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Robinhood vs Coinbase

Robinhood logo

Robinhood

Software

Investing for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Coinbase logo

Coinbase

Software

Buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrency with ease

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Robinhood robinhood Gold costs 5 USD a month after a 30 day free trial; Coinbase the App Store listing states standard Coinbase trades carry fees and that a paid Coinbase One subscription is needed for zero trading fees and boosted staking rewards, and that fractional stock shares start at $1.
  • They diverge on capability: Robinhood covers Commission-free trading, Coinbase covers Cryptocurrency Trading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Robinhood and Coinbase actually diverge.

Attributes where Robinhood and Coinbase differ
AttributeRobinhoodCoinbase
Founded20132012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Robinhood

  • Commission-free trading
  • Options trading
  • Crypto trading
  • Fractional shares
  • Bank accounts
  • Crypto wallets
  • IOS support

Only in Coinbase

  • Cryptocurrency Trading
  • Staking
  • Coinbase Wallet
  • Coinbase Card
  • Bank transfers
  • PayPal
  • Apple Pay
  • Ios support

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Robinhood

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

Coinbase

  • Exchangesnot Robinhood
  • Tradingnot Robinhood
  • Walletsnot Robinhood

Where each one falls short

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

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

Coinbase

  • The App Store listing states standard Coinbase trades carry fees and that a paid Coinbase One subscription is needed for zero trading fees and boosted staking rewards, and that fractional stock shares start at $1.

Pricing, plan by plan

Robinhood

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

Coinbase

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Buy and sell crypto
    • Coinbase Wallet
    • Staking rewards
  • Coinbase One$29.99/month
    • Zero trading fees
    • Priority support
    • Advanced trading tools

Which should you pick?

Choose Robinhood if

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

Choose Coinbase if

  • You need cryptocurrency trading.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want staking.
Coinbase review

Questions people ask

Is Robinhood or Coinbase better?
Neither clearly leads. Robinhood starts at Free and Coinbase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Robinhood or Coinbase?
Robinhood starts at Free and Coinbase at Free.
Does Robinhood or Coinbase run on more platforms?
Robinhood runs on Web, IOS, Android. Coinbase runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Robinhood for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Robinhood best used for?
Robinhood is most often used for commission free trading of us stocks and etfs from a phone, options and futures trading for retail investors, holding an ira with a contribution match. Of those, commission free trading of us stocks and etfs from a phone and options and futures trading for retail investors are not what Coinbase is typically brought in for.
What can Robinhood do that Coinbase cannot?
Robinhood covers Commission-free trading, Options trading, Crypto trading, Fractional shares. Coinbase covers Cryptocurrency Trading, Staking, Coinbase Wallet, Coinbase Card. Both handle Web support, Android support.
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