Robinhood Review 2025: What’s New + Benefits Explained

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Robinhood at a glance

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Robinhood is best for beginner and intermediate traders and investors

Robinhood is a solid option for novices and intermediate traders and investors because it makes it incredibly easy to participate in the stock and crypto markets while offering a respectable trading platform for those looking to take more of an active role.

Its platform is one of the most user-friendly on the market and the company continues to innovate with new features, including matching IRA contribution, a trading market that’s open 24 hours a day, five days a week and automated investing through Robinhood Strategies.

What we like about Robinhood

Robinhood is one of the most accessible and beginner-friendly trading platforms on the market. It’s easy to get started, easy to use and commission-free. Instant deposits, fractional share trading from just $1 and Robinhood’s 24/5 trading give you quick and broad access to the market. Robinhood’s 24 Hour Market lets you place limit orders to buy whole shares of over 900 stocks and ETFs, including names such as Tesla (TSLA), Amazon (AMZN) and Apple (AAPL).

Here’s what else we like.

Robinhood Gold

While Robinhood is free to use, it also offers access to an upgraded version of its platform for a $5 monthly fee. Robinhood Gold features include:

• Earn interest on uninvested cash. Robinhood’s interest rate pays 3.50% on uninvested brokerage (subscription fees apply) cash in your account (0.01% without Robinhood Gold)
• Larger instant deposits. Access instant deposits of up to $5,000 or three times your portfolio value
• Professional market research. Receive extensive stock reports from Morningstar that include company strategy, performance and risk.
• Technical analysis. Access to Level 2 market data from Nasdaq. Gold members also get unlimited access to Morningstar’s premium, in-depth stock research reports for approximately 1,700 stocks.
• Margin investing bonus. The first $1,000 of margin is interest-free. Any amount above this is charged the standard investing rate at 5.25%.
• 3% IRA match. Get up to 3% in matching IRA contributions in 2025 for a bonus of up to $210.
• 1% IRA transfer match. Transfer any IRA or 401(k) rollover to receive an unlimited 1% match.
• Discounted futures trades. Save $0.25 on futures commissions.
• Management fee savings. Pay zero fees on every dollar over $100K invested with Robinhood Strategies. Fund your account by June 30, 2025, and pay no management fees on the your $1K until December 31, 2025.

Robinhood offers a free 30-day trial period of Robinhood Gold. However, if you decide to use margin investing during the trial period, there’s an annual 5.25% annual interest charge on any amount you borrow over $1,000. Plus, you cannot earn the 3.50% interest if you invest on a margin.

9.4 Excellent

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Robinhood Gold

• Earn up to 3.75% APY on uninvested cash (subscription fees apply).
• Get up to a 3% match on all new IRA contributions.
• Receive a 2% unlimited match on IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers until April 30.
• Access professional research from top-tier research provider, Morningstar.

Earn interest on your uninvested cash

Any uninvested brokerage cash in your account can earn 0.01% interest with daily compounding (which helps your money grow faster). Upgrade to its premium subscription, Robinhood Gold, bumps this earning power to a rate of 3.50% (subscription fees apply). Robinhood’s network of 12 partner banks means customers get FDIC insurance on cash deposits of up to $2.25 million. Robinhood automatically sweeps uninvested brokerage cash into deposits at its program banks, so there’s no added step to earn interest.

Get an IRA match

Get a 3% IRA match on IRA contributions when you subscribe to Gold or 1% without Gold. If you max out your IRA contributions for 2024 and stack on your max contributions for 2025 by April 15, Robinhood will contribute up to $420 in matching funds for Gold subscribers. All IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers earn 2% with Gold or 1% without Gold if completed by April 30, and there’s no limit to how much you can get in matching contributions. If you transfer to Robinhood an IRA with $10,000, Robinhood gives you $200 for Gold or $100 if you aren’t a Gold subscriber.

Complete control and ownership over your crypto

Trade more than 25 cryptocurrencies with Robinhood, with no commissions, ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL) staking complete control over your assets. Send and receive crypto and sign up for the separate Robinhood Crypto app to access Robinhood’s self-custody wallet where you can store and manage your crypto on the Ethereum, Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Arbitrum, Polygon, Optimism and Base networks.

Plus, earn rewards by staking your ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL).

Robinhood’s UI/UX

Robinhood is simple and straightforward, with a clean interface that makes it ideal for beginners but enjoyable for traders and investors of all levels.

It’s incredibly easy to sign up and invest with Robinhood, and its intuitive design makes it easy to navigate and execute trades without feeling overwhelmed. Whether you’re placing your first trade or managing a diverse portfolio, Robinhood’s platform helps you stay in control.

Robinhood Legend and other trading tools

Robinhood’s new web-based desktop trading platform, Robinhood Legend, is a much-needed addition to Robinhood’s suite of products, offering Robinhood customers a dedicated advanced trading platform.

Here are some of the features you’ll find on Robinhood Legend:

• Trade on the chart
• Technical indicators
• Drawing tools
• Custom intervals
• Custom and preset layouts
• Compatible with multiple monitors

Robinhood Classic trading tools

• Watchlists
• Key statistics, such as market cap, P/E and average volume
• Buy, hold and sell ratings
• Recent earnings results and estimates
• News feed
• A chart with some advanced technical indicators, such as volume, moving averages and bollinger bands
• Trading Trends, which shows Robinhood customer, hedge fund and insider trading activity

Upgrading to Robinhood Gold for $5 per month gets you access to Morningstar research and Level 2 Nasdaq market data, though day traders might still find it lackluster. You can add the Level 2 Nasdaq market data, including a depth chart and book in the advanced chart of any given stock. We did notice that Morningstar research wasn’t available for every stock, though.

Robinhood Strategies

Robinhood’s new robo-advisor offers tailored, expert-managed portfolios for 0.25% annually and a $250 yearly fee cap for Robinhood Gold members. Portfolios comprise stocks and ETFs, with the ability to restrict individual stocks, Monte Carlo simulations to simulate future return, tax strategies, market and portfolio insights and more.

Robinhood Strategies is available for individual and retirement accounts, with support for joint accounts coming soon.

Where Robinhood falls short

Here’s where we think Robinhood could improve:

Limited investment options

Robinhood offers stocks, ETFs, options, index options, crypto, event contracts and futures, an expanding list of assets that makes it easier to tailor your portfolio to your goals, risk tolerance and market conditions. But it skips staples like mutual funds, bonds and forex, which bigger, traditional brokers offer.

Limited analysis and research tools for its standard account

While all Robinhood customers have access to the Robinhood Legend advanced trading platform and analyst ratings on select stocks, Morningstar research is reserved for Gold subscribers. What’s more, Robinhood lacks key company financials like basic income statements and balance sheets.

Robinhood’s fees

Is Robinhood legit?

Yes, Robinhood is a legitimate broker that was founded in 2013. It’s registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Robinhood Crypto is registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as a money services business.

Robinhood’s platform is also considered safe and secure. Through its memberships of SEC, FINRA and SIPC, customers are protected up to $500,000 – including up to $250,000 in cash balances – in the event of Robinhood’s insolvency. In addition, customers enrolled in Robinhood’s cash sweep program are FDIC insured up to $2 million on uninvested cash through its partner banks.

Any crypto bought on Robinhood is stored in a mix of cold storage and hot storage. While crypto is not covered by either FDIC or SIPC insurance, Robinhood carries a crime insurance policy protecting crypto held by Robinhood against losses from theft and cybersecurity breaches.

Robinhood customer reviews and ratings

Robinhood’s online customer sentiment is mixed, with both positive and negative reviews from users across Reddit and the major review sites. Positive sentiment often revolves around the platform’s user-friendly interface, commission-free trading and accessibility for beginner investors. Users appreciate the simplicity of the app and the ability to start investing with small amounts of money.

However, negative sentiment typically stems from concerns about platform outages during periods of high market volatility and controversies surrounding issues such as payment for order flow and the handling of customer funds.

Overall, while many users find Robinhood’s platform convenient and easy to use, others have raised concerns about reliability and transparency.

Compare Robinhood to other platforms

Compare similar platforms by available asset types, trade fees and minimum deposit requirements. Select Go to site to sign up for an account.

Robinhood

9.4 Excellent

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Available asset types

Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Futures, Event contracts, High-yield cash account

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Stock trade fee

$0

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Minimum deposit

$0

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Signup bonus

Get a free stock

SoFi Active Invest

9 Excellent

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Available asset types

Stocks, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, Alternatives

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Stock trade fee

$0

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Minimum deposit

$0

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Signup bonus

Get up to $1,000 in stock

eToro

8.2 Great

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Available asset types

Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Investments

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Stock trade fee

$0

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Minimum deposit

$0

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Signup bonus

N/A

Frequently asked questions

Is Robinhood good for beginners?

Yes — Robinhood can be good for beginners, thanks to its intuitive design, commission-free trades and easy account setup. It’s straightforward to buy and sell stocks, ETFs, options and crypto without a steep learning curve. At the same time, Robinhood also offers tools for growing investors — like the advanced Legend trading platform, in-depth market research, robust educational content and multiple account types, including individual, joint and retirement accounts. This means you can start small and still have room to grow.

Is Robinhood free?

Robinhood’s standard account is free to everyone, with no minimum deposit, annual account fees or inactivity fees. Its premium subscription, Robinhood Gold, costs $5 per month or $50 per year when you pay annually.

Can I keep the IRA match if I withdraw money from my IRA?

Contributions to a Robinhood Retirement account must be held for at least five years to avoid an early IRA match removal fee. This fee is equal to the IRA match amount earned.

Is day trading stocks on Robinhood allowed?

Robinhood customers with margin accounts with balances less than $25,000 are generally limited to no more than three day trades in a five trading day period. If you place your fourth day trade within any five trading day period, you’ll be flagged as a pattern day trader. At this point, you’ll need to have a portfolio value greater than $25,000 at the end of the trading day to continue day trading the next day.

Robinhood notes that pattern day trading restrictions don’t apply to cash accounts..

How does Robinhood make money?

Robinhood makes money in several ways. Its most significant revenue stream is from routing customers’ stock, options and crypto orders to market makers for execution, a practice known as payment for order flow. It also charges margin base rates of 5.25%, other account fees and monthly subscriptions of $5 to its premium platform Robinhood Gold.

Why can’t I withdraw money from Robinhood after selling?

After selling stocks or options, your funds must first settle before you can withdraw them. For equities and options, settlement takes one trading day (T+1). This means your proceeds are available to withdraw on the second trading day after your sale.

How do I close my Robinhood account?

To close your Robinhood account, select the account tab in the app, and then select the hamburger menu. Under the settings section, select Deactivate your account.

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