Best Brokers for ETFs for November 2025

Fidelity was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. At the end of 2024, it had 39.2 million retail accounts and $15.1 trillion in assets under administration (AUA). ETF trading at Fidelity is commission-free online, and investors can screen over 2,500 ETFs, filter on 90+ criteria, and choose between numerous ETFs that align with their risk threshold and goals. For instance, Fidelity offers the new Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs designed specifically for investors who want cryptocurrency exposure. 

Whatever your investing style, asset class preference, and risk tolerance, Fidelity will have a cost-effective solution, as most of its ETFs come with competitive expense ratios. While ETPs are generally passively managed, Fidelity does offer some that are managed actively in hopes of beating their benchmarks. 

Investors will appreciate Fidelity’s high-quality educational offerings and future planning services. However, rep-assisted trades are quite expensive, and brick-and-mortar locations are relatively scarce in some areas. Luckily, everything can be conveniently done online, and if more help is needed, customer service is just a phone call away.

Investing involves risk, including risk of loss

**$0.00 commission applies to online U.S. equity trades, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and options (+ $0.65 per contract fee) in a Fidelity retail account only for Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC retail clients. Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee (historically from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal). A limited number of ETFs are subject to a transaction-based service fee of $100. See full list of ETFs subject to this service fee [here]. There is an Options Regulatory Fee that applies to both option buy and sell transactions. The fee is subject to change. Other exclusions and conditions may apply. Employee equity compensation transactions and accounts managed by advisors or intermediaries through Fidelity Institutional® are subject to different commission schedules.**

Fidelity Crypto® is offered by Fidelity Digital Assets®. Investing involves risk, including risk of total loss. Crypto as an asset class is highly volatile, can become illiquid at any time, and is for investors with a high risk tolerance. Crypto may also be more susceptible to market manipulation than securities. Crypto is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Investors in crypto do not benefit from the same regulatory protections applicable to registered securities. Fidelity Crypto® accounts and custody and trading of crypto in such accounts are provided by Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC, which is chartered as a limited purpose trust company by the New York State Department of Financial Services to engage in virtual currency business (NMLS ID 1773897). Brokerage services in support of securities trading are provided by Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (“FBS”), and related custody services are provided by National Financial Services LLC (“NFS”), each a registered broker-dealer and member NYSE and SIPC. Neither FBS nor NFS offer crypto as a direct investment nor provide trading or custody services for such assets. Fidelity Crypto and Fidelity Digital Assets are registered service marks of FMR LLC.

The Fidelity ETF Screener is a research tool provided to help self-directed investors evaluate these types of securities. The criteria and inputs entered are at the sole discretion of the user, and all screens or strategies with preselected criteria (including expert ones) are solely for the convenience of the user. Expert Screeners are provided by independent companies not affiliated with Fidelity. Information supplied or obtained from these Screeners is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or guidance, an offer of or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities, or a recommendation or endorsement by Fidelity of any security or investment strategy. Fidelity does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy or approach to screening or evaluating stocks, preferred securities, exchange-traded products, or closed-end funds. Fidelity makes no guarantees that information supplied is accurate, complete, or timely, and does not provide any warranties regarding results obtained from its use. Determine which securities are right for you based on your investment objectives, risk tolerance, financial situation, and other individual factors, and reevaluate them on a periodic basis. 

 ****Zero account minimums and zero account fees apply to retail brokerage accounts only. Expenses charged by investments (e.g., funds, managed accounts, and certain HSAs) and commissions, interest charges, or other expenses for transactions may still apply. See [Fidelity.com/commissions] for further details.

Before investing, consider the funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully. 

Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut. IBKR wins for the best ETF research capabilities, offering more than 15,000 ETFs from over 90 global market centers. In support of this massive offering, IBKR provides a powerful ETF screener and a menu of 60 different research sources. 

While IBKR can be intimidating to navigate, especially for a beginning investor, its screeners are powerful, and its research offerings include free access to well-respected analytics, including Morningstar, Dow Jones, Zacks, and Benzinga. IBKRCampus, its educational section, is also an invaluable tool for learning about the platforms, ETFs, or trading in general. IBKR also continuously works on new platform features to help traders stay ahead of the curve, like the recently launched AI-powered news summaries.

Trading ETFs with IBKR has immediate benefits that many traders will appreciate, but you have to be mindful of which IBKR package you choose. IBKR Lite traders enjoy $0 commission, while IBKR Pro users pay $0.0005-$0.0035 per share if volume-tiered or a $0.005 per share fixed rate. Another thing to bear in mind is that investors need IBKR’s permission to trade certain products, such as spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.  

Read our full Interactive Brokers Review. 

Charles Schwab was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Westlake, Texas. It is one of the biggest brokers in the U.S. and a true trailblazer in the industry, serving 36.9 million customers with more than $10.28 trillion in client assets.

Charles Schwab’s ETF screener is easy to use and understand, but it also accurately scans Schwab’s immense offering of over 3,000 ETFs. When investors find the ETF they are looking for, they can trade with no fees. While the operating expense ratio (OER) can vary for each ETF, the average OER for Schwab ETFs is 0.05%.

Charles Schwab’s excellent reputation is well-deserved as the company does most things very well. On top of being an all-around great broker, it provides industry-leading education and even offers some innovative perks like 24-hour trading via its award-winning thinkorswim platform.

Nonetheless, there are a few things prospective ETF traders need to be aware of, like the fact that you won’t be able to trade fractional shares of ETFs. The broker also pays an abysmal 0.05% interest on uninvested cash. Lastly, while Schwab provides access to external research like Morningstar and Argus, its breadth pales in comparison to some competitors.  

Read our full Charles Schwab Review. 

Vanguard was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. With over $10 trillion in assets under management, Vanguard is built for buy-and-hold investors seeking to diversify their portfolios with long-term ETF investments. A sleek design, fractional ETFs allowing to get started with just $1, competitive expense ratios, and no minimums or fees for ETFs make Vanguard a serious consideration for any investor.

However, there are drawbacks. For example, if you are seeking exposure to cryptocurrency, unfortunately, you won’t find that Vanguard offers such exposure and does not plan to in the foreseeable future. Also, Vanguard charges a $25 annual fee, although it can be easily waived if investors sign up for the e-delivery of statements and other important reports and notices.

Lastly, while Vanguard is one of the oldest and most reputable firms in the business, in January 2025, it did have to settle with the U.S. SEC for over $100 million “for misleading statements related to capital gains distributions and tax consequences for retail investors. 

Still, given its low costs, fractional shares on ETFs, and simple design, Vanguard is a solid choice for buy-and-hold ETF investors. The 90 ETFs offered on its platform provide an adequate variety across different asset classes, including stocks, bonds, large-cap equities, and international selections. 

E*TRADE, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, was acquired by Morgan Stanley in 2020. It continues to operate as a standalone brand, offering over 3,700 ETFs to investors. What makes E*TRADE special is its tool that helps match investors to pre-built ETF portfolios based on their risk tolerance: aggressive, moderate, or conservative appetite. From this varied menu of prebuilt portfolios, an investor can find a portfolio that's best aligned with their financial goals and appetite for risk. 

While it is a useful tool, investors do need at least $2,500 to add a prebuilt ETF portfolio to their account. Also, fractional shares are only available through E*TRADE’s robo-advisor service, which can create issues for investors with low account balances. Lastly, any idle cash will receive an APY of just 0.01% to 0.15%. Regardless of these shortcomings, E*Trade has a unique approach and is a viable option for ETF traders.

Read our full E*TRADE Review.