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Ally Invest might be for you if: You're looking for a brokerage with a wide selection of investments and low fees. Ally Invest offers some of the most competitive pricing on stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, and mutual funds. Zero-dollar commission fees make this one of the best stock brokers we've seen. In this Ally Invest review, we'll cover everything you need to know to decide whether this brokerage is for you.
Ally Invest
Ally Invest impresses with $0 commissions and no account minimums. It's a great choice for those looking for an intuitive platform from which to make cheap trades.
$0 stock and ETF trades
$0
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. |
We like that Ally Invest has no account minimum and offers $0 stock, mutual fund, and options commissions. Despite having limited trading tools, Ally Invest's low pricing, reasonable margin rates, and user-friendly platform makes it one of our top choices for budget-minded brokers.
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.
The quality I value most in a brokerage is a willingness to educate people like me who really have no idea what they're doing, but want to. When I was ready to ask questions, I needed a human to explain the basics, like "What is a mutual fund and how do I choose one?"
I have a lot of love for brokerages that make it easy for people of all financial backgrounds to invest, because I'll never run out of questions. I'm conservative now. I don't play with money. I minimize risk by investing mainly in mutual funds, and I allow myself to have some fun by dabbling in riskier investments like crypto.
Here at Motley Fool Money, we pride ourselves as real users of most of the products across our site. VP of Marketing Allyson Wines uses Ally Invest -- here's her take on this broker.
I've used Ally Invest for five years, and the Ally interface is easy to use, with helpful shortcuts to tasks and customizable dashboards. One of the features I like the most is the research section with a Screener that includes Analyst Top Stocks, Market Movers, Value Stocks, and Money Makers. I also like that you can find ETFs by Morningstar Rating, Price, Asset Class, and more.
Ally Invest offers a solid selection of investments and brokerage accounts.
TIP
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TIP
Ally also offers a variety of additional financial services:
While the cost of making a trade isn't everything, it is an important consideration when deciding which broker to use. Ally Invest has some of the lowest commissions on stocks and mutual funds of any discount broker we've seen.
Ally Invest is in line with much of the industry in offering $0 trades for stocks, options, mutual funds, and ETFs. However, stocks priced less than $2 per share are charged a commission of as much as $4.95 plus $0.01 per share. Bonds trade at $1 commission.
| Product | Cost |
|---|---|
| Stocks and ETFs | $0 |
| Stock options | $0 per trade, $0.50 per contract |
| Mutual funds | $0 |
Ally Invest has joined most of the industry in dropping commissions for online stock trades to $0, but keep in mind that it still charges a commission on lower-priced stocks. For customers buying large blocks of sub-$2 stocks, this broker can get very expensive.
As for fees, it's good practice to fully read any broker's fee disclosures before opening a brokerage account, but we did some of the homework for you. After reading through Ally Invest's list of fees, there were a couple of fees that stuck out as necessitating further discussion.
Also keep in mind that while Ally Invest offers more than 17,000 mutual funds, some of them come with a load to buy them (a fee as a percentage of what you invest).
We believe that Ally Invest's low commissions and fees combined with its status as a true no-minimum discount broker --you can open an account with as little as $1 to start -- makes it a good online stock broker for beginners who plan to add to their account balance over time.
Margin trading allows you to borrow from your portfolio to buy into other opportunities. Your account becomes the collateral for a loan from the brokerage. You can then use that money to invest, or withdraw it for another purpose. You'll repay the loan with interest.
Although Ally Invest's margin rates aren't the lowest available, they are competitive, especially if you compare them to other forms of borrowing like personal loans. Ally Invest is in the middle of the pack for margin rates, offering rates lower than the larger players, but more than at least one of the low-cost leaders, Interactive Brokers. It is most competitive for investors who use large amounts of margin. Ally Invest's rates are lower than many of its peers for investors who have a margin balance of $500,000 or more.
| Margin Balance | Interest Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $9,999 | 13.00% |
| $10,000 to $24,999 | 13.00% |
| $25,000 to $49,999 | 12.75% |
| $50,000 to $99,999 | 12.00% |
| $100,000 to $249,999 | 10.75% |
| $250,000 to $499,999 | 9.75% |
| $500,000 to $999,999 | 9.25% |
| $1 million and up | 8.50% |
Some people use margin loans to leverage their portfolio (invest with borrowed money), which can increase the profits if your investments rise in value at a rate higher than the cost of borrowing money. That said, using margin also adds more risk to your portfolio, as it multiplies losses if your investments fall in value.
Other investors use margin differently, using it instead as a way to be able to immediately reinvest the proceeds from selling stock. Stock sales are "settled" in two days, which means that if you sell a stock in a cash account on Tuesday, you won't be able to use the money until Thursday. Investors who have a margin account can borrow the money for two days, so as to be able to immediately reinvest the proceeds from the sale of an investment.
Discount brokers may not offer the same assistance of full-service brokerage firms, but that doesn't mean they leave clients in the dark. Many offer research and screening tools that can help investors find suitable investments.
There are two notable research and news solutions available to Ally Invest customers:
RELATED: See Motley Fool Money's complete Zacks Trade review to see how it combines trading and research.
Ally Invest doesn't have a sophisticated platform for active investors like many of its competitors. This can be both a pro and a con, depending on how you use your brokerage account.
The company's web-based trading platform works well on large and small screens. Its features include screeners, market research and analysis tools, streaming charts, and the ability to create customized watchlists.
While Ally Invest is well-suited for most long-term investors, those who like to do lots of research and make frequent trades could be better off with a more tech-heavy competitor.
As long-term investors ourselves, we don't put much emphasis on trading platforms, given that virtually any broker makes placing a trade as easy as entering a ticker symbol and making a few clicks.
Mobile traders may prefer to download Ally's mobile app (available on iPhone and Android) for an experience that is tailored for smaller devices.
The Ally: Bank, Auto, & Invest app enables users to use the following features via their mobile devices:
The app is free to use and is highly rated on the App Store. Google Play ratings are substantially lower.
Reviews of customer service are mixed. While some customers praise Ally's ease of use and excellent customer service, others complain about its lack of physical locations and issues regarding the responsiveness of customer service agents.
There are a few ways to contact customer service:
Ally Invest is a reputable financial institution and takes security seriously. It implements a multi-layered approach to protect your accounts and information. This includes:
Overall, Ally Invest's security measures are comparable to those of other well-established online brokerages.
It should go without saying that as the customer, it's your responsibility to do your part. Protect your account with strong passwords, always be on the alert for phishing scams, and regularly review your account activity.
If you have specific concerns about security, review Ally Invest's security FAQ for detailed information about its practices.
Ally started out as an auto financer in 1919. It helped auto dealers buy large quantities of cars, and offered car loans to customers through dealerships.
Today, Ally still provides auto loans, but has expanded its offerings to include banking services, credit cards, mortgages, and investment services.
Keep reading about Ally Invest and how it stacks up to the competition on these pages:
Motley Fool Stock Disclosures
Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Ally is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Cole Tretheway has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Kimberly Rotter has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, Best Buy, Interactive Brokers Group, Intuit, Maker, and Target. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2027 $43.75 calls on Interactive Brokers Group and short January 2027 $46.25 calls on Interactive Brokers Group. 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.
