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Software · head to head

Robinhood vs Fidelity

Robinhood logo

Robinhood

Software

Investing for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fidelity logo

Fidelity

Software

Building a better financial future

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

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

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Robinhood and Fidelity actually diverge.

Attributes where Robinhood and Fidelity differ
AttributeRobinhoodFidelity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumtransaction
Free tierYesNo
Founded20131946

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 Robinhood

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

Only in Fidelity

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Fidelity

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

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Fidelity if

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

Questions people ask

Is Robinhood or Fidelity better?
Neither clearly leads. Robinhood starts at Free and Fidelity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Robinhood or Fidelity?
Robinhood has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Robinhood and On request for Fidelity.
Does Robinhood or Fidelity 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 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 Fidelity is typically brought in for.
What can Robinhood do that Fidelity cannot?
Robinhood covers Options trading, Crypto trading, Fractional shares, Crypto wallets. Fidelity covers Retirement planning, Advisory services, Research tools, Investment accounts. Both handle Commission-free trading, Bank accounts, Web support, IOS support.
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