Trading

Get expert advice on finding the right broker, learn to trade stocks, and understand how to evaluate the markets.

A woman stands at a desk with three computer screens day trading

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If you're looking to invest and trade stocks for the long term, then one of the best online brokers is all you need. But if you're looking to day trade, you'll want to do your research and find a platform that fits your trading style best.

Investopedia identified 26 trading platforms and then collected over 2,300 data points to determine which are the best for day traders. The best day trading platforms that made our list provide excellent apps for analyzing indicators and executing trades on a variety of securities including stocks, cryptocurrency, options, forex, futures, and more. 

Best Day Trading Platforms

Frequently Asked Questions
  • What’s the difference between trading and investing?

    Investing takes a long-term approach to the markets, while trading involves short-term strategies to maximize returns daily, monthly, or quarterly. Investors are more likely to ride out short-term losses, while traders will make transactions that can help them profit quickly from fluctuating markets.

  • How do I start trading?

    How much money you need to begin trading depends on the type of securities you want to buy. Stocks typically trade in round lots, or orders of at least 100 shares. To buy a stock priced at $60 per share, you will need $6,000 in your account. A broker may let you borrow half of that money, but you still need to produce the other $3,000. To trade options and futures, those trade by the contract. A contract represents some unit of the underlying security. In the options market, one contract is good for 100 shares of the stock.



  • Do day traders make money?

    Results vary widely depending on various trading strategies, risk management practices, and amounts of capital available for day trading. According to University of California researchers Brad Barber and Terrance Odean, they found that many individual investors hold undiversified portfolios and trade actively, speculatively, and to their own detriment.1 Day traders also can be hit with high brokerage fees and other charges that cut into their profits.



  • How does trading and the stock market work?

    The prices of shares on a stock market can be set in a number of ways. The most common way is through an auction process where buyers and sellers place bids and offers to buy or sell. A bid is the price at which somebody wishes to buy, and an offer (or ask) is the price at which somebody wishes to sell. When the bid and ask coincide, a trade is made.

  • How do you make money with options trading?

    Options allow for potential profit during both volatile times, which is possible because the prices of assets like stocks, currencies, and commodities are always moving. No matter what the market conditions are there is an options strategy that can take advantage of those conditions to profit, while taking on the risk of losing money as well.

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