Finding a reliable monthly income stream outside your day job is easier when you know exactly how each platform pays you and how much it costs. The platforms compared here are Ark7, Interactive Brokers, DEGIRO, XTB, Trade Republic, Revolut, MyInvestor, Freedom, and The Trading Pit.
- Ark7 – fractional rental real estate shares that pay monthly cash distributions
- Interactive Brokers – a multi-asset broker covering stocks, options, futures, and bonds
- DEGIRO – a global broker with access to more than 50 exchanges
- XTB – automated Investment Plans combining stocks and ETFs
- Trade Republic – a German banking app with recurring stock and ETF savings plans
- Revolut – a digital banking app offering stocks, crypto, and savings tools
- MyInvestor – a Spanish digital bank with automated portfolios and funds
- Freedom – a real estate investing education and mentoring platform
- The Trading Pit – proprietary trading challenges on demo accounts
| Platform | Asset Class / Product Type | Minimum Investment | Passive / Recurring Income Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ark7 | Fractional rental real estate shares | $20 per share | Monthly distributions straight to account |
| Interactive Brokers | Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, bonds, mutual funds | USD 0 minimum balance | Recurring Investment feature (fractional shares, where enabled) |
| DEGIRO | Stocks, ETFs, bonds, global equities | Not published | Not published |
| XTB | Stocks, ETFs (Investment Plans) | From 15 EUR / 15 USD / 15 GBP | Auto Invest for automated recurring contributions |
| Trade Republic | Stocks, ETFs, crypto, Private Markets, Fixed Income | Not published | Recurring Savings Plans (2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd of month) |
| Revolut | Stocks, crypto, savings, insurance, banking | $0 (Standard plan) | Savings (specific yield not published) |
| MyInvestor | Accounts, deposits, funds, stocks, ETFs, pension plans | Not published | Automated portfolios with diversification and risk management |
| Freedom | Real estate investing education and mentoring | Not published | Not published |
| The Trading Pit | Forex, futures, crypto, stocks, commodities (demo accounts) | Not published | Share of trading profits (after passing a challenge) |
Keep reading for the full breakdown of fees, minimums, and side-income mechanics behind each platform.
Turning a few hundred dollars a month into a dependable side income is one of the most common financial goals among working adults, and the tools for doing it have multiplied fast. The online investment platform market is projected to grow from $4.53 billion in 2025 to $5.18 billion in 2026, a pace that reflects how many people are now managing money through an app instead of a traditional advisor.
Global assets under management reached $147 trillion as of June 2025, underscoring how much capital now moves through digital channels rather than branch offices.
Not every platform generates side income the same way. Some pay dividends on a schedule, some reinvest automatically, and some simply list fees without ever producing recurring cash. Ark7 takes a different approach, letting investors buy fractional shares in rental homes starting at $20 per share and collect passive income as monthly distributions straight to their account. This guide compares Ark7 against brokers, robo-advisors, and savings-plan apps named in current market research, so you can see exactly how fees, minimums, and income mechanics differ before you move a dollar.
Key Takeaways
- Side income isn’t limited to stock trading. Dividends, savings interest, automated portfolios, recurring savings plans, and rental-property distributions all qualify as side income, each with different tax and liquidity rules.
- Monthly distributions behave differently than trading gains. A platform that pays out on a set schedule, rather than only when you sell, produces more predictable cash flow for budgeting side income.
- Commission-free does not mean cost-free. Many platforms earn revenue elsewhere, through margin interest, spreads, or account-service fees, so the advertised “$0” rarely tells the whole story.
- Entry costs for similar asset classes vary widely. Minimums range from $0 brokerage balances to per-share pricing, which changes how much capital you need before your first payout.
- Dividend and rental income are taxed differently than capital gains. Ordinary dividends, qualified dividends, and property-related distributions each follow separate IRS rules.
- Regulatory protections differ by platform type and country, which matters more once you’re relying on a platform for recurring income rather than a single trade.
- Ark7 stands out for monthly rental distributions. Unlike brokers that pay only when you sell, Ark7 issues cash to investors each month from rental income, with shares starting at $20, making it the most direct path to predictable side income on this list.
- Fractional real estate is a different asset class than stocks or ETFs. Ark7 lets investors own a share of a physical rental property, diversifying beyond market-linked securities.
- Ark7 requires no landlord work. Sourcing, leasing, and day-to-day property management are handled by Ark7, so investors collect income without managing tenants or maintenance.
- IRA-compatible investing is available on Ark7. Traditional and Roth IRA accounts are supported through its custodian, adding a tax-advantaged option.
- Full legal and financial disclosure is accessible 24/7 on Ark7, with no hidden fees, giving investors transparency that is not uniformly available across every platform compared here.
New to passive real estate investing?
Explore Ark7 OpportunitiesWhy Use Online Investing Platforms for Side Income?
Online investing platforms give working adults a way to generate recurring income from dividends, savings interest, or rental distributions without a second job, and participation has grown sharply since 2019. These platforms let people turn spare savings into a secondary income stream through dividends, interest, automated portfolios, or rental distributions.
Participation is especially strong among younger investors. According to FINRA survey data cited in Webull’s 2025 annual report, 6% of all U.S. retail investors placed trades, rising to 80% among retail investors under age 35.
Scale matters too. One major retail brokerage reported 27.1 million total users as of June 30, 2025, up 16.6% year over year, a sign of how mainstream app-based investing has become. For side income specifically, the appeal is predictability: a platform that pays out on a schedule is easier to plan around than one that depends on timing a sale correctly.
What to Look for in a Side-Income Investing Platform
Choosing a platform for recurring income means evaluating more than just the headline fee. A few criteria consistently separate platforms that produce dependable side income from ones that just facilitate trades.
Core criteria to check before funding an account:
- Income mechanism: Does the platform pay dividends, interest, or distributions on a set schedule, or only when you manually sell a position?
- Minimum investment: Lower entry points let you start generating income sooner without saving up a large lump sum first.
- Fee transparency: Look for platforms that disclose fees clearly rather than burying them in fine print.
- Automation support: Automated tools can offer low cost, ease of use, and broad access, but understanding their risks and limitations matters before relying on them.
- Regulatory oversight: Confirm who actually holds the registration, whether that’s a broker-dealer, a bank, or another regulated entity.
- Liquidity terms: Understand how long it takes to access your money if you need to exit.
Automated investment tools in particular may not account for your age, financial situation, investment experience, risk tolerance, or time horizon, so it’s worth reading the fine print on any robo-advisor or auto-invest feature before treating its output as a complete plan.
Best Online Investing Platforms for Side Income: Top Picks
The platforms below range from fractional real estate and multi-asset brokers to savings-plan apps and education-focused communities. Each entry covers what the platform does, how it generates (or doesn’t generate) recurring income, and what it charges.
1. Ark7
Ark7 is a real estate investment platform that lets investors buy shares in curated rental homes starting as low as $20 per share. Rather than trading securities for capital gains, investors become part-owners of actual rental properties and collect income from the rent those properties generate.
Properties are selected using a hybrid approach that combines data analysis with local real estate expertise, and Ark7 handles sourcing, leasing, and day-to-day property management on the investor’s behalf. Shares can be sold after a minimum holding period, though properties are typically held long-term for both income and appreciation. Ark7 currently operates in 10 markets and is expanding nationally.
What sets Ark7 apart
- Monthly distributions: Ark7 distributes passive income to investors as monthly distributions straight to their account, rather than requiring a sale to realize a gain.
- Operation transparency: Complete legal and financial disclosure is accessible 24/7 and readily searchable, with no hidden fees.
- Hands-off management: Sourcing, leasing, and property management are automated and handled by Ark7, not the investor.
- App Store rating: Ark7 is rated 4.7 on the Apple App Store.
- Flexible exit: Investors have full flexibility to sell shares after a minimum holding period if their plans change.
Who uses Ark7
- Investors who prefer rental-property income without landlord responsibilities
- People diversifying an existing stock portfolio into a different asset class
- Experienced real estate investors who want exposure to out-of-state markets without traveling
- Investors who prefer recurring monthly income over waiting to sell for a gain
How to open an Ark7 account
Browse Properties on Ark7 to see current share availability, minimum investment per property, and projected income before funding an account.
2. Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers provides trading and investment products, tools, and analytics across multiple platforms. It offers access to stocks, ETFs, options, futures and futures options, spot currencies, US spot gold, bonds, mutual funds, prediction markets, and hedge funds, with trading routed through the firm’s own smart-routing technology.
Clients select a pricing plan during account setup and trade through the Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile, Trader Workstation, or several other platforms and APIs.
Key Features
- Fractional shares and a Recurring Investment feature for clients with fractional shares enabled
- Paper trading for practicing strategies before committing real funds
- IBKR APIs and third-party integrations for automated workflows
- A Fundamentals Explorer and Risk Navigator for research and portfolio analysis
- Trading outside regular hours, from 04:00 to 20:00
Pricing
IBKR Lite charges $0 per share for eligible U.S. residents trading U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, subject to applicable minimums and exclusions. IBKR Pro Fixed charges USD 0.005 per US stock and ETF share, subject to a minimum. IBKR Pro Tiered charges between USD 0.0005 and USD 0.0035 per share, per Interactive Brokers’ pricing page. Minimum account balance and maintenance fee are both USD 0.
3. DEGIRO
DEGIRO is an online broker offering access to more than 50 exchanges across 30 countries.
Key Features
- Access to more than 50 exchanges across 30 countries
- A single platform for managing cross-border positions
- Data protection and asset safekeeping measures described on the company’s site
Pricing
DEGIRO describes its fee structure as low-cost, but specific per-trade figures are not published.
4. XTB
XTB Investment Plans are built for passive investing of savings, letting users choose a ready-made portfolio, a sector-focused plan, or build their own using stocks and ETFs. The platform gives access to more than 3,400 stocks and 1,800 ETFs through its xStation Mobile app.
Key Features
- Ready-made, sector, and do-it-yourself Investment Plans
- Auto Invest for automating recurring contributions
- On-demand rebalancing and the ability to open or close Plans at any time
- Access to portfolio composition, rating, and historical performance data per plan
Pricing
Minimum investment is 15 EUR, 75 RON, or 15 USD, and deposits can start from as little as 15 GBP. Investments under a Plan are commission-free up to 100,000 EUR in monthly turnover; transactions above that are charged 0.2% (minimum 10 GBP), and a 0.5% currency conversion fee may apply to foreign ETFs or stocks, per XTB’s pricing page.
5. Trade Republic
Trade Republic Bank GmbH is a full German bank offering spending, saving, and investing in a single app. Customers can invest in stocks, ETFs, crypto, and Private Markets starting from 1 euro.
Key Features
- Recurring Savings Plans executed on the 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd of each month
- A Crypto Wallet that earns staking rewards
- Child Savings Accounts that can be opened directly in the app
- A 1% Saveback on card spending, routed into a Savings Plan
- Unlimited free ATM withdrawals worldwide above 100 euros
Pricing
Trade Republic does not publish standalone trading commissions in the materials reviewed. Savings Plans carry no plan fee from Trade Republic, per the company’s own site. Account eligibility requires permanent German residence with German tax liability and a SEPA bank account.
6. Revolut
Revolut is a digital banking service offering accounts, cards, transfers, savings, investing, crypto, and insurance in one app. Users open an account with a mobile number, email, personal details, and a government-issued ID.
Key Features
- Stocks and shares trading alongside everyday banking
- Automatic salary sorting and savings tools
- International transfers and currency exchange
- Commodities and crypto access
- Multiple paid tiers for additional features and fee savings
Pricing
In the United Kingdom, Revolut’s Standard plan is free, with Plus at £3.99/month, Premium at £7.99/month, Metal at £14.99/month, and Ultra at £55/month. In the United States, Standard is $0.00/month, Premium is $9.99/month, and Metal is $16.99/month, per Revolut’s pricing page.
7. MyInvestor
MyInvestor is a Spanish digital bank focused on investing, offering accounts, deposits, automated portfolios, funds, stocks, ETFs, pension plans, and other investment products through its app.
Key Features
- Investments starting from 1 euro
- Automated, diversified portfolios through a robo-advisor
- More than 2,000 funds without added commissions, per the company’s site
- Access to stocks, ETFs, and cryptoassets
- More than 100 pension plans from over twenty firms
Pricing
MyInvestor advertises a 1.00% TAE (annual equivalent rate) on cash balances, per its own site. Cash deposits are guaranteed up to 100,000 euros per titleholder and entity, and pension plan contributions are capped at 1,500 euros per year for tax deduction purposes in Spain.
8. Freedom
Freedom is an education and mentoring platform focused on real estate investing strategies. Freedom provides mentoring and a community rather than a brokerage or trading account.
Key Features
- Free trainings and case studies on real estate investing strategies
- Mentoring and community access
- A glossary and FAQ section for beginners
- Curated lists of tools the platform’s creators use
Pricing
Pricing information is not publicly disclosed in available sources.
9. The Trading Pit
The Trading Pit is a proprietary trading firm offering multi-asset trading challenges across forex, futures, cryptocurrencies, and stocks. Traders who pass a challenge can sign a Signal Provider agreement and receive a share of trading profits.
Key Features
- TTP Challenges across multiple trading styles
- cTrader and TradingView platform access with more than 70 pre-installed indicators
- Real-time market news and events inside the platform
- Educational ebooks, webinars, and podcasts
Pricing
Challenge fees are not published. Accounts provided to clients are demo accounts funded with virtual funds, and all trading activity occurs in a simulated environment, per the company’s own site. The Trading Pit does not offer its CFD products to residents of the USA, Canada, or Russia.
Comparison Table: Fees, Minimums, and Side-Income Features
| Platform | Asset Class | Min. Investment | Pricing / Fees | Geographic Coverage | Passive Income Feature | Liquidity / Exit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ark7 | Fractional rental real estate shares | $20 per share | Not published | 10 US markets (expanding) | Monthly distributions straight to account | Sell after minimum holding period; long-term hold typical |
| Interactive Brokers | Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, bonds, mutual funds | USD 0 minimum balance | Lite $0; Pro Fixed $0.005/share (min); Pro Tiered $0.0005-$0.0035/share | Global; 29 currencies | Recurring Investment feature (fractional shares) | Not published |
| DEGIRO | Stocks, ETFs, bonds, global equities | Not published | Not published | 50+ exchanges across 30 countries | Not published | Not published |
| XTB | Stocks, ETFs (Investment Plans) | 15 EUR / 15 USD / 15 GBP | Commission-free to 100,000 EUR/mo; 0.2% above (min 10 GBP); 0.5% FX fee | Europe (GBP/EUR/RON) | Auto Invest automated contributions | Open/close Plans at any time |
| Trade Republic | Stocks, ETFs, crypto, Private Markets, Fixed Income | Not published | Not published | Germany (permanent residence required) | Recurring Savings Plans (2nd/9th/16th/23rd) | Not published |
| Revolut | Stocks, crypto, savings, insurance, banking | $0 (Standard) | UK: Free-£55/mo; US: $0-$16.99/mo | 18+ supported countries | Savings (yield not published) | Not published |
| MyInvestor | Accounts, deposits, funds, stocks, ETFs, pension plans | Not published | Not published | Spain (SEPA/EUR-based) | Automated portfolios | Pension rescue after 10 years or exceptional liquidity events |
| Freedom | Real estate investing education | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| The Trading Pit | Forex, futures, crypto, stocks (demo accounts) | Not published | Not published | Excludes USA, Canada, Russia (CFDs) | Share of trading profits (after challenge) | Not published |
How to Maximize Your Side Income with These Platforms
Side income grows fastest when distributions and dividends are automated rather than manually reinvested. Several platforms in this comparison build that automation in directly. XTB’s Auto Invest feature lets investors contribute to an Investment Plan on a recurring schedule, while Trade Republic executes Savings Plans on fixed dates each month. Interactive Brokers offers a Recurring Investment feature for clients with fractional shares enabled, and MyInvestor runs automated portfolios that handle diversification and rebalancing without manual intervention.
Passive income also extends beyond trading accounts. Trade Republic pays a 1% Saveback on card spending directly into a Savings Plan, and Ark7 pays rental income as monthly distributions straight to an investor’s account rather than requiring a sale. Diversifying across income types (dividends from one account, automated savings from another, and rental distributions from a fractional real estate platform) spreads your exposure across multiple sources. This reduces how dependent your side income is on any single market moving in your favor.
Common Fees and Hidden Costs You Must Know
Commission-free trading is now standard at many brokers, but fees for options contracts, margin trading, and premium features can still vary widely across brokerages. Free trading does not mean free investing: brokerage firms offering free trades often earn revenue in other ways, such as margin loan interest, options commissions, or advisory fees.
A few costs are easy to miss when comparing platforms:
- Account transfer fees: Moving an account to another broker commonly costs $75 to $100 for outgoing transfers, with wire transfers costing up to $50.
- FX conversion charges: Platforms trading in multiple currencies, like XTB, may apply a conversion fee on foreign holdings.
- Minimum order fees: Some brokers apply a minimum fee per trade even on low-value orders.
Before committing capital to any platform, read the fee schedule for deposits, withdrawals, inactivity, and account transfers, not just the headline trading commission.
Is Your Side Income Taxed the Same as a Paycheck?
No, investment side income is not taxed the same as wages. Dividends, capital gains, and rental distributions each follow separate IRS rules with different rates and reporting requirements.
Ordinary dividends are the most common type of distribution from a corporation or mutual fund, and they are taxed as ordinary income rather than as capital gains. Qualified dividends are treated differently: they are the dividends that qualify to be taxed at lower capital gains rates instead of your regular income tax bracket. Investment income is generally not subject to regular withholding, which means side-income investors often need to plan for estimated tax payments rather than relying on automatic withholding.
Because rules differ by income type and platform, it’s worth keeping every 1099-DIV, 1099-INT, and distribution statement a platform sends you, and reviewing how your specific side income is classified before filing.
Security and Regulation: Protecting Your Side-Income Portfolio
Side-income platforms are regulated differently depending on whether they are broker-dealers, banks, or real estate securities issuers. Knowing which regime applies protects you once recurring payouts are involved. In the United States, online investing is subject to oversight from securities regulators, and investors can research a firm or professional’s registration history before funding an account.
Automated tools carry their own considerations. FINRA describes these tools as ranging from personal financial-planning calculators to full online investment-management programs such as robo-advisers.
Ark7’s offerings are facilitated through Dalmore Group LLC, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC, and are qualified under SEC Regulation A+. Neither Ark7 nor Ark7 Properties is a broker-dealer or investment advisor, and offerings are not listed or quoted on any public exchange. Investors should be prepared to hold shares indefinitely, since there is no assurance a secondary market will always be available.
Frequently Asked Questions About Generating Side Income with Investing Apps
Which platform is best for long-term investing?
Long-term side income depends more on the income mechanism than the asset class alone. Platforms that pay recurring distributions, like monthly rental income from Ark7, are built around holding an asset over time rather than trading in and out of it, which suits investors planning for years rather than days.
What is the best investment platform for passive income?
A platform built around automatic, recurring payouts suits passive income better than one that only pays when you manually sell. Ark7 pays rental income as monthly distributions straight to an investor’s account, which removes the need to time a sale to realize income.
How much money do I need to invest to make $500 a month?
The amount needed depends entirely on the yield a specific investment produces, and no platform can guarantee a fixed monthly payout. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results, so any calculation should be treated as an estimate based on a specific asset’s historical distribution rate, not a promise.
Are commission-free brokers really free?
No, commission-free does not mean the broker earns nothing from your account.
Is it better to use a brokerage account or an IRA for passive income?
The right account type depends on your tax goals and withdrawal timeline, since IRAs offer different tax treatment than standard brokerage accounts. Ark7 supports both cash and IRA accounts for its real estate shares, with Traditional and Roth IRA options available through its custodian.
Are online investment platforms insured?
Protections vary by platform type and are not universal across the industry. Some digital banks guarantee cash deposits up to a set threshold per titleholder, as MyInvestor does up to 100,000 euros, while securities held at a broker-dealer typically fall under separate investor-protection rules rather than deposit insurance. Ark7’s offerings are facilitated through Dalmore Group LLC, a FINRA/SIPC member, so investor protections for Ark7 shares follow securities rules rather than bank deposit insurance.
What is the best platform for fractional shares?
Fractional-share access differs by asset class, so the right platform depends on what you’re trying to own a fraction of. Interactive Brokers offers a Recurring Investment feature for fractional stock and ETF shares, while Ark7 applies fractional ownership to physical rental real estate, letting investors buy shares in a property starting at $20 each.
Final Verdict: Which Platform Is Best for Your Side-Income Goals?
Across brokers, savings-plan apps, and education platforms, the clearest differentiator for side income is whether a platform pays you on a predictable schedule or only when you decide to sell. Ark7 is built around that first model: investors buy fractional shares in curated rental homes starting at $20 per share and receive passive income as monthly distributions straight to their account.
For anyone comparing online investing platforms specifically for side income rather than active trading, a real-asset income stream that pays monthly, with full legal and financial disclosure available at any time, offers a different and more predictable path than waiting on market timing to generate a return.
Create Your Free Account on Ark7 to see which rental properties are currently open for investment and what their projected monthly distributions look like.
Real estate investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or financial advice.
