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Software · head to head

Fidelity vs Robinhood

Fidelity logo

Fidelity

Software

Building a better financial future

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Robinhood logo

Robinhood

Software

Investing for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Robinhood has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fidelity options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission; Robinhood robinhood Gold costs 5 USD a month after a 30 day free trial
  • They diverge on capability: Fidelity covers Retirement planning, Robinhood covers Options trading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fidelity and Robinhood actually diverge.

Attributes where Fidelity and Robinhood differ
AttributeFidelityRobinhood
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded19462013

Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Fidelity

  • Retirement planning
  • Advisory services
  • Research tools
  • Investment accounts

Only in Robinhood

  • Options trading
  • Crypto trading
  • Fractional shares
  • Crypto wallets

Both cover

  • Commission-free trading
  • Bank accounts
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fidelity

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFsnot Robinhood
  • Holding IRAs, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accountsnot Robinhood
  • Trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one accountnot Robinhood

Robinhood

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFs from a phonenot Fidelity
  • Options and futures trading for retail investorsnot Fidelity
  • Holding an IRA with a contribution matchnot Fidelity

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fidelity

  • Options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • Non Fidelity mutual funds carry a 49.95 USD transaction fee per purchase
  • Secondary market bonds cost 1.00 USD per bond, while new issues are free
  • A foreign settlement fee of 50 USD applies per trade
  • Margin rates are tiered by debit balance, from 11.825 percent below 25,000 USD down to 7.50 percent at 1 million USD or more, against a base rate of 10.575 percent effective 12 December 2025
  • Margin liquidation by the broker costs 32.95 USD per liquidation

Robinhood

  • Robinhood Gold costs 5 USD a month after a 30 day free trial
  • The 3.35 percent APY on brokerage cash is available only to Gold subscribers
  • The 3 percent IRA contribution match requires keeping the Gold subscription for one year and leaving the assets in the IRA for five years, and is capped at 225 USD against 2026 contribution maximums
  • Reduced contract fees of 0.50 USD per futures contract and 0.35 USD per index option apply only to Gold subscribers
  • Management fees are waived only above 100K USD in expert managed portfolios

Pricing, plan by plan

Fidelity

On request
  • Brokerage$undefined/month
    • Commission-free trading
    • Research tools
  • Advisory$undefined/month
    • Personal advisor
    • Wealth management

Robinhood

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Commission-free trading
    • Real-time data
    • Mobile app
  • Gold$4.99/month
    • All Free features
    • Extended hours trading
    • Premium research

Which should you pick?

Choose Fidelity if

  • You need retirement planning.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want advisory services.
Fidelity review

Choose Robinhood if

  • You need options trading.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want crypto trading.
Robinhood review

Questions people ask

Is Fidelity or Robinhood better?
Neither clearly leads. Fidelity starts at On request and Robinhood at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fidelity or Robinhood?
Robinhood has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Fidelity and Free for Robinhood.
Does Fidelity or Robinhood run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Robinhood for free?
Yes. Robinhood has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fidelity starts at On request.
What is Fidelity best used for?
Fidelity is most often used for commission free trading of us stocks and etfs, holding iras, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accounts, trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one account. Of those, commission free trading of us stocks and etfs and holding iras, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accounts are not what Robinhood is typically brought in for.
What can Fidelity do that Robinhood cannot?
Fidelity covers Retirement planning, Advisory services, Research tools, Investment accounts. Robinhood covers Options trading, Crypto trading, Fractional shares, Crypto wallets. Both handle Commission-free trading, Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support.
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