The best online investing platforms under $100 in 2026 are Ark7, Robinhood, Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Webull, Public, Betterment, Interactive Brokers, and SoFi Invest, with Ark7 ranked first for letting investors buy shares in rental properties starting at $20 and collect monthly cash distributions with fees disclosed in the offering materials.
- Ark7 – fractional ownership of individual rental properties with monthly rental-income distributions
- Robinhood – mobile-first brokerage app with fractional-share stock and ETF trading
- Fidelity – $0-commission brokerage with $0 account minimum and $1 fractional shares
- Charles Schwab – $0-commission stock and ETF trades with $5 fractional “Stock Slices”
- Webull – $0-commission stock, ETF, and options trading with no account minimum
- Public – fractional-share brokerage app with a free tier and paid Premium subscription
- Betterment – automated robo-advisor that builds diversified ETF portfolios with no minimum balance
- Interactive Brokers – multi-market brokerage covering stocks, options, futures, currencies, and bonds
- SoFi Invest – self-directed and robo investing with retirement accounts and IPO access
| Platform | Asset Class | Income / Distribution | Regulatory / SEC Filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ark7 | Fractional shares in individual rental properties | Monthly rental distributions | Ark7 Properties offerings are qualified under Regulation A and generally require annual and semiannual reports |
| Robinhood | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Fidelity | Stocks, ETFs, Roth IRA, HSA, 529, wealth management | Not published | Not published |
| Charles Schwab | Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, forex, mutual funds | Not published | Not published |
| Webull | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Public | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Betterment | ETF portfolios (robo-managed) | Not published | Not published |
| Interactive Brokers | Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, currencies, gold, bonds, mutual funds, prediction markets | Not published | Not published |
| SoFi Invest | Not published | Not published | Not published |
The rest of this guide breaks down what each platform actually charges, what you can buy with a small deposit, and where the real trade-offs sit once you look past the headline “$0 minimum.”
A generation ago, opening a brokerage account with less than a few thousand dollars barely made sense once fees were factored in. That has changed quickly: the global micro-investing platform market was estimated at $0.93 billion in 2025 as fractional shares, zero-commission trades, and mobile-first apps pulled small-balance investors into the market.
Yet participation hasn’t kept pace with access. The share of young adults who reported owning investments outside a retirement account fell to 21% in 2024, down from 26% in 2021, according to the FINRA Foundation’s National Financial Capability Study.
That participation gap suggests the problem isn’t a lack of low-minimum tools. It’s knowing which tool fits your actual goal, whether that’s building a diversified stock and ETF position, collecting rental income without managing a property, or simply testing the waters with a spare $100. Ark7 is one option built specifically around the third category: fractional ownership of rental homes with monthly cash distributions. The rest of this guide compares it against the mainstream brokerage and robo-advisor platforms that dominate search results for low-minimum investing.
Key Takeaways
- Most major brokerages have already removed the dollar barrier. $0 account minimums and $1 fractional-share purchases are now standard at several large platforms, not a differentiator on their own.
- Fee transparency matters more at small balances. A flat inactivity or transfer fee that looks minor on a $10,000 account can erase a meaningful share of a $100 one.
- Real estate income is structurally different from stock appreciation. Rental-property platforms that pay monthly distributions are a separate category from equity brokerages that depend on price movement.
- Asset class, not just minimum deposit, determines what you’re actually buying. A $20 share in a rental property and a $20 fractional share of a stock expose you to very different risks and income patterns.
- Regulatory filings and disclosures vary by product type. Some offerings are qualified under SEC Regulation A+ with periodic public filings; others are standard brokerage accounts regulated differently.
- IRA access with a small minimum is available across both stock brokerages and real estate platforms, though annual fees and caps differ by provider.
- Ark7 starts at $20 per share and pays monthly rental distributions, a lower entry point and a different income structure than most stock and ETF platforms on this list.
New to passive real estate investing?
Explore Ark7 OpportunitiesWhat to Look for in a Low-Minimum Investment Platform
The platforms that work well for small balances share a few traits: a genuinely low or zero minimum to open and fund an account, fractional-share or fractional-ownership mechanics so a small deposit still buys real exposure, and fee structures that don’t quietly erode a small balance through inactivity or transfer charges. A separate market estimate from Dataintelo put the global micro-investing app market at $2.29 billion in 2025, reinforcing that demand for these mechanics is broad, not a niche feature.
Regulatory transparency matters too. The SEC defines a fractional share as less than one full share of a stock or security. That lets you invest a fixed dollar amount regardless of the full share price. Most apps on this list use this mechanic, but fractional ownership of a rental property works differently and carries its own disclosure requirements.
Why Fees Quietly Matter More on Small Balances
The SEC has noted that fees and expenses can have a major impact on returns over time, because every dollar paid in fees is a dollar that stops compounding. That effect is magnified on a $100 account, where a flat annual or inactivity fee represents a much larger percentage of the balance than it would on a $10,000 account.
Some brokerage platforms charge annual, inactivity, closing, and transfer fees even when the headline trading commission is $0. Before funding any account with $100, it’s worth checking the fee schedule for account-closing fees, outgoing transfer fees, and minimum-activity requirements, not just the advertised commission rate.
The Best Online Investing Platforms Under $100
1. Ark7
Ark7 is a real estate investment platform that lets investors buy shares in individual rental properties rather than shares of a company or fund. Shares start as low as $20 each, and investors receive a monthly distribution of rental income paid directly to their account as passive income. Properties are typically held long-term for appreciation, and investors have full flexibility to sell their shares after a minimum holding period.
Applicable fees are disclosed in the relevant offering materials, with no recurring assets-under-management fee after the initial investment. Ark7 currently operates in 10 markets and is expanding nationally. Offerings are qualified under SEC Regulation A+; Ark7 Properties Advance LLC published an offering circular dated May 26, 2026, and is required to make annual and semi-annual filings with the SEC. The platform holds a 4.7 rating on the Apple App Store as of early 2026.
What sets Ark7 apart
- Monthly cash distributions: rental income is paid out monthly, directly to the investor’s account, rather than depending solely on long-term price appreciation.
- Real estate as its own asset class: investors gain fractional ownership of specific, curated rental homes rather than shares of a REIT fund or a company’s stock.
- No recurring AUM fee: Applicable fees are disclosed in the offering materials, with no recurring annual percentage charged on the account balance.
- Operational transparency: complete legal and financial disclosure is accessible to investors at any time.
- Public regulatory record: offerings are qualified under SEC Regulation A+, with mandatory annual and semi-annual filings that create a formal, searchable disclosure trail.
- Flexible exit timeline: shares can be sold after a minimum holding period, or held for continued monthly income and appreciation.
- IRA eligibility: Traditional and Roth IRA accounts are supported; fee details are disclosed in the offering materials.
Past performance is not indicative of future results.
How to Open an Ark7 Account
Opening an account takes a few minutes online or through the mobile app. Browse Properties to review current rental listings, each with full financial disclosure, before committing a $20 share.
2. Robinhood
Robinhood is a mobile-first brokerage app used primarily for trading stocks, ETFs, and options from a smartphone.
Key Features
- Fractional-share orders starting at $1
- Mobile-first account opening and trading interface
- Trading available for stocks, ETFs, and options
Pricing
Further commission and fee details are published on Robinhood’s own pricing page.
3. Fidelity
Fidelity offers brokerage, Roth IRA, HSA, 529, and wealth management services, letting customers invest on their own or have Fidelity manage the account. Trading is available through Fidelity’s own platforms, including Fidelity Trader+ web and desktop versions.
Fidelity charges $0 commissions on U.S. stocks and ETFs and has a $0 account minimum, per its own site. Fidelity states that its $0 commission does not apply to customers designated as Professional Equity Traders, who are charged an equity commission instead.
Key Features
- $0 commissions on U.S. stocks and ETFs
- $0 account minimum to open
- Fractional-share purchases starting at $1
- Brokerage, Roth IRA, HSA, and 529 account types available
- Fidelity Trader+ web and desktop platforms for active trading
Pricing
$0 commissions on U.S. stocks and ETFs, $0 account minimum, and fractional shares available from $1. Professional Equity Traders are charged a standard equity commission instead of the $0 rate.
4. Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab provides brokerage, banking, and financial advisory services, with trading available through Schwab.com, the thinkorswim® platform (desktop, web, and mobile), Schwab Mobile, Schwab APIs, phone-based trading, and broker-assisted service.
Schwab charges $0 online commissions on listed stocks and ETFs, a $0 online base commission plus $0.65 per contract for options, and $2.25 per contract for futures traded online, per its own pricing page. Through its Stock Slices feature, Schwab allows investors to buy fractional shares from up to 30 S&P 500 companies, with each slice available for as little as $5.
Key Features
- $0 online commissions on listed stocks and ETFs
- Stock Slices fractional shares from up to 30 S&P 500 companies for as little as $5 each
- $0 online base commission plus $0.65 per contract for options
- Trading access through Schwab.com, thinkorswim® desktop/web/mobile, and Schwab Mobile
- Phone-based and broker-assisted trading available through Schwab by Phone™ and TeleBroker®
Pricing
$0 online commissions on listed stocks and ETFs; $0 base plus $0.65 per contract for options; $2.25 per contract for futures traded online; Stock Slices fractional shares from $5.
5. Webull
Webull is a financial services company that provides access to trading across stocks, ETFs, and options, along with market data, a user community, and investor education resources, operating through its own trading platforms.
Webull does not charge commissions for trading stocks, ETFs, and options listed on U.S. exchanges, and it has no account minimum deposit requirement, per its own pricing page. Certain index option trades carry a $0.50 per-contract fee, and OTC securities can be traded at $0 commission with no platform fees. Regulatory and exchange fees may be passed through to clients, though Webull states it does not profit from these pass-through charges.
Key Features
- $0 commissions on U.S.-exchange-listed stocks, ETFs, and options
- No account minimum to open or fund an account
- $0.50 per-contract fee on certain index option trades
- OTC securities trading available at $0 commission and no platform fees
- Access to market data, a user community, and investor education content
Pricing
$0 commissions on U.S.-exchange-listed stocks, ETFs, and options; $0 account minimum; a $0.50 per-contract fee applies to certain index option trades; regulatory and exchange fees may apply separately.
6. Public
Public is a brokerage app that offers fractional-share trading alongside a free account tier and a paid Public Premium subscription.
Public charges a $3.99 monthly inactivity fee for accounts with no activity for six months and balances below $70, and instant withdrawals cost 3.5% of the amount withdrawn, with a $1 minimum. Per Public’s own pricing page, Public Premium costs $10 a month or $96 a year, and outgoing ACAT transfers cost $75.
Key Features
- Fractional-share trading available on a free account tier
- Public Premium subscription available for $10 a month or $96 a year
- Instant withdrawals available for a 3.5% fee, $1 minimum
- Outgoing account transfers (ACAT) cost $75
Pricing
Free tier available; Public Premium costs $10 a month or $96 a year; a $3.99 monthly inactivity fee applies to accounts with no activity for six months and balances below $70.
7. Betterment
Betterment is a robo-advisor that builds and manages diversified ETF portfolios for clients through an automated, online platform rather than individual stock picking.
Betterment has no minimum balance, but its base investing price is $5 per month, switching to 0.25% annually when qualifying recurring deposits or balance thresholds are met, per its own pricing page. Portfolios are built and rebalanced automatically from diversified ETFs based on the client’s stated goals and risk tolerance.
Key Features
- No minimum balance required to open or fund an account
- Annual account fee of 0.25% of the fund balance
- Automated portfolio construction and rebalancing
- Diversified ETF-based investing rather than individual stock selection
Pricing
No minimum balance to invest; base price of $5 per month; 0.25% annually when qualifying recurring deposits or balance thresholds are met.
8. Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers offers trading and investment products across global markets. Clients access the platform through Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile, and the professional Trader Workstation. The firm states that its order-routing technology searches multiple venues when executing client orders.
Interactive Brokers offers IBKR Lite at $0 per share for U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs for U.S. residents, and IBKR Pro at a fixed $0.005 per share or a tiered $0.0005 to $0.0035 per share, per its own pricing page. The platform supports trading in stocks, ETFs, options, futures, spot currencies, U.S. spot gold, bonds, mutual funds, and prediction markets.
Key Features
- IBKR Lite: $0 per share for U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs (U.S. residents only)
- IBKR Pro: fixed $0.005 per share, or tiered $0.0005 to $0.0035 per share
- Access to stocks, ETFs, options, futures, currencies, gold, bonds, and mutual funds
- Trading available through Client Portal, desktop, mobile, and Trader Workstation platforms
- Recurring investment feature available for clients with fractional shares enabled
Pricing
$0 per share under IBKR Lite for U.S. residents; $0.005 per share fixed or $0.0005 to $0.0035 per share tiered under IBKR Pro.
9. SoFi Invest
SoFi Invest offers Self-Directed Investing, Robo Investing, retirement accounts (IRAs), stock trading, IPO investing, and fractional shares, according to its own site. A standard pricing fee schedule is publicly available on SoFi’s platform.
Key Features
- Self-Directed Investing and automated Robo Investing options
- Retirement accounts (IRAs) available
- Stock trading and IPO investing access
- Fractional-share purchases starting at $5
- Published fee schedule available as a downloadable PDF
Pricing
Standard fees are detailed in SoFi’s published fee schedule; fractional-share investing starts at $5.
How to Start Investing Today with Under $100
Getting started takes less time than most people expect once you’ve picked a platform that matches what you actually want to own.
- Decide what you want exposure to first. Broad stock and ETF exposure, individual company shares, or rental-property income each come from different platform types.
- Open an account online or through a mobile app. Most platforms on this list can be opened and verified within a few minutes.
- Fund the account with your $100. Confirm whether the platform requires a minimum per-share or per-property amount before transferring funds.
- Check the fee schedule before your first trade. Look specifically for inactivity fees, transfer fees, and any minimum-balance requirements.
- Make your first purchase in small, diversified pieces rather than putting the full $100 into a single stock, ETF, or property share.
- Set a recurring contribution if the platform allows it, so the account keeps growing beyond the initial $100.
Building a Diversified Portfolio with $100
A $100 starting balance can still be split across more than one holding. The IRS notes that investment income generally includes interest, dividends, capital gains, and other types of distributions, meaning a small, diversified mix of assets can generate more than one kind of return even at a modest balance.
On a brokerage platform, that might mean splitting $100 across a broad-market ETF and one or two individual fractional shares. On a platform like Ark7, diversification works differently: instead of one large property purchase, an investor can spread a small amount of capital across shares in multiple curated rental properties in different markets, each with its own monthly distribution.
Either approach reduces how much a single holding’s performance affects the overall balance, which matters more, not less, when the total amount invested is small.
Frequently Asked Questions About Investing with Under $100
What’s the best way to invest $100 right now?
There is no single best way; it depends on whether you want stock market exposure, automated ETF investing, or rental-property income. Splitting $100 across a diversified ETF and one or two fractional shares is a common starting approach, while platforms like Ark7 let that same $100 go toward a share of a rental property with monthly distributions instead.
Can I buy fractional shares with $100?
Yes. Several brokerages on this list support fractional-share minimums well below $100, so your full $100 can be put to work across multiple positions regardless of any single stock’s full share price.
Which investing app has the lowest minimum deposit?
Several platforms advertise a $0 account minimum, but the amount needed to actually buy a full position still varies. Fractional-share minimums as low as $1 appear on more than one app, while fractional real estate platforms like Ark7 price individual shares starting at $20.
What fees should I watch for when investing a small amount?
Watch for inactivity fees, account-transfer fees, and withdrawal fees, since these are charged regardless of your balance size and take a larger percentage out of a small account.
Can I invest $100 in an IRA?
IRA investing with $100 is available through more than one platform on this list. Fidelity offers Roth IRA accounts with a $0 minimum, while Ark7’s IRA account gives retirement savers access to rental-property income inside a tax-advantaged account, with fees disclosed in the offering materials.
Are investing apps safe?
Safety depends on checking a platform’s registration and regulatory status rather than assuming based on popularity. In 2024, 61% of investors aged 18-34 reported making an investment decision based on a social media personality’s recommendation, compared with 6% of investors 55 or older, according to FINRA Foundation research. That gap underscores why verifying a platform’s broker-dealer and regulatory filings matters more than how it trends online.
What is the minimum amount needed to start investing online?
Most major online investing platforms now allow you to open an account with $0 and buy fractional shares starting as low as $1. Real estate platforms like Ark7 let you start with a single $20 share in a rental property. The practical minimum depends on the asset class: stock and ETF fractional minimums range from $1 to $5, while fractional real estate shares start at $20.
Final Verdict
Most platforms on this list have already solved the “too expensive to start” problem; $0 account minimums and sub-$5 fractional shares are now common. The real differences show up in what you’re actually buying and how the fees are structured once your balance is small. For investors who want monthly cash income from a real asset rather than waiting on stock price movement, Ark7 offers a distinct path: fractional ownership of individual rental properties starting at $20 per share, monthly distributions, no recurring AUM fee, and a formal SEC disclosure record behind every offering. Browse Properties to see current listings and start with a single $20 share.
Create Your Free Account to explore how fractional real estate investing fits alongside the stock and ETF options covered in this guide.
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.
