk of substantial loss. Cryptocurrency held through Robinhood Crypto is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected.
*Trading and owning digital assets involves significant risk, including the risk of substantial loss. Cryptocurrency trading is offered through an account with Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840). Robinhood Crypto is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the
New York State Department of Financial Services. Cryptocurrency held through Robinhood Crypto is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected.
** Network fees may apply. Availability may be subject to regulatory approval in certain states.
