Acorns
Best for total hands-off micro-investors (round-ups)
- Fees
- Flat $3/$6/$12 per month
- To start
- $5
- + Effortless automation
- + Behavioral nudge to save
- − Flat fee = high % drag on small balances
Best brokers, compared
Honest picks across investing, transfers and crypto. Availability is shown per broker - not everything works everywhere. Or take the 30-second matcher →
Reviewed by Market Minute · Updated June 2026 · ✓ Fact-checked · how we rate
Our rankings are editorial and not for sale - partners can never pay for a higher spot. Free to use. Some outbound links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you - it never changes our picks. How we rate →
Editor's starter picks
The easiest places to begin - one per category.
Wise
Best for cheap, transparent international transfers
- Fees
- FX from ~0.57%; no monthly fee; card $9 once
- To start
- $0
- + Transparent mid-market FX
- + Available in the US and the EU
- − Not a full bank (no interest/credit)
Coinbase
Best for US beginners who want trust and easy onboarding
- Fees
- Advanced Trade ~0.4-0.6%; simple buy ~1.49%
- To start
- ~$2
- + Trusted public company
- + Easy for beginners
- − Simple-buy fees are high
Compare brokers
Filter, sort, and pick up to 3 to see side by side.
Crypto is high-risk. Prices are volatile and you can lose some or all of your money. This is general information, not financial advice. Availability and rules vary by country and US state.
US + EU
Wise
Best for cheap, transparent international transfers
- Fees
- FX from ~0.57%; no monthly fee; card $9 once
- To start
- $0
- + Transparent mid-market FX
- + Available in the US and the EU
- − Not a full bank (no interest/credit)
US + EU
Coinbase
Best for US beginners who want trust and easy onboarding
- Fees
- Advanced Trade ~0.4-0.6%; simple buy ~1.49%
- To start
- ~$2
- + Trusted public company
- + Easy for beginners
- − Simple-buy fees are high
US + EU
Kraken
Best for active, cost-conscious crypto traders
- Fees
- Pro 0.25% maker / 0.40% taker, lower at volume
- To start
- low
- + Competitive fees
- + Strong security reputation
- − UI steeper for beginners
US only
Robinhood
Best for US beginners who want a slick, zero-commission app
- Fees
- $0 stock/ETF commissions; Gold $5/mo
- To start
- $0
- + Best-in-class app UX
- + Rare IRA match
- − History of outages/gamification scrutiny
US + EU
Revolut
Best for travel spending + a multi-currency app
- Fees
- Free FX to $1,000/mo then 0.5% (+1% weekends)
- To start
- $0
- + Feature-rich app
- + Works in the US and across the EU
- − US version is stripped-down
US only
Webull
Best for active traders who want pro charting for free
- Fees
- $0 stock/ETF/options commissions
- To start
- $0
- + Strong free tools
- + No commissions
- − Thin fundamental research
US only
Moomoo
Best for data-hungry traders who want Level-2 quotes cheaply
- Fees
- $0 US stock/ETF commissions
- To start
- $0
- + Institutional-grade data free
- + Low cost
- − Overwhelming for beginners
US only
SoFi Invest
Best for beginners who want investing + banking in one place
- Fees
- $0 stock/ETF; robo 0.25%/yr; $25/yr inactivity (waived by login)
- To start
- $0
- + All-in-one ecosystem
- + IRA match
- − $25 inactivity + $100 IRA-closing fees
US + EU
Payoneer
Best for freelancers receiving cross-border payments
- Fees
- ATM $3.15+; conversion up to ~3.5%; card $29.95/yr
- To start
- $0
- + Built for freelancer/business payouts
- + Multi-currency receiving
- − Higher/opaque FX fees than Wise
US + EU
Nexo
Best for earning yield on crypto and borrowing against it
- Fees
- No monthly fee; yield, borrow rates and exchange spreads vary by asset and loyalty tier
- To start
- low
- + Earn yield or borrow against crypto without selling
- + Polished, mobile-first app
- − Yield/lending means your crypto is lent out - counterparty risk
Promo Limited-time referral bonus: add $5,000+ in crypto within 15 days and keep it 30 days, and you share a 1% bonus on your 30-day average balance, paid in BTC over 12 months (standard rate 0.5%). $5,000 minimum - best only if you're funding a larger balance; terms apply, verify at nexo.com/referral.
We may earn a commission if you open an account. This is educational, not financial advice.
US only
Acorns
Best for total hands-off micro-investors (round-ups)
- Fees
- Flat $3/$6/$12 per month
- To start
- $5
- + Effortless automation
- + Behavioral nudge to save
- − Flat fee = high % drag on small balances
US + EU
Crypto.com
Best for mobile-first users who want a card
- Fees
- Exchange 0.25/0.50%; app buys baked into the spread
- To start
- low
- + Strong mobile UX
- + Competitive Exchange fees
- − App pricing (spread) is opaque
US only
Stash
Best for beginners who want guided self-directed picks
- Fees
- Flat $3/mo or $12/mo
- To start
- $5
- + Educational onboarding
- + Pick individual stocks
- − Flat-fee drag on small balances
How to choose a broker
- The fees you'll actually pay
- Look past the headline '$0' - check FX rates, monthly or inactivity fees, and withdrawal costs. Those are what quietly eat small balances.
- Whether you can even open it
- A great broker you can't access is useless. We label availability (US / EU) on every broker so you don't waste time.
- What you can actually hold
- Stocks and ETFs, fractional shares, crypto, multiple currencies - make sure it covers what you came for, and ideally what you'll want next.
- How easy it is to start
- For beginners, a clean app and a fast sign-up matter more than pro tools you won't use yet. Don't pay for power you don't need.
- Reputation and safety
- Prefer regulated names with a track record, and understand how your money is protected before you fund an account.
- Promotions - last
- A sign-up bonus is a tie-breaker, never the reason to choose. A high long-term fee easily wipes out a one-off bonus.
How to switch brokers
1 · Open the new account
You can usually do it online in minutes. Have your ID and a recent statement from your old broker nearby.
2 · Start the transfer from the new broker
They pull your holdings from the old one. Most stocks and ETFs move 'in kind', so you don't have to sell and trigger taxes.
3 · Wait for it to settle
Transfers often take a few business days. Once it's done you'll be notified and can start trading.
Frequently asked
Is Market Minute free to use?
Yes. Some outbound links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you - and it never changes our picks or how we rank them.
How do you pick and rank the brokers?
We score each broker on a fixed set of published criteria and weights. Rankings are editorial and not for sale. See our How we rate page for the exact weights.
Will you only show brokers I can actually use?
We surface options available in your region (US or EU) and label availability on every broker, so you don't waste time on something you can't open.
Is this financial advice?
No. Everything here is educational only - not personalised investment advice. Do your own research before opening any account.
Is crypto safe?
Crypto is high-risk and can lose value fast. Only consider it with money you can afford to lose, and start with a regulated exchange.