8
SoFi Active Invest Review: Low-Cost Trading With Perks
If you’re new to investing, you might not know where to start. Investing apps are becoming more and more common. That’s great if you like having a lot to choose from, but how do you know which app you should be using?
There are several beginner-friendly platforms out there, like SoFi Active Invest. The app is designed for do-it-yourself investors who aren’t necessarily experts but like a more hands-on approach.
In our SoFi Active Invest review, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of the app, who it’s best suited for and some of its features.
SoFi Active invest is a user friendly app that gives people a way to start investing with no account minimums and no commission on stocks and ETFs1. That means you don’t have to pay to invest your money.
It allows you to dip your toe in investment waters with stocks and ETFs, plus fractional shares that cost as little as $5 3(restrictions apply). The platform also provides real-time investment news and education to help people on their investing journey. This makes it ideal for do-it-yourself investors with beginner to intermediate levels of experience.
It’s important to note that the automated investment account with SoFi, or its roboadvisor, is separate from active investing. However, you can access both accounts within the same app.
Here are some of the features SoFi Active invest offers:
- Stocks & ETFs: zero-commission trades.
- Fractional shares: starting as low as $5 3(restrictions apply). These allow you to own a portion of a company’s stock rather than the whole thing.
- IPO access: Eligible members can invest in IPOs, aka initial public offerings, before public launch. An IPO is when a private company sells stock to the public for the first time. This is a unique opportunity for new investors, as IPOs are typically harder to access for the average investor.
- Alternative investments: Includes real estate, commodities, private credit and pre-IPO unicorns2. Unicorns are private companies worth at least $1 billion.
- Margin investing 5: Allows you to borrow against current investments to buy stocks and ETFs.
- SoFi Member Perks: Includes access to financial planners, community events and career coaching6.
And right now until March 31, 2026, when you open and fund a new Active Invest account with as little as $50, you could earn up to $3,000 in stock*.
There’s no account minimum with SoFi Active Invest and you can buy and sell stocks with no commissions and no contract fees. There is an inactivity fee of $25 if you don’t login for six months, but you can avoid this by being an active member. See the full fee schedule here.
Zero commission is a huge benefit for new investors, because it lowers the stakes a little more as you’re learning. However, if you decide to also open an automated investment account with SoFi, that will come with advisory fees.
Because SoFi is a digital-first fintech company, its mobile app is user friendly with an intuitive design. It’s highly rated on the App Store at 4.8/5 stars. It has a 4.1/5 star rating on Google Play.
Although the simplified process makes things quick and easy, it does come with more limited research tools. For example, an app like Fidelity has customizer screeners to help you research and compare investments.
All investments come with risks, and there are no guarantees of returns. However, SoFi is registered with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a nongovernmental organization that aims to protect investors and regulate brokers. It’s also a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which protects up to $500,000 per account ($250,000 cash). This protects the investor in case the broker experiences financial trouble.
The app also supports two-factor authentication and biometric logins to keep your information secure.
How SoFi Compares to Other Platforms
Robinhood is also well-known for being beginner friendly. It also charges zero commission, but its app isn’t as highly rated as SoFi overall (4.2 Google Play, 4.3 Apple), so user experience tends to be the big difference. Fidelity’s app is both highly rated (4.6 Google Play, 4.8 Apple) and offers more research tools and investment products. However, SoFi is better for new investors who value simplicity.
SoFi Active Invest is great for beginners, do-it-yourself investors and those who want a more active role in their investments. It’s a low-cost platform that’s easy to use, so it allows new investors to ease into it. It also might be a good fit for you if you currently or plan to use SoFi’s other financial products, like its automated investment platform or checking and savings account. If you’re a more experienced investor who wants additional tools and features, you have other options that have more advanced research and analytics capabilities. But newbies can find comfort in the ease of use with SoFi Active Invest.
We would recommend SoFi Active Invest for a new investor or one who’s still trying to build up their knowledge. Although it wouldn’t necessarily hurt a more experienced investor, SoFi caters to beginners. If you need in-depth analysis and more options, you can find that with other apps like Fidelity.
However, if simplicity is what you’re looking for, SoFi Active Invest could be a good way to start investing. You can “learn by doing,” starting small with fractional shares and paying zero-commission stocks and ETFs1. It doesn’t take long to sign up.
Yes. SoFi is regulated by FINRA and the SEC and offers SIPC insurance up to $500,000 per account.
Although it doesn’t charge commissions on stock or ETF trades, it does charge an inactivity fee of $25 if you don’t log in for six months.
Yes, you can invest in fractional shares starting at $5.3(restrictions apply)
Yes. Eligible SoFi members can invest in IPOs before they’re publicly available.
SoFi offers stronger financial planning tools and membership perks, while Robinhood leads on options trading and community features.
*Promotion Disclosures
Ready to stop worrying about money?
Get the Penny Hoarder Daily
Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We strive to provide accurate, reliable information.
Compensation may influence how and where products appear on our site (including their order), and we do not include all companies or offers.