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Do you invest in the stock market with a brokerage account? If not, do you want to invest in the stock market?
If your answer was ‘Yes’ to either of those questions…
…you’ve come to the right place!
And we’re here to educate you on companies that are making investors’ lives much, much easier.
There are FREE, cutting-edge apps that have erased the most common excuses for not investing in the stock market.
These technological advances have taken high-commission costs and reduced them to literally nothing.
For the average investor, there has never been a better time to be in the market with the help of these apps.
As you can imagine, there are many investing apps to choose from.
Some heavenly. Some hellish. And – for the purposes of this analogy – some in purgatory.
So, we decided to save you a whole bunch of time by comparing the very best.
Today we have Robinhood and Webull going head-to-head in our epic investment app showdown.
Here you will learn…
- Where these companies shine
- Where these companies can improve
And after about 5 minutes of reading, you will know which app is the best for saving money and making money.
So, let the games begin: Here’s our review!
Platform Security and Legitimacy
Both Robinhood and Webull employ security measures to protect users.
Is Robinhood legit?
Robinhood is a licensed broker-dealer which is regulated by the SEC and a member of FINRA. User deposits are insured by the SIPC up to $500,000 including $250,000 in protection for cash deposits.
All data stored on Robinhood is protected with 256-bit encryption.
These security features are important to see because you need to know that your personal information and money will be secure.
But note that this type of insurance does not cover loss in market value (so make wise decisions!)
Now… is Webull safe?
Like Robinhood, Webull is regulated by the SEC, a FINRA member, and insured by the SIPC.
Another similarity is that Webull uses state-of-the-art encryption to protect users’ information and assets.
To learn more about Webull, check out our in-depth review.
Pro tip: If you are thinking about signing up for Webull, do it now. For a limited time only, Webull is giving away two free stocks for signing up and making a deposit. (up to $300).
Platform Tools and Features
Both Webull and Robinhood strive to make investing accessible for everyone. Here’s our Robinhood vs Webull trading tools comparison.
Trading Tools Comparison
Robinhood’s interface is user-friendly and includes these trading tools:
- Instant deposits
- Trade stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrency
- Intuitive interface
- 24/5 trading
- 4.25% APY on uninvested holdings
- Robinhood IRA with 1% matching (3% for Gold members)
- Educational resources
- Free stock when you refer friends
Webull offers more investment tools and features than Robinhood, including:
- Commission-free trading
- Up-to-date market news and prices
- Extended trading hours
- Trade stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, futures, & more
- Educational resources
- Stock screeners and analysis
- Free stocks
Either of these apps may be right for you, but Robinhood is more suited to beginners while Webull offers more advanced features.
Technical Analysis Tools
Technical analysis is not a requirement for investors, but if you’re interested in diving into the details, Robinhood doesn’t offer much in the way of technical analysis tools. They do have:
- Articles about the stock market and investing
- Basic stock screeners
- Price alerts
- Basic and advanced charting
Robinhood isn’t the place to go for in-depth research and analysis. By contrast, Webull offers a lot more:
- Historical data
- Links to relevant and up-to-date news
- Real time market data
- Advanced charting options, including bar, candlestick, and line charts
- Money flow index
- Bollinger bands
- MACD
- RSI
- Custom alerts
You can also access pre- and post-market trading hours starting at 4:00 a.m. and ending at 8:00 p.m.
And, the trading platform offers a trading simulator to practice trading and test-out new trading strategies, also known as paper trading. Paper trading is great way to practice stock trading.
Unique Features
There are a few unique features on each of these platforms.
For example, Robinhood has a well-reviewed and simple user interface that removes many of the barriers to investing.
It also offers IRA matching funds, which is great if you’re not working for someone that offers employer matching.
Webull stands out for its outstanding educational content. It has affordable prices for options and advanced options features that you won’t find on Robinhood.
User Experience and Accessibility
Both the user experience and accessibility are important on any digital investment platform. Both Webull and Robinhood are beginner-friendly trading platforms.
Robinhood really revolutionized the user experience with its mission of democratizing investments.
That mission is clear when you look at Robinhood’s clean and easy-to-understand user interface.
There are only a few menu options, making it easy for new users and even people who aren’t familiar with investing to find what they need.
Whether you want to buy your first stock, create a watchlist, learn about investing, or get support, it’s easy to do on the Robinhood app.
We should also note that the Robinhood website is just as clean and easy to use.
Webull is a strong competitor to Robinhood and has a similar mission. Its app is designed to be user friendly.
We really like the way the menu is organized here, with easy-to-understand icons.
They have some options that Robinhood doesn’t, such as paper trading and IPOs.
The menu choices at the bottom are nice as well. Even from the first time you log on, you can see where to go to create a watchlist, get market updates, and see your news feed.
In short, both Webull and Robinhood have excellent, user-friendly interfaces that makes their apps accessible and extremely easy to use.
Fees, Commission, and Asset Comparison
By now, you’re probably wondering how much each of these trading platforms charges and what assets you can trade.
Commission Comparison
Let’s start with commissions.
Both Webull and Robinhood offer commission-free trading.
That means that unlike traditional brokerages, they won’t take a cut off the top of every trade you make to pay themselves.
Now, that doesn’t mean you won’t pay SOMETHING to use Webull or Robinhood. There’s a reason we said commission-free and not free.
Fee Comparison
Speaking of fees…
There’s no such thing as completely free trading.
Why?
Because first of all, there are regulatory fees charged by the SEC and FINRA.
There may also be fees charged by certain exchanges, including crypto exchanges.
That said, most of the fees for trading on Robinhood and Webull are low, and many are just a fraction of a penny.
| Webull | Robinhood | |
| Trading commission | 0% | 0% |
| SEC regulatory fee | $0.0000278 * Total $ Trade Amount (Min $0.01) | $0.0000278 * Total $ Trade Amount (Min $0.01) |
| FINRA regulatory fee | $0.000166 per share (equity sells) and $0.00279 per contract (options sells). This fee is rounded to the nearest penny and no greater than $8.30. | $0.000166 per share (equity sells) and $0.00279 per contract (options sells). This fee is rounded to the nearest penny and no greater than $8.30. |
| Options regulatory fee | $0.02815 * No. of Contracts | $0.04 per options contract (buys and sells) |
| Index options | $0.55 per contract; additional fees may apply for some trades | $0.50 per contract for non-Gold members; $0.35 per contract for Gold members |
| Margin trading | 4.74% to 8.74% depending on portfolio size | 4.70% to 5.75% depending on portfolio size |
| Futures | $0.13 to $1.25 per contract, depending on futures type | N/A |
| Wire transfer withdrawal | $25 domestic, $45 international | $25 |
| ACAT transfer (stock transfer) | $75 | $100 |
You’ll notice that there are a lot of similarities, but in some cases Robinhood charges more, and in others, Webull does.
If all you plan to do is trade stocks and ETFs, they’re the same.
Pro Tip:
Get a free stock when you sign up with Robinhood or Get 20 free fractional shares when you deposit $500 or more with Webull today!
Asset Comparison
Finally, let’s look at which assets you can trade on each of these platforms.
| Webull | Robinhood | |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options/Index Options | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency | Yes, through their partnership with Bakkt Crypto Solutions | Yes |
| OTC | Yes | No |
| IRA/Retirement | No | Yes |
As you can see in this chart, they’re pretty similar in terms of available assets. One key difference is that you can trade crypto (admittedly a limited number of coins) directly on Robinhood, and you can only do it on Webull through their partner. You can do OTC trades on Webull but not on Robinhood, and Robinhood offers an IRA (plus matching contributions), while Webull does not.
This isn’t an asset class, but we should note here that both Webull and Robinhood offer day trading. Make sure you understand the day trading limitations before you start.
Customer Service Evaluation
Customer service availability and quality should always be considered when choosing an investment app. So, let’s make a customer service comparison.
Let’s start with Webull.
Webull offers both in-app and website support.
On their website, you can access their help center to find articles and answers to frequently asked questions. You can also send them an email.
In-app support includes email and there’s also a phone number you can call.
We wish they offered live chat, and it’s possible they’ll add it in the future.
What about Robinhood’s customer support?
Robinhood has an in-app support center. They also have 24/7 customer support that you can access from the app or from their website.
The support center has tons of useful articles about everything from how to link your bank account to the specifics of trading every asset that Robinhood offers.
Ideal User Profile
By now, you’re probably wondering who the best users for Webull are.
Webull offers more assets for trading and more complex trades than Robinhood does. For that reason, we’d say that intermediate or experienced users, as well as those in search of more assets to trade, may prefer Webull to Robinhood.
We still think that Webull is beginner-friendly, but between the two, we’d suggest Webull for advanced or active traders.
Who is Robinhood ideal for?
Robinhood really is the ideal beginner investment app.
It’s easy to figure out. Once your account is verified, you can make your first trade within a few minutes.
Robinhood is also the better choice for anyone who wants an IRA and to take advantage of matching funds.
Overall, we’d suggest Robinhood for beginners and Webull for more advanced traders who want a broader selection of assets to choose from.
Pros and Cons Summary
To give you the easiest comparison possible, here’s our summary of the benefits and drawbacks of Webull as well as the advantages of Robinhood and its limitations.
Pro Tip:
Get a free stock when you sign up with Robinhood or Get 20 free fractional shares when you deposit $500 or more with Webull today!
What We Love About Each Platform
Let’s start with the good stuff. Here are the benefits of Webull.
- Webull offers a broader array of assets than Robinhood
- The resource library is excellent and makes it easy to learn about every aspect of trading
- Users get access to advanced trading tools
- Stock and ETF trades are commission-free
- Paper trading is available to help new investors learn
And here are the advantages of choosing Robinhood
- There’s no minimum account balance
- Robinhood Gold subscribers get lower fees and additional features
- You can trade cryptocurrency right on the platform
- IRA matching
- 24/7 chat support
What We Don’t Love About Each Platform
Here are some Webull and Robinhood limitations you should know about, starting with Webull.
- You need a separate app to trade cryptocurrency
- No retirement funds or IRA matching
- No live-chat support
- No bonds or mutual funds
Robinhood’s disadvantages are as follows.
- There’s little in the way of third-party research
- Analytical tools are extremely limited
- Trade types are limited when compared to Webull
- No bonds or mutual funds
- No paper trading
Overall, we think that these two services are pretty evenly matched. It depends on what you want.
Pro Tip:
Get a free stock when you sign up with Robinhood or Get 20 free fractional shares when you deposit $500 or more with Webull today!
Final Verdict
Final review, Webull vs Robinhood…
Both apps are excellent at what they offer!
Did you find this conclusion helpful? No?
Okay, okay. I get it. This isn’t kindergarten, where everyone is “special” in their own way. And this sure as hell isn’t soccer where things end in a 1-1 tie.
So, which investment app should you choose?
Don’t stress yourself out.
All you need to know your personal situation and what you are looking for in an investment app.
Maybe this will make your decision a bit easier…
- Do you want to trade cryptocurrency and other assets in the same place? Forget about Webull.
- Do you want tools for advanced traders? Forget about Robinhood.
- Do you want to invest in mutual funds? Forget both.
- Do you have the memory of a goldfish? Read below for a refresher!
Robinhood is excellent because of simplicity, commission-free trades on many assets, and no account minimums.
If you are a newer trader, we recommend that you sign-up for Robinhood.
Webull is excellent because of advanced trading tools, commission-free trades on stocks and ETFs, and no account minimums.
For intermediate and advanced traders, we recommend that you sign-up for Webull.
If you prefer to dig deep into investment information, we say that Webull has a slight advantage because of fundamental and technical analysis tools.
But again, the best app depends entirely on your personal needs.
And since Robinhood and Webull offer commission-free trades and no account minimums, there is no harm in trying BOTH to see which works best for you.
There is absolutely no risk or obligation on your part.
Let us know if you are Team Robinhood or Team Webull with a comment below!
FAQs
Yes, stock and ETF trades are commission free. Still, there are regulatory fees and may be other fees, so be careful to review the fee disclosure before finalizing a trade.
We think Robinhood has the edge when it comes to suitability for beginners. It has a super-sleek interface, more accessible and immediate support, and fewer trade options.
There is no minimum deposit requirement for Webull or Robinhood. You can set up your account without making a deposit, and add funds as you choose.
Robinhood users can trade cryptocurrencies using the Robinhood app. Webull only offers crypt trading through a partner, so you’ll need to use a separate all (Webull Pay) for crypto trading.
The answer really depends on what you want. If you’re looking for an all-in-one app where you can trade stocks, ETFs, and crypto, then Robinhood is the better choice. If you want access to a wider array of assets and more complex trades, then Webull has the edge.