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Interactive Brokers vs Robinhood for US stocks
Both give you real share ownership, so the decision comes down to cost, country eligibility and platform.
Pick Interactive Brokers if real share ownership from almost any country. Pick Robinhood if mobile-first US investors.
The default answer for a non-US investor who wants to actually own US shares rather than a derivative of them.
Visit Interactive BrokersThe simplest US app for buying a first share; the trade-off is depth of tools and research.
Visit RobinhoodSide by side
| Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|
| What you hold | The share | The share |
| US stock access | Full US listed market (NYSE, Nasdaq, AMEX) plus 150+ global markets | US listed stocks and ETFs |
| Minimum deposit | None | None |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes |
| Published pricing | IBKR Lite offers $0 commission on US listed stocks and ETFs for eligible clients; IBKR Pro is tiered/fixed per-share pricing. | $0 commission on US stock and ETF trades; payment for order flow is disclosed in its SEC filings. |
| Platforms | Trader Workstation, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, API | Robinhood mobile, Robinhood web |
| Extended hours | Pre-market and after-hours routing available | Extended sessions available, longest on paid tiers |
| Regulation | SEC SIPC member, FCA 208159, CBI C423427 | SEC SIPC member |
| Founded | 1978 | 2013 |
Where each one wins
Interactive Brokers
- Real share ownership from almost any country
- Multi-currency accounts
- Options, futures and international listings in one account
- The desktop platform is dense and unforgiving for first-timers
- Data subscriptions are billed separately
Robinhood
- Mobile-first US investors
- Small dollar-amount buys
- Simplicity over depth
- Thin research tooling
- Limited to a small set of countries
Frequently asked questions
Interactive Brokers or Robinhood — which is better for US stocks?
Both give you real share ownership, so the decision comes down to cost, country eligibility and platform. Interactive Brokers: real share ownership from almost any country. Robinhood: mobile-first US investors.
Which is cheaper?
Interactive Brokers: IBKR Lite offers $0 commission on US listed stocks and ETFs for eligible clients; IBKR Pro is tiered/fixed per-share pricing. Robinhood: $0 commission on US stock and ETF trades; payment for order flow is disclosed in its SEC filings. Both figures are restated from each broker's own pricing page; for small non-USD accounts, currency conversion usually costs more than commission does.
Which is better regulated?
Interactive Brokers is authorised by SEC, FCA, CBI; Robinhood by SEC. What matters is which entity holds your account, since that determines your compensation scheme and leverage limits.
Reviewed August 2026. Figures restated from each broker's published pages.