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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 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:
Broker/Advisor | Best For | Commissions | Next Steps | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Featured Offer
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
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 |
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
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 |
Best For:
Low fees |
Commission:
$0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; $5 monthly for Robinhood Gold |
|
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
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 |
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
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 |
Best For:
Stocks and options traders |
Commission:
Commission-free; other fees apply |
|
2024 Award Winner
Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5
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 |
Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5
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 |
Best For:
Options and futures investors |
Commission:
$0 for stocks, $1 per option contract (opening trades only), 1% per crypto purchase and sale |
|
Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5
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 |
Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
4.0/5
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 |
Best For:
Mobile investing |
Commission:
$0 per trade |
|
2024 Award Winner
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
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 |
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
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 |
Best For:
Active brokers |
Commission:
As low as $0 stock trades |
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.
Choose a day-trading platform with the features you need at competitive prices:
In a nutshell, the best way to choose the best day trading platform is to decide what features and tools are most important to you. You can day trade with any online broker, but some will meet your needs better than others.
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.
$0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; $5 monthly for Robinhood Gold
$0
Earn an uncapped bonus
On Robinhood's Secure Website.
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.
Commission-free; other fees apply
$0
Open and fund and get up to $1,000
On E*TRADE's Secure Website.
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.
$0 for stocks, $1 per option contract (opening trades only), 1% per crypto purchase and sale
$0
On Tastytrade's Secure Website.
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.
$0 per trade
$0
On Webull's Secure Website.
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.
As low as $0 stock trades
$0
On Interactive Brokers' Secure Website.
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.
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.
Read our full review of Robinhood.
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.
Read our full review of E*TRADE.
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.
Read our full review of Tastytrade.
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.
Read our full review of Webull.
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.
Read our full review of Interactive Brokers.
TIP
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Opening a day-trading account is simple:
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."
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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
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
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.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
Robinhood disclosure
All investments involve risk and loss of principal is possible.
Securities are offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Cryptocurrency services are 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. For more information see the Robinhood Crypto Risk Disclosure.
Trades of stocks, ETFs and options are commission-free at Robinhood Financial LLC. Other fees may apply. Please see Robinhood Financial’s Fee Schedule to learn more.
Fractional shares are illiquid outside of Robinhood and are not transferable. Not all securities available through Robinhood are eligible for fractional share orders. For a complete explanation of conditions, restrictions and limitations associated with fractional shares, see the Fractional Shares section of our Customer Agreement.
Robinhood Gold is an account offering premium services available for a $5 monthly fee. Not all investors will be eligible to trade on Margin. Margin investing involves the risk of greater investment losses. Additional interest charges may apply depending on the amount of margin used. Bigger Instant Deposits are only available if your Instant Deposits status is in good standing.
E*TRADE services are available just to U.S. residents.
tastytrade, Inc. (“tastytrade”) has entered into a Marketing Agreement with Marketing Agent (“Marketing Agent”) whereby tastytrade pays compensation to Marketing Agent to recommend tastytrade’s brokerage services. The existence of this Marketing Agreement should not be deemed as an endorsement or recommendation of Marketing Agent by tastytrade and/or any of its affiliated companies. Neither tastytrade nor any of its affiliated companies is responsible for the privacy practices of Marketing Agent or this website. tastytrade does not warrant the accuracy or content of the products or services offered by Marketing Agent or this website. Marketing Agent is independent and is not an affiliate of tastytrade.
tastytrade was previously known as tastyworks, Inc.