Looking to invest in the financial markets but don’t have the time or knowledge to pick individual assets? Then it’s well worth considering a mutual fund app.In doing so, your chosen mutual fund provider will invest on your behalf – allowing you to earn both capital gains and dividends. In this guide, we review the best mutual fund apps for 2023 and walk you through the process of making an investment today.
67% of retail investors lose money trading CFDs at this site.
Below you will find the best mutual fund apps in the market right now. Be sure to scroll down and read our comprehensive review of each app provider before signing up!
When searching for the best mutual fund apps for your needs – there are several core metrics that you need to explore.
For example, not only does the app need to offer the mutual fund that you wish to invest in, but you also need to assess what fees and ongoing commissions you will need to pay. You then need to look at factors like regulation, usability, and research tools.
To help clear the mist, below we review the best mutual fund apps for 2023 and beyond.
This includes a huge range of index-tracking funds that focus on the FTSE 100, Dow Jone, S&P 500, NASDAQ 100, and more. There are also funds that target dividend stocks, corporate bonds, and US Treasuries – alongside a selection of investment trusts. Irrespective of which fund you opt for, eToro will not charge you any commission to enter and exit the market. Instead, the only fee that is applicable comes in the form of the expense ratio charged by your chosen fund.
What we also like about this popular mutual fund app is that the minimum investment is just $50. This is unusual, as funds often require at least $500 to get started. But, at a small minimum of $50 – this allows you to diversify across heaps of different funds. In addition to funds, eToro also allows you to buy shares in over 2,400 companies. This stock market offering extends to 17 international exchanges – covering everything from London and New York to Frankfurt and Hong Kong. If you are interested in other assets such as cryptocurrency then eToro offers an exceptional array, it’s one of the best bitcoin trading apps out there as well as providing many altcoins to choose from, there is something here for every trader!
It goes without saying that the eToro investment app is compatible with both iOS and Android. The app can be downloaded free of charge and the account opening process takes minutes. Once you have taken a photo of your passport or driver’s license, you can then proceed to deposit funds directly within the app. Supported payment methods offered by eToro include debit/credit cards, bank transfers, and e-wallets like Paypal and Neteller.
67% of retail investors lose money trading CFDs at this site.
Robinhood
On top of US-listed stocks and a modest number of international ADRs, Robinhood also offers a great selection of ETFs making it a best etf epp. This covers ETFs that track US and foreign shares, gold, corporate bonds, index funds, and more. Best of all – and much like eToro, Robinhood does not charge any trading commission.
There are no ongoing account fees either – unless you upgrade to the Gold account. If you do, you will have access to margin trading facilities and benefits from a higher threshold of instant-processed deposits. Robinhood is well regulated in the US so safety should be of no concern. The app also provides financial news feeds – which is great for performing independent research.
Your capital is at risk.
The app also supports commission-free CFD trading on a number of financial markets. With that said, Fineco Bank is also a great option if you are looking to build long-term direct plans – as the app offers a huge range of passive funds.
In particular, Fineco Bank allows you to set up a recurring investment plan at just £/€/$ 50 per month. This is great for those of you that want to put a bit of money into the financial markets at the end of each month without needing to actively research investments. When it comes to selecting a fund, this is also taken care of by Fineco Bank.
All you need to do is answer a few questions about your financial goals and tolerance to risk. Then, Fineco will distribute your monthly investments accordingly. The fees associated with automatic fund investments at Fineco is just 0.25% per year. As Fineco is an E.U-based investment bank – naturally, it is heavily regulated, so your funds are safe.
There is no guarantee you will make money with this provider.
Plus500 is a CFD trading app that allows you to speculate on thousands of financial markets. This includes ETFs, stocks, cryptocurrency assets, hard metals, energies, many forex pairs and even mutual funds. The main premise here is that you will not be investing in mutual funds.
Instead, your primary objective is to speculate on whether you think the value of the mutual fund will increase or decrease. This allows you to benefit from both rising and falling markets. The Plus500 app – which is compatible with both iOS and Android devices, also allows you to trade mutual funds with leverage.
Your limits will depend on where you reside, albeit, this is usually capped at 1:5 when trading mutual fund CFDs. This will amplify a $100 stake into $500. Irrespective of whether you go long or short on your chosen mutual fund markets – Plus500 does not charge any trading commissions.
Instead, it’s only the spread that you need to pay. The minimum deposit at this top-rated trading app is just $100. Plus500 supports debit and credit cards, as well as Paypal. There is also a fully-fledged demo account available on the app. This allows you to trade mutual fund CFDs in a risk-free manner.
72% of retail CFD accounts lose money
Fidelity is an old-school brokerage firm that has since entered the age of mobile investing. The app – which is available on both iOS and Android, is packed to the rafters with financial markets.
This includes stocks, bonds, IPO access, ETFs, options, and of course – mutual funds. Regarding the latter, you will have access to over 10,000 funds – listed not only in the US but across several global marketplaces. When it comes to fees, this is where Fidelity really stands out.
This is because the app does not charge any commissions when you buy or sell mutual funds – other than the respective expense ratio. In fact, if you invest in a Fidelity mutual fund – you will pay 0% in expense ratio fees – which is unheard of in the trading scene.
In addition to fee-free investing, this mutual fund app does not have a minimum account balance in place. This ensures that Fidelity is suitable for investors of all budget levels. If you are also looking to perform ongoing financial research – Fidelity offers a highly extensive set of analytical and fundamental tools.
Your capital is at risk.
In total, TD Ameritrade gives you access to over 13,000 direct mutual funds – so you won’t be short of options. When it comes to fees, you wont pay any commissions to invest in a load mutual fund at TD Ameritrade.
You will, however, need to pay a commission of $49.99 on no-load funds – which is expensive. In terms of research tools, you might find the mutual fund screener of interest. This allows you to find a mutual fund that meets your financial goals based on pre-defined factors.
You can also compare mutual funds at the click of a button – with key metrics including past performance, expense ratios, and Morningstar ratings. TD Ameritrade also offers an up-to-date list of top-rated mutual funds that its team of in-house analysts like the look of.
Your capital is at risk.
Launched in 1978 and active across dozens of countries – Interactive Brokers is a highly established brokered firm. You can invest and trade online or via the provider’s Android/iOS mobile app.
In total, Interactive Brokers gives you access to over 40,000 mutual funds – which is huge. Not only does this include popular funds listed in the US – but around the world. What we really like about this broker is that more than 8,300 funds can be invested in commission-free.
If your chosen mutual fund is located outside of the US, you will pay a fee of EUR 4.95 per trade. Either way, Interactive Brokers gives you the option of investing on margin – subsequently giving you additional purchasing power. Some of the most sought-after mutual funds available at Interactive Brokers are backed by the likes of Invesco, BlackRock, PIMCO, and Fidelity.
If you’re also interested in other asset classes, Interactive Brokers has you covered. This includes everything from stocks, options, and futures to ETFs, bonds, and robo-advisor portfolios. Perhaps the main drawback with Interactive Brokers is that the initial account opening process is a bit long-winded. But, once you are set up – you’ll have unfettered access to the global financial markets.
There is no guarantee you will make money with this provider.
Spread betting is only available to clients in the UK
This mutual funds app provider offers a unique product which it calls ‘Smart Portfolios’. These are diversified investment portfolios that are professionally managed by the team at IG. Your capital will be spread across a variety of funds – covering stocks, bonds, and even commodities.
There are many Smart Portfolios to choose from – which are allocated based on risk. This covers a ‘conservative portfolio for risk-averse investors up to an ‘aggressive portfolio for those seeking higher returns. Either way, IG charges an annual fee of 0.72% to invest in its Smart Portfolios.
It is also possible to combine your Smart Portfolio investment with a Stocks and Shares ISA. This means that the first £20,000 invested each year will be shielded from capital gains and dividend tax. If you’re from the UK and like the sound of IG – the minimum deposit is just £250 and supported payment methods include debit cards and a local bank transfer.
Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and change or may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
Your capital is at risk when trading CFDs at this site.
Below you find a comparison table that outlines the fees and minimum account requirements stipulated by the best mutual fund apps.
Mutual Fund App | Mutual Fund Commission | Minimum Account Balance |
eToro | 0% | $50-$1,000 (location dependent) |
Robinhood | 0% | $0 |
Fidelity | 0% on Fidelity mutual funds | $0 |
Fineco | 0.25% per year | $100 or $50 per month |
Plus500 | 0% | $100 |
TD Ameritrade | 0% on load mutual funds | $0 |
Interactive Brokers | 0% on US-listed mutual funds | $0 |
IG | 0.72% per year | £250 |
Mutual funds allow you to invest in the financial markets in a 100% passive nature. This is because you will be investing your capital with a large financial institution that is tasked with buying and selling assets on your behalf. Some of the biggest fund houses in this industry include Fidelity, Vanguard, BlackRock, and PIMCO – which collectively manage trillions of dollars worth of investment capital.
Crucially, by investing in a mutual fund, you can sit back and allow your money to work for you. There is no requirement for you to spend countless hours research which assets to invest in. Nor do you need to worry about timing the markets. Instead, mutual funds are managed by experienced traders that have access to vast resources.
Here’s a simple example of how a mutual fund investment works:
There are two key points to note about the above example. Firstly, your mutual fund investment is represented as a share price. Mutual funds don’t, however, trade on a public stock exchange. Instead, the share price is based on the NAV (Net Asset Value) of the mutual fund.
The NAV is simply the total amount of assets held by the mutual fund – at the current market value. As such, when the NAV increases – as will the respective share price and thus – the value of your investment will rise. You will only be able to realize this increased NAV when you sell your mutual fund investment.
Secondly, mutual funds also pay dividends. This is usually distributed every three months and your share will be based on the amount you have invested. These payments are a result of assets that generate regular income – such as dividend stocks, real estate holdings, or bonds.
There are many reasons why investing in a mutual fund is a much better idea than attempting to manage your capital on a DIY basis.
This includes:
The main attraction of a mutual fund is that once you make an investment – you can sit back and enjoy a passive stream of income. This is because the mutual fund financial advisor makes all investment decisions.
For example – based on the underlying strategy, the fund manager will decide which assets to buy and when to sell them. Each fund will usually have a large team of analysts, researchers, and in-house traders that have a vast amount of experience in the financial markets.
You only decisions that you need to personally make are what mutual fund to invest in and subsequently – when to cash out.
When you invest in an ETF or index-tracking fund, your money is being managed in a passive nature. This means that the fund provider will simply look to track the respective market.
For example, if the mutual fund is focused on UK-based blue-chip stocks – it won’t take the easy option by simply tracking the FTSE 100. On the contrary, the mutual fund manager will determine which FTSE 100 stocks should be added to its portfolio and which companies don’t quite make the cut.
As we briefly covered in our example above, most mutual funds offer two streams of income. Firstly, when NAV of the fund increases, so will the value of your investment.
These capital gains will be realized once you cash out. Secondly, most mutual funds pay dividends every three months. If you’re looking to build a long-term investment plan – this is great. The reason for this is that on each dividend payment, you can reinvest the money back into the mutual fund (or another asset).
In doing so, you are constantly increasing the size of mutual fund investment. As you do, the size on your quarterly dividend payments will also increase – as the yield is based on a large stake in the mutual fund.
When you invest in a mutual fund, there is every chance that you will be indirectly gaining access to hundreds of different assets. For example, the mutual fund might hold a highly diversified basket of stocks from a variety of markets. Or, the fund might invest in a large collection of corporate and government bonds.
Either way, you only need to make a single investment into the mutual fund to create a balanced and well-diversified portfolio. Attempting to replicate a mutual fund portfolio on a DIY basis would not only be time-consuming, but costly.
Although mutual funds are actively managed – this doesn’t mean that you will be hit with hefty investment fees. Instead, you will find that the vast majority of mutual funds are priced at less than 1% per year.
When you consider what goes on behind the scenes in terms of research and analysis – this is very reasonable. Take note, you might also need to pay a brokerage commission to invest in your chosen mutual fund. With that said, the best mutual fund investment apps that have been discussed today typically offer a commission-free service.
In searching for the best mutual fund app, you need to perform lots of research to ensure the provider is right for you. For example, some mutual fund apps only service residents of selected countries. Additionally, you also need to look at what mutual funds are supported, as well as regulation, payments, and commissions.
Here’s a breakdown of the most important considerations that need to be made in your hunt for the best mutual fund app.
It goes without saying that your chosen mutual fund app be authorized and regulated by a reputable financial body. Make no mistake about it – all of the best mutual fund investment apps discussed on this page are heavily regulated.
For example, eToro is licensed by the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), and ASIC (Australia) – and registered with FINRA (US). Ultimately, this ensures that your mutual fund investment is being safely managed.
On the one hand, the process of investing in a mutual fund is very straightforward. Typically, all you need to do is open an account with a mutual fund app, make a deposit, and then allocate some funds to your chosen investment. This is especially the case when using a user-friendly app like eToro – as it takes just 10 minutes to get started.
However, you will also come across mutual fund apps that have been poorly designed. For example, the process of opening an account might take up to a week – largely because of a cumbersome KYC process that needs to be manually processed. We also come across mutual funds apps that are difficult to navigate – especially when it came to finding an investment.
You don’t want to go through the process of opening an account with a trading app only to find that it doesn’t support your chosen mutual fund. In many cases, you are unable to view what mutual funds the app supports until you register an account – which can be problematic.
With that said, if you know that the app supports thousands of mutual funds from a variety of international marketplaces – then there is every chance that there is an investment that meets your financial goals. This is especially the case with the likes of Fineco Bank, TD Ameritrade, and Interactive Brokers.
When investing through a mutual fund app – there are several fees that you might be exposed to.
This includes the following:
The best mutual fund apps are very transparent when it comes to fees. As such, refer to the provider’s website to get a full breakdown of what fees and charges will be applicable when investing in a mutual fund.
Although mutual funds allow you to invest passively – it’s a major bonus when trading apps offer research tools. After all, there are tens of thousands of mutual funds in operation from all over the world. As such, you need to invest some time to ensure your chosen mutual fund meets your financial objectives and attitude to risk.
We found that the best mutual fund investment apps offer an in-house research facility. This might include ratings from major financial platforms like Morningstar, information regarding past performance and expected returns, and the level of risk associated with the fund.
An additional investment tool that we came across when reviewing the best mutual fund apps for 2023 was the eToro Copy Trading feature. This allows you to invest in individual traders as opposed to a broader mutual fund.
We like the fact that you can view a full suite of data about the trader you are considering copying – such as financial performance, risk rating, and maximum drawdown. Best of all, eToro doesn’t charge anything to utilize its Copy Trading tool – so this offers a great alternative to conventional mutual funds.
The best mutual fund brokers allow you to deposit and withdraw funds directly through the app. For example, eToro allows you to instantly fund your account with a debit/credit card or e-wallet (Paypal, Skrill, Neteller). Some providers also support mobile payments such as Google and Apple Pay.
At the other end of the scale, some mutual fund apps only support bank transfers. Depending on your location, this means that it might take a few days for the funds to arrive.
Finally, it’s also a good idea to check what customer support channels the mutual fund app offers. Ideally, if you need assistance, you will be able to get real-time support via a live chat facility.
This is offered by eToro on a 24/5 basis. Unfortunately, many mutual funds apps that we came across only offer email support. This means that you might not receive a reply until the next day – sometimes longer.
Ready to download a mutual fund app and make your first investment? If so, we are now going to walk you through the process with the popular investment app eToro – which allows you to buy and sell funds on a commission-free basis at a minimum stake of just $50.
Visit the eToro website and elect to download the official mobile app. To clarify, the eToro app is free to download and is available on both iOS and Android devices.
Once you have downloaded the eToro app, open it to begin the account opening process. This should not take you more than a few minutes as eToro simply requires some personal finance information from you.
As part of the account opening process, you will also be asked to upload some KYC documents. For this, you need to take a clear photo of your government-issued ID (passport or driver’s license) and a recently issued bank account statement or utility bill. As eToro employs a paperless KYC process – your documents should be verified instantly.
You can now deposit some funds directly within the eToro app. Supported payment methods include a debit/credit card, e-wallet, or bank wire. .
All payment methods are processed instantly at eToro – bearing an international bank wire.
Now that you have a fully-funded eToro account, search for the asset that you wish to invest in. Upon clicking on the ‘Trade’ button, you will see an order box.
Here, you simply need to enter your stake (minimum $50) and click on the ‘Open Trade’ button to complete your commission-free investment.
Now that you have a fully-funded eToro account, search for the asset that you wish to invest in. Upon clicking on the ‘Trade’ button, you will see an order box.
Here, you simply need to enter your stake (minimum $50) and click on the ‘Open Trade’ button to complete your commission-free investment.
By investing in a mutual fund, no longer do you need to spend countless hours researching technical and fundamental data – nor do you need to try and time the market. Instead, through a single investment – your chosen mutual fund will make all trading decisions on your behalf.
If you’re ready to invest in a fund right now and want to avoid paying any commission – consider top-rated trading app eToro. This heavily regulated broker offers heaps of diversified funds and managed portfolios – and getting started takes minutes!
67% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
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Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and change or may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
Kane Pepi is a British researcher and writer that specializes in finance, financial crime, and blockchain technology. Now based in Malta, Kane writes for a number of platforms in the online domain. In particular, Kane is skilled at explaining complex financial subjects in a user-friendly manner. Kane has also written for websites such as MoneyCheck, the Motley Fool, InsideBitcoins, Blockonomi, Learnbonds, and the Malta Association of Compliance Officers.
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