Head to head
Robinhood vs Tiger Brokers — which broker is better?
Robinhood or Tiger Brokers? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.
Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.
Robinhood
Equity options with no per-contract fee and one of the highest-rated trading apps in our comparison — paired with a thin research offering and penalties from the SEC, FINRA and NYDFS since 2020.
- Stocks (per order)
- Free
- Minimum deposit
- None
- 5,000 order
- €0
Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Tiger Brokers
A Nasdaq-listed multi-market app broker licensed in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia, with a long product list and a regulatory record in mainland China that belongs in the decision.
- Stocks (per order)
- 0.06 %
- Minimum deposit
- None
- 5,000 order
- €3
Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
The verdict in numbers
Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.
Overall Tiger Brokers takes it, 4.1 against 3.9 out of 5. Robinhood is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €0.00 there against €3.00. Both score 78 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Tiger Brokers covers more ground with 10 of 14 asset classes against 7. We rate platform and app at 4.4 out of 5 for both. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
- Robinhood
- 3.9
- Tiger Brokers
- 4.1 — Better
- Robinhood
- €0.00 — Better
- Tiger Brokers
- €3.00
- Robinhood
- 78 of 100
- Tiger Brokers
- 78 of 100
- Robinhood
- 7/14
- Tiger Brokers
- 10/14 — Better
- Robinhood
- 4.4
- Tiger Brokers
- 4.4
Compare brokers side by side
Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 02 Nov 2026
| Criterion | Robinhood 3.9 Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. | Visit broker Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 3.9 | 4.1 — Better |
| Group index | 78 of 100 | 78 of 100 |
| Best for | Active options tradersMobile-first investorsMargin usersCrypto and equities in one appSmall starting balances | Singapore investors using CDP, CPF or SRSMulti-market stock and options traders in Asia-PacificHong Kong residents who want stocks and crypto in one appFutures traders on CME, HKEX and SGX |
| Regulation | SECFINRACFTCFCABank of Lithuania | MASSFCASIC |
| Top-tier licences | 4 — Better | 3 |
| Investor protection | US$500,000 | US$500,000 |
| Listed group | Yes | Yes |
| Banking licence | No | No |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | No | No |
| Audited financials | Yes | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | 4 | 2 |
| Founded | 2013 | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Menlo Park, US | Singapore, SG |
| Fees | 4.8 — Better | 4.0 |
| Safety & regulation | 3.6 | 3.9 — Better |
| Trading platform | 3.9 | 4.3 — Better |
| Product range | 3.4 | 4.3 — Better |
| Mobile app | 4.8 — Better | 4.4 |
| Research | 2.8 | 4.0 — Better |
| Customer support | 3.0 | 3.6 — Better |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Account opening | 4.7 — Better | 4.3 |
| Education | 3.4 | 3.6 — Better |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €0.00 — Better | €3.00 |
| Minimum deposit | None | None |
| Stocks (per order) | Free | 0.06 % |
| US stocks | Free | US$0.01/share |
| ETFs | Free | 0.06 % |
| Options | Free — Better | US$0.65 |
| Futures | US$0.75 — Better | US$2.99 |
| Crypto | in the spread | 0.05 % |
| Bonds (order) | Not offered | 0.12 % |
| Funds (order) | Not offered | Free |
| EUR/USD spread | n/a | n/a |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | n/a |
| FX conversion | n/a | n/a |
| Inactivity fee | None | n/a |
| Custody fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal fee | US$25 | free — Better |
| Deposit fee | free | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 7 | 10 — Better |
| Exchanges | n/a | n/a |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | No |
| CFDs | No | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | No | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | Yes |
| Spread betting | No | No |
| Social trading | No | No |
| Crypto access | Broker, real coins; coins to your own wallet: possible | Broker, real coins; coins to your own wallet: only for certain coins |
| Platforms | Robinhood MobileRobinhood WebRobinhood Legend | Tiger Trade appTiger Trade desktopTiger Open Platform (API) |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum leverage | 1:2 | 1:4 |
| Account opening | Minutes in-app; approval usually the same day | Fully online in the Tiger Trade app or on the website; Singpass in Singapore (accounts opened within 1–3 business days); in Hong Kong the initial deposit must come from a Hong Kong licensed bank account for verification |
| Account types | Robinhood brokerage accountRobinhood GoldRobinhood Retirement (Traditional / Roth IRA)Stocks and shares ISA (UK only)Joint investing account (US)Custodial account (UTMA/UGMA, US)Revocable living trust account (US) | Cash account (Singapore)Margin account (Singapore)Cash Boost Account (Singapore)Demo accountVirtual asset account (Hong Kong) |
| Payment methods | Bank transferCrypto | Bank transferWise |
| Account currencies | USDGBPEUR | SGDUSDHKDAUDEUR |
| Deposit time | Instant up to your instant-deposit limit; 3–5 business days to fully clear | Singapore: SGD by DDA from DBS/POSB in about 5 minutes; SGD by FAST from 15 minutes during business hours; other currencies 1–2 business days; from banks outside Singapore 1–3 business days |
| Withdrawal time | 1–3 business days by ACH; same day by wire | Singapore: review of 1–2 business days, then 1–3 business days by FAST, MEPS, FPS or telegraphic transfer |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishSpanish | EnglishChinese |
| Channels | Live chatEmailPhone | PhoneEmailLive chatWhatsApp |
| Availability | 24/7 in-app chat and callback | Singapore: phone weekdays 08:30–18:30 SGT, online chat and WhatsApp weekdays 08:30 to 05:00 the next day. Hong Kong: phone weekdays 09:30–18:30 HKT, online chat weekdays 09:30 to 05:00 the next day |
Strengths and weaknesses side by side
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
Robinhood
Equity options with no per-contract fee and one of the highest-rated trading apps in our comparison — paired with a thin research offering and penalties from the SEC, FINRA and NYDFS since 2020.
Pros
- Equity and ETF options carry no commission and no per-contract fee — only about USD 0.04 per contract of pass-through, against USD 0.65 at Schwab and Fidelity
- USD 0 commission on US stocks and ETFs, fractional orders from USD 1, and no account minimum
- Among the lowest retail margin rates in the US market, 5.25% on balances up to USD 50,000 on a standard account as well as on Gold (rates as of 16 September 2026), with the first USD 1,000 of margin interest-free for USD 5/month Gold subscribers
- Robinhood Gold pays 3.6% APY on eligible uninvested brokerage cash with no cap and no minimum — far above Schwab's default sweep
- Retirement accounts with a 1% contribution match, rising to 3% for Gold members — no other major US broker matches IRA contributions at all
- Futures at USD 0.75 per contract per side (USD 0.50 for Gold), plus index options at USD 0.50 (USD 0.35 for Gold)
- The mobile app is the benchmark for the category, with 90+ technical indicators and genuine feature parity with the web platform
- Around 90 cryptocurrencies alongside equities in the same account, plus prediction markets — an unusually broad retail shelf for one login
Cons
- Four significant regulatory settlements since 2020 — SEC USD 65m in 2020, FINRA USD 57m in 2021, NYDFS USD 30m in 2022 and FINRA USD 26m plus USD 3.75m restitution in 2025 — covering order-flow disclosure, supervision, AML and reporting failures
- USD 100 to transfer your account out, versus USD 0 at Fidelity — a deliberate exit cost, and one of the most common complaints on public review sites
- No bonds, no mutual funds, no international exchange access and no forex; the equity universe stops at US listings and ADRs
- Research is thin: no economic calendar, no sector heat maps, no yield curve tools and limited fundamental data, with AI Digests reserved for Gold
- Support has no direct phone line for prospective clients and no branches — it runs on in-app chat and callback requests, which is a poor fit for anything urgent
- No conditional order types or backtesting on any platform
Best for
Tiger Brokers
A Nasdaq-listed multi-market app broker licensed in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia, with a long product list and a regulatory record in mainland China that belongs in the decision.
Pros
- At Tiger Brokers Singapore, one Tiger Trade account reaches US, Hong Kong, Singapore, China A-share (Stock Connect) and Australian stocks, plus US and HK options, futures, US Treasuries and over 1,500 funds
- Low SGX pricing at Tiger Brokers Singapore: 0.03% commission plus a 0.03% platform fee (minimums SGD 0.99 and SGD 1), and the SGD 2 quarterly SGX custody fee is waived until further notice
- Licensed group companies in Singapore (MAS), Hong Kong (SFC, CE BMU940) and Australia (ASIC, AFSL 300767) under a Nasdaq-listed parent (TIGR)
- Singapore-specific features: the Cash Boost Account with CDP, CPF and SRS linkage, Singpass onboarding and no minimum deposit
- Free US Level 2 data (NYSE ArcaBook) and a free demo account with USD 1 million in virtual funds
- Auto-invest from USD 2 in US stocks and ETFs, HKD 500 in HK stocks and SGD 100 in SGX stocks, daily to monthly (SGX plans on the 1st and 15th of each month)
- Hong Kong clients can trade BTC, ETH, SOL, AVAX and LINK as retail investors under the SFC licence, with on-chain deposits and withdrawals for BTC and ETH (USDT for professional investors only)
Cons
- China's CSRC Beijing Bureau imposed penalties and confiscations of about RMB 411 million (about USD 59.7 million) on group subsidiaries on 22 May 2026, after an earlier CSRC finding of unlicensed cross-border business reported in January 2023
- US shares are not commission-free in Singapore: USD 0.005 per share commission plus USD 0.005 per share platform fee (minimums USD 0.99 and USD 1 per order) plus a USD 0.003 per share settlement fee
- The New Zealand company is registered as a client money and property service provider but states that it is not licensed by a New Zealand regulator
- Prices, products and protection differ by entity, and some advertised prices (the HK commissions for targeted participants, the US option coupon plan) are time-limited promotions or need activation
- Moving holdings out of Tiger Brokers (HK) costs USD 150 per US stock and HKD 500 per Hong Kong stock, and neither the Singapore nor the Hong Kong pages we read state what currency conversion costs
Best for
Open an account with either
A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.
Risk warning: CFDs and other leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
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