All Share (J203) = 88 342
Rand / Dollar = 18.58
Rand / Pound = 23.35
Rand / Euro = 19.33
Gold (usd/oz) = 2 928.65
Platinum (usd/oz) = 969.20
Brent (usd/barrel) = 76.29
Trade +10,000 CFDs with Tight Raw Spreads. – Trade Now!

10 Best Share and Stock Trading Brokers – Revealed

Best Share and Stock Trading Brokers

 

We reveal the 10 best share and stock forex Brokers.

Updated for February 2025.*

 

In this in-depth guide you’ll learn:

  • The best stock broker trading platforms.
  • Best stock and share trading brokers on the JSE.
  • Cheapest stock broker in South Africa.
  • Best stock and share trading brokers on the A2X.
  • The best stock trading app for IOS and Android.

 

There are many online brokers that offer stock and share trading services and It’s important to research and compare different brokers to find the one that best suits your needs, as they can vary in terms of fees, commission, trading platforms, and other features including the minimum deposit.

 

Below is a table comparison of the best share and stock trading brokers.

 

🔎 Stock and Share Broker💰 Minimum Deposit⚖️ Regulation
1️⃣ Ally Invest$0 - $100SEC
2️⃣ Firstrade$0SEC, FINRA
3️⃣ Chase You Invest Trade$0SEC, FINRA
4️⃣ SogoTrade$0SEC
5️⃣ Robinhood$0SEC
6️⃣ Choice Trade$100SEC, FINRA
7️⃣ Lightspeed$0FINRA
8️⃣ Cobra Trading$27,000FINRA, NFA
9️⃣ TD Ameritrade$0SEC
🔟 Fidelity$0SEC

 

10 Best Stockbrokers for South African Traders – Quick Overview

  1. ✔️Ally Invest
  2. ✔️Firstrade
  3. ✔️Chase You Invest Trade
  4. SogoTrade
  5. Robinhood
  6. ChoiceTrade
  7. Lightspeed
  8. Cobra Trading
  9. TD Ameritrade
  10. Fidelity

 

With so many different types of online stock brokers available to investors in the market today, it can be a tough task to choose one that works best for a trader’s individual needs.

We have taken the guesswork out of the process and put a wide-ranging list of online brokers to the test by reviewing the process through hands-on research to determine the best.

 

Ally Invest

 

Min Deposit

USD 0

Regulators

SEC, FINRA

Trading Platform

Web trading platform

Crypto

Yes

Total Pairs

0

Islamic Account

No

Trading Fees

Low

Account Activation

24 Hours

 

Ally Invest is the discount online brokerage arm of Ally Financial which also operates Ally Bank.

 

Alongside $0 stock and ETF trades, Ally offers traders great customer service and ease of use through a clean user experience, perfect for beginner investors.

 

Regular stock and ETF trades are $0 and options trades cost $0.50 per contract.

 

Self Trading Overview

 

🔎 Trading PlatformSelf-Directed Trading
🤝 Best Suited toHands-on Investors
✅ FeaturesNo commission fee on U.S. listed stocks and ETFs
No commissions on option trades and competitive contract fee of just 50¢ per contract
A wide variety of investment choices built with the do-it-yourself investor in mind
In-depth research and market analysis tools to support all types of investment strategies
📌 Investment choicesCommission-free stocks
Commission-free ETFs
Commission-free options
Mutual funds
Margin account

 

Robo Portfolio Overview

 

🔎 PlatformRobo Portfolios
✅ FeaturesGet started with $100
No advisory fees, annual charges or rebalancing fees, and 30% of your portfolio is set aside as an interest-earning cash buffer
We recommend and manage a professionally designed portfolio based on your personal goals, timeframe and risk tolerance
We’ll monitor and automatically rebalance your portfolio to make sure your plan stays on track
Includes a mix of low cost, diversified exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
📌 Portfolio TypesSocially responsible
Tax optimized
Core
Income

 

As a full-service brokerage, Ally Invest provides traders with a diverse offering which includes Stock, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds and options.

 

 

Ally Invest Lading Page

 

Firstrade

 

Min Deposit

USD 0

Regulators

SEC, FINRA

Trading Platform

Proprietary Platform

Crypto

No

Total Pairs

0

Islamic Account

No

Trading Fees

Low

Account Activation

24 Hours

 

Firstrade offers $0 stock, ETF, and options trades, and is well known for its user-friendly website and Chinese language services. The broker also offers a fully translated customer experience and a mobile app with a clean experience.

 

Firstrade Overview

 

🔎 Account OptionsBrokerage Account
Retirement Account
✅ Advantages$0 online trades
No hidden fees
📌 ProductsStocks/ETFs
Options
Fixed Income
Over 11,000 Mutual Funds

 

Firstrade offers investors free stock, ETF, mutual fund, and options trades (including complex options strategies), mutual funds, and bonds.

 

Firstrade Landing Page

 

Chase You Invest Trade

 

Overall Rating

4.5/5

Rated #514 of
Recommended FX Brokers

💰Minimum Deposit

$500

🌐 Regulators

SEC, FINRA

📱 Trading Desk

$0

Crypto

Yes

📈 Total Pairs

☪️ Islamic Account

No

📊 Trading Fees

Low

🕒 Account Activation Time

24 Hours

🏛️ Visit Broker

 

JP Morgan Chase offers self-directed investing services, which include buying and selling stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bondsChase You Invest Trade is perfect for current Chase Bank customers to simply buy and sell stocks. The multi-account benefits are widespread and include instant transfers, universal login, and $0 trades.

 

Self-Directed Investing Overview

 

🔎 Account Self-Directed Investing
✅ Features$0 Online Trades
Unlimited commission-free online trades
Wide range of stocks, ETFs, fixed income, mutual funds, and options.
Portfolio Builder
Chase Mobile® app

 

Automated Investing Overview

 

🔎 AccountAutomated Investing
✅ FeaturesRobo-advisor
Designed by Professionals
Automatic Rebalancing
0.35% advisory fee

 

The Chase mobile app is available through both Apple iOS and Android.

 

Chase You Landing Page

 

SogoTrade

 

Overall Rating

4.1/5

Rated #515 of
Recommended FX Brokers

💰Minimum Deposit

$0

🌐 Regulators

SEC

📱 Trading Desk

Sogo Online, Sogo Trader

Crypto

Yes

📈 Total Pairs

☪️ Islamic Account

No

📊 Trading Fees

Low

🕒 Account Activation Time

24 Hours

🏛️ Visit Broker

 

SogoTrade charges $4.88 for all equity trades and for customers who make over 149 trades per quarter, the rate reduces to $2.88 per trade. SogoTrade also allows traders to prepay for trades at a discounted rate of $3.88 per trade but a minimum of 20 trades must be purchased and trades will expire after a period of one year. Traders can prepay for 50 trades for a further discounted rate of $2.88 per trade.

 

SogoTrade Overview

 

🔎 Account TypesBrokerage
Retirement
Power Portfolio
Cryptocurrency
💻 SOGO OnlineSogoOnline trading is an all-in-one platform for stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and options.
All-in-one stocks & options trading
Powerful trading technology
Quality executions
Intuitive design
🖥️ SOGO Trader (Platform)Flexible Order Entry
Interactive Chart
Real-time Streaming Quotes
Extended Hours Trading
Fast & Quality Execution

 

SogoTrade offers stock and options trading.

 

SogoTrade Landing Page

 

Robinhood

 

Min Deposit

USD 0

Regulators

FINRA

Trading Platform

Proprietary Platform

Crypto

Yes

Total Pairs

0

Islamic Account

No

Trading Fees

Low

Account Activation

24 Hours

 

Robinhood charges users no commission for trading stocks, ETFs, options, or cryptocurrency and offers both a downloadable mobile app plus a web platform. Both platforms have similar feature sets, but the mobile app is fast, simple, and easy to use.

 

Robinhood Feature Overview

 

💵 Fees$0 Per trade
💳 Account Minimum$0
🤝 Promotions1 Free Stock

after linking your bank account (stock value range $2.50-$225)
✅ FeaturesNo Account minimum
Streamlined Interface
Cryptocurrency Trading

 

For basic stock trading, Robinhood offers basic watch lists, basic stock quotes with charts and analyst ratings, recent news, alongside simple trade entry.

 

Robinhood Landing page

 

ChoiceTrade

 

Overall Rating

4.5/5

Rated #516 of
Recommended FX Brokers

💰Minimum Deposit

$100

🌐 Regulators

SEC, FINRA

📱 Trading Desk

DasTrader, Quotestream, ChoiceTrade Elite

Crypto

Yes

📈 Total Pairs

☪️ Islamic Account

No

📊 Trading Fees

Low

🕒 Account Activation Time

24 Hours

🏛️ Visit Broker

 

ChoiceTrade offers $0 stock trades for US customers and options trades for $.40 per contract alongside three third-party platforms: QuoteStream, DAS Trader Pro, and iVest Plus.  ChoiceTrade offers traders a mobile app that supports the basics for trading on the go compatible with both iOS and Android.

 

ChoiceTrade Overview

 

💰 Trading fees classLow
💰 Inactivity fee charged✔️ Yes
💰 Withdrawal fee amount$5
💰 Minimum deposit$100
🕖 Time to open an accountUp to 3 days
💳 Deposit with bank card❌ No
👛 Depositing with electronic wallet❌ No
💱 Number of base currencies supported1
🎮 Demo account provided✔️ Yes
🛍️ Products offeredStock, ETF, Options

 

 ChoiceTrade platforms are suited to trade stocks and options online.

 

Choicetrade landing page

 

Lightspeed

 

Min Deposit

USD 10,000

Regulators

Lightspeed Trader, Lightspeed Web Trader

Trading Platform

MT4

Crypto

No

Total Pairs

0

Islamic Account

No

Trading Fees

Low

Account Activation

24 Hours

 

Through the main platform, Lightspeed Trader, two-tiered commission structures are offered – namely per share and per trade. The more volume a trader trades or the frequency, respectively, per month, will lower the rate.

 

Lightspeed Trader Overview

 

💵 Fees$4.50 Per Trade
💳 Account Minimum$10,000
➕ Promotion50% rebate

on first 3 months of commissions, up to $10,000 (for new Lightspeed Trader customers only)
✅ FeaturesAdvanced trading platforms.
Low options trading costs.
Futures trading.

 

Lightspeed offers customers multiple platforms to trade on including Lightspeed Trader, Lightspeed Web Trader, and Sterling Trader for stock and options trading.

 

Lightspeed Landing Page

 

Cobra Trading

 

Min Deposit

USD 30,000

Regulators

FINRA, NFA

Trading Platform

DAS Trader Pro, RealTick, Sterling Trader, CobraOnline

Crypto

No

Total Pairs

0

Islamic Account

No

Trading Fees

Low

Account Activation

24 Hours

 

Cobra Trading was founded in 2003 by Chadd Hessing as a direct-access, low-cost online brokerage for professional stock traders and offers multiple trading platforms and personalized services.

Cobra Trading charges commissions on a per-share basis and offers everything a professional trader may require including futures and forex trading through its subsidiary, Venom by Cobra Trading.

 

Cobra Trading Overview

 

🔎 IntrumentsStocks, Options
✅ Demo Account✔️ Yes
Min Deposit$30'000
💵 Payment MethodsCheque, Wire Transfer
🔁 Min Trade$1
📝 Regulated byFINRA

 

By design, Cobra Trading focuses mainly on professional stock and options trading.

 

cobra-trading landing page

 

Read 20  Best DMA Forex Brokers – ( Reviewed ) 2025

 

TD Ameritrade

 

Min Deposit

USD 0

Regulators

SEC, FINRA, CFTC, MAS

Trading Platform

Web Trading Platform, ThinkorSwim

Crypto

Yes

Total Pairs

0

Islamic Account

No

Trading Fees

Low

Account Activation

24 Hours

 

TD Ameritrade offers traders the ultimate package including $0 trades, great trading platforms, fantastic market research, industry-leading education for beginners plus excellent customer service.  TD Ameritrade stock trades rate is $0, with options trades at $0.65 per contract. $6.95 is the flat-rate fee for a trading penny.

 

TD Ameritrade Overview

 

💳 Fees$0
💵 Account Minimum$0
📌 FeaturesCommission-free stock and ETF trades.
Free research.
High-quality trading platforms.
Excellent Customer Support
Large investment selection.

 

TD Ameritrade offers trading platforms and tools on a desktop-based platform – thinkorswim perfect for day trading, options trading or futures trading.  TD Ameritrade offers two smartphone apps: TD Ameritrade Mobile and TD Ameritrade Mobile Trader.

Both futures and forex trading is available.

 

TD Ameritrade Landing Page

 

 

Fidelity

 

Min Deposit

USD 1

Regulators

SEC, FINRA

Trading Platform

Active Trader Pro

Crypto

No

Total Pairs

0

Islamic Account

No

Trading Fees

Low

Account Activation

24 Hours

 

Fidelity offers $0 stock trades, industry-leading research, fantastic trading tools, an easy-to-use mobile app, and comprehensive retirement services with a flagship desktop platform, loaded with trading tools. 

 

Fidelity Overview

 

💵 Fees$0 per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
💳 Account Minimum $0
📌 FeaturesCommission-free stock, ETF and options trades.
Large selection of research providers.
Strong customer service.
Expense-ratio-free index funds.
Highly rated mobile app.

 

Fidelity provides the entire spectrum of investment services, from stock trading to retirement guidance, international trading in 25 countries, and exchange between 16 currencies.

 

Best Stock Brokers on the JSE

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is the largest stock exchange in Africa and offers a wide range of investment opportunities. Some of the best stock brokers on the JSE include:

 

  1. Standard Bank Webtrader: This online trading platform offers access to the JSE and other global markets, as well as a range of research and analysis tools.
  2. Investec: Investec offers a range of investment options, including equities on the JSE and other global markets, as well as fixed income, derivatives and more.
  3. First National Bank (FNB): FNB offers online trading via its Share Trading platform, which provides access to the JSE and other global markets, as well as a range of investment research and analysis tools.
  4. Sasfin: Sasfin Securities is a full-service stockbroker, which offers access to the JSE and other global markets, as well as a range of investment research and analysis tools.
  5. Sanlam iTrade: Sanlam iTrade is an online trading platform that offers access to the JSE and other global markets, as well as a range of research and analysis tools.

 

Best Stock Brokers on the A2X

The A2X is a South African alternative exchange that aims to provide a more cost-effective and efficient alternative to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for trading listed companies. Some of the best stock brokers on A2X include:

  1. Standard Bank Webtrader
  2. Investec
  3. First National Bank (FNB)
  4. Sasfin
  5. Sanlam iTrade

 

It’s important to note that A2X is a relatively new exchange, therefore the broker’s offerings may be limited and subject to change. It’s recommended to check with the broker for the most up-to-date information on their offerings and fees. And again, it’s always recommended to check the regulatory compliance of the brokerage firm you choose.

 

Conclusion

 

Overall, Share and Stock Trading works in a similar way to a marketplace, where parties will negotiate a price at which to exchange an asset.  

 

RECOMMENDED JSE BROKER

🛡️ Trust Score

97%

Avatrade - #1 JSE Trading Platform

RECOMMENDED JSE BROKER

🛡️ Trust Score

97%

Avatrade - #1 JSE Trading Platform

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Do you have to trade stocks with a broker?

 

No, you don’t have to trade stocks with a broker; however, you do need a brokerage where you purchase stocks, etfs, bonds and other investments. Online brokers usually do not charge fees for buying and selling stocks.

 

What steps should I follow when buying stocks?

 

  1. Choose a brokerage.
  2. Fund the brokerage account.
  3. Research investments taking into account your financial situation, goals and risk tolerance.
  4. Click to buy your stock.

 

Is trading forex easier than trading stocks?

 

As opposed to forex, stocks are less volatile and easier to trade. Forex delivers more returns than stocks and it is easier to beat the markets with forex than with stocks.

 

 Where can I find stocks to trade?

 

You can get stock info from most online broker sites in real time. You can also check out financial services such as Google Finance or Yahoo Finance.

 

Can I buy stocks in Uber?

 

Yes, you can buy stocks in Uber. 

4.7/5 - (24 votes)

Written by:

Louis Schoeman

Edited by:

Skerdian Meta

Fact checked by:

Arslan Butt

Updated:

February 7, 2023

Written by:

Louis Schoeman

Featured SA Shares Writer and Forex Analyst.

I am an expert in brokerage safety, adept at spotting scam brokers in mere seconds. My guidance, rooted in my firsthand experience with brokers and an in-depth understanding of the regulatory framework, has safeguarded hundreds of users from fraudulent brokerage activities.

Edited by:

Skerdian Meta

Leading Analyst

Skerdian Meta FXL’s Heading Analyst is a professional Forex trader and market analyst and has been actively engaged in market analysis for the past 10 years. Before becoming our leading analyst, Skerdian served as a trader and market analyst at Saxo Bank’s local branch, Aksioner, the forex division and traded small investor’s funds for two years.

Fact checked by:

Arslan Butt

Commodities & Indices Analyst

Arslan Butt, a financial expert with an MBA in Behavioral Finance, leads commodities and indices analysis. His experience as a senior analyst and market knowledge (including day trading) fuel his insightful work on cryptocurrency and forex markets, published in respected outlets like ForexCrunch.

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