Micro-investing apps let you start investing with just a few dollars by offering fractional shares and automatic round-ups. These platforms are designed to make investing accessible, whether you’re looking to grow your portfolio gradually or test the waters with minimal risk.
With features like recurring deposits and spare change round-ups, micro-investing apps provide simple, practical solutions for building wealth over time — without requiring a large initial investment.
Here are eight platforms to help you get started quickly and efficiently.
8 micro-investing apps to consider
The following micro-investing apps offer a range of features to help you start investing with minimal funds. From fractional shares starting at $1 to spare change round-ups and recurring deposits, these platforms provide a user-friendly way to begin your investment journey, regardless of your experience level.
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Popular micro-investing app Acorns is designed to automate investing by rounding up your spare change from everyday purchases and investing it into diversified portfolios.
You can also set up recurring deposits to grow your investments consistently. The platform is ideal for beginners seeking a hands-off approach to investing without needing to manage individual stocks.
Acorns offers three distinct plans: Acorns Bronze, Acorns Silver and Acorns Gold — priced at $3, $6 and $12 per month, respectively. All three plans include access to fractional trading. The bronze plan provides access to an IRA account for retirement investing, while the silver account features a custodial investment account for kids. The final tier offers the ability to invest in individual stocks.
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Get a $20 bonus
Popular micro-investing app Acorns is designed to automate investing by rounding up your spare change from everyday purchases and investing it into diversified portfolios.
You can also set up recurring deposits to grow your investments consistently. The platform is ideal for beginners seeking a hands-off approach to investing without needing to manage individual stocks.
Acorns offers three distinct plans: Acorns Bronze, Acorns Silver and Acorns Gold — priced at $3, $6 and $12 per month, respectively. All three plans include access to fractional trading. The bronze plan provides access to an IRA account for retirement investing, while the silver account features a custodial investment account for kids. The final tier offers the ability to invest in individual stocks.
Pros
Fractional shares start at $5
Automated spare change round-ups for effortless investing
Offers recurring deposits for consistent contributions
Cons
Monthly fees can outweigh returns on small balance
Limited investment options compared to other platforms
Stash combines micro-investing with educational tools, helping beginners learn while they invest. The platform offers access to fractional shares, starting at just $0.05, along with a wide selection of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and individual stocks.
It also allows users to set up automatic deposits and round-ups, providing flexibility to grow investments steadily over time. These features also make it easier to implement dollar-cost averaging — a popular risk management approach.
Stash offers two membership plans: Stash Growth and Stash+, which cost $3 and $9 per month, respectively. The more expensive version provides access to life insurance and two kids' portfolios, as well as 1% in cash back on card purchases. Both plans provide access to stocks and ETFs, although it only provides access to bonds through bond ETFs.
With its easy-to-use app and personalized investment advice, Stash is ideal for those looking for a more hands-on approach to managing their portfolio.
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Get $10 when you sign up and deposit $5
Stash combines micro-investing with educational tools, helping beginners learn while they invest. The platform offers access to fractional shares, starting at just $0.05, along with a wide selection of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and individual stocks.
It also allows users to set up automatic deposits and round-ups, providing flexibility to grow investments steadily over time. These features also make it easier to implement dollar-cost averaging — a popular risk management approach.
Stash offers two membership plans: Stash Growth and Stash+, which cost $3 and $9 per month, respectively. The more expensive version provides access to life insurance and two kids' portfolios, as well as 1% in cash back on card purchases. Both plans provide access to stocks and ETFs, although it only provides access to bonds through bond ETFs.
With its easy-to-use app and personalized investment advice, Stash is ideal for those looking for a more hands-on approach to managing their portfolio.
Pros
Fractional shares starting at $0.05
Access to individual stocks and ETFs
Educational resources and personalized guidance for beginners
Cons
Monthly fees may reduce returns on small balances
Retirement accounts are only available in higher-tier plans
As a commission-free investing platform, Robinhood makes it easy for beginners to get started with fractional shares. You can invest as little as $1 in stocks, ETFs and even cryptocurrencies. Most stocks priced over $1 per share, with a market capitalization over $25 million, are eligible for fractional share orders.
What's more, there's no minimum deposit required to open an account. Robinhood's user-friendly interface appeals to new investors, while its lack of trading fees makes it attractive for frequent traders.
For $5 a month, users can subscribe to the Robinhood Gold membership, which provides access to a 4.5% APY savings account, as of October 2024, a 3% match on IRA contributions and a 1% match on every eligible deposit.
The platform also supports automatic round-ups and recurring deposits, which, in tandem with the commission-free trading model, makes for quite an accessible experience.
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Get a free stock
As a commission-free investing platform, Robinhood makes it easy for beginners to get started with fractional shares. You can invest as little as $1 in stocks, ETFs and even cryptocurrencies. Most stocks priced over $1 per share, with a market capitalization over $25 million, are eligible for fractional share orders.
What's more, there's no minimum deposit required to open an account. Robinhood's user-friendly interface appeals to new investors, while its lack of trading fees makes it attractive for frequent traders.
For $5 a month, users can subscribe to the Robinhood Gold membership, which provides access to a 4.5% APY savings account, as of October 2024, a 3% match on IRA contributions and a 1% match on every eligible deposit.
The platform also supports automatic round-ups and recurring deposits, which, in tandem with the commission-free trading model, makes for quite an accessible experience.
Pros
Commission-free trades for stocks, ETFs, and crypto
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a robust platform that offers fractional shares and access to a wide range of global markets, making it a solid choice for more experienced investors.
Known for its low fees and advanced trading tools, IBKR provides micro-investing opportunities with fractional shares starting at $1. The platform also offers a wide variety of fractional shares — over 10,500, to be precise, as well as a wide variety of investment classes such as ETFs, bonds, options and futures.
However, Interactive Brokers' main platforms, IBKR desktop and IBKR mobile, may be less user-friendly than other apps, and its platform is geared more toward active traders.
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
N/A
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a robust platform that offers fractional shares and access to a wide range of global markets, making it a solid choice for more experienced investors.
Known for its low fees and advanced trading tools, IBKR provides micro-investing opportunities with fractional shares starting at $1. The platform also offers a wide variety of fractional shares — over 10,500, to be precise, as well as a wide variety of investment classes such as ETFs, bonds, options and futures.
However, Interactive Brokers' main platforms, IBKR desktop and IBKR mobile, may be less user-friendly than other apps, and its platform is geared more toward active traders.
Pros
Access to global markets and a wide range of asset classes
A social trading platform that stands out for its unique copy trading feature, eToro allows users to mimic the crypto trades of experienced investors.
It offers access to fractional shares starting at $10, along with a wide selection of stocks, ETFs and access to bitcoin (BTC) bitcoin cash (BCH) and ether (ETH).
eToro's social aspect and beginner-friendly design make it a good choice for new investors who want to learn by following others. It's hard to overstate the value that the community provides. However, the brokerage lacks some automated investing features, such as automatic round-ups.
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
FINDER EXCLUSIVE: Get a guaranteed $15 bonus
A social trading platform that stands out for its unique copy trading feature, eToro allows users to mimic the crypto trades of experienced investors.
It offers access to fractional shares starting at $10, along with a wide selection of stocks, ETFs and access to bitcoin (BTC) bitcoin cash (BCH) and ether (ETH).
eToro's social aspect and beginner-friendly design make it a good choice for new investors who want to learn by following others. It's hard to overstate the value that the community provides. However, the brokerage lacks some automated investing features, such as automatic round-ups.
Pros
Unique copy trading feature to follow experienced investors
Access to fractional shares starting at $10
Wide range of assets, including stocks, ETFs and crypto
Cons
No automated round-ups
Higher fees for cryptocurrency trading
Limited selection of stocks compared to other brokerages
Public is a commission-free investing platform that offers fractional shares starting at $1, making it accessible to new investors.
It provides access to a broad selection of stocks and ETFs, with a key focus on transparency by eliminating payment for order flow (PFOF), a controversial practice that some brokerages still use.
While Public does not offer round-ups, it provides recurring deposits and compensates with its educational resources and market insights for users. There are no minimum deposits associated with the platform.
This platform is best suited for investors seeking transparency and simplicity, though it may lack the advanced tools or automation found on other platforms.
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Get up to $10,000 and transfer fees covered
Public is a commission-free investing platform that offers fractional shares starting at $1, making it accessible to new investors.
It provides access to a broad selection of stocks and ETFs, with a key focus on transparency by eliminating payment for order flow (PFOF), a controversial practice that some brokerages still use.
While Public does not offer round-ups, it provides recurring deposits and compensates with its educational resources and market insights for users. There are no minimum deposits associated with the platform.
This platform is best suited for investors seeking transparency and simplicity, though it may lack the advanced tools or automation found on other platforms.
Pros
Fractional shares starting at $1
Social features to follow and learn from other investors
No payment for order flow, promoting transparency
Cons
No automated round-ups
Limited investment options compared to more comprehensive platforms
Geared more toward passive investors, lacking advanced tools
Opto is a newer platform in the micro-investing space focused on giving users access to thematic portfolios. These portfolios let users invest in trends or sectors they believe in, such as clean energy or tech innovation.
Opto offers fractional shares starting at $5 and access to over 10,000 stocks and ETFs. There are no trading fees associated with the platform, and the minimum investment is just $1.
Its simplicity and thematic approach may appeal to beginners seeking a hands-off experience, but it lacks features like automated round-ups and broader investment options.
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Earn up to $300
Opto is a newer platform in the micro-investing space focused on giving users access to thematic portfolios. These portfolios let users invest in trends or sectors they believe in, such as clean energy or tech innovation.
Opto offers fractional shares starting at $5 and access to over 10,000 stocks and ETFs. There are no trading fees associated with the platform, and the minimum investment is just $1.
Its simplicity and thematic approach may appeal to beginners seeking a hands-off experience, but it lacks features like automated round-ups and broader investment options.
Pros
Fractional shares (starting amounts may vary)
Access to thematic portfolios for targeted investing
Easy-to-use interface geared toward beginners
Cons
Lacks automated round-ups or recurring deposits
Fewer investment options compared to larger platforms
M1 Finance combines automated investing with customization, offering users access to fractional shares and allowing them to build personalized portfolios, or 'Pies.'
With fractional shares starting at $1, users can invest in stocks and ETFs based on their chosen asset allocation.
M1 Finance also includes features like automatic rebalancing and recurring deposits, making it a solid choice for investors who want to set up their portfolio and let it run on autopilot. The platform offers stocks, ETFs and crypto.
The minimum deposit required to open an account is $100, and it levies a $50 inactivity fee on accounts with no trading or deposit activity for more than 90 days. On top of that, users with less than $10,000 in their account are charged a $3 monthly fee.
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$100
Signup bonus
N/A
M1 Finance combines automated investing with customization, offering users access to fractional shares and allowing them to build personalized portfolios, or 'Pies.'
With fractional shares starting at $1, users can invest in stocks and ETFs based on their chosen asset allocation.
M1 Finance also includes features like automatic rebalancing and recurring deposits, making it a solid choice for investors who want to set up their portfolio and let it run on autopilot. The platform offers stocks, ETFs and crypto.
The minimum deposit required to open an account is $100, and it levies a $50 inactivity fee on accounts with no trading or deposit activity for more than 90 days. On top of that, users with less than $10,000 in their account are charged a $3 monthly fee.
Pros
Fractional shares starting at $1
Customizable portfolios with automatic rebalancing
Recurring deposits for automated investing
Cons
Limited research tools compared to other platforms
M1 Finance, LLC does not charge commission, trading, or management fees for self-directed brokerage accounts. You may still be charged other fees such as M1’s platform fee, regulatory fees, account closure fees, or ADR fees. For a complete list of fees M1 may charge visit M1 Fee Schedule. M1 is not a bank. M1 Spend is a wholly-owned operating subsidiary of M1 Holdings Inc.. M1 High –Yield Savings Accounts are furnished by B2 Bank, NA, Member FDIC. Obtaining stated APY (annual percentage yield) with the M1 High-Yield Savings Account does not require a minimum account balance. Stated APY is accrued on account balance. APY is solely determined by M1 Spend LLC and its partner banks, and will include account fees that will reduce earnings. Rates are subject to change without notice. M1 High-Yield Savings Account is a separate offering from, and not linked to, the M1 High-Yield Cash Account offered by M1 Finance, LLC. M1 is not a bank.
Micro-investing allows individuals to invest small amounts by purchasing fractional shares of stocks or ETFs. Instead of requiring large sums to buy full shares, these platforms let users invest with just a few dollars, making investing accessible to everyone.
Many apps also automate the process through features like recurring deposits or spare change round-ups, helping users build their portfolios gradually.
This method is especially useful for beginners or those who want to start investing without committing substantial funds upfront. Micro-investing simplifies the process, allowing users to grow their investments consistently over time.
Pros and cons of micro-investing. Micro-investing offers an entry into the world of investing, but like any investment strategy, it has advantages and drawbacks.
Pros
Low barrier to entry. You can start investing with just a few dollars, making it accessible to nearly everyone.
Automated features. Many apps offer round-ups and recurring deposits, helping you invest consistently with less effort.
Fractional shares. You can buy into expensive stocks or funds without needing to purchase full shares.
Cons
Small returns. With small investments, it takes time to see meaningful growth.
Fees. Monthly charges on some platforms can outweigh gains if you have a low balance.
Limited options. Micro-investing platforms often provide fewer investment choices than traditional brokerages.
How do I start micro-investing?
Starting with micro-investing is simple and straightforward. Here are the basic steps to get you started:
Compare brokers and open an account: Research micro-investing platforms and choose one that fits your needs. Open an account through its app or website.
Fund your account. Link your bank account to transfer funds into your micro-investing platform. Some apps also allow recurring deposits for consistent investing.
Research and choose your investments. Decide whether you want to invest in stocks, ETFs or themed portfolios. Many platforms offer pre-built portfolios for ease.
Place your order. Once you’ve chosen your investments, make your first order, either by investing a lump sum or setting up automated contributions.
Frequently asked questions
Is micro-investing a good idea?
Micro-investing can be a good way to start investing with little money and minimal risk. It’s especially beneficial for beginners looking to build strong financial habits and steadily grow their portfolio over time. However, the returns can be slower, and fees may have a greater impact on smaller accounts.
What should you avoid when micro-investing?
Avoid high fees relative to your account balance, as they can eat into your returns. Additionally, don’t rely solely on micro-investing for long-term financial goals — consider diversifying with other investment strategies as your portfolio grows.
Shane's career started with the US Department of Defense where he performed research for 8 years. He then studied philosophy and became fascinated by the ways in which technology and finance can consolidate to impact the world's socio-economic order. To date, he has written hundreds of articles with various insights into digital assets, trading, investing, and the ways in which technology can be used to further optimize the stock trading and settlement processes. His work has been featured in Yahoo Finance, Nasdaq, Bitcoin Magazine, Investing.com, Tokenist, and others. See full bio
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